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Fast fashion isn’t free. Someone, somewhere is paying - Lucy Siegle
When we talk about sustainable fashion, the only thing that comes to our mind is recycling and reusing clothes, but sustainable fashion is something more than just that.
What is sustainable fashion?
Sustainable fashion is a process of changing fashion trends and fashion industry systems, in a way to contribute to a greater, better ecological integrity and social justice.
Switching to sustainable fashion methods and trends can benefit us as consumers and the society.
What is ethical fashion?
Now, most of us might be under the illusion that sustainable fashion and ethical fashion are the same thing but there is a stark contrast between these two terms.
While, sustainability of clothes is limited to better quality and durability of the garment, ethical fashion goes beyond just that. Ethical fashion consists of a whole system surrounding fashion units such as factory/garment production workers, buyers, suppliers and consumers.
What is fast fashion and how does it affect the entire fashion industry/ecosystem?
Fast fashion is the immediate need to keep up with trends and go through unnecessary purchases which then in turn lead to hoarding and stock piling of clothes, I am pretty sure that most of us have felt this urge to buy something new every time we make a quick trip to the mall. This urge is quite insatiable and once caved in, can become a habit which most of us think isn’t a big deal, I mean grabbing a bunch of cute clothes in a sale at your favorite store does look like the perfect catch but then your clothes tell a whole different story.
The garment industry exemplifies the challenges of global manufacturing. The garment factory workers who slave away for multimillion dollar companies are often invisible to us all, they are signed under so called “flexible contracts” which force them into working inhumane hours with low wage in pathetic conditions. These conditions often lead to life hazards.
Impact of fast fashion on the economy.
Fast fashion has a huge economic impact and is responsible for the recent economic growth of the apparel industry worldwide.
Fast fashions enables to employ nearly 300 million people all around the world, the concentration of employees majorly lies in poor, third world countries where labour is shockingly cheap and accessible.
The apparel industry has been growing yearly at a steady rate of 4.78% since 2011.
Back in the year 2011, the global fashion industry size was estimated at USD 1,051.66 Billion, by 2024 it is expected to reach USD 1,712.67 billion.
In the united stated, 88% of consumer prefer shopping for fast fashion, followed by consumers in Europe at 46% and India at 25%.
Another driving force for the economic growth of fast fashion companies are E-commerce websites, whose revenue stands at a whopping USD 481 billion and is expected to reach USD 713 billion in 2022.
It is safe to say that fast fashion is the quickest way to achieve insane revenue but at the cost of innocent workers in third world countries.
How to switch from fast fashion to better sustainable options?
Making this big shift, takes a lot of conscious efforts but this is one of the best things one could do for themselves, the environment and millions of factory workers who are wanting to be seen and heard by us all. There are a lot of brands who are making an effort to integrate garments made out of sustainable materials such as recycled cotton, organic cotton, organic linen, recycled polyester and many more. Here are some ways in which you could do so,
· Always buy quality over quantity
Make sure to always value the quality of the garment over the quantity, the goal should be to make the clothes last, this in turn will help curb mass production of clothes.
· Repair damaged garments
Do not throw away garments just because of minor tear and wear, if the garment can be salvaged please try and take it to a nearby tailor or fix it yourself at home.
· Donate your clothes
Try and collect all the clothes that don’t fit you or you just don’t like to wear anymore, make a conscious effort to box these clothes up and drop them by charitable organisations that accept clothing donations. You can also give away the clothes to someone around you who needs them.
· Invest in a minimalistic wardrobe.
Having a Minimalistic wardrobe helps you find exactly what fits your style quotient, since hoarding isn’t an option, you will focus more on what clothes would you actually wear rather than just randomly picking something up just because it was on sale etc. Minimalism is a superb lifestyle to adopt if you are looking to make a conscious whole hearted effort towards changing the fast fashion industry.
· Try to buy from sustainability conscious brands.
Here are a few brands that are aiming towards a sustainable approach on their garment production-
1. Zara
2. Levi’s
3. Adidas
4. Plant faced clothing
5. Afends
6. Lucy and yack
- Beulah Sharon
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