Sustainable fashion aims to reduce the environmental harms caused by fast fashion. It protects the rights of garment workers and upholds animal welfare.
This article will compare the environmental impacts of fast fashion and sustainable fashion, and will provide easy and cheap suggestions to improve the sustainability of your wardrobe.
What Is Fast Fashion?
Fast fashion means the rapid production of low-cost, low-quality clothing that aims to mimic popular styles. According to WWF, fast fashion is a result of clothes becoming cheaper and trend cycles speeding up. The average consumer buys 60% more clothing now than in early 2000. (Source: The UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion)
What Are The Global Implications Of Fast Fashion?
Fast fashion contributes to around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions every year.
It facilitates overproduction, high levels of CO2 emissions, pollution, and attacks the wages and working conditions of garment workers.
Fast fashion also risks animal welfare through the release of toxic dyes and microfibers in waterways and the use of animal-derived products such as leather and fur.
How Does Fast Fashion Impact Garment Workers?
The Fashion Revolution’s Impact Report found that garments are the second highest at-risk product for modern slavery. Garment workers are often forced to work 14 to 16 hours a day and 7 days a week for low basic wages. (Source: Earth.Org) There are 35 million garment workers worldwide.
The History Of Fast Fashion
The Industrial Revolution introduced sewing machines which made clothing easier, faster, and cheaper to make. By the 1960s, youth culture created new trends as clothes became forms of individual expression. The early 2000s saw a peak in low-cost fashion through the birth of online shopping and the high street presence of fast fashion retailers such as H&M and Zara.
What Do Sustainable Fashion Brands Do?
Sustainable clothing brands ensure workers receive fair treatment by employing policies to eradicate child and forced labor.
A sustainable brand also cares to reduce carbon emissions and environmental damage through the use of biodegradable fabrics, and little to no animal products, aiming to be 100% vegan.
How Can I Shop Sustainably?
Vogue suggests a ‘buy less and buy better’ mantra to approach sustainable clothes shopping. Sustainable fashion can be supported by shopping second-hand, and shopping with designers who promote sustainable practices.
Where Can I Find Sustainable Fashion Clothing Brands?
Sustainable clothing brands can be found across the US. Shopping locally can positively impact the environment by reducing the carbon footprint.
Good On You provide several examples of brands that work towards the sustainable fashion ethos:
- Harvest & Mill
- LA Relaxed
- Christy Dawn
- Subset (Knickey)
- The R Collective
- Unspun
- Fair Indigo
- Triarchy
- Éclipse
How Can Sustainable Fashion Benefit Me?
Sustainable fashion brands work to produce long-lasting items with higher quality materials than fast fashion retailers. This allows buyers to spend less frequently on new clothes.
Is Sustainable Fashion Cost Efficient?
Second-hand shopping is a cheap way to support sustainable fashion. This can be done in charity shops and thrift stores.
Online Second-Hand Thrift Stores In The US:
- thredUP
- Patagonia Worn Wear
- Swap
- Poshmark
- Depop
- Luxury Garage Sale
- eBay
- Rebag
- Vestiaire Collective
- Retro and Me
- Persephone Vintage
- Factoryblue
- CassandrasNotebook
- Rogue Retro
Statista recognised eBay as the most popular website for second-hand shopping.
Ultra-fast Fashion Brands
Cheap and fast brands such as SHEIN, Missguided, Forever 21, Boohoo and Fashion Nova are hugely wasteful and add to overconsumption trends by pushing people to buy constantly and in huge quantities. For every five garments produced, three end up in landfills. (Source: Good On You)
How To Spot A Fast Fashion Brand
- Latest trends across thousands of styles
- Short turnarounds of trends – new stock every few days
- Offshore manufacturing – cheap labor which compromises the wages and safety of garment workers
- Limited quantity of particular garments – found commonly in high street retailers such as Zara
- Cheap, low quality materials such as polyester
How Can I Avoid Contributing To Fast Fashion?
Fast fashion leads to mountains of landfills of wearable clothing. Consider less throw-away of pre-loved items and instead donate old clothes to charity shops to raise money for sustainability. Recirculating clothes can reduce the demand for new clothing and reduce environmental damage.
Tangible Solutions To Fast Fashion
- Buy consciously with ethical brands
- Buy second-hand clothing
- Repair pre-loved clothing
- Join fast fashion campaigns such as Fashion Revolution or the Clean Clothes campaign
- Buy less clothing
- Donate pre-loved clothing
Conclusion
The environmental and social damages of fast fashion can be easily rectified by the accessible practices of sustainable fashion. Avoiding fast fashion brands with short turnarounds of trends and second-hand shopping are two simple methods that contribute towards sustainable fashion goals.
