The Environmental And Environmental Impacts Of The Fast Fashion Industry

In this essay written by Lucy Siegle she explains the dangers of fast cheap fashion. She how seasonal fashion that is bought is thrown away and how it is bad for the ecosystem. Then she goes over what the consumer can do to fix the problem using facts and alternatives. Although the thesis is not given it is implied that the more we buy fast fashion the worse the ecosystem will get.

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.

Clothing has existed for many centuries and has evolved over time. At one time, clothes were made very simple; over time the stages of developing clothes has drastically changed. The design and style of clothes changed as well.

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

One of the many things, people are unaware of, that is attached to fast fashion, is its environmental impact. People are completely willing to turn a blind eye to the fact that this business is the second most polluting industry in the world in order to be trendy. The first, and most obvious environmental impact of the fashion industry is its pollution of water by the use of harmful, toxic chemicals, dyes, and detergents. “The textile industry uses more than 8,000 [types of] chemicals annually,” (Scott). Some of which, are carcinogenic for both people and animals. In fact, the World Health Organization reports that in China, polluted water causes 75 percent of diseases and over 100,000 deaths annually. This information about the materials used in their products is

Fashion is a big part of many people's lives, but it is constantly changing and growing. In the Elizabethan time fashion was very different than it is today. For example trends and materials used have changed. The colors people wore told a lot about who they were, unlike today. Some parts of fashion have stayed pretty constant throughout the years. For example today and then there are known designers around the world. Also fashion still impacts lives greatly. So when looking at fashion throughout the years it is evident that materials, trends, color usage, designers, and the impact on society has greatly changed and is still changing.

Technology has had a major impact on the progress of fashion between the 1945’s and 1960’s and beyond. People used to have busy lifestyles before the growth of technology to help them. During WW2, there was a shortage of fabrics and people needed to preserve them. However, once the world got into a stable post-war time which were the 50s, there were more intricate outfits which used large amounts of fabric. Technology also allowed more different varieties of dyes and fibers to be made which added more of a personal touch to fashion and gave a feeling of wellbeing and comfort.

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

Clothing styles have changed drastically over the many years of civilization. From hand made, hand sewn, pieces of fabric, to mas produced, factory made, clothing, through technology clothing has changed. The evolution of clothing is due to technological advances in the making of mass produced clothing. Throughout history clothing has had a big impact of social status.

Clothing has played an integral role in defining social status and providing functionality. Fashion trends change faster than ever, and prices for clothing have never been so cheap. As a result clothing production has become environmentally detrimental. This phenomenon, called fast fashion, has inadvertently created a counter movement called slow fashion. Slow fashion aims to cut down on clothing waste by creating consumer awareness, increasing the lifespan of clothing, and choosing ethical stores. While slow fashion, in theory, is an ideal method to curb clothing disposal, it is not without its flaws.

I know what you’re thinking, because it's exactly what I thought: ‘How does fashion have anything to do with sustainability?’ It's easy to think that your sustainable just by putting your food scraps in the compost or recycling your plastics, but in reality it goes much further than that. It’s true that sustainability starts in the home but, all too often it slips our mind the impact our clothing has on the environment.

Still, many companies fast fashion ensures that the path of Patagonia is not the only path to follow to create sustainable fashion, so have offered to improve their practices to create a business model that best standards setting sustainability looking more for their workers fair wages and better working

unionized, and they do not receive minimum pay. They have no benefits, and many say that these workers have too little income to want to contribute to social security” (WIEGO). The workers have to work in unsuitable conditions, damaging their health and safety, but fast fashion also has an advantage on the lives of citizens or garment workers.

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.

A lot has changed and evolved in the history of fashion since the 1900s. As the century dawned, fashion was an exclusive enterprise, the pursuit of wealth. The average person in society settled for garments that were usually stitched at home. With time, however, networks of neighborhood tailors began to evolve into a retail history and the boom was followed by boutique selling.