I’ve noticed that people are starting to refer to fast fashion as if it’s a good thing and I’m not sure why.
Companies are constantly pushing out cheap, quick products. As a consumer, that means two things:
- You’re constantly encouraged to buy more products throughout the year; you’re constantly spending money and tempted to throw out older/off-trend clothing.
- You’re falling for it.
This Fashionista article was fairly intriguing. Brands are starting to capitalize on the fact that people always want to wear what’s trendy; it’s a bonus if it’s cheap.
I find the tiny sunglasses trend cute too; it works for a lot of people. But my head is too big for all that and if I’m wearing sunglasses, I don’t want the sun in my eyes. Thus.. Sun. Glasses.
In my opinion, the level of narcissism and consumerism in the fashion industry is concerning. People are always obsessed with looking better for their followers instead of dressing for their own happiness. All of these things contribute to the downplaying of fast fashion. These companies see a demand for the trends they create and everyone immediately hops on the trend train.
I don’t understand why smaller designers/companies are stuck on always staying on trend and constantly pushing out product–I’m much more likely to purchase from a company with timeless pieces. Why would I ever want to dress like everyone else? At the end of the day it comes down to profit.
Although the whole Fashionista article rubbed me the wrong way, this part especially made me uncomfortable.
Doing the right thing is never trendy, popular or easy (which I detailed in my twitter rant/thread below). Yes, you could keep making fast clothes or you could actually make quality clothes like you acknowledged. It might not make you rich, but you’d sleep a tiny bit better at night knowing that you made a morally correct decision.
the downplaying and relaxed reference of fast fashion in this article seriously concerns me. https://t.co/pDSB0ZbwZL
— autumn. (@autieeashh) May 1, 2018
This InStyle article also uses fast fashion in a positive way.
Again, I understand why people view fast fashion as a good thing; it’s fast, cheap and you can often get something similar to the outfits seen on the runway for a fraction of the price. I used to shop Forever 21, H&M and Zara too. I loved those stores. Jeans for $20, tees for $5? Say less. Consider how many t-shirts one of the workers would produce in an hour.
According to the LA Times, a Forever 21 worker would make around 700 shirts in an 11-hour work day for $6 an hour (under minimum wage). That’s about 66 shirts an hour, accounting for a 30 minute break. Would you make 66 shirts for $6? Doubt it.
Overall, fast fashion is not a good thing. It might seem like an easy and convenient thing for you but it’s not for the people who actually construct the clothing. They’re in dangerous conditions. Their bosses don’t care about their lives. You can, though.
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