Fast Fashion - More Than Just Money

Saying it “is all about 'investment dressing' - buying one piece and loving it for a long time”. (Siegle, 8) When buying a product the shopper should not be afraid to spend a little extra cash so it won’t have to be disposed in a few months time. Making more of a relationship to care for what is in their possession. And repair the clothes they have since “just 2 per cent of the average clothing budget goes on services that repair or lengthen the lifespan of our garments and accessories”. (Siegle, 9) She goes over how the more you buy fast fashion the higher the price and the cheaper the material will be. Ending up in the garbage and repeating the cycle of devastating effects on the

How fast fashion is affecting the environment is a very serious topic since this type of consumerism in the United States is heavy on supply and demand, and because of that shoppers want it all and want it now which is basically fast fashions motto. The way to make these pieces of clothing heavily rely on cheap materials that can be made quickly, so that is polyester and cotton being made in big factories that emit out toxins into our earth. Cotton being one of the most used fabrics takes a lot to be made into a single garment. Uzbekistan which is the 6th biggest producer of cotton had faced many conflicts during production since cotton uses so much water to be made it has dried up the 4th largest lake the Aral Sea because of how much we need to produce cotton fashion. (Prospectjournalucsd) Buying these cheap garments that become unwearable after 5 times (Forbes) of wearing it usually gets thrown out after and producing more waste that gets put into our waterways since theses garments shed easy and through washing them can “find their way into oceans and on the shores everywhere.” (Sweeny) So with the help of shoppers, being able to cut down on the purchase of fast fashion can help aid in keeping the ecosystem in order.

Credibility statement: A university of Georgia professor gave an hour-long ted talk talking about her experiences of working and traveling to different countries seeing the fast fashion industry at first hands. She now teaches about fashion sustainability and the cycles of the fast fashion market.

It is impossible to beat a cheap price. In today’s world, finding a sought after item at a dirt cheap price is one the main motivation American’s get in the car and battle the craziness in the mall. And as the basic American human beings that we are, it is never possible for us to be complacent with the amount of stuff we currently have. Eventually, we will come across a friend that has the next must have item that will cause us to run to our local mall and purchase a similar item at the lowest price possible. With all that said, it is no wonder why the industry of fast fashion has taken off over the past decade. Felipe Caro and Victor Martínez-de-Albéniz, researchers for UCLA’s school of supply chain coordination, define fast fashion as “a business model that combines four elements: (i) fashionable clothes mostly for consumers under 40; (ii) affordable prices in the mid-to-low range; (iii) quick response; and (iv) frequent assortment changes”. Retailers like H&M, Forever 21, Target, and Wal-Mart have been able to take this business model and make a fortune. But while all these quick trends and cheap prices are great for the consumer, its cost on the foreign worker and the environment does not go uncovered. In the book Overdressed by Elizabeth Cline, she presents many arguments supporting the claim that fast fashion is unethical based on

Transition: Now that let’s discuss how the fast fashion impacts and how it can be solved.

Working in order to help out my family has proved to be very difficult. But I love them with all my heart and will sacrifice performing manual labor over attending school if it meant helping them survive. Other children and I have to endure the harshest conditions. Workdays are typically 10 to 14 hours with barely any breaks during the shift. Unfortunately, the factories that are hiring children end up dealing with injuries and even deaths because they are so dangerous. There are many adults that understand that the machinery runs so quickly, our little fingers, arms, and legs can easily get caught. Besides the equipment, the environment is filled with fumes and toxins. Some children have contracted illnesses, chronic conditions, or diseases

Fashion is everything to society and the media. The fashion industry has transformed into a necessity in the life of people. Everyone wants to look good, feel fabulous and feel as if we belong with everyone else. The envy and desire to wear certain things and look a certain way all come, from wearing the latest fashion handbags, accessories, dresses, shoes, and the list goes on. But, when is considering fashion into an individual’s life going too far to the extreme? Many do not consider the whereabouts of fashion materials and how the environment is affected by the mere existence of certain garments. Some may believe these objects grow on trees. But that is clearly not the case. Even though it would be nice. The fashion industry as a

Companies abuse cheap labor who are forced to work in a polluted working condition, but refusing to provide any equipment and protection. Many companies from the U.S. Exploit the cheap labor resource from Asia especially China and Taiwan. China and Taiwan are two countries mostly provide cheap labor for the U.S. Companies. Up to 78 percent of all products in the U.S, are imported from China and Taiwan. Even though, the labor in these countries are treated poorly. According to News Track article, Chinese employees get paid for 90 cents an hours compare to 9.5 dollars minimum as the U.S. Labor(Talk). Moreover, most children and women in China and Taiwan are not encourage to go to school because of financial issue. Up to 58 percent of children from 5 to 17 years old dropped out of school and work as labor for surviving. They get paid the same amount as adults but have to work 2 or 3 more hours a day. Because their families are too poor so they willing to work to earn some money, their families need that extra source of income for surviving task. In the journal article “Knowledge Of And Attitude To Contraception Among Migrant child Workers In Mainland China”, the author has done some researches discovered that over 23 millions child are working as labors from China and Taiwan. They have to work in extreme conditions for long hours, mostly 12 to 16 hours a day with 2 or 3 short breaks take about 5 to 15 minutes and work excessive overtime without a single day off during the week(Ip). Furthermore, they have to work under risky condition. Most industries in China provide a hazardous working condition for labor which later will negatively affect their health and create many illnesses and diseases, but they receive extremely low wage and no provision of health care or insurance. According to an article “China Blast kill 16”, almost 637 thousand workers at a supplier in China were injured after 1 year of working by using poisonous chemical. The employees work in

“The era of the $4.99 dress is not going to last forever,” according to Elizabeth Cline, the author of Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion. The people of America have jumped from making their own clothes by hand to shopping in huge malls filled with tons and tons of up-to-date clothing. America’s view on clothing, however, is starting to experience a change. People are starting to see the dark side of cheap fashion. The people of the United States views on clothing, fashion, and labor have changed over the past century due to the poor treatment and conditions the workers are facing.

Everyday, millions of consumers in the United States contribute to the harsh treatment, under paid, and sexual abuse of factory workers all over the world. The garment industry, one of the largest in the world, generates over 3 trillion dollars a year yet the average monthly wage is 21 dollars a month, 80% of whom are women, and including children ages 5 to 14. While most apparel used to be manufactured in the United States, in the past decade a majority of manufacturers have moved operations overseas due to loose regulations according to the huffington post (Badal). The current trend of fast fashion comes at a much greater cost than we are all aware of, The True Cost, a documentary by Andrew Morgan highlights fashions “unadvertised sins” such as unregulated production, toxic garment dyes harmful to both workers and the environment, and attempts by the factory workers to form unions that end in violence (Wilson).

For almost twenty years now, people have been relying on fast fashion, a fairly new notion, which

Children are less biologically mature and less physically strong, which makes them easier to get injured. Due to the danger and chemicals they face in sweatshops, children could develop many diseases as they grow up. The developmental risk factors for children who work in factories are, rapid skeletal growth, greater risk of hearing and vision loss, higher chemical absorption rates, lower heat tolerance. They also have no access to clean water, hand washing, and toilets, and they are exposed to pesticides and sharp tools. Children who work long hours on a regular basis could harm their social and education development. And the reason why injuries happen among the young workers then adults is the lack of experience. According to Clark, “ Children are more likely to trip or get caught in machinery, and their bodies have more trouble breaking down chemical toxins and excreting them “ ( 1996). Child labor has increased in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Around the world there are an estimation of 200 million child laborers ages 6-15. In pursuit of few dollars, children are being sacrificed, some of them are only five or six years old spending their days working in factories, mines, sweatshops, markets, and building sites or sorting through refuse heaps. Parents feel obligated to invest in their older children’s education expecting them they will help finance their younger brothers and sisters education who are already working. In most part of the world, child labor is illegal in most part of the world, and yet it is increasing in many countries believing children are profitable and are very easy to exploit Since,“ they can be paid less, are easily abused without provoking retaliation and are not organized like adults might be” ( Venter, Lancaster 2000). If people around the world get together to demand the rights of those poor

In today’s society, fashion rules the teen and young adult generations. Billions of dollars are spent each year on designer brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Off-White. At the same time that these large amounts of money are being spent of materialistic aspects of fashion, people in third world countries are struggling greatly. Instead of money being spent on expensive clothing, it could serve a greater purpose by being donated to countries who are in dire need. Absurd amounts of money in first world countries are spent on designer brands, while third world countries struggle to even get their hands on any clothing.

The clothing industry, as one of the most globalized industries in the world (Bonacich et al 1994), is currently undergoing a restructuring, especially the fast fashion sector. Fashion markets are synonymous with rapid changes and short product life cycles. Therefore, changes in consumer demand for newness and fashion trend force the emergence of ‘fast fashion’ strategy in retailers like Zara and H&M and shifts in the focus of competitive advantage from price towards quick response. That is to say, clothing firms, which are adopting global or offshore sourcing strategy, are not considered to have more competitive advantages as before.

Generations ahead of us only had a tiny wardrobe, where clothes were not washed every day. In our generation, fast fashion is in. It’s ok to have multiple shirts or shoes of the same color. It’s actually ok to throw away unwanted apparel. Apparel companies are beginning to focus on sustainable fashion, also known as eco fashion. Apparel, fashion, and textiles is the most polluting industry in the world. Every stage, that a garment goes through, uses up and threatens our resources.