We are putting our Earth in jeopardy with Fast Fashion
If not us, who?
The fast fashion debacle has been in the news for over a decade, and with the sudden rise in trends and microtrends in the fashion world- it is getting challenging to save the planet. The real question beneath the heap of unrecyclable clothes is who is responsible for the surge of these life-threatening replaceable trends?
The fast fashion industry has always profited off people. We as individuals tend to purchase clothing items that are in style rather than opting for more sustainable alternatives. It’s no secret that fast fashion is a devil in disguise that has become the slow death of our planet.
A trend means relevancy- and relevancy has a statute of limitations of up to a few weeks.
The worst part about this is while it may just seem like the tip of an iceberg, individuals fail to realise that fast fashion hides a monster called overproduction. Moreover, with the advent of the internet and the ‘influencing’ career becoming popular by the day, fashion influencers promote trends and microtrends that might be relevant at the moment, but there is no guarantee of their relevancy in the future.
Fast fashion companies often update their collection every three weeks, so has anyone ever wondered where all the unsold items go?
A piece on Thistle and Wren, suggests that about 85% of textiles are thrown every year. They add how the current reality of the fast fashion industry talks about how almost 600 lbs of clothing is being dumped in a landfill or burned every second.
Back in the day, fashion trends cycled every 20 years, and now, these trends have a shelf value of about three months. Since there is a constant pressure of inconstancy in fashion, retailers and garment workers continuously work on either newer variations of old trends or new trends altogether.
One may argue that some people aren’t privileged enough to adhere to sustainable clothing as it falls on a higher range than many can afford. But, I just feel that it is not always about adhering to sustainable clothing but about eradicating fast fashion. While these products may be expensive due to their high quality, buying clothes that one can wear for the next ten years is far more economical and ecological.
Over the years, there has been a positive shift in the slow fashion industry. Slow fashion consists of items that would be relevant even after ten years; these items include blue or black coloured jeans, basic white and black t-shirts, blazers, etc. Furthermore, it could also mean that you can buy clothing in fabrics like linen, cashmere, organic cotton, wool, peace silk and hemp.
Sadly, the debate over fast fashion has been going on for a few years now- and while we have come to a point of being environmentally conscious, these microtrends, however, don’t seem to go away anytime soon. On top of that, fashion moguls desperately need to have an ecological plan because as influencers and the biggest shareholders of public opinion, their support and ecological plan could help millions of people in their quest of becoming environmentally conscious.
Additionally, we need to accept the gravity of the ecological problems fast fashion is creating. Unfortunately, it will continue to create issues until we don’t completely erase it. It’s hapless how despite having the privilege to put one’s voice on the internet (don’t forget the power of social media), people tend to gravitate towards the momentary happiness that comes from fast fashion.
Now, it is up to us as individuals and as renters of the earth to comprehend and act upon the devil that is fast fashion. Even though this issue might seem intangible at the moment, I assure you that if we don’t act upon this we will lose this earth at the expense of fast fashion. To conclude, why would one willingly put their planet in jeopardy for something that will lose its relevance within a year?
