As popular styles come and go, there are fashion brands that are always playing catch up. They achieve this through fast fashion. What they do is take inspiration from the latest runway shows or glamorous celebrity events that fashion enthusiasts have feasted their eyes on. And they do it fast and seasonally.
Whether it’s a gorgeous evening piece worn by a well-loved personality or a style that’s highlighted during a runway in Paris. We, with keen eyes for fashion trends, can expect cheaper versions of them several days later in a nearby fashion store.
And with the quick shifts in trends, labels often forget one unchanging fact: we only have one planet. In order to participate in fast fashion, sustainability is overlooked.
A quick take about fast fashion
Basically, fast fashion brings the latest outfit trends at a lower cost. The designs can be derived from recent runways or celebrity shows but sold much affordably. So-called because they sell these stylized clothing based on the newest trends for a limited time. And then they are replaced with the next wave of trends in a few weeks or so. That fast.
There’s more opportunity to sell more fashion items while the hype is still up. So businesses that partake in fast fashion have to ramp up their production. Stores have to place their items on the shelves ASAP before they go out of style. There are always new arrivals shoppers can look forward to.
Fast is more, not less
Who would not want to grab a beautiful, trendy coat that does not make a dent in our budgets? Many prefer fast fashion for its wider appeal. Why pay more for something that will go off the fad in a couple of months or weeks?
However, with a higher volume of production in a shorter time frame, the quality may not be as good. But just enough for a regular customer to wear trendy clothes until the next trend is out and about.
Fast fashion is not entirely a new idea, but it’s gotten really trendy in recent decades. It has proven practicality, at least consumer-wise, and some labels are lovin’ it. This is especially true with the boom of e-commerce making shopping more accessible and easier for more individuals.
But with accessibility comes the responsibility (or opportunity) to make more. And to make more, the planet pays for it.
Fast vs green
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to save some bucks for finding something we can wear confidently. The thing is, one huge drawback to fast fashion is that Mother Earth is not happy. Generally, scaling up manufacturing has considerable tradeoffs that are hurting the environment in many ways.
For instance, with the pressure to increase production, manufacturers often resort to low-quality dyes that they use to make textiles, common in fashion items. In turn, the oceans suffer as brought about by these toxic chemicals from cheaper dyes. That’s on top of the textile industry producing billions of tons of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Plus, the materials used in many wardrobe items, like polyester (the same stuff in water bottles), may be derived from petroleum-based sources, basically adding to the accumulating plastic problems we’re already facing. So the toxins, combined with the remnants of these non-biodegradable pieces of the garments ending up in the oceans will pose danger to the diverse and colorful marine life.
As most of these clothes are just thrown away when the new trend comes to the scene, it’s now a waste problem, with millions of tons of textiles ending up in landfills or burned annually. How about recycling? Clothing from fast fashion is not the best candidate, though. With low quality comes difficulty in recycling, especially with the cheap fabrics that are not exactly as reusable as many would like them to be.
And if they are recycled, the quality or durability will suffer. With fast-tracked production, even the biodegradable part of cotton will no longer break down when combined with cheaper, synthetic materials. A circular economy in fashion is a good idea, but not much compatible with fast fashion.
Want more examples of cringe consequences? Let’s take cotton, a common fabric. You’d think they’re made from plants so no harm, right? Think again! Consider the amount of water spent on farming cotton plants, on top of the pollutants from pesticides and/or artificial fertilizers. Multiply that to the growing demand for the fabric, and all the chemical processes undertaken before it reaches the stores and our dearest wardrobes.
Can fast ever be green?
We’re now wondering, could fast fashion ever incorporate sustainability? Unless brands act fast and make huge changes with their processes, perhaps. This could include more effort than what they had to do, but a lot of other labels have already started marrying being sustainable and being fashionable.
Among the sustainable efforts that could be done include sourcing fabrics responsibly. Partner up exclusively with manufacturers and suppliers that have sustainable certifications in their processes. Small fashion businesses have done it, why not the more known fast fashion stores?
The use of renewable energy is another way of offsetting their carbon footprint, shifting from burning fuels to solar, which is getting affordable recently. Packaging is also important, so they also better be environment-friendly and should not be derived from fossil fuels.
And most importantly, they shouldn’t sacrifice quality for the sake of fast and many. It may not be as much as fast fashion like what many know, but a slightly slower shifting in fashion trends is way preferable to constantly damaging our dearest planet.
Several of the bigger fast fashion brands claim to have started a shift to sustainable clothing, but we’re yet to see how it plays out and if more labels follow suit. They have started releasing “eco-friendly” collections, but have not made the shift throughout the entire process. We can commend them for trying, but they just have to try harder or else condemn them for “greenwashing.”
Going green, not fast
There’s already increasing pressure that brands are getting from advocates, rights groups, and responsible customers as well. As consumers and proud fashion enthusiasts, we can still take part in putting even more pressure on these fashion companies. We can begin by supporting clothes made sustainably and verified by independent certifications. Such examples include the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) label and the certification awarded by the International Association of Natural Textile Industry.
And if we’re not able to check the store’s certification, there are other ways we can still do to contribute. For instance, we should opt for quality clothing, which should be more durable and not made from cheap fabrics.
Better yet, let us also not allow ourselves to get easily swayed by the shifting trends. It’s okay to catch up once in a while, but we bet you that durable clothes are more chic and fashionable, and can flesh out more of our own unique qualities.
Not all quality clothes are from luxury brands, there are other small businesses out there who don’t participate in fast fashion but sell affordable yet durable outfits. We can help reduce fashion waste by turning our backs on low-quality fashion or on fast fashion entirely.
Aside from these, remember to take care of your clothes so you don’t have to replace them often. When you no longer like your clothes or you’re planning for a wardrobe overhaul, don’t throw them away. How about a garage sale, or sell them to your friends? Better yet, you can donate your old clothes to the needy, or to recycling centers. Or even you can recycle them yourselves. Repair clothes if you can.
We should also demand legislators to enact regulations to the rapid production of irresponsibly-made clothes. This way, fashion labels are held accountable when their capitalists’ agenda supersedes the reason they are in the business–to make fashion items that last.
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Fast fashion is an interesting concept, but when you look closely you’d see how going fast (and many) can be problematic to the environment. Fast fashion has long been criticized for its sustainability issues, but it still prospers as more people are still unaware of its toll on the planet. And also, combining practicality and fashionability, we couldn’t blame them really.
But now we know better, fast does not necessarily mean fashionable. You don’t always have to stay in the trend to be chic, or you can always be creative with your existing wardrobe pieces to be trendy. You don’t have to buy clothes more often. Only fill your wardrobe with quality and durable outfits.
And at times, it’s best to take it slow and just wear something to suit your style – something… more of you.
