Fast Fashion reflects our habit of buying cheap clothing that is easy to discard. There is nothing wrong with being stylish, but engaging in fast fashion to keep up with trends is something we need to ponder all over the world.
As a young girl, I hated to wear the same outfit more than once or twice. For school or work, I always wanted a new daily twist, which was, of course, expensive if you want quality. Since I didn’t have the budget, I spent money on cheap short-lived fashion like a never-ending buy-and-throw cycle. I was not aware that I had a destructive habit. Luckily, I have become wiser and a lover of quality and sustainable living. It is good to know that fast fashion is one of the main contributors to the destruction of Mother Earth, and to learn how I can fight back.
As I wrote in my first eco-fashion article, the clothes we wear are likely made in the Third World. Most of us know that, and we also know about the poor and unfair working conditions. But too few of us are willing to do something about it. Fast-fashion consumers are throwing away their clothing without thinking about it. Since most of these clothes are synthetic, they will only pollute and create more misery, and that is not what we want if we are honest with ourselves.
Here are three straightforward things we can do:
- When buying clothes, make sure that they are of good quality and fair-trade produced. Also, take good care of your clothing.
- If you can, buy from eco-fashion boutiques or companies. Purchase from small green businesses or startups to boost and encourage a more responsible entrepreneurial spirit.
- Unleash your creativity by mixing and matching fair-trade produced pieces that never go out of style. Donate presentable clothes to charity or swap them. Give away or recycle.
