Fashion has had an incrediblly large influence on our lives. It is a fundamental pillar of our cultural heritage, it has sparked discussions on our political ideology and it has played a vital role in the growth of international trade and globalisation.
However, this has come at a great cost.
Since the birth of Fast Fashion in the 1990's, the fashion industry has become one of the most polluting industries of our times. It has also been responsible for the rise of thousands of sweatshops in the most vulnerable and deprived communities in the world and it has been the cause of unprecedented animal cruelty and exploitation.
From haute couture to high street fasion, what we buy, how we buy and whom we buy from is a reflection of our perceived social status, personal style and ethical values.
What is Fast Fashion?
The Fast Fashion model is based on shortening the time between the design and production process, or in other words, how quickly can the styles shown on the catwalk become available to retail stores across the world. It's essentially based on the principles of high volume, low quality and cheap prices. Think of Zara, H&M and Primark.
In her book, Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Fast Fashion, author Elizabeth L. Cline explains how Fashion has moved from the traditional fall/winter and spring/ summer seasons to 52 micro seasons. The entire edifice is based on increasing product turnover and generating sales from repeat customers.
So, what's wrong with that?
The Problem with Fast Fashion
Given that the Fast Fashion Industry is based on the model of high volume / low quality production, it means two things: 1) sell extremely cheap clothes and 2) produce a lot of clothes.
So what does this mean for the people who make our clothes?
Since the Fast Fashion retailers are always driving down prices (and maximising their profits), it means they need to employ their labour overseas in low income countries. In the face of weak legislation and lax health and safety measures, the workers (majority of which are women) are made to work exceedingly long hours in extremely dangerous conditions and at a ridiculously low wage. The documentary 'The True Cost' sheds a light on on the working conditions of sweatshops where there is no accountability of child labour and sexual harrassment.
The Rana Plaza Tragedy, the deadliest garment-related accident of it's kind, awoke the world to the health and safety risks that are imposed on millions of workers in the poorest of countries. The 8-storey commercial building collapsed on itself due to cracks in the structure of the building and killed more than a thousand people and left almost 2,500 people severely injured. Despite earlier warnings, the garment workers were forced to put their lives at risk and resume work to meet short production deadlines from a number of high street brands that have been linked back to the Plaza. The Clean Clothes Campaign has published a list of the high street retailers who were involved in the Tragedy and which ones have failed to pay compensation to the victims. You'll find well known Fast Fashion brands like Primark (UK), Mango (Spain) and J.C. Penny (US) in there. I'm sure you won't look at them in the same way again.
Unsustainable Fashion
With it's excessive use of toxic dyes and pesticides, the Fashion Industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. In the absence of stringent environmental controls in garment factories overseas, untreated chemicals are dumped into the rivers and contaminate the drinking water supply of the surrounding communities. Moreover, microfibres that are shed from synthetic clothing are released into our waterways and wreak havoc on the marine life and the human food chain.
Fast Fashion also has a massively large carbon footprint, in fact it is the 5th largest contributor to greenhouse gases in the UK. The entire supply chain from sourcing of raw materials to the production, distribution and the ultimate sale of a product, requires an enormous amount of energy and water. Today, the average lifespan of a garment is considered to be between 2 and 3 years before it is discarded for the next season' trend, so it comes as no surprise then that £130 million of clothing is dumped in landfills each year, putting a serious burden on our existing infrastructure and public utilities.
In 2018, British women were responsible for spending £29.4 billion on new clothing and this figure is expected to rise by 14% in 2022. So I think it would be pertinent to ask the question, why do we shop so much?
Is it because buying new clothes makes us feel good about ourselves?
Is it because we're bored and shopping is fun?
Is it because our favourite celebrity is endorsing it?
Whatever the reason may be, our shopping behaviour has a significant environmental and social cost. Fast Fashion contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases, promotes the abuse of human and labour rights and is responsible for the pollution of our air, soil and water resources.
5 Ways to Quit Fast Fashion
So if you think it's time to curtail your shopping addiciton, here are some tips that will show you how you can quit Fast Fashion and help to change your lifestyle and shopping habits.
Stop Impulse Buying: you might head to the high street when you've got some extra time or might find yourself browsing through the womenswear department at your local supermarket. It's really easy to get tempted by the bargains but before you fill up your cart, pause and think about the impact of that garmet. Who made these clothes? How much water was used to produce it? When you start thinking rationally, you will think twice before you buy something.
Challenge Yourself: Set a goal for yourself and decide you won't buy anything for 30 days / 6 months, a year? And then use the money that you will save up for a special treat. I admit, it sounds easier said than done, but it will be worth it at the end if you can finally buy something for yourself or your loved one, or better yet buy an experience like a day out and cherish that memory for a really long time.
Wait & See: Sometimes we see something in the shopfront display and get this uncontrollable urge to buy it right away. Just wait a couple more days and see if you still want it. Could you buy something at an ethical store instead? Does it really match your style? If you're shopping online, you can add it to your basket but don't checkout just yet. You might change your mind the next day. I do this all the time and it really works :)
Unsubscribe: One of the most effective ways I've been able to cut down on my impusle buying it to unsubscribe from email lists. Every other day I would get a newsletter offering discounts and updates and I'm embarassed to admit but I'd spend a pretty big chunk of my morning browsing their websites. Unfollow these brands from your social media and switch off the one-click settings to avoid impulse buys.
Quality over quantity: Let's be real here...buying a bag or a new pair of shoes gives me pure joy. I can't help it to be honest, but it makes me happy and I love love love accessories. After many years of buying cheap and poor quality things I have come to realise....my grandmother was right. In fact, that whole generation was right. They would buy very few things but very very good quality, even if it meant that they were paying more for it.
I hope this blog was helpful in giving you some insights on the social and environmental cost of our throwaway cuture and the tips on taking small but significant steps towards making choices for more sustainable fashion practices. You can subscribe here and every month we'll send you more articles on similiar topics.
If you would like to read more about how House of Ethics encompasses the principles of sustainable fashion and ethical consumption, head over to our about page, which talks about the benefits of cork leather as a plant-based, organic and chemical-free fabric and how its becoming the must-have fashion accessory in the vegan fashion space.
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