If you’re like the rest of us, clothes and fashion probably take up a big part of your day - whether you like it or not. Getting ready in the morning is a constant struggle. So many clothes to pick from…. And have we mentioned retail therapy?
The Environmental Cost of Fashion
When you think of major causes behind climate change, what comes to mind? Manufacturing? Transportation? The agriculture industry?
This may come as a surprise, but the fashion industry produces 10% of all global carbon emissions. Carbon is a harmful gas that, due to its high level in the atmosphere, is driving climate change. 10% may not seem like too much of a big deal but let me put that into perspective for you: the fashion industry contributes more to climate change than by-ocean shipping and international flights combined.
Creating and transporting clothing takes a lot more energy than one would originally think. It takes about 1’800 gallons of water to produce the cotton needed for a single pair of jeans. A single t-shirt produces an average of 15 pounds of carbon throughout its life. And, believe it or not, an estimated 100 billion clothing items are produced each year! For context, Earth’s current population is estimated to be about 8 billion.
But, we all need clothes and the fashion industry is an important part of our current economy. So, what’s the real problem?
Fast Fashion
Fast fashion is described as cheap, trending clothing often made to follow the latest fashion trends. These clothes are manufactured in bulk by large companies with the intention of customers buying them only to wear them a few times before coming back for more. The cheapness of these garments allows for mass production - but also means that they will hardly ever last for longer than a few years.
It can all be explained with a quick equation:
Cheap Fabric
+ Underpaid Workers
+ Quickly Changing Trends
=
More Income (for large corporations)
+ More Pollution (bad for the environment)
+ Poorer Working Conditions (Exploitation of the working class in low income areas)
Fast fashion companies make their money in often cruel ways - forcing people from low income countries and areas to work long hours in factories every day for very little pay. The faster the clothes can be shipped out to customers, the better.
Fast fashion feeds into our century’s toxic cycle of overproduction and consumption - all of which has led to the fashion industry becoming one of the world’s top polluters.
What Counts As Fast Fashion
Good on You, a site dedicated to spreading awareness on fast fashion and its many alternatives, has a great list to help you learn more about what counts as fast fashion.
“Some key factors are common to fast fashion brands:
Thousands of styles, which touch on all the latest trends.
Extremely short turnaround time between when a trend or garment is seen on the catwalk or in celebrity media and when it hits the shelves.
Offshore manufacturing where labour is the cheapest, with the use of workers on low wages without adequate rights or safety and complex supply chains with poor visibility beyond the first tier.
A limited quantity of a particular garment—this is an idea pioneered by Zara. With new stock arriving in store every few days, shoppers know if they don’t buy something they like, they’ll probably miss their chance.
Cheap, low quality materials like polyester, causing clothes to degrade after just a few wears and get thrown away.”
For those of us who don’t know much about clothing materials or manufacturing areas, the best way to tell if something is fast fashion (almost certainly) is by two simple things:
The price is far too cheap to allow everyone who contributed to making it to receive fair pay.
The material feels flimsy, rips easily, or is weaker than should be expected.
Here are some common companies who produce and sell fast fashion based clothing:
Shein
Zara
Fashion Nova
H&M
Forever 21
Victoria’s Secret
Topshop
Nike
Brandy Melville
How Does Fast Fashion Impact the Environment
Good on You has more to say about fast fasion’s environmental impact:
“Fast fashion’s impact on the planet is immense. The pressure to reduce costs and speed up production time means environmental corners are more likely to be cut. Fast fashion’s negative impact includes its use of cheap, toxic textile dyes—making the fashion industry the one of the largest polluters of clean water globally, right up there with agriculture.
Cheap textiles also increase fast fashion’s impact. Polyester is one of the most popular fabrics. It is derived from fossil fuels, contributes to global warming, and can shed microfibres that add to the increasing levels of plastic in our oceans when washed. But even “natural” fabrics can be a problem at the scale fast fashion demands. Conventional cotton requires enormous quantities of water and pesticides in developing countries. This results in drought risks and creates extreme stress on water basins and competition for resources between companies and local communities.
The speed at which garments are produced also means that more and more clothes are disposed of by consumers, creating massive textile waste. According to some statistics, in Australia alone, more than 500 million kilos of unwanted clothing ends up in landfill every year.”
How Can We Fight Back Against Fast Fashion
There are many ways that we can fight back against fast fashion. By limiting our clothing purchases, buying from more ethical companies, and ensuring our current clothes last for as long as possible, we can make sure that we are doing our part in the fight against climate change.
Fighting back against fast fashion is all about being sustainable. Sustainability in the fashion industry means creating an industry that we, as a planet, can maintain and support over a long period of time. This means clothes that last longer and are made of good quality materials. This also means really thinking before adding to your closet.
Here are some ways that you can fight fast fashion - keeping in mind our diverse needs and wishes.
Buy second hand. For those of us who love shopping but want to stick to a budget - shopping second hand is a great way to add to your closet without adding to the world’s climate crisis.
Buy from ethical brands. There are many ethical clothing companies out there with unique and timeless designs - made to last decades. These garments, while a little more pricey, are made from more durable materials while also paying workers a living wage. There are hundreds to choose from, so you are sure to find many that suit your fashion wishes.
Organize a clothing swap. This is the perfect time to swap clothes with your friends and family - and snap those pair of pants you’ve been eyeing!
Look for sustainable materials when buying. When shopping, look for materials such as the following: organic cotton, silk, wool, organic hemp, econyl, organic linen, and more.
Rent clothes for special occasions. Have a special event coming up? Why not rent that fancy dress or suit that you’re only going to wear once or twice anyway. This may save you a lot of money - especially if there is a dress code that goes against what you usually wear.
Buy timeless garments. When you do have to shop for some new clothes, try buying clothes that don’t go out of style. These are clothes that you will always have occasion to wear and won’t have to worry about sitting in the back of your closet collecting dust. Timeless garments include: white button ups, turtlenecks, flannels, denim jackets, blazers, denim jeans, and plain t-shirts. Check out capsule wardrobes if you are interested in this minimalistic way of dressing!
Take care of your clothes. First of all, learn how to repair your clothes. Instead of tossing your clothes once they get a hole in them, learn how to mend holes and upcycle old clothes. Secondly, learn how to wash specific fabrics and colours to make sure they last as long as possible.
Cost per Wear
Cost per wear is a neat concept to help you see the usefulness of a piece of clothing (or anything) before making the purchase.
So, what is cost per wear?
Cost per wear allows you to calculate the (you guessed it!) amount of money you spend for each time you wear a particular piece of clothing.
For example, if you buy a $20 pair of jeans and wear them 40 times before throwing them out, their cost per wear would be $0.50.
This is very helpful when choosing between fast fashion clothing and ethically made (albeit much more expensive) clothing - especially when fast fashion seems to have the advantage at first. After all, a $5 shirt seems much cheaper than a $20 shirt.
While buying ethically may not be affordable for all, it can have many benefits for those who can afford to do so. Fast fashion clothing is made to fit a trend - and is often made with cheap fabrics designed to break easily.
Ethical clothing lasts much longer, allowing you to eventually get a lower cost per wear.
Let’s get back to our $5 and $20 shirts. If you only get 15 chances to wear your $5 before it rips, that is a cost per wear of $0.33. However, if you get 80 chances to wear an ethically made $20 shirt, that is a cost per wear of $0.25. It’s easy to see how clothing designed to last longer can actually be cheaper in the long run. It also means you don’t have to buy as many clothes!
Final Notes
While fast fashion is a doubtless harmful industry, it is important to remember that not everyone can afford to buy ethical clothing. It is not your fault if fast fashion is all you can afford. That is why it is important to research fast fashion companies and make sure you are doing the least possible harm. Additionally, second hand shopping is a great way to get unique clothes on a budget.
Sustainability is all about doing the best you can. Keeping your clothes in good condition, thus limiting how many new clothes you have to buy per year, is a great way to start. Remember that borrowing clothes from others, shopping second hand, and buying from more ethical companies are all amazing things that you can do to make a difference. The only way that we can combat the climate crisis and fight back against fast fashion is if we all work together. Let’s do this!
Written by: Nevadha M