The debate over the consumption of fast fashion has been trending for a number of ears. Fast fashion is the mass production of clothes which are sold cheaply. This is usually done by employing factories overseas (Usually Bangladesh, China, Thailand and Vietnam) and workers are paid minimum wage for this.
Companies such as H&M, Zara, New Look, Primark support fast fashion. This is just a small list but there are other stores that use overseas workers to make their garments and thus supporting fast fashion.
The main arguments against fast fashion are:
(1) it is cheap so promoting a more wasteful culture and more clothes end up in landfill.
(2) by supporting fast fashion, you are not supporting local businesses
(3) fast fashion means supporting cheap labour where workers are getting paid a minimum wage and in unfavourable working conditions conditions.
With that being said, I do not entirely agree with the top three statements, so let's look at each point in more detail.
Fast fashion can be wasteful but only if the consumers are being wasteful about it. Wastefulness can also be done with high end fashion items too. Of course, people are less likely to throw expensive items into landfill but this can happen. It should be an individual's responsibility how they consume and waste things. Holding companies accountable for this takes it away from the person and so many things can end up as waste this way. Both companies and the individuals should strive for a less consumerist and less wasteful society.
Supporting fast fashion does not mean that you are not supporting local businesses. Supporting local business and fast fashion do not have to be independent of each other. You can do both. You can buy from Etsy and also from H&M. You can get a Starbucks coffee and also a cake from Sally's Bakery. Although it is great to support local independent businesses, it is not up to individual people to support local businesses, rather it is the local businesses responsibility to market themselves so people want to support them.
Finally, the most important point that I raised- worker's wages and their working conditions. The countries in which garments are produced are developing countries where the poverty levels are high and education levels are low. Those who work in a garments factory have limited opportunities and they can either work in a domestic setting (housekeeper, cleaner, cook, driver, etc..) or in a garments factory.
Unlike in the UK where you have a hourly rate of pay, most of these countries do not. Workers only get paid when they make sales so supporting fast fashion would in fact mean that they will get a salary otherwise they would have carried out work with zero payment. Another point that people would say to this is that by supporting fast fashion, you are encouraging the system and people continue to work in sub-par conditions. Whilst that may be true, implementing a change in the system which would be for the betterment of everyone is not realistic in the short term. In the long term, however organisations such as NGOs could possibly go into these countries and ensure that all garments factories have a minimum working standard in practice so workers are getting a fair wage and working conditions are improved.
With all that said, fast fashion has its purpose in the economy and people should continue to shop as they feel is best for them, being fully aware of the pros and cons of fast fashion and sustainable fashion.
Comments