The Problem with Fast Fashion

Gigi Kim

Endless sales, flimsy cheap fabric and trend appeal. Fast fashion emerged in the 1990s as a way for manufacturers to produce fashion relatively cheaply, meet demands with mass production and keep up with rapidly changing consumer demands. Trendy fast fashion brands today include Shein, Forever 21, Zara, H&M—the list goes on endlessly. These brands have garnered a wave of criticism from climate activists over their production of excessive waste, as well as from anti-labor activists over child labor concerns. Although fast fashion has revolutionized the global clothing industry by being able to quickly produce trendy, affordable fashion, this convenience comes with its costs. 

One of the most pressing concerns with fast fashion production is its unethical labor practices. Garment workers in the fast fashion industry are being subjected to unhygienic working conditions, low wages and grueling labor abuse of sweatshops. These practices exploit sweatshop workers to meet the demand for inexpensive clothing. 

Environmental sustainability is another large-scale issue when it comes to the fast fashion model of mass production. In order to produce clothes cheaply and efficiently, fast fashion manufacturers often rely on synthetic fabrics like polyester, which is composed of plastic and takes hundreds of years to decompose. Fast fashion is also responsible for 10 percent of the world’s global CO2 emissions, and 20 percent of global clean water pollution. With the popularity of “microtrends” (trends that disappear as quickly as they emerge), the clothes that are produced for these trends quickly end up in landfills. 

While fast fashion has shifted the way we shop, its ethical and environmental impacts are undeniably destructive. To make better consumption choices, thrifting is a great way to affordably and eco-consciously purchase fashion. Other environmentally sustainable fashion may come at higher prices but typically use higher quality production and fabrics, making the investment more worth it. It is imperative to start shaping more conscious and environmentally friendly consumption choices when it comes to buying fashion to pave the path for a more sustainable future.