The True Cost of Fast Fashion
By Kayla Fragman.
I stepped into a mall for the first time in two years.
Prices written in bold through the windows screamed for my attention, a sale found at every step, brands in bold, I stare at it all in amazement. The past two years have been spent changing my style between the racks of clothes at Value Village, the unworn items of my parents’ past, my grandmother’s dusty jewelry or the bold colours of a vintage shop. Finding my inspiration online or through the eyes of the city, I forgot what the inside of a shopping mall even looked like. People around me in a motion, in and out, bags weighing each of them down. We buy from brands without knowing the consequences of it all.
There is a hidden side to the industry not many seem to realize or care for. After informing myself about the mistreated and underpaid workers or the environmental impacts of buying from popular brands, I quickly changed my unethical ways. I first watched The True Cost, a documentary on Netflix about the detrimental impacts of fast fashion, after my friend recommended it to me. The film explores every aspect of the industry, from producer to consumer, without trying to sugarcoat anything. Workers in developing countries are payed horribly low salaries, barely able to provide for their families. Some are physically abused by their bosses and their suicide rates have gone up drastically.
The documentary claims that in 1960, the American Fashion Industry produced 95% of the clothes worn by Americans. Now, only 3% of clothes are produced in the United States while the rest is made in developing countries. The movie also attempts to show the consumeristic lifestyle that we have been accustomed to. Commercials, social media, ads online, we are constantly reminded of the newest trends. Often, as soon as our teenage years approach, we feel the pressure to buy from popular stores and keep up with what everyone else is wearing. The thought of the origins of that piece of fabric, where those clothes come from or who made them does not even cross our minds.
Lucy Siegle’s book To Die For has helped many realize the ethical issues of the fashion industry and inspired the producers of the documentary. When asked in an interview if sustainable fashion is even a real possibility, she explained that there are solutions to creating clothes that are not detrimental to the environment and to the lives of workers. “Fashion has been co-opted by turbo charged capitalist corporations who are kicking the shit out of it and stripping fashion of its culture.” The essence of the problem are the big brands that refuse to change their ways and follow innovative solutions to help make their brand more ethical.
I followed up by reading several articles about fast fashion online and came to the conclusion that I was never to buy from an unethical brand again. I found new joys in spending hours searching for treasures in the endless rows of thrift shops or supporting ethical brands made in my own country or city. Simple steps such as buying from local shops or signing petitions for fast fashion brands to pay their workers reasonable salaries can go a long way. Ethical consciousness can start with something as simple as your own wardrobe. With the benefits of an original style and environmental consciousness, why continue to support fast fashion?












