Wearing Your Ethics: a Short Review of Fast Fashion

     Walking into a store like Forever 21 is exciting for anyone interested in fashion—the sheer quantity of styles and colors (and at such cheap prices) is overwhelming. But what does it take to bring so many clothes to us so cheaply, and what is the true cost of fast fashion?
     Simply put, “fast fashion” means that new styles are constantly being designed, manufactured, and put on the shelves to keep up with changing trends. While fashion cycles traditionally correspond with the changing seasons, fast fashion cycles last four to six weeks. This is troubling on several levels: the financial, the aesthetic, and most of all the ethical.

    For example, a blouse that is only going to be in style for another six weeks is going to be made as such: a second glance reveals loose buttons and weak seams. It may look great when you buy it, but chances are that it won’t make it through the season. And when it does inevitably tear, stain, stretch or shrink, it has to go somewhere. Because it was originally of such poor quality, it isn’t worth repairing or donating, so just throw it away! Besides, you can pick up another cute blouse at the mall next weekend. In a recent NPR article, Jim Zarroli states, "it gets recycled into industrial rags and insulation, or even thrown out altogether — generating the term 'landfill fashion'," (Zarroli 24). In other words, fast fashion isn't just a waste of money, it is also bad for the environment.

     This attitude that fashion is temporary and instantly gratifying pervades the designs. A quick look at the Delia’s website reveals that it is going to be another frustrating season for anyone who isn’t fan of high-low hems or neon skinny jeans. While there is nothing wrong with quirky, fun pieces, fast fashion is supposed to give everyone the freedom to express themselves through their clothes. So often it has the opposite effect: rather than bringing style to the masses, it floods the market with the homogenous and uncreative knockoffs of the latest trends.
     Most importantly, the rush to keep up with new trends is demanding on factories where the conditions are already bad for workers. Corners have to be cut somewhere to continue producing cheap clothes—those corners happen to be workers’ rights. According to Lucy Siegle in The Guardian, “A factory that might realistically be able to supply 20,000 pairs of jeans can suddenly be deluged by an order for 500,000” (Siegle 4). This means that factory workers are forced to work long hours with very few breaks in order to put clothes on the shelves.

     It is apparent that our appetite for cheap, cute clothes is harmful, but what steps should we take to solve this problem? There are still options: supporting local businesses, buying clothes which were made in America, or shopping at second-hand stores, to name a few. Next time you find yourself debating over whether to buy another twenty dollar party dress, remember how far it has come—ethical fashion doesn’t grow on trees.

Works Cited

Siegle, Lucy. "Britain's appetite for fast fashion is pushing workers into starvation conditions."
          The Guardian 7 Aug. 2010 [UK] . Web. 22 Mar. 2013.
          <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/08/fashion-sweatshops-lucy-siegle-comment>.

     Zarroli, Jim. "In Trendy World of Fast Fashion, Styles Aren't Made To Last." NPR 11 Mar. 2013.
          Web. 25 Mar. 2013. <http://www.npr.org/2013/03/11/174013774/in-trendy-world-of-fast-
          fashion-styles-arent-made-to-last>.
 

     Central argument, 515 words.