Recently, fashion retailer ‘Boohoo’ was exposed by an undercover reporter at the BBC for failing to keep its promises to make clothes ‘fairly and ethically’. It was found that there were issues with low pay and poor working conditions in their factories in Leicester and that they had knowingly lied to suppliers to obtain items for cheaper costs.
This is not the first time Boohoo has come under fire, and many fast fashion companies employ similar
procedures without the knowledge of the public. The desperation to increase both the supply and cost effectiveness of products is linked to the increasing demand from consumers for new, cheap, and fashionable items of clothing. This begs the question: will we ever give up our addiction to fast fashion?
In an age where trends change weekly, there is more pressure to have the latest ‘fashionable’ items of clothing. Social media is increasingly influential, with many of us seeing celebrities and influencers advertising items from, and sometimes releasing their own lines, with fashion brands such as Boohoo. Young people wish to be viewed as ‘trendy’ and because the definition of this changes so frequently, the desire for more, cheap clothes increases. People may order multiple new items of clothing a week, yet don’t understand the implications for both exploited workers and the environment.
As part of a campaign, the Changing Markets Foundation donated 21 items of clothing to stores across Belgium, France, Germany, and the UK. They found that of these items, 16 were destroyed, left in warehouses, or exported to Africa where half were shredded or dumped. One pair of trousers donated to M&S were scrapped within just a week.
Recognising these practices is important to combatting fast fashion, with individuals reporting reducing their consumption after watching documentaries such as The True Cost which highlight the environmental implications and human rights violations undertaken by fast fashion companies. However, many young people recognise the harm of fast fashion and report guilt, but still engage in the practice for ease and convenience.
Despite this, an enemy of the fast fashion industry is the increase in popularity of thrifting. It is now becoming trendier to buy products second-hand from charity shops that also offer cheaper prices, meaning clothes are reused and recycled. However, in the study above, only five items were donated or reused. This could be because thrifting is more time consuming than browsing and ordering on the internet, and the clothing in demand is not always available.
So, can we ever combat our addiction to fast fashion?
Whilst there are alternatives to purchasing fast fashion, they are still not influential enough to counteract the consumerist culture that people engage with today. An increased awareness of the harmful effects of fast fashion could discourage some consumers from purchasing items from stores such as Boohoo, yet the repetitive nature of the brand’s labour violations highlights that this has done little to reduce consumption.
With the emphasis being placed on trends on social media, it is likely that the most effective way to combat fast fashion would be for the practice itself to become unfashionable, either through social media activism or celebrities and influencers associated with fashion to condemn it and encourage their followers to pursue more sustainable practices.
“Primark, Oxford Street, London” by Kaustav Bhattacharyais licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
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Will fast fashion ever go out of style?
Recently, fashion retailer ‘Boohoo’ was exposed by an undercover reporter at the BBC for failing to keep its promises to make clothes ‘fairly and ethically’. It was found that there were issues with low pay and poor working conditions in their factories in Leicester and that they had knowingly lied to suppliers to obtain items for cheaper costs.
This is not the first time Boohoo has come under fire, and many fast fashion companies employ similar
procedures without the knowledge of the public. The desperation to increase both the supply and cost effectiveness of products is linked to the increasing demand from consumers for new, cheap, and fashionable items of clothing. This begs the question: will we ever give up our addiction to fast fashion?
In an age where trends change weekly, there is more pressure to have the latest ‘fashionable’ items of clothing. Social media is increasingly influential, with many of us seeing celebrities and influencers advertising items from, and sometimes releasing their own lines, with fashion brands such as Boohoo. Young people wish to be viewed as ‘trendy’ and because the definition of this changes so frequently, the desire for more, cheap clothes increases. People may order multiple new items of clothing a week, yet don’t understand the implications for both exploited workers and the environment.
As part of a campaign, the Changing Markets Foundation donated 21 items of clothing to stores across Belgium, France, Germany, and the UK. They found that of these items, 16 were destroyed, left in warehouses, or exported to Africa where half were shredded or dumped. One pair of trousers donated to M&S were scrapped within just a week.
Recognising these practices is important to combatting fast fashion, with individuals reporting reducing their consumption after watching documentaries such as The True Cost which highlight the environmental implications and human rights violations undertaken by fast fashion companies. However, many young people recognise the harm of fast fashion and report guilt, but still engage in the practice for ease and convenience.
Despite this, an enemy of the fast fashion industry is the increase in popularity of thrifting. It is now becoming trendier to buy products second-hand from charity shops that also offer cheaper prices, meaning clothes are reused and recycled. However, in the study above, only five items were donated or reused. This could be because thrifting is more time consuming than browsing and ordering on the internet, and the clothing in demand is not always available.
So, can we ever combat our addiction to fast fashion?
Whilst there are alternatives to purchasing fast fashion, they are still not influential enough to counteract the consumerist culture that people engage with today. An increased awareness of the harmful effects of fast fashion could discourage some consumers from purchasing items from stores such as Boohoo, yet the repetitive nature of the brand’s labour violations highlights that this has done little to reduce consumption.
With the emphasis being placed on trends on social media, it is likely that the most effective way to combat fast fashion would be for the practice itself to become unfashionable, either through social media activism or celebrities and influencers associated with fashion to condemn it and encourage their followers to pursue more sustainable practices.
“Primark, Oxford Street, London” by Kaustav Bhattacharyais licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
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