Colt Serrano
The apparel industry is a multi-billion dollar business renowned for its rapid churn of trends. But its environmental toll may be less well known. Textile companies produce millions of tons of waste annually that is dumped into landfills; further contributing to climate change by emitting greenhouse gases.
What does this mean for consumers like you and me? Chances are that like most people, you frequently buy clothing to update your closet and refresh its contents. At the turn of the 21st century, fast fashion quickly established itself as an influential player in fashion due to its low costs and efficient production methods. Zara, H&M Group, Uniqlo, GAP and Forever 21 all adopted fast fashion strategies by shortening design and production cycles and cutting costs. Fast fashion offers many advantages to consumers, retailers and manufacturers, and the democratization of stylish clothing. However, fast fashion can also cause environmental degradation by producing too much waste, promulgating a disposable mentality, and engaging in exploitative labor practices.
However, sustainability doesn’t just require purging fast fashion garments and shopping at local charity shops to compensate. Instead, it would be more sustainable to maintain these fast fashion styles while purchasing secondhand when needed. When investing in new clothing purchases, ensure your purchases support sustainable practices such as fair labor practices that protect worker safety as well as the environment.
Choose timeless pieces you genuinely adore to extend their lifespan and reduce how often you purchase and discard clothing. In the long run, investing in quality pieces rather than frequent shopping hauls could save money in the form of less frequent outlay for clothing purchases.
When purchasing fast fashion clothes, it’s essential that you research their production. Many garments we purchase come from underdeveloped countries where labor laws and workplace regulations may not be as stringent; many workers in this industry may also be underpaid and subject to abuse.
On average, fast fashion garments are only worn between seven to ten times before they’re discarded – in stark contrast to what was once common, when new trends would often last for several seasons before being updated with something fresher.
Establishing good shopping habits that help avoid being seduced by passing trends and fashion fads is crucial if you wish to purchase clothing that will stand the test of time and lessen its environmental impact. Consider your current wardrobe’s quality when looking for brands which place quality first; this will force you to purchase only items you need – saving both money and resources!
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