The Dark Side of the Fashion Industry

Fast Fashion Poses Danger

Photo of unused garments courtesy of www.fastfashion-dieausstellung.de

Photo of unused garments courtesy of www.fastfashion-dieausstellung.de

Buying new clothes can be very exciting, but have you ever thought about how and where your clothing is produced? Fast fashion is a method of clothing production and marketing that emphasizes fast production and cheap prices, based upon fashion trends. Focusing most directly on selling trendy pieces quickly, the industry pushes out extreme amounts of clothing at a time in order to sell as much as possible before trends change.  Retailers like H&M, Forever21, and American Eagle are a part of this industry. While we all notice how quickly the clothing changes at these stores, not many people are aware of the effects of fast fashion and the way it impacts others and our environment.

According to GreenPeace, over 80 billion pieces of clothing are produced each year. Out of these, around 75% end up in landfills. Only 25% of all garments made in a year end up being recycled. Along with the environmental costs of mass production, fast fashions are produced in dangerous conditions. According to Fast Fashion, “Women between 18 and 25 years of age work up to 16 hours per day, sometimes even more. According to reports by the Clean Cloth Campaign they receive around €35 per month.” Workers in the textile industry receive very little pay, and go thought exhausting and dangerous workdays. Fast Fashion also states that these workers receive no extra pay for working overtime. Solutions to the damaging effects of fast fashion include thrifting, recycling, and selling your own clothing.

Should students care about where their clothes come from?  Or, is it just a matter of what looks best and the best price.