The Consequences of Fast Fashion Fashion is an outlet people use to express themselves. People anxiously wait to see what the next trends are as seasons pass by. We buy anything that doesn’t break a bank, people buy a $10 shirt just because it’s cheap and they might not even wear it, but it’s all right, since it wasn’t expensive. As harmless and normal as that scenario sounds, the fashion industry has created the harmful concept that is “fast fashion”, in which stores sell an abundance of extremely cheap trendy clothing and “where deliveries are small and often, with stock delivered twice a week, for instant-access fashion.” (Cochrane) These stores persuade consumers through the means of television …show more content…
Well, in Bangladesh, a major exporter of clothing can make it for $3.75 whereas the same shirt would cost $13.22 to make in the United States. Bangladesh workers have low wages and work in dangerous working conditions known as “sweatshops”. These sweatshops have lead to thousands of deaths in third word countries. Not only does the fashion industry harm people directly, it’s also harming the environment. From the genetically modified cotton to the large number of textile waste people throw away each year. This causes pollution and toxic chemicals to be discharged into water. The effects of the fashion industry are often brushed off, but it can lead to destructive …show more content…
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American family spends $1,700 on clothes annually and “the average woman in England has 22 unworn items in her closet.”(Johnson) People buy a surplus of clothing, meaning factories make excess textile waste. While there have been many debates whether the clothing industry is the second most polluting industry of the world, second only to oil, there’s no doubt that the fashion industry has made an impact on the world, but not in a good
Americans buy clothes in a huge quantity each year, but afterward, many people like Susie Bayer don’t know where their old clothes go after they lug them off to the thrift shops. According to the various estimates by the ABC news reporter Mike Lee, the charitable institutions keep only 10 percent donations, and the remaining 90 percent is sold by the charitable institution to textile recycling firms. Packer also proved this point in his essay. In Packer’s essay, he traced back to the thrift shop. People who run the shop only choose the clothes based on their personal preference. In order to get rid of the “junk” clothes, they use the Trans-Americas Trading Company, and sell the clothes they do not like for three cents a pound. George Packer points out that Americans donate 2.5 billion pounds of clothes each year, but 80 percent gets trucked off to places like Trans-Americas. People are not aware that their donations had been devalued so much, and there is no way they can
Berry, Hannah. “The Fashion Industry: Free to Be an Individual.” The Norton Field Guide to
It is interesting to consider Veblen’s theory of conspicuous consumption as it pertains to the modern day fashion industry, specifically the luxury fashion sector. In The Theory of the Leisure Class, Veblen said “we all find a costly hand-wrought articles of apparel much preferable to a less expensive imitation of it;” however, at the beginning of the 20th century, couture clothing was exclusively available to those who were very wealthy, simply because of how much the garments cost. By the mid-1930’s, businesses were beginning to change their ways of thinking after seeing the enormous profit that the Walt Disney Company received once they licensed the making of Mickey Mouse novelty items. Christian Dior was the first of many fashion designers to foll...
Sweatshops produce more the seventy-five percent of clothing, footwear, and accessories used in the United States. Unfortunately, sweatshop employees, the individuals that assemble large numbers of garments, are forced to work in harsh environments, are paid unfair wages, work long hours, and abuse child labor laws. More than 500 pieces of fashion goods are produced in sweatshops a day. Because of the harsh work environment, some workers are subjected to sexual abuse while others suffer from illness due to inadequate ventilation available in their work rooms. Since outsiders began noticing
It’s no secret that some women believe fashion portrays who they are. Therefore follow every season’s new trend. This leads to spending money that they don’t have. Waller Lea, a journalist, suggest that “for some communities, purchasing knockoffs or generic products are frowned upon, forcing minorities to spend more money. Now businesses and companies are targeting minorities, causing more debt problems.” Addicted to retail or brainwashed? Opponents claim that fashion is simply a creative way to express themselves. There are others ways to express ourselves that are no based on our appearance. Through drawing, painting or through our thoughts and ideas. What happens when someone can’t afford expensive clothing or doesn’t have access to fashionable clothes? They are singled out and excluded from society for being different.
Fashion is everything to society and the media. The fashion industry has transformed into a necessity in the life of people. Everyone wants to look good, feel fabulous and feel as if we belong with everyone else. The envy and desire to wear certain things and look a certain way all come, from wearing the latest fashion handbags, accessories, dresses, shoes, and the list goes on. But, when is considering fashion into an individual’s life going too far to the extreme? Many do not consider the whereabouts of fashion materials and how the environment is affected by the mere existence of certain garments. Some may believe these objects grow on trees. But that is clearly not the case. Even though it would be nice. The fashion industry as a whole, has been notorious from green issues caused by their lack of sensitivity to the environment, conspicuous and unnecessary consumption of materials, encouraging an “throw-away” society and image issues that support women and young adults to look a certain way to feel “beautiful.” This is an issue that has increased over the past decades. Not just women, but men also feel the uncontrollable need to do whatever it takes to look like the celebrities they see on television and on the runways. The thought that the materials to make those desired items may have caused the life of animals or the destruction of mother nature does not come into mind. Countless people are concerned about conserving planet Earth and keeping it healthy. The fashion world has been targeted for many corruptions.
Lock, Simon. “Rewiring Fashion Week” The Business of Fashion. N.P., 27 September 2013. Web. 21 October 2013
Did you know that many penurious children and families suffer from many things that America takes for granted? “The Real Cost of Cheap Fashion,” by Laura Anastasia and “The Real Cost of Your Phone,” by Rebecca Zissou show many readers how terribly many people are affected by this, and what a hinderance it is on their lives, but also what can be done to fix it.
Humanity at first created clothing to cover themselves and it has been that way for centuries. But until recently clothing has become a way of life. The way you clothe yourself and the technology you have represents your status, wealth, emotion and affects your overall physical appearance. The question is, has humanity ever stopped to think where their clothing comes from? Where their technology comes from? No and the reason why is because today clothing comes at a cheap price, even including the latest fashions. The reason why clothing comes at a cheap price is because it is made cheap and the laborers have very low wages. Why do companies continue to allow their products to be outsourced to factories with terrible conditions?
Smith, Patricia. "The High Price of Cheap Fashion." New York Times Upfront 146 (2013): 12-15.
Gardner, Marilyn. "Fast Fashion Is a Problem." The Fashion Industry. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2010. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Fashion Industry Gives Rise to a 'Disposable Culture, '." The Christian Science Monitor. 2007. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 22 Nov.
It is necessary to identify fashion and explain the systems apparel industry uses before I start explore the essentiality of fast fashion. According to Dictionary.com, fashion is defined as the prevailing style or custom that is in a current mode and used to express oneself. It can be clothing, accessories, hair, etc. Why certain people like to frequently shop in malls and keep updating apparels in their closets every season? Form psychological perspective, people usually consider clothing as a symbol to show their values, personality and lifestyles to others. Critically, a rapid imaginative change and symbolic expression supports a sense people have about fashion. People believe that an ideal self-identity can be communicated to others through clothing, so figuring out how people make decision when they perceive clothing among different brands and understanding their needs and desires can help apparel industries expending and maintaining market s...
Throughout the history of rock and roll, fashion influence has become increasingly commonplace in the industry. Taking stylistic risk when it comes to what clothes to wear has now become a trademark of various artists. These risks changed the very foundation of society in 1950, and gave the youth of this generation something to call their own. These teenagers became the driving force of the fashion industry, since clothing trends in the 1950s mostly catered to an adult fashion sense. As rock and roll became popularized from the 50s through the 70s, teens across the country rallied to copy the fashion sense of their favorite artists. This inspired the fashion industry to create clothing specifically for these teens, as they had an increase
Children use clothing as a form of identity, and when their families cannot afford the latest trends, it can lend itself to feelings of low self-worth and can even make children targets of bullying. Children are inundated every single day with advertising and marketing, and these kids are connected to media a good portion of their day. This allows advertisers to creep into our children’s lives and target them multiple times every day. Corporations are guilty of putting financial gain ahead of children’s health and well-being, and the fashion industry has been identified as one of these industries (L...
Sustainable fashion offers various benefits to both the consumer and the entire environment. For instance, it is noted that the entire process of sustainable fashion is worthy for the globe. In most cases, the fashion industry leaves behind a huge environmental imprint ranging from the pesticides in growing cotton to the landfill impact of clothes that wear out and the energy needed to manufacture every piece. Therefore, deciding on organic fibers or sustainable fabrics made from bamboo can also reduce the quantity of carbon emitted and chemicals brought into people`s lives. This shows how sustainable fashion if embraced can bring benefits to the consumer, the producer, and to the environment, which is very vital for future generations. Selecting clothes that contain the label “fair trade act,” during purchase emphasizes on sustainability in numerous ways. The first thing is that, it guarantees that the product was produced under safe working conditions. Further, it signifies that the person who produced it earned a fair wage since it is sweatshop free (Hethorn 123). The act of purchasing clothes considered as “fair trade” confirms that individuals and places mean more than the organization`s fundamental reason for its