Making the Fast Fashion Switch

Clothing companies create more than one million garments every day. Buying just one white cotton shirt produces the same number of emissions as driving 35 miles in a car, making the fashion industry responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions. This is just one of the many alarming statistics the fashion industry creates.

As I began to learn about sustainability and sustainable fashion during my A-Level Textile lessons, it was the first realisation of how severely damaged the environment is by the fashion industry. Continuing to my fashion degree, where I decided to focus several of my projects, including my dissertation, about sustainability, I found myself heavily interested in this subject, and wanting to include it within projects, wherever possible. Continuing to learn the heavy consequences of fast fashion, this lead me to consider my own steps in combating fast fashion, and what small steps I can take to improve my own impact on the environment.

I decided to take the leap and make the ‘fast fashion switch’ as I like to call it. So, avoiding/stopping purchasing anything fast fashion, buying only second hand, and being more thoughtful when purchasing an item; posing questions of, ‘Do I really need it? Do I have space for it? Will I wear and reuse it several times in the future? Do I really like it enough?’.

With how fast paced the fashion industry is currently, it is easy to not take time to consider before purchasing and ask yourself those all-important questions. I was guilty of being oblivious to how these fast fashion companies work, as consumerism is so easy to be engulfed in, without knowing those consequences.

I then started having a number of discussions with people around me about purchasing habits and how they felt about the fashion industry, I understood that a common theme or question, was knowing which brands are fast fashion brands, as brands class themselves as ‘more expensive’, assuming better quality, with some brands even having ‘sustainable’ ranges, which is typically greenwashing (a form of advertising falsely stating green marketing), causing a misunderstanding of which brands you should purchase from. These open conversations feel important to me, to educate others, and encourage a change in purchasing habits.

What is Fast Fashion?

I am aware I have been throwing around the term, ‘fast fashion’, and you may be unaware of the definition; ‘Cheaper clothing made at a rapid rate, to keep up with the fast-paced trends, sold by mass market retailers’. Expected brands that are within the fast fashion group are Primark, H&M, Shein, Prettylittlething, Missguided, or Boohoo. However, Uniqlo, Abercrombie & Fitch, Zara, Mango and Gap are some of the least expected brands to come under the fast fashion bracket, as they are deemed as ‘higher/more expensive’ on the clothing market. I have only listed a few, but the list could really go on. Hence why I chose to adjust my shopping habits, as I felt it was hard to distinguish which brands are actively trying to do better, and which brands are falsely marketing sustainability.

What Makes a Brand Unsustainable and Unethical?

Brands that use cheap materials that are not long lasting, yet are stated to be quality items, sold for an expensive price. Polluting into the atmosphere during production (an example, dyeing fabrics and the polluted water being dumped into rivers). Treating workers poorly with poor wages, poor living environments and incredibly long workdays. And when these cheap garments are ready to be sold, transporting them around the world releasing a large amount of carbon emissions into the atmosphere (the burning of fossil fuels for electricity, heat and transportation).

Second-Hand Shopping

I really hope as you read this blog post you feel encouraged to research more into sustainable fashion or have left knowing slightly more about fast fashion than you did before, and maybe even considering to buy one or two things second hand.

There are so many perks of shopping second-hand, and one of the reasons not just being combatting climate change but knowing you can find individual, unique, pieces that will enhance your own personal style AND support your bank account, as charity shops and apps like Vinted, you can find some real bargains.

I have also found that, making that fast fashion switch, has allowed me to use what I already own to style my outfits, and love every single item in my wardrobe, reducing my carbon footprint!  If you have ever considered downloading the app vinted (where you can buy and/or sell preloved clothing items), to purchase your next clothing item, or considered having a browse in a local charity shop, I really recommend you do it, as it can be a really fun experience, seeing what exclusive/vintage pieces you can find, and knowing you are benefiting the environment!

Even though it can be easy to focus solely on the negative statistics, there is some good news floating around, from Oxfam, who have recognised an increase in second-hand shopping,  ‘if all UK adults bought half of their next wardrobe second-hand, it could prevent 12.5 billion kg of carbon emissions entering the atmosphere, this is equivalent to a plane flying around the world more than 17,000 times or 261,000 flights from London to Greece’.

Beginning your fast fashion switch, or even just visiting a charity shop to have a browse, is still a step in the right direction.

You can read more on the Oxfam website, all about second-hand purchasing, and I will be continuing to highlight my love for second hand fashion on my blog within the next couple of months! So, keep an eye out for that if you are interested!

Words By Alice Abel

Read More…

https://www.oxfam.org.uk/media/press-releases/shopping-second-hand-fashion-would-prevent-harmful-emissions-equivalent-to-flying-around-the-world-17000-times-says-oxfam/