Fast-Fashion and the Simple Guide to Doing Better Without the Sustainability Shaming.
Photo by Ron Lach from Pexels
How did we get here?
Long gone is the time when shopping for clothing was a sporadic experience, done only out of necessity or for special occasions. When garments were made to last and fashion trends lasted more than a week, there really wasn't a need to frequently buy new items of clothing and this justifiable having a higher clothing budget. On the production side, making new pieces of clothing required time and effort. When the Industrial Revolution introduced new technologies, such as the sewing machine, it was now easier to make clothes cheaper and quicker.
From the 1960's to the 1970's, clothing became a form of self-expression and new trends started to show up more often. There was still, however, a distinction between high-fashion and low-fashion. It was in the late 1990's and 2000's when low-cost fashion reached its peak. With the internet, it was now possible to shop online and fast-fashion brands - like Zara, H&M, and Topshop gained even more popularity. For a cheaper price, they could rapidly produce clothing replicated from designer runways and thus increasing access for anyone to shop on-trend clothes.
Photo by Ivan Samkov from Pexels
The domino effect of Fast Fashion.
The ability to offer so many different options of clothing at such low prices, comes with a downside that most fast fashion brands aren’t so willing to broadcast. It’s no secret there is a true cost to producing any type of goods, from labor to resources and materials. If you are not paying the full price of production, someone else is (hint: it is not the brand) and to keep the selling price low it is not really the consumer either. To obtain a high level of profit while keeping production costs low, fast-fashion brands often outsource their production to underdeveloped countries where factory rentals and wages are low. This also means often not paying a living wage, substandard working conditions and sometimes non-existent labour rights .
“Fast fashion is a term used to describe a highly profitable and exploitative business model based on replicating catwalk trends and high-fashion designs, mass-producing them at low cost. The term fast fashion is also used to generically describe the products of the fast fashion business model.”
Beyond the labour conversation, the negative impact on the environment is also alarmingly high with the use of cheaper raw materials and production methods that are not always sustainable. Toxic textile dyes, synthetic fibers like polyester, which is derived from fossil fuels and releases micro plastics into water systems is common in these processes. One would argue that even use of more natural fabric such as cotton still result in extreme stress to the environment due to the use of pesticides during farming and large amounts of water during processing. The issue then is beyond the production process but also in the high demand for clothing, leading to brands looking for the fastest, cheapest ways to produce more in order to meet demand. On the consumer side, the significant number of garments being disposed of in the quest to stay on trend by always have the latest and greatest also results in massive textile waste as most of what is not wanted anymore ends up in landfills.
What’s the alternative?
This can all be overwhelming question to answer when every article on Fast Fashion seems to have a way to make us feel we are not doing enough. As much as we would all like to suddenly live a 100% sustainable fashion life at the click of our fingers, the reality is to simply say do not buy Fast Fashion comes with a certain level of privilege. The sentiment assumes everyone has the financial means to choose alternatives and every item that is ticketed at a higher price point is more sustainably made. Although at DSM, our approach is to avoid Fast Fashion where possible, we recommend considering the following instead
Buy less
Fast Fashion brands thrive on the over consumption of todays society . The pressure to buy every new trend on the market exits all around us but pause and ask yourself, Is this a need or a want? We are all familiar with fashion hauls on our social media feed, as much as they serve as a great resource in deciding whether to purchase an item or not, is it necessary to buy so much all the time. Ask yourself realistically how often a particular item will be worn before the next thing is the latest and trendiest.
Clothing brands are businesses at the end of the day and like all businesses they respond to supply and demand. If collectively we consumed less the domino effect on the production might just be enough to sway them to do better.
Shop your closet
Almost always trends are repetitive, 9 out of 10 you can recreate what is hot right now using what you already own. Not only does this mean you shop less but it really allows you to get creative. We recognize this does not come natural to everyone and offer closet organizing and styling services to get you started.
Consider pre-loved instead
The hidden gems find in consignment stores can be such a creative inspiration. Not only can you find designer and vintage pieces at great prices, shopping pre-loved can really take your style sense to another level. To help you get started we have tips on how to shop second-hand and vintage clothing here.
Get informed
How much do you know about your favorite brands. Purchasing from a brand is indorsing what they stand for, and if we really knew what goes into producing the items we love we might become more thoughtful about supporting them with our dollars. And if we did decided to continue doing business with them we might be more inclined to push for transparency and accountability in production. This is especially true for subjects like paying living wages, adhering to labor standards and caring for the environment in the production process. Online resources like Good On You, Certified B Cops and Ethical Consumer exist to help make the decision making process easier. All you do is type in the name of the brand and through their rating systems, you can get a summary of how they brand operates and then decide if that brand aligns with your personal values.
Do your part
Sustainability goes beyond changing shopping habits. Every fashion consumer should take responsibility for the role they play in making the world of fashion more sustainable. Whether its being mindful about laundry water consumption as well as awareness of what fabrics release microplastics into the water systems at every wash or even keeping clothing longer and repairing when possible. Beyond care we are each responsible for how we dispose of items we no longer need. This can be by up-cycling and turn it into something new, making donations through local charities - something Dapper Style Mint can help with, donating to thrift stores, reselling through consignment store or participating in clothing swaps with friend. Alternatively, being aware of your local municipalities recommendations on how to dispose of clothing so they do not end up in a landfill if an item is really at the end of its life.
“ To simply say do not buy Fast Fashion comes with a certain level of privilege. The sentiment assumes everyone has the financial means to choose alternatives.”