What is ‘fast fashion’ and why is it bad?

‘Fast fashion’ is a term used to describe the quick production of low-cost clothing to meet constantly changing fashion trends.

This model has democratized fashion, making it more accessible and affordable to more people around the world.

On the other hand, increased consumption is causing environmental and social issues.

Fast fashion is cheap because it isn’t made to last, and as a result around 92 million tonnes of clothes end up in landfills each year…that’s the equivalent to a rubbish truck full of clothes ending up on a landfill site every second!

We need a lot of natural resources, like water, oil, coal, cotton and wood, to make the clothes we wear, together with synthetic fibres and chemicals; we use fossil fuels to transport them around the world. The entire chain contributes to pollution and climate change.

It might be cheaper to buy, but it’s costing the earth, literally!

To keep prices low, fast fashion companies produce cheap garments in parts of the world where workers get very low wages and work in unsafe (sometimes even deadly!) environments. Every time we buy these clothes we are contributing to the problem. The more we buy, the more these workers are exploited.

Research showed that fast fashion also make us feel unhappy in the long term. Marketing gurus play with our emotions when promoting a product: adverts must get their audience engaged, so they use any trick to persuade the consumers to choose a brand over another. Companies need to convince you that you don’t just ‘want’ but also ‘need’ their product, and to do that they make you feel restless and unhappy with what you already have.

In this endless cycle, where we keep buying new stuff but we are never satisfied, we throw away clothes that we (or somebody else) could continue to wear.

This throaway culture might make you think that you are saving money buying cheap clothes, but in the long term the average consumer ends up spending less but more often, because fast fashion items are not made to last very long.

Plus there’s all the time spent to go to the shops every time there’s a new fashion trend. And the time spent trying to keep organised a cluttered wardrobe. On the other hand, a more minimalist wardrobe will help you save time and money, making also easier to choose what to wear every day.

So what can we do to help solving this environmental and social emergency, without sacrificing our need to feel good in our skin and wear clothes we like?

What can we do to be better clothes shoppers?

• Buy quality items. If your financial situation allows you to do that, choose to buy organic clothing which doesn’t contain plastic and is made with sustainable farming practices – when possible, choose clothes made with organic cotton, linen, byocell, tencel, hemp or recycled fabrics.
• Support ethical brands and local artisanal businesses. Show some love to companies which choose to be transparent about their manufacturing processes and labour practices.
• If you want to be a conscious consumer but you can’t afford to buy good quality items, buy second hand! Second hand items have already been made, and until they are used they won’t end up in a landfill. Depending on where you live, you might also find opportunities to swap or rent your clothes.
• Plan your shopping. Before going out to buy new clothes, check your wardrobe and assess what you really need. When you buy, choose versatile items of clothing which can be used in different combinations: consider putting together a ‘capsule wardrobe’, which with some careful planning allows to create many different outfits by mixing and matching a limited number of items.
• Mend your clothes. By learning some basic sewing techniques, you can repair small tears and make your clothes last longer – and even trendier! Check out the #visiblemending movement.
• Wear and reuse your clothes as much as you can, and when you can no longer use them, sell, swap, donate or recycle them.

As you can see, there are endless opportunities to be more intentional and thoughtful when you shop for clothes: by taking any of these steps, you will create a timeless and curated wardrobe which will save you time and money in the long run, while reducing your impact on the environment and contributing to better industry practices.

So, are you ready to start a revolution from your wardrobe?