Here at the Conscious Consumer, we aim to inform more people in regards to their fashion decisions. While fashion can seem like a very trivial thing to worry about, the aftereffects are not a detail that is easily ignored.

While the benefits of fast fashion are apparent, the horrific events should be more emphasised than that of the good. 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.

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.

We love fashion, and want you to continue to do so as well. With an informed decision and proper opinions, you too can be instrumental in the fight against fast fashion.