Step 1 : No consciousness (before)
Fast fashion is a unique phenomenon that has exploded since the 2000s with the emergence of social networks and the development of mass consumption, bringing with it the new consumer society that we all know today.
As a matter of fact, fast fashion appeared with the need to own a lot of "disposable" clothes to be able to replace them quickly.
Step 2 : Growing awareness (currently)
Nowadays, an awareness around the harms of fast fashion is progressively appearing.
Trying to stop Shein shopping...
Many people want to reduce their consumption of SheIn brand clothing, but are unable to do so. These people say that they cannot afford to consume otherwise, so they continue to use SheIn. The problem here is that SheIn offers poor quality clothing, pushing consumers to buy a lot of very cheap garments, as these tend to get damaged very quickly.
... but switching to other fast fashion brands
Some people are realizing that the items offered by SheIn are really bad quality garments, coming with some flaws, odd smells and are made from very poor materials. The new trend is to stop purchasing this kind of clothing. Instead, consumers are moving towards the brands that are available in the malls, such as H&M, Pull&Bear, and others, without realizing that these are also based on the fast fashion model. Clothes that might appear higher quality, are in fact manufactured using the same mechanisms of marketing and excessive renewal of collections. H&M and other fast fashion giants are no better than SheIn, in terms of ethics and environment.
Emergence of ethical, local brands
More and more new brands are joining the market of ethical clothing, produced locally and in good conditions, aiming to offer clothing manufactured with respect for human rights in the workplace. Yet, textiles that are used are just as important as the place of production. A garment made locally but from fabrics produced in China will have a significant impact on the environment, because fabrics made there are manufactured in the same conditions as fast fashion clothes. The origin of the materials is therefore as important as the place to make an opinion on the product.
Emergence of “DIY” trend
In this same spirit, specialized brands are nowadays introducing patterns to make clothes by oneself.
Emergence of eco-responsible brands
Eco-responsible brands are making their entry into this market, albeit with a greater commitment to the environmental concerns, using already existing raw materials (e.g. fabrics from deadstocks, recycled fabrics, reused fabric scraps, revalorized old sheets, etc).
Step 3 : Is it possible to completely stop fast fashion consumption? (future)
The emergence of all these alternatives can make us wonder about the future of fast fashion. Would it be possible to completely stop consuming fast fashion clothes in the future? This third and last part will bring to light essential questions to be addressed in each of us.
Appearance of green initiatives: greenwashing attempt or not?
Some fast fashion brands are starting to introduce green initiatives, such as Promod who just launched “Promod Couture” with sewing kits containing patterns from their clothing collections, as well as fabrics from their deadstocks. They also brought out a new responsible collection to sell their unsold garments from previous collections that were supposed to be thrown away.
The remaining question is whether or not consumers are willing to give money to Promod for its new collection, without being able to know if this will be used to finance this greener alternative or its next fast fashion collection. It is difficult to imagine that a brand with environmental values could continue to market clothes on a fast fashion model, and make us wonder if this is not an attempt of greenwashing.
This approach is still a step in the direction of a more eco-responsible world, allowing fast fashion brands to take their responsibilities.
A sustainable solution
The real solution lies in redefining our needs and our consumption, possibly through minimalism, seeking to have few items but to use them until the end of their life.
It is also important to be aware that buying a good item, made from good materials, makes it a durable item that can last a lifetime (e.g. good leather shoes). Moreover, when washing polyester clothes, plastic micro-particles are released in the water, therefore it is important to buy better quality clothes without synthetic fabrics and with more natural materials like cotton, linen, wool, and so on.
published on November 21st, 2022
Sources :
“Ce qu’il faut savoir sur la fast fashion”, My Better Self
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCIJaKfkfSo&t=875s
Reel from Marion Louisa, “Fast fashion : une gamme éthique, pour ou contre?” https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClCEHgOq2bq/
Official account of “Promod” to promote their sewing patterns
https://www.instagram.com/promod_couture/
Picture at the end of the article : https://styleyouroccasion.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Minimalist-Wardrobe-Capsule-BLOGimage.jpg
Januaria R.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, the majority of consumers cannot afford a good quality or eco-friendly made garment because it is too expensive, especially since the war in Ukraine has caused inflation and loss of purchasing power. For example, cotton derived from eco-friendly and organic crops, according to the website “Made in China” it costs $9.5 per kilo. Instead, not eco-friendly cotton, according to the website “Markets Insider”, it costs only $1.68 per kilo. Nine times more expensive is a lot and many businesses cannot afford to buy such expensive raw materials, especially after Covid-19 that brought a lot of firms to bankruptcy.
However, some people can argue that instead of buying clothes made from eco-friendly crops, consumers can buy garments made from recycled raw materials, but many people don’t know that these types of clothes aren’t impact-free. According to “The Guardian'', 69% of today’s garments are made from petrol-derived fibers, and by reusing them to create other pieces of clothing, certainly you lower their impact, but it doesn’t change the fact that once these fabrics are no longer suitable for producing a new garment, their disposable process will still have an impact on the environment.
Bilbiography
-https://www.made-in-china.com/products-search/hot-china-products/organic_cotton_price.html
-https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/cotton-price
-https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/06/clothes-made-from-recycled-materials-sustainable-plastic-climate
Hello Lea! I found your article very interesting in raising awareness about the negative impact of fast fashion, but don't you think that fast fashion consumers are perhaps still uninformed about the production line practices in the textile industry?
ReplyDeleteFor example, some fast fashion companies are known to have unethical working conditions, such as Shein and the use of mainly ethnic Uyghur labour.
It is explained that most of the companies in the textile industry use this labour force present in Xinjiang known for its cotton production. However, it is in Xinjiang that most of the "reduction camps" for Uyghurs are found.
Nevertheless, some companies such as Shein play on the opacity of their production chain to cover their tracks but also to make sure that consumers do not have access to this information.
Zoe L.
Bibliography
https://www.france24.com/fr/asie-pacifique/20201216-un-rapport-dénonce-le-travail-forcé-en-chine-d-un-demi-million-d-ouïghours-dans-le-coton