#3 For Those Who Are Dedicated To The All-Denim Life And Already Have The Canadian Tuxedo, The Joots, And So Much More, I Present:
The fast fashion industry is one of the biggest markets worldwide. According to the Fast Fashion Global Market Report in 2023, the estimated value of the industry was a whopping $122.98 billion. Economists expect it to grow to $142.06 billion in 2024. When there's so much money involved, one has to think: how can this be sustainable?
A not-for-profit organization, Fashion Revolution, has published its Fashion Transparency Index ever since 2017. They're interested in how much information brands disclose about their business practices. The 2023 report points out that the progress towards sustainable fashion is still too slow.
28% of the world's largest clothing brands still fall under the organization's rating range of 0-10%. Some statistics are worth celebrating, too. For example, more and more major brands disclose their supplier lists. Fashion Revolution reports that the percentage is currently more than half – 52%.
However, there's a lot to still be sad about. Almost half (45%) of the major clothing brands disclose close to nothing about their practices. 80% don't report their production volumes, making it hard to determine global overproduction. And almost all (99%) brands don't disclose their commitment to reduce the number of new items they produce.
The main aspect of fast fashion that most people tend to focus on is that workers are usually getting less than the minimum wage. Fashion Revolution reports that only 1% of major fashion brands disclose how many workers get living wages.
Did you know that we can find hazardous chemicals in our clothes? Because they're so cheap, fast fashion items might be making us sick. There are all kinds of harmful chemicals in our clothes, like the hormone-disruptor BPA, lead, PFAS, and phthalates.
Some of these, like tributyl phosphate, dimethyl fumarate, and disperse dyes, can cause skin reactions and worsen asthma symptoms. What makes it hard to test is the secrecy of fast fashion companies. According to the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, only 7% of brands publish their supplier wastewater results.
#10 I Refuse To Accept That This Styling Choice Is Anything But A Commentary On How Deep The Pockets On Women's Jeans Could Be And How Small And Useless They Insist On Making Them Instead
Why do so many people buy fast fashion items? Because it's cheap and easily accessible. Some people even say that being a sustainable fashion lover is a privilege; not everyone can afford to buy only sustainable fashion items. However, some proponents of sustainability claim that this is a myth.
Ethical Brand Directory admits that sustainable fashion can often be pricier than its fast fashion counterparts. "Most of their clothes are substantially more expensive than a Primark alternative, but for good reasons: they guarantee an ethical and sustainable peace of mind for the buyer."
But there's also another side of the coin. Back in the day, when we didn't know what fast fashion was, our clothes were sturdier. With fast fashion came clothes that were bad in quality and not long-lasting. Then there's the plastic microfibre problem. Fast fashion brands use materials like polyester and nylon for their clothes. One washing machine load of these synthetics can release millions of microplastics into the world.
#18 Apologies If These Have Been Posted Already, But I Joined This Group With The Sole Purpose Of Making Others See These Hideous Pants Just As I Had To
Well, it all sounds bad, but what can we do about it? It's hard to know where to start when you're bombarded with sustainability pledges from H&M and Zara on one side and zero-waste influencers on the other. Should we renounce clothes altogether?
The Mindful Monday Method might be a good place to start. It's a technique by influencer, illustrator, journalist, and author of "Why Don’t I Have Anything To Wear?" Andrea Cheong.
