Author: Penny Saltzman
Browsing the racks and shelves of any goodwill or second-hand store, lends itself to the overwhelming presence of pieces from fast fashion companies. Forever 21, H&M, Abercrombie, and almost any other brand you can think of is most likely a product of the fast fashion industry. To refresh, fast fashion is a dual meaning term for what designers intend to be in style for a very short time, yet also what we end up throwing away after only a couple of uses. I thought that I was doing my part by not remembering the last time I had walked into a retail store. However, I now feel that without trying to que others into this issue, that I am merely a bystander to a much larger problem. This essay will outline who is impacted by fast fashion. Other than the environment, both the buyer and the manufacturers absorb the greatest harm. Fast fashion seems to thrive on a cycle of cheap material and labor costs. Even though people from a wide variety of socio-economic backgrounds benefit from fast fashion, people who do not have the means to afford “high fashion” often slip into supporting fast fashion. Further, people who cannot afford fast fashion end up supporting second hand options before they go to the mall. However, this string of logic is very hard to prove and support. A lot of the fast-fashion clothes that make it to Good Will have only been worn once or twice, hence why they are able to be re-sold. Eventually, the real pitfall is that these clothes will end up in the trash after very few uses.
The most easy affect to draw upon is the workers that produce fast fashion. Starting in the cotton fields, we see workers in harsh farming conditions paid below minimum wage. After that, factory workers in developing countries work long hours performing tedious or non-stimulating tasks all so that a t-shirt saying “I hate Mondays” hits the racks. To unpack this in more detail, often times when we look at a tag on our clothing, we have no idea where it was produced, most likely if it is made anywhere other than the United States. Even US working conditions are flawed. The cost of living has risen while wages have remained largely static. In third world countries the same thing is happening, however, they are experiencing industrial growth at the same time.
Essentially, anyone that handles the clothing, starting from the planting of cotton seeds to the weaving of textiles, is impacted by the process. As seen in the environmental impact section, the harm that fast fashion induces on people is equally induced on the environment. Privileged consumers of fast fashion can easily replace the item when they are done wearing it, others that cannot afford this may end up wearing it until they no longer can and then throwing it away. In either case, if the item rips beyond the point of repair, it will just end up in the trash. There is also an impact on the people who collect the trash and or have to sort the clothes at a Good Will or second hand store. This is often a minimum wage job where workers are on their feet, exposed to warehouse conditions.
Facing Fast Fashion 