If you’re anything like me, you LOVE fashion and if you asked me five years ago what my favorite fashion brand was, I would say Forever 21 in a heartbeat. But after learning about the fashion industry and the negative effects fast fashion has on our environment and the lives of people in developing countries, I have ditched the fast fashion phase for more sustainable options.
Fast fashion by definition ‘is a term used by fashion retailers to describe inexpensive designs that move quickly from the catwalk to stores to meet new trends’ (Investopedia). Fast fashion retailers create several different collections and mass produce their product. H&M, Zara, Forever 21 are the three largest fast fashion retailing brands. We love these brands because they have on trend clothing & accessories that are sold at affordable prices. But have you ever thought about why the prices are so low?
With fast fashion comes mass production in developing countries. The workers who make these clothing items are sometimes paid very poor living wages and are forced to work in horrible working conditions. Not to mention how horrible it is for the environment to constantly buy clothing items that you dispose of when they no longer serve you a purpose. Fast fashion companies have little regard to their destructive ways of doing business.
Being more conscious about where your clothing comes from and who makes it is something we all need to be more aware about. While yes, a $5 shirt is amazing and who doesn’t like saving money, think about the person that made that shirt, think about their living conditions, think about their living wage, think about the environment. And I’m not saying throw all your clothes from fast fashion retailers out, that wouldn’t solve the problem either.
By learning about the negative effects of the fashion industry, I have discovered amazing ways to help while still getting my shopping fix & being on trend with the latest styles. For the past few months I have only been thrifting and I have been loving every minute of it. I go to local thrift stores and utilize websites like Poshmark. (check out my closet here). I also am trying to keep my wardrobe size smaller by creating a capsule wardrobe.
Be sure to stay updated for new articles in regard to sustainable fashion, Poshmark, and my capsule wardrobe. Feel free to reach out to me through Instagram (@beccasanchez) if you have any questions.