Perhaps we have been told time and time again that fast fashion creates vast environmental and labor problems, but are we really aware that we have been contributing to this global issue? How many articles of clothing have been sitting in our closet after being worn around once or twice? How many articles of clothing did we buy just because it was trending at that time? Many of us have that look-at-my-new-outfit moment, but as soon as a new fashion statement becomes viral, we tend to get our hands on these items right away — not thinking of its sustainability. This, my friends, is the fast fashion dilemma.

The term “fast fashion,” which emerged in the 1990s as influenced by the weekly deliveries of Zara’s new merchandise, is defined as a design, manufacturing, and marketing method used to mass-produce clothing that falls into the latest trends. The merchandise fast fashion labels market is based on what we see on fashion runways held during fall, winter, spring, and summer. However, the fast fashion industry uses cheaper and low-quality synthetics such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic, which take hundreds of years to biodegrade. This poses a problem because according to Stanton (2023), “nowadays, fast fashion brands produce about 52 “micro-seasons” a year—or one new “collection” a week leading to massive amounts of consumption and waste.”

Clothes have been made “disposable” and “easily replaceable,” paving the way for a “buy it, replace it” consumer mentality. In fact, in the Philippines alone,  the YouGov Omnibus released a survey in 2017 and found that 65 percent of Filipino adults have thrown away clothes in the past year. This is not only a waste of money and resources, but also a contribution to land pollution. 

In 2018, Quantis International reported that the three main sources of the industry’s global pollution are dyeing and finishing (36%), yarn preparation (28%), and fiber production (15%) — all of which are essential production processes in the fast fashion industry.  During these processes, textile waste generates greenhouse methane gas and leaches toxic chemicals and dyes into soils and groundwater. McFall-Johnsen (2019) from Business Insider added that textile dyeing is the world’s second-largest polluter of marine life, as the water leftover from the dyeing process is often dumped into waterways. 

Furthermore, brands use synthetic fibers which are a byproduct of petroleum production (plastic), making them non-biodegradable. They “disintegrate” by releasing microplastics into ditches, streams, and rivers. This process threatens wildlife and biodiversity as these plastics are often mistaken for food due to their size. When ingested, they could cause toxicological effects, genetic damage, reduced food intake, and delayed growth for many wildlife species. One might assume that purchasing fast fashion goods does not have an environmental impact; however, as seen here, irresponsible spending habits could contribute to plastic pollution in the ocean. Moreover, this could aggravate the problem when it comes to drinking water, as research in 2018 showed that 86% of drinking water worldwide contained microplastics, most of which are associated with the large production of synthetic materials and textiles in fast fashion. 

On top of the environmental damages that allow fast fashion to be low-priced, the other factor is the exploitation of workers, primarily young women, and children from low-income countries. In the documentary “The True Cost,” author and journalist Lucy Siegle underlined the truth about trends in her telling line, ”Fast fashion isn’t free. Someone, somewhere is paying.” The International Labour Organization (ILO) found that as of 2021, 160 million children worldwide engage in child labor. Much of this child labor happens in “sweatshops,” which are sources of affordable manufacturing. These sources of labor are available in many countries where textile production takes place. At that, the  United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) heard from Sofie Ovaa, global campaign coordinator of Stop Child Labour, who said, “There are many girls in countries like India and Bangladesh, who are willing to work for very low prices and are easily brought into these industries under false promises of earning decent wages.”

However, people are not made aware of what goes on behind the scenes of the latest “buzz” in fashion, as oftentimes, fast fashion labels partner with social media influencers to get their clothes as much publicity from the public. An instance of this would be when an online, eCommerce brand called “Shein,” created a “Shein Ambassador program.” This initiative gives content creators with at least 5,000 followers the opportunity to promote their products on social media platforms, for the opportunity to gain brand recognition, and receive clothes in return. With the number of young influencers joining this program, the brand has more revenue than ever, and, as of March 2023, Bloomberg News suggests the brand is valued at $64 billion.

Despite the brand making a significantly high revenue, it is still not taking the initiative to pay its workers, which is made evident in its ever-so-cheap prices. In fact, Channel 4’s documentary, “Inside The Shein Machine,” hid undercover cameras in manufacturing sights to film factory workers being forced into 17-hour shifts, making hundreds of garments a day. In one factory, workers made a daily base salary of $20, but if any garments had flaws, $14 of that figure would be deducted. Moreover, the brand has headlined multiple times because it shamelessly released clothes that stole designs from independent designers and small businesses. This further pushed their agenda to create affordable clothing, even at the expense of the safety of its factory workers and theft of designs. 

However, Shein is not the only fast fashion giant that has exploited its workers and has detrimental effects on the environment — H&M, Zara, Forever 21, Bershka, and others follow. Using Zara as an example, the brand is considered “less terrible” than others, because it produces quality clothing. However, the brand has been criticized for greenwashing — a form of advertising that deceives customers into thinking that a certain product is eco-friendly. This is due to the fact that Zara still spearheads seasonal “fast trends,” encouraging customers to consume as much clothing as they please, which is a quality of fast fashion. Furthermore, Zara’s transparency has been questioned for not offering a list of global manufacturers, as well as audit results. Nonetheless, the brand has ambitions to “move towards a circular economy model to extend the life cycle of the merchandise.”

With all of this said, there are many ways to approach the fast fashion dilemma, and they start with YOU. 

1) Invest in high-quality, sustainable clothing — pieces that are made to last. The first sign that a fashion label produces clothes sustainably is when it is non-seasonal, which means that the merchandise is produced in minimal quantities. In the order of cheapest to lowest priced, some slow-fashion brands are as follows:

In my opinion (₱1.100 - ₱3,000)

Frankie & Friends (₱1,100 - ₱6,000) 

Palengke (₱2,500 - ₱3,400) 

Araw the Line (₱3,000++) 

Djerf Avenue (₱3,500+++) 

Massimo Dutti (₱3,500+++) 

2) Go vintage shopping. Shopping second-hand is an often inexpensive way to find clothing that would otherwise be taken to landfill. Some note-worthy thrift spaces around the world include: 

Baguio Night Market, Philippines

Shimokitazawa, Japan

Tribunal, Madrid

Portobello Market, London

3) Borrow (and lend) clothes from a friend. When my best friend and I were traveling at the same time, we lent each other clothes. I lent her winter layers, while she lent me summer clothes. This saved us money while rocking each other’s outfits. 

4) Analyze your color palette. Color analysis is a simple yet effective way of determining the colors that harmonize with skin complexions, as well as what color highlights your features, such as eyes and hair. Furthermore, knowing your color palette will help you create a conscious wardrobe that consists of pieces that are timeless and re-wearable. 

5) Every time you think of purchasing an item, think of its longevity. Ask yourself, “How many times am I going to wear this? Can I use it for multiple occasions?” Moreover, it is necessary to keep in mind that if you insist on purchasing a fast-fashion item, make sure you can wear it multiple times so the resources used to make the product do not go to waste. 

6) As said by Kenyan spoken-word poet Beatrice Kariuki, “We need circular industries where old looks are made new. Less packaging, more reuse — Threads that last.” Investing in a circular economy means manufacturing products that are reusable. In this instance, it would entail responsible production — taking charge of the “end-of-life” for every merchandise. 

For as long as people ignore the damaging practices of this industry, fast fashion will withstand long-overdue efforts to reduce its impacts. With this, starting with ourselves to change our purchasing behavior is the key to learning to let go of our thirst for the “next best thing” every day of our consumer-driven lives. (10 Things I Hate About You, anyone?)

References

Brown, R. (2021, January 8). THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS CAUSED BY TEXTILE WASTE. Roadrunner: Smarter Recycling. https://www.roadrunnerwm.com/blog/textile-waste-environmental-crisis#:~:text=And%20when%20consumers%20throw%20away,the%20groundwater%20and%20our%20soil

Dockrill, M. (2022, January 12). How Ethical Is Zara? Good on You. 

https://goodonyou.eco/how-ethical-is-zara/#:~:text=Zara%20again%20scores%20%E2%80%9CNot%20Good,in%20the%20Fashion%20Transparency%20Index

Fush News. (n.d.) Fast Fashion – a Melting Pot of Human Rights Abuses and Ecological Disaster. https://www.fush.rs/news/fast-fashion/#:~:text=The%20biggest%20problem%20with%20fast,million%20belongs%20to%20fast%20fashion

Indie Get-Up. (2023, February 14). Is Zara Fast Fashion, Ethical, or Sustainable? https://indiegetup.com/is-zara-fast-fashion-ethical-or-sustainable/#:~:text=Zara%27s%20owner%2C%20the%20Inditex%20Gropu,to%20people%20and%20the%20environment

Li, Y., Sun, Y., Li, J., Tang, R., Miu, Y. & Xiaoyi, M. (n.d.) Research on the Influence of Microplastics on Marine Life. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/631/1/012006/pdf#:~:text=The%20microplastics%20can%20have%20a,oxidative%20damage%20and%20abnormal%20behavior

Le, N. (2020, July 20). THE IMPACT OF FAST FASHION ON THE ENVIRONMENT. Climate Change Princeton. 

https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/7/20/the-impact-of-fast-fashion-on-the-environment

Moulds, J. (n.d.) Child labour in the fashion supply chain: Where, why and what can be done. The Guardian. 

https://labs.theguardian.com/unicef-child-labour/

Maiti, R. (2022, December 1). Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact. Earth Org. 

https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrimental-effect-on-the-environment/

Oleniacz, L. (2022, April 22). Textile Waste is a Problem. Here’s How Researchers Want to Solve It. NC State University. 

https://news.ncsu.edu/2022/04/textile-waste-is-a-problem-heres-how-researchers-want-to-solve-it

Pellegrino, S. (2023, March 10). Explainer: Household brands accused of greenwashing. Capital Monitor. 

https://capitalmonitor.ai/sector/consumer/explainer-household-brands-accused-of-greenwashing/