Fast fashion is an interesting concept that I've just recently heard about. I am a huge fan of Forever 21, Old Navy, and H&M...any place where I can buy an entirely new wardrobe for $20. But how can $3 really encompass the cost of a shirt?
Transportation, the primary materials, and the salaries of workers and employees are factored in, but what about the external costs (the costs not included in the price) like environmental degradation? Bleaches, pesticides, industrial waste, and CO2 are all byproducts of the fast fashion industry, but their cost is not internalized in a $3 shirt. For the price to reflect the external costs, it would have to include the sum of the environmental damage. As far as I know, there are no clothing companies that have internalized environmental costa.
"The Tyranny of Trends" by Charty Durrant explains the marketing and effects of fast fashion. She writes quite a bit about the consumerism aspect, but also explores the ecological impact.
"FAST FASHION IS a relatively new phenomenon: it was not until the 1990s that we saw the rise of Primark, Zara and their ilk, with women’s magazines urging weekly wardrobe revisions, supported by just-in-time production and overnight global distribution. Fast fashion found its feet, and the industry congratulated itself on ‘democratising’ fashion, making it affordable for all."...
"Modern fashion is made from many seemingly incompatible ingredients, but the cornerstones are built-in obsolescence, fear of humiliation, and sexual attraction. Warmth, comfort and personal style have for the most part taken a back seat. As the ‘trend frenzy’ deepens, we can see that fashion is no longer about style and self-expression: it is primarily about judgement – self-judgement and judgement of others. A toxic media reporting how women ought to look, and celebrity obsession further enforce this strange new paradigm."....
"Fast fashion leaves a significant environmental and social footprint: each step of the clothing life cycle creates environmental and occupational hazards. Because of the insidious pressure of trends and built-in obsolescence, the average garment only has a three-month shelf life. UK clothing and textile consumption is high; Dorothy Maxwell’s recent Sustainable Clothing Road Map for Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) confirmed that over 2 million tonnes of clothing are purchased in the UK every year. Most shocking of all is that we throw away over a million tonnes of textiles every year, most of it ending up in landfill. Landfilled textiles, garment dyes and bleaches cause toxic chemical seepage into ground and watercourses, and the build-up of methane gas as materials decompose causes further health hazards."
After reading this article, I've come to understand how my impulses to consume are driven by many factors and have grave consequences. Understanding fast fashion won't make me stop buying clothes (can you imagine? I'd be wearing jean mini skirts at 90!) but it will make me a more conscientious consumer. Thrift stores, anyone?
Sheena Matheiken has taken it to the max with The Uniform Project. In order to promote sustainable fashion, Sheena has pledged to wear the same dress for an entire year. She has a dress for every day of the week (thank goodness) and accessorizes with jewelry, tights, hats and other items of clothing.
