Fast fashion is a global epidemic. With the rise of sites like Shein and Temu and systems like TikTok Shop, consumers can get trendy garments at less expensive costs in record time. . . only temporarily, long enough to receive them before they lose their taste again.
The negative effects of fast fashion are environmental and humanitarian. In 2018, textile waste that ended up in U. S. landfills was the largest in the U. S. The U. S. Department of Agriculture, specifically clothing and footwear, increased to nearly sevenfold the amount of waste produced in 1960.
In just 60 years, the annual waste of non-durable goods (objects with a useful life of less than 3 years) has gone from 1,310 thousand tons to 9,070 thousand tons.
Thanks to the synthetic materials used today to make garments, those thousands of tons of portions that end up in landfills may not decompose like other materials would. Making garments requires a lot of natural resources; The production of a single pair of jeans requires around 2000 gallons of water.
The other people who work in the factories that make these textiles are very poorly paid and “forced to work long hours in appalling situations. “Over the years, there have been many instances where those situations have led to fatal errors and countless deaths.
To combat the effects of fast fashion, second-hand outlets have also gained popularity. Second-hand outlets can be a positive buying option because they minimize the number of garments that other people buy from fast fashion sites.
Stores like Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Savers provide access to affordable clothing for low-income people.
Consumers can donate clothing they no longer wear, reducing waste that would likely end up in a landfill. By creating a sales model supported by donations, thrift stores allow others to recycle clothing they no longer wear.
Economically, saving can be a great option, as some garments are designed to outlast fast fashion, produced in giant volumes to be in line with popular trends.
Buying clothes made to last is more sustainable and profitable, as consumers do not want to buy the same item over and over again.
Sustainability in apparel production takes many forms, including garment materials, operating conditions, workers’ compensation, and distribution practices.
Unfortunately, this has escaped traffickers. Look at Depop, TikTok, eBay, Poshmark, and even Facebook: All of those platforms have one thing in common: secondhand clothing is in the clutches of predatory pricing vultures.
Often, resellers actively seek out and purchase high-quality, fashionable clothing from thrift stores, which can be a disadvantage for others who can’t afford those garments otherwise. The garments they buy are then advertised with buzzwords, directly feeding into fast-paced fashion trends. Labels like “Y2K” and “vintage” are all the rage.
Although sites like Depop are more sustainable than fast-fashion stores, choosing expensive “second-hand finds” is not the option.
Thrifty drinkers should also consider the effect of their purchase when it comes to plus-size clothing.
The selection of modern plus-length clothing is limited because many clothing brands don’t make clothes in express styles and larger lengths. Similarly, if the garments are designed especially for plus-size people, those garments don’t fit trends or opt for styles that are more “acceptable” for plus-size people.
Because of the trend for oversized shirts and baggy suits, thrift store shoppers prefer dressier pieces and opt for too many larger sizes, even if they don’t necessarily want that size. This leads to a lack of features for plus size shoppers. who are already fighting an uphill battle.
Finally, one thing is location. ” [I]f thrift stores aren’t unusual in their scope and it would be complicated or expensive for someone with few resources to move to affordable clothing retailers,” it would possibly be a smart idea to donate instead of buying or only buy things that other people really need.
Consumers can shop ethically at thrift stores by finding out if they want the clothes they plan to buy, donating some unworn pieces when they shop, being mindful of their location and the desires of their community, and sticking to clothes that look good on them.