How many cheap clothing items are worth a human life? I can tell by the perplexed look on your face that you may think this question is foolish. Yet, our actions towards fast fashion–brands that mass-produce clothing to take advantage of trends–do not align with the point of view that human lives are more important than inexpensive clothing. For example, a garment factory called the Rana Plaza collapsed and killed over 1100 people and injured more than 2500 in Bangladesh on April 24th, 2013 (Khan). This tragic event occurred almost ten years ago, though not much has changed in the fashion industry. Still, our society continues turning a blind eye, ignoring the numerous infographics on our social media pages that tell us about different fast fashion-associated issues every day. In order to bring justice for the lives lost, the fashion industry should switch to a model other than fast fashion due to its grave human rights violations and gender discrimination brought upon by the selfish greed and neglect of others.
The most apparent consequence of fast fashion is its detrimental effect on our environment. The mass production of clothing by fast fashion means a much higher quantity of clothes being thrown away. This is because fast fashion drives excessive consumerism by conditioning customers to think clothes are disposable through its quickly-changing trend forecast, where they buy far more clothes than their closets can hold. However, this is a major issue because when clothes are thrown out, they don’t evaporate into thin air. Beyond the 18.7% of clothes that are recycled, over 60% of all clothes that are thrown away are sent to landfills (Porter). Clothes in landfills pile up high, reaching skyscraper heights. Here, the unwanted Zara sweater you wore once feels neglected and scared before being submerged under other undesirable clothes. Unfortunately, landfills aren’t black holes. When the piles are too high, the clothes are sent to incinerators, where toxic gasses are released, polluting our atmosphere (Le). Even worse than the effects it has on the environment is how our society doesn’t think fast fashion is a now problem but a tomorrow problem. But fast fashion is much more than an environmental issue, and we have to start caring.
Tomorrow means that another factory could collapse. Tomorrow means another endless day for an underpaid and overworked garment worker. Tomorrow means another death that could have been prevented. These are all common incidents in garment factories, making fast fashion a human rights issue because it denies many basic human liberties, especially equality and freedom from torture and degrading treatment. In America, our idea of the American dream is that regardless of birthplace, we are able to achieve success through hard work. Yet, owners of American companies exploit those in other countries for their own benefits, preventing them from ever reaching a place of wealth and success. A garment worker’s hard work isn’t measured in the amount they make, as “0% of Bangladeshi garment workers and 1% of Vietnamese garment workers earned a living wage” (McCosker). As we undergo temporary joy through overconsumption of cheaply made clothes, those in other countries work upwards of 10 hours a day just in order to feed their families (Claudio). They don’t make enough money to think about consuming for the purpose of joy. These workers live like our early ancestors, as their focus doesn’t go beyond the survival of themselves and their families. Because of where they were born, they can never escape their lifestyles through hard work. As if the long hours and unequal pay are not bad enough, many workers are tortured because of factory conditions. For example, in a factory in Guangdong province, China, blue dust from jeans is a heavy irritant towards the lungs of their workers (Claudio). Instead of being paid a living wage, these workers are compensated in the form of an irreversible lung disease. They suffer, even though they are the reason fast fashion businesses succeed. Greed has become a blindfold to CEOs, who pretend to not see the suffering of workers they directly cause. But the blindfold is made of sheer chiffon. This system is an injustice to the values we glorify as Americans. All we have to do is open our eyes.
Regardless of its numerous human rights issues, people are still in favor of fast fashion as they believe it has economic value “because of the number of jobs that it creates’ (Swatski). While it is true that fast fashion makes up a multi-billion dollar industry making it important to our economy, it is not helpful simply because of its working opportunities. Yes, the fashion industry has a huge portion of workers in the world—1 out of 6, to be exact (McCosker). However, the harsh conditions, unliveable wages, and torture associated with fast fashion should not be appreciated as jobs but as exploitation, especially for women, who make up 80% of garment workers (McCosker). These women face gender discrimination, making fast fashion a raging feminist issue. Although women can hold head roles of fashion businesses, they are constantly degraded and taken advantage of in the industry and are the true victims of the system. Many men are victims in the industry as well, and their problems are just as valid and should be addressed. But the painful truth is women have it worse. Women in factories are victims of not only low pay and harsh conditions but gender inequity and sexual harassment. Most countries aren’t like the United States, and while our country is not perfect, women aren’t degraded for sharing a voice. In vulnerable economic countries such as Indonesia or Bangladesh, cultural norms put women on leashes, forcing them to cooperate with their “masters”. This makes women easy targets in the industry for exploitation, speaking to why such a large majority of garment workers are female. In Indonesia, women report that male managers call girls into their offices where they “touch them, bribe them with money and threaten them with firing if they don’t have sex with them” (Labour Behind the Label). Not only are women coached to be passive and agreeable at all times, they are used as objects. Their lives and families depend on their jobs, and so they are left with no way out. Oftentimes, mothers have no other choice but to start their daughters in factories as young as 10 in order to make enough money to survive (McCosker). And then, not long after, the same mothers watch as their granddaughters are exploited in the same factory. It’s a never-ending cycle that many choose to ignore because of the uncomfort it brings. But choosing to address the problem is just the bare minimum of what these women deserve.
Unfortunately, despite its harm, fast fashion has still found a way to flourish. Fast fashion’s exponential growth since the 90s has been caused by profit-hungry businesses that manipulate the media. The first fast fashion factory was created by family businessman Abdullah Kamani in the 1990s, where he supplied retailers such as H&M, Topshop, and Primark. Later, his factory created Boohoo.com, a website still popular today (Monroe). The website marked a shift in the fashion industry where companies spent little to none on factory conditions and clothing quality and exorbitant amounts on marketing to websites. Advertisements on social media took over, causing a huge rise in excessive consumerism. They were intimate and seemingly personalized, as if they read consumers’ minds. (Yes, this new pair of Shein low-quality striped high-waisted jeans is exactly what I need!) Boohoo’s use of social media prospered into the model used today. This model focuses on planned obsolescence, creating micro seasons or quickly changing trends. Businesses exploit their customers, often insecure young girls, into thinking that large amounts of clothing will make them look and feel as good as social media influencers. Fast fashion companies such as Zara will produce thousands of items of clothing, so there’s always something new to buy (Le). Then, popular influencers will show the joy the new trends make them feel, oftentimes with acting contracts signed by fashion companies. This manipulates consumers through a false reality that trendy clothing can fill a void of insecurity. Yet, every microseason they want more. Conclusively, the rise of consumerism is directly increased by social media, empowering profit-hungry businesses to expense human lives in their factories as it increases their profit. Moreover, it will never end until we switch to a different model in the fashion industry.
Nonetheless, fast fashion doesn’t only benefit its companies. Clothing is more essential to society than many come to realize. It is the first thing noticed when one walks in a room. It allows someone to help define what others may think of them. Are they poor or rich? Are they put together? Are they reliable? Do I want to talk to this person? But, many clothes can be expensive, and that’s where fast fashion comes in. Fast fashion is eye-catching to consumers because it provides cheaper clothing with an expensive look. This can be helpful for those with small incomes, creating “an accessible way to invest in modern clothing for entry into the workforce” (Ahram). Everyone deserves the right to feel confident in the clothes they wear, and it is understandable that many may turn to fast fashion in order to get a job or go on a date. But, there are many other less-talked-about options that are more ethical—and many times cheaper— than fast fashion. By putting pressure on other ways of clothing consumption, we can push a change from the current fast fashion model to a circular clothing model, meaning one that “is restorative and regenerative by design and provides benefits for business, society, and the environment” (Ellen Macarthur).
To demonstrate, the three options that can contribute to a circular clothing model are resale, rental, and repair. The first option, resale, focuses on second-hand shopping. Thrifting has been on a rise in the past decade, and fortunately, it is creately beneficial. By buying a piece of clothing secondhand, it benefits the environment by giving a clothing item a second life and keeping it out of a landfill. Resale apps such as Poshmark, Depop, and Thredup can help generate massive amounts of money, helping both the economy and society. In 2021, Poshmark had over 80 million users with an expected revenue range of 81-83 million dollars (Poshmark). Focusing on generating money second hand can help improve conditions in a worsened economy if fast fashion is slowed. Additionally, it can provide consumers the rush of fast fashion as new items are listed almost instantly, but at half the price. (I even find myself refreshing my Depop page constantly so I can be the first to snag a newly listed item). The second option, rental, is a great alternative to excessive consumerism by allowing shoppers to only keep clothes for a short period. One company, Rent the Runway, allows customers to access over 15,000 styles (Bansal and Gransaull). Rental services such as these help consumers live out their microtrend dreams without buying clothes they would soon throw out. By choosing rental services, consumers can save money in the long run by spending less on items while also not contributing to overconsumption. The third option, repair, is also an incredible option as it expands the lives of clothing overall while also bringing other benefits. Businesses that do not utilize repair programs are not only harming the environment but also missing out on high profits. One clothing company, Patagonia, offers a program called Worn Wear, which allows customers to trade used Patagonia clothing for store credit, then repairs and resells those clothes. In just six months, the program had made a million in sales (Bansal and Gransaull). Instead of clothing being thrown out, Patagonia has shown a way to make money off of a singular piece of clothing twice, which can be revolutionary for businesses as they can produce less clothing but make more profits. Repair can also contribute to individualism, as many sellers on apps like Depop upcycle their old used clothes and turn something more unique and into one-of-a-kind. Repair and upcycling can spark creativity in young teenagers, changing the mindset fast fashion companies push on them to stay within the trends. Ultimately, by putting more societal pressure on using clothes that are already produced, we can turn businesses away from overproducing and more towards a circular model of resale, rental, and repair. This can help put an end to fast fashion and the harm it causes.
Truthfully, the biggest reason fast fashion still continues is because businesses and consumers continue to wrongfully neglect human lives. When shopping, we push their lives to the back of our heads and say, “buying one item isn’t going to change everything”. But everything adds up, especially when millions of people tell themselves that in only a single day. In business, demand is what drives supply. As consumers, we need to shift that demand away from fast fashion and bring it towards a circular model of clothing. Now is the time to bring justice to those who we lost or are currently suffering due to garment factories. Now is the time to take accountability for our actions involving the fashion industry. The next time you go to purchase a Zara sweater, remember to ask yourself whether it is worth a human life.
Works Cited
- Ahram, Yasmin, et al. “Fast Fashion Is a Feminist Issue.” Teen Vogue,
- 2 Mar. 2020, https://www.teenvogue.com/story/fast-fashion-is-a-feminist-issue.
- Bansal, Tima, and Gareth Gransaull. “Why Fast Fashion Has to Slow Down.” MIT Sloan Management Review, 18 November 2021, https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/why-fast-fashion-has-to-slow-down/. Accessed 26 May 2022.
- CLAUDIO, L. Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry. Environmental Health Perspectives, [s. l.], v. 115, n. 9, p. A448–A454, 2007. DOI 10.1289/ehp.115-a449. Disponível em: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hxh&AN=26996779&site=ehost-live. Acesso em: 12 abr. 2022.
- Ellen Macarthur. “Fashion and the circular economy.” Learning Hub, https://archive.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/explore/fashion-and-the-circular-economy. Accessed 26 May 2022.
- KHAN, R. Doing good and looking good: women in “fast fashion” activism. Women & Environments International Magazine, [s. l.], n. 96/97, p. 7–9, 2016. Disponível em: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=120949779&site=ehost-live. Acesso em: 11 abr. 2022.
- 7 Sept. 2021, https://goodonyou.eco/impact-fast-fashion-garment-workers/.
- Labour Behind the Label. “Gender.” Labour Behind the Label, https://labourbehindthelabel.org/our-work/gender/. Accessed 26 May 2022.
- Le, Ngan. “The Impact of Fast Fashion on the Environment – PSCI.” Princeton University, The Trustees of Princeton University,
- 20 July 2020, https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/7/20/the-impact-of-fast-fashion-on-the-environment.
- McCosker, Jaclyn. “The Impact of Fast Fashion on Garment Workers.” Good On You,
- 7 Sept. 2021, https://goodonyou.eco/impact-fast-fashion-garment-workers/.
- MONROE, R. Ultra-fast Fashion Is Eating the World. Atlantic, [s. l.], v. 327, n. 2, p. 76–84, 2021. Disponível em: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=148607124&site=ehost-live. Acesso em: 11 abr. 2022.
- Porter, Beth. “What Really Happens to Unwanted Clothes?” Green America, https://www.greenamerica.org/unraveling-fashion-industry/what-really-happens-unwanted-clothes. Accessed 26 May 2022.
- Poshmark. “Poshmark, Inc. – Poshmark, Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2021 Financial Results.” Poshmark Investor Relations, https://investors.poshmark.com/news/news-details/2021/Poshmark-Inc.-Reports-Second-Quarter-2021-Financial-Results/default.aspx. Accessed 26 May 2022.
- Swatski, Anna. “The Economic Impact of the Fashion Industry.” Fashinnovation, https://fashinnovation.nyc/the-economic-impact-of-the-fashion-industry/. Accessed 26 May 2022.
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