Fast fashion describes clothing items that are inexpensive, trendy and constantly coming in and out of style. Fast fashion brands manufacture new styles of clothing constantly, making the consumer feel like they need to buy new items regularly to stay on-trend. Fast fashion is not friendly to the environment or your pockets in the long run! Fast fashion has in fact contributed to the normalisation of a wasteful lifestyle.
What's wrong with the fash fashion industry?
Fast fashion has changed the way people buy and dispose of clothes. There is an abundance of fast fashion clothing! meaning people buy these inexpensive items more often and also dispose of them more often. Luckily some unwanted items manage to end up in second hand/ charity shops. However, the majority of unwanted items, unfortunately, end up in incinerators (Releasing CO2 emissions).
CO2 is a major greenhouse gas and a contributing factor to global warming. Theses emissions are also associated with the production of clothing items (textile production).
Clothes have become cheaper in the last 20 years, attributed to the mass production of garments from fast fashion brands but it doesn’t come without a price for people in other parts of the world. Fast fashion items are often manufactured overseas and when we say overseas we don’t mean a high end, fully regulated designer manufacturer in France we mean a stuffy, unregulated large factory in a deprived country. Many nations where these clothes are manufactured do not have labour laws like in Ireland or any other EU countries. As a result, people often work under unhealthy and unsafe conditions.
The sustainable alternative
By being more sustainable you will not only be helping to tackle the fast fashion industry but you may also save yourself money! Fast fashion clothes are often manufactured quickly, in large quantities, with low-quality materials and with little care. As a result, these clothes are very low quality and will not last long! Meaning you have to buy into fast fashion even more! So what can you do? Here are some tips:
Choose clothes that were manufactured in countries with strict environmental regulations (US, EU, Canada).
Do your brand research and make sure you know where your clothes are coming from!
Buy designer items from second hands designer outlets. It is cheaper and it means less wastefulness!
If you are going to buy new buy ethically and consciously. Sometimes it is also better to invest in high-quality items to reduce wear and tear meaning your clothes will last longer- quality over quantity!!
Give your clothes some love....get your clothes repaired more often! Here at the Laundry press, we offer repairs for a variety of damages.
Donate your unwanted clothing to a reputable store that operates for a good cause.
You can still look amazing while being more sustainable and informed. Why not try to change your attitude to shopping? Do some research on your brand, invest in your collection and be aware. Subtitle changes will save you money, save the environment and tackle the overall fast fashion industry!
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