Impacts of Fast Fashion and What We Can Do to Help

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Skidmore chapter.

Fashion trends are quick to come and go. As many of us can admit, we indulge in fashion trends that surface on TikTok, Instagram, and just about any social media platform. As fashion trends take control over social media, we as a society feel pressure to maintain our appearance. Once we have outgrown these trends, we discard our clothes and eventually purchase more clothing items suitable to the current fashion trend. Our generation, just like many others, attempts not to feel like outliers. Appearance is a large factor that allows us to express who we are to fit into our community. We then overindulge in clothing to reduce the insecurities we have regarding our appearance. Fast fashion brands allow us to keep up with these trends and make affordable clothing attainable.  

Impacts:

However, along with this comes long-term consequences. The fashion industry is responsible for around 10% of greenhouse gas emissions. Not to mention, textile production is estimated to release 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year. In 2023 we discarded more than 134 million tonnes of textiles annually. Greenhouse gases are the largest contributing factor to global warming. Knowing that our desire to partake in quickly changing fashion trends alters the Earth’s climate and biodiversity raises ethical concerns. The demand for producing clothes in a fast manner results in the release of these harmful gasses into the environment, which places the present and future of the Earth at stake. So, what can we do to help? 

Ways to Counteract Long-term Consequences of Fast Fashion:

1. Research Brands: Find brands that fall under ethical labor and environmental conditions. If you enjoy shopping at Patagonia, Reformation, Pact, Levi’s, and Cozy Earth, then you are in luck! These clothing brands have been proven to be ethical and counteract the consequences of fast fashion. You’re not only helping the Earth, but you’re bringing high-quality fashion into your closet.

2. Exchange Clothes with Friends: As many of us can admit, we grow tired of our wardrobe and feel the need to shop to switch things up without breaking our bank account. I’m not sure about all of you, but my favorite place to shop is my friend’s closet. Exchanging clothes with friends is a great alternative to fast fashion. By trading clothes, you create a long life span of clothing items that would have been discarded. 

3. Buy Staple Clothing Items: Reducing the number of clothing items you purchase does not entail having less to style with; it means getting more creative. Staple clothing items such as a simple white tee or black long-sleeve can be styled in countless ways. 

4. Thrifting: Secondhand shopping reduces the resources used to produce clothes. Thrifting encourages the use of existing resources rather than extracting new ones, which essentially conserves water and energy. This strategy also assists in diverting clothing items from landfills and accumulating waste.