Embracing our complicated relationship with fast fashion
The conversation about fast fashion does not have to be black and white.
Before the pandemic, I could count on my fingers the number of times I had ordered something off Amazon. Except for phone cases, if there was something I wanted or needed, I would purchase it in a physical store, sometimes travelling a long way to accomplish this. When the world went into lockdown two years ago, that all changed. It was no longer an option to go to a store to purchase my textbooks, running shoes, headphones, or any of the other items that I acquired or replaced during the pandemic. I expected this resort to online shopping to be temporary - that as soon as life was normal again. I anticipated that ordering items over the internet would once more be reserved for brands like TenTree that are not typically in stores. But so far, it hasn't. Even though I once again have the option to browse for items in person like I once did, it is no longer my first instinct. A casual scrolling of social media tells me that I am not alone in how my consumption patterns have changed.
There are nearly infinite angles to take in discussing how the pandemic changed our relationship with our things - both positive and negative. I'm going to focus on clothing. Specifically, on the increased consumption of both fast fashion and used clothing and their relationship.
In late 2019, I watched a friend online shopping on Fashion Nova during our 10-minute break from class. It was the first time I had seen someone shopping on one of these seemingly endless fast fashion websites. In the spring of 2020, I began hearing about other fast fashion websites, namely Shein and Zaful. Their clothes were everywhere - online, on the street; there was no escape. The items are shockingly cheap, almost impossibly so. Curious, I spent hours of post-exam boredom scrolling the ever-updating selection of items eventually choosing two things to order: a cotton t-shirt and a dress. This is not intended to be a review of fast fashion websites, so all I will say about them is that they are about the level of quality one would expect. The shirt is fine. The dress has a vaguely plastic feel that accompanies certain cheap fabrics.
Fast fashion is not something new that emerged during the pandemic. Cheaply made items that are good for a few wears, but lose their shape after a first wash or begin to fall apart in the first weeks or months have long served as the business model for brands like Forever21, H&M and Primark. These stores similarly churn out new items - often made to look like expensive designer pieces - at an astonishing pace and for low prices. But at first blush, they don't hold a candle to these new online retailers.
It is also not news that fast fashion is a problem. For this discussion, I will focus on the environmental impact of fast fashion, not the labour issues that frequently facilitate producing goods at such a low cost. The fashion industry is responsible for approximately 10% of greenhouse gasses and 20% of global wastewater. Of the 32 billion new garments of clothing produced annually, about 64% wind up in landfills. While these statistics consider the fashion industry as a whole, and luxury or more expensive items are in no way exempt from environmental scrutiny, items not made to last exacerbate the problem. But like all things, thinking about fast fashion requires a more nuanced perspective.
Much to my surprise, a fair amount of this nuance seems to be playing out on TikTok, where creators seek to engage in a deeper conversation about the reality of fast fashion, and fast fashion consumption for young people. This is where the market for used clothing comes in.
In 2021, Facebook Marketplace sales across the 70 countries where it operates totalled approximately $26 billion, a 48% increase from 2020. Clothing, after furniture and toys, is among the most sold category. Out of a desire to avoid going to stores, have an alternative to Amazon, and be more environmentally conscious, I have generally found the option to do porch pick-up of a previously loved item to be a good one. Scrolling Facebook Marketplace, I have frequently been surprised at how many things come from one of these fast-fashion retailers, often unworn. This phenomenon appears in many TikTok videos commenting on our complicated relationship with fast fashion. While it is almost without question that thousands of fast fashion items end up in landfills annually, many do also find their way to the used clothing market through peer-to-peer platforms like Facebook Marketplace or charity stores like Value Village. This is where the nuance in understanding the role of fast fashion begins to creep in.
Shopping sustainably, even for items that are never going out of fashion that you will conceivably wear for a long time, can be very expensive. As a result, it is not an option for many people. Furthermore, just because an item is cheap doesn’t mean you won’t use it and wear it regularly for years. The dress I purchased from the fast fashion website is an item that, two years later, I still wear regularly and don’t anticipate disposing of it any time soon. While I’m unlikely to order from one of those websites again, I am pleased to have that item in my closet. Purchasing a fast fashion item used gives it a new life and keeps it from ending up in a landfill. In this way, the used clothing market can be used to provide fast fashion items with a longer life and reduce their environmental footprint.
While fast fashion is not at all a force for good, at least some of the problem comes from our attitude towards it. We are constantly being reminded of how disposable fast fashion items are. This, compounded by the low cost, propels a consumer culture that furthers environmental degradation. If you need or want to shop from fast fashion websites, there are a few things to consider. The first is to see whether you can find any of the items that you are looking at used. Because of the fees often associated with returning these items to the retailers, they frequently end up at used clothing stores or online markets without having been worn. The second is to treat fast fashion no differently from a more expensive purchase. This means buying items you genuinely like and will use for a long time. Because of the ability to scroll endlessly and purchase goods at such a low cost, online fast fashion retailers encourage a sort of mindless consumption that is unhealthy for our planet and our relationship with our possessions.
In a post-pandemic world, our consumption patterns are likely to change again, and the role of online fast fashion retailers moving forward will be worth noting. Now more than ever, we need to take action to combat climate change. Still, we must do that with an awareness and understanding of the financial realities of individuals, and with an overall goal of reshaping our consumption patterns to focus on choosing items we will wear out instead of throwing out.