Ever since the pandemic began, I have been shopping online a lot more for my clothes. Places like ASOS, H&M, American Eagle, Pretty Little Thing, Shein and Fashion Nova, just to name a few of my go to online clothing’s hubs, have been at the top of my list of places to shop at. I remember shopping on Shein the first time my sophomore year of college in disbelief that prices could be this low for clothes that were this cute. I would be lying if I hadn’t bought a haul of clothes from each of these stores online and I definitely thought there was absolutely nothing that could be wrong for buying cute clothes for a great deal.
This summer I saw an Instagram story that was describing how the fast fashion firms that I shop at were not properly paying its factory workers. Fast fashion firms often outsource their clothing production to save costs by paying lower wages to workers. It was reported that for factory workers in Bangladesh for fast fashion firms that they were working in terrible conditions and receiving little to no pay that was promised for over three months.
Reading this was mind boggling. First, in the middle of a pandemic, factory workers who need to make ends meet are not receiving any level of hazard pay. On top of that, they aren’t receiving the wages from these firms that they were promised.
Looking more into the hidden secrets of fast fashion, I discovered that it also has harmful effects on the environment. The production and materials that go into creating the clothes can be harmful to the environment. The chemical additives used, waste accumulated, water pollution, water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and so much more all are amplified by fast fashion firms that we love and shop at. In fact, fashion firms are the second largest polluters in the world.
Now, I’m guilty of shopping at these stores with the thought of shopping smart. I’m trying to shop more sustainably going into this year. Next time before you decide to shop at a fast fashion firm, try to look into alternative places to shop.
But while fast fashion has negative repercussions, it’s also important to note that many of the more sustainable shopping brands are expensive and likely don’t fit many of our budgets.
Thrift shopping is a great way to shop on a budget. You can find great deals and cute clothes for yourself. In a way you’re shopping more sustainably. You’ll be helping the environment by reducing waste and shopping in solidarity for workers who are fighting for their pay and improved conditions from fast fashion firms.