Written by: Jack R

It’s time to consider ethics when buying clothing. It’s time to change. It’s time to forget fast fashion.

When googling fashion trends from any year in the 1990s, you see a lot of the major trends that ruled that decade. Denim, slip dresses, bold colors, choker necklaces, gingham, mini skirts, and animal prints were all trends that dominated the fashion scene in the 90s. Since 2022, we have witnessed more trends in fashion come in go than existed in the 1990s in its entirety. This year alone, we have seen trends in fashion come and go faster than ever before. The resurgence of neon colors, crochet/knit tops for summer, platform shoes, patterned sets, and loafers have all become increasingly popular and in style. But just as quickly as trends emerge, they go out of fashion almost as fast. With skinny jeans, camo, and fur all becoming passe, better known as “cheugy”,  a term coined in 2013 by Gaby Rasson. But the term saw a resurgence in usage after a viral TikTok.

Stores like Forever 21, H&M, Urban Outfitters, Fashion Nova, and most notably Zara all fall into the category of fast fashion, which is the rapid mass production of super cheap clothing. They may have incredibly low price tags, yet the environmental costs are extremely high and continue to increase yearly. But ethical shopping and sustainable living are much easier said than done, even if awareness of the fast-fashion industries’ exploitative and unethical practices becomes more popular. $75 dollars for a pair of leggings made from recycled water bottles or a pair of homemade earrings, with diamonds that aren’t sourced in unsafe working conditions is not a realistic option for everyone to buy hand-crafted clothing and accessories.

Accordingly, as more and more people have learned about the harmful effects of the fashion industry, more have turned to thrifting and buying second-hand clothes from vintage shops, all of which have dramatically increased in popularity over recent years, a lot of which is credited to social media. However, this huge shift towards secondhand shopping can’t only be attributed to environmentalists and Instagram models. Low prices and unique vintage finds attract people who end up unintentionally helping the environment. 

Here are some alarming statistics about clothing, the environment, and sustainability.

1. It takes up to 715 gallons of water to make a single cotton t-shirt, which is enough water for someone to have the recommended 2 gallons of water daily, for just under two years.
2. Genuine denim can take anywhere from 1800-2100 gallons of water, but the difference between a cotton shirt and denim is the fact that denim can last forever, hence the resurgence of 80s jeans at thrift and vintage stores. 
3. It is estimated that up to 65% of all manufactured clothing ends up in landfills, while just about 15% is recycled. 
4. It is alleged that “93% of brands surveyed by the Fashion Checker aren’t paying garment workers a living wage” further worsening the working conditions.
5. Around 10% of clothing corporations have actively implemented recycling programs into their business operations and practices.
6. Fashion and the increase of microtrends account for between 20-35% of microplastics in the ocean.
7. About 90 percent of the cotton grown for textiles is genetically modified, which means it is heavily reliant on pesticides. In fact, almost 20 percent of pesticide use worldwide is for use on cotton plants. These chemicals contaminate nearby water supplies and acidify the soil.

The on-off switch from Forever 21 to thrifting is not going to save the world, since it is not quite that simple. It is one person at a time, one t-shirt or pair of jeans at a time, that will slowly but steadily change our consumption rate. It takes an entire generation to lower carbon emissions and be more cautious about what they are purchasing. So that is why fast fashion should become a thing of the past. Check out Twitter and Instagram to stay in touch. 

Edited by: Iylah M