I think clothing is one of my biggest joys in life, and the thrill I get from finding new clothes that will fit in my wardrobe. My personal one is carefully curated, and I only buy clothing that I think I will be able to wear forever, and am willing to spend a pretty penny on it, especially if it is something that I would be wearing fairly often.
Fast fashion is also gravely detrimental to the environment, as well as a costly expense for the taxpayer (it costs NYC $20.6 million annually, roughly $45/ton) to dispose of properly after the gleam of a new piece has worn off. Clothing literally falls apart ending up in landfills rather than making it to consignment shops even if you donate. In the U.S. only 10% of donated clothes get resold. The rest floods landfills - we send 13 trillion tons of our clothes to landfills in the U.S. alone where they sit for 200 years leaving toxic chemicals and dyes to contaminate local soil and groundwater.Some people may think that my habits are strange, however, this global epidemic affects us all, even in an avenue that a lot of people would not think to really deem as all encompassing, such as fashion. Fast fashion hurts labourers and consumers alike, whether in regards to terrible conditions for garment makers or the poor quality of the material.
“The fashion industry’s CO2 emissions are projected to increase by more than 60% to nearly 2.8 billion tons per year by 2030. Main cotton producing countries like China and India are already facing water shortages, and with water consumption projected to go up 50% by 2030, these cotton-growing nations face the dilemma of choosing between cotton production and securing clean drinking water.” Zhai Yun Tan for NPR.
The benefits of fast fashion are also apparent, in which the consumer has the opportunity to be apart of couture trends that may be outside their income bracket, as well as generally provide new clothing at a less expensive price for those who need it. Fashion is big business. Estimates vary, but one report puts the global industry at $1.2 trillion, with more than $250 billion spent in the U.S. alone. In 2014, the average household spent an average $1,786 on apparel and related services. More styles mean more purchases — and that leads to more waste created. While these attributes are useful, in the sense of a larger picture, they continue to do quite a bit of damage to all involved in the lifetime of a garment. Thus, buying locally, reuse or swap your old clothing, donate, thrift, purchase directly from a designer, or simply realise the magnitude of what a purchase from a fast fashion retailer results in; it’s definitely worth it.