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Fast Fashion

Starting in the 1920s, people became obsessed with wealth and keeping up with new trends and fashions. Today, the same phenomenon occurs in the American middle/upper class.






In my own life, I am constantly pressured to buy the newest shoes, the trendiest clothes, and the latest accessories in order to stay relevant. However, I think that it is time for this to change, particularly because of its environmental and ethical implications.

Fast fashion is defined as cheap clothes that can be produced in bulk quickly in order to meet consumer demand. In the fashion industry, styles and trends are constantly changing due to celebrity influence, social media, and fashion shows. This leads to stores quickly disposing of perfectly sufficient clothing in favor of making the most money. The fashion industry is one of the world's biggest polluters, creating 92 million tons of garbage every year, further advancing the world's climate crisis.






Not only has fast fashion affected the world on an environmental level, but companies like Abercrombie and Finch, Nike, and L.L. Bean have been found to use Uyghur forced labor in China in order to keep costs low. This clear exploitation of low-class individuals indicates a moral issue with fast fashion. Other companies use sweatshops and other ways to keep costs low in order to create the most profit.







Current solutions to this issue are often expensive and hard to find, leaving little room for improvement. However, we can make small changes by doing our best to shop locally and buy used clothing. These seemingly minor actions can collectively make a significant difference in promoting sustainability and responsible consumption.

Comments

  1. HemnaOctober 15, 2023 at 12:01 AM

    This is very true, overconsumption is still rampant a century later. At times I develop a want for new shoes or technology because I see how happy someone is because of it. However, I have to realize that happiness doesn't come soley from materialistic desires and those desires don't matter as much as the negative implications of wasteful habits. We need to change our wasteful habits in the fashion industry, both corporations and consumers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. VandyaOctober 15, 2023 at 6:57 AM

    Reading this blog post reminded me of our summit trip :). I love how you related it to the 1920s and consumerism as well.

    ReplyDelete

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