The True Cost of Fast Fashion

Fast fashion is not just talking about trendy clothing, inexpensive, it is a well structure business model that is built around rapid production cycles low prices and high volume turnovers thus making it easy for consumers to buy more and waste quickly. While this is appealing to our desire for new styles, the actual cost of fast fashion is borne by both the people and the planet.

Fast fashion is the rapid turnover of fashion trends at the speed of light from the runway to retail shops at almost and extremely low price. This business models relies heavily on cheap production often in most developing countries, leading to constant consumption.   

The greater impact of fast fashion are on the garment workers, with the steady increase in demand for cheap and fast production leading to severe exploitation in the supply chain processes:

• Exploitative Wages: Most of the garment workers, mostly women in developing countries, earn way below any form of minimum wage, thus struggling to afford some of the basic necessities of life.
• Poor Working Conditions: Most Factories that runs these production are often not safe, with lack proper safety measures like (fire exits, ventilation), thus exposing workers to harmful chemicals. The tragedy of the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh is a clear reminders of these dangers.
• Long Hours & Forced Labor: Most often in these factories workers face excessive, mandatory overtime and punitive measures if they don’t meet impossible quotas and deadlines.
• Lack of Rights: Many of these workers are denied the right of belonging to unions or even to advocate for a better working conditions, facing harassment or dismissal if they try.

The impact of fast fashion on the environment is staggering:

• Water Pollution: Textile dyeing and finishing processes release vast amounts of toxic wastewater into rivers, poisoning the ecosystems and communities.
• High Carbon Emissions: Because of the fast turnover of Fast fission, the global production, manufacturing, and transportation of garments, often from synthetic, fossil-fuel-derived materials, contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
• Textile Waste: With clothes being discarded after only a few wears, dump sites are well overflowing with textile waste, much of which is non-biodegradable and will sit there for centuries to come.
• Microplastic Pollution: Synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon shed microplastic fibers every time they’re washed, thereby polluting the oceans and entering into the food chain.

You do have the power to challenge fast fashion by building an ethical wardrobe and with your choices:

• Accept Slow Fashion: By choosing a timeless fashion, durable pieces made from high-quality, sustainable materials.
• Buy Secondhand & Vintage: By patronizing thrift stores (where used items are sold) consignment stores, and some online marketplaces offer unique opportunities extend the life of clothing and basically everything and thus advances sustainability.
• Support Ethical Brands: Look for brands committed to fair labor practices, transparent supply chains, and eco-friendly production methods. See brands
• Repair & Repurpose: Learn basic mending skills or get clothes altered to make them last longer. Get creative and repurpose old garments.
• Rent or Borrow: For special occasions, consider renting formal wear instead of buying new.
• Wash Less & Properly: Extend the life of your clothes and reduce microplastic shedding by washing less frequently and using cold water.