FAST FASHION IS DEAD: THRIFT INSTEAD

Not so long ago I was shopping at stores in the mall and through online companies that contribute to “fast fashion” – the mass production of clothing items usually considered low-priced but that uses cheap textiles and materials.

I enjoyed that time, while it lasted. I would buy items from collections that were never to be seen again, so long as I looked only in the clearance section with clothing racks full to capacity.

However, what brought me the most concern about fast fashion was working in retail myself. I saw endless piles and racks of clothes that I was folding and organizing. I had fun working in retail, but the way I was shopping before soon stopped and the pandemic was then able to freeze those habits.

TikTok trends remind me of fast fashion in the way that the newest things come and go. There is nothing wrong with that; I think that’s just how trends work, and they inspire people. I know I was inspired to start shopping secondhand when I saw the thrifting hauls from people finding the coolest items. That did bring up other negative issues of people reselling thrifted items for unreasonable prices, and young women, especially on social media platforms, sharing huge clothing hauls, with those same clothes just ending up sitting in their closet without wear.

Another lasting impact often harms the workers who are producing fast fashion. They are working in terrible conditions with insufficient pay. Finally, the fast fashion industry harms the environment, when mostly wasted textiles and clothes make it to landfills.

I am tired of fast fashion. I think clothes can last for years, which is why I barely even buy clothes anymore. I now prefer thrifting. Thrift finds are like gold. Most of the time there are no replicas of the clothing items you find in thrift stores (while the last few times I was shopping at some I was finding clothes with SHEIN and Forever 21 tags).

Today there are more efforts being made to donate clothes to others who are in need, as well as efforts at recycling clothes at different clothing companies like H&M. I am hopeful that there are more people who are becoming aware of the issues with fast fashion, a shopping trend that ultimately hurts certain communities and the environment.