*clears throat*
Good afternoon my fellow friends. The reason for this rather odd formal introduction is due to my recent disappearance, which I must admit has mostly stemmed from a lack of motivation to write. However, I am back out of my funk today writing from my bed to have a conversation about consumerism and fast fashion. About a month ago I attempted to write this very piece but fell into a bit of a rut, as I have often enjoyed shopping and putting together outfits. Because of this I have felt conflicted about whether to address this topic; however, reflecting upon this I have decided to use my small platform to speak out as I always want to come across as honest.
I am sad to say that this need for change stemmed from a while ago when news broke about workers in a Leicester factory owned by Boohoo who received unfair wages as low as £3.50 an hour. These kinds of articles which condemn fast fashion brands for taking advantage of their workers are not new to circulate the internet; however, in the face of transparency the news of Leicester factories did make me suddenly reflect upon where I shop, which is possibly due to the fact that it was reported in the UK instead of faraway places mentioned in the past like Bangladesh. This is a sad truth that many of us probably hadn’t even considered in the past when shopping, as it is easy to forget what is happening on the other side of the world.
Over lockdown my spending habits did get completely out of control, like a lot of people with too much spare time I was also drawn in by the mass of sales and discounts many brands pumped out to entice consumers. With a debit card and no current plans, I began to overspend purchasing far too many clothes which can be clearly seen in my latest style pieces on this blog. However, through buying from these cheap sites, what I didn’t necessarily realise at the time I was checking out is how the people who make the clothes are treated. When clothes are so cheap it is kind of expected sadly that sweatshops are involved; however, because we are kind of left in the dark about it, not fully knowing, we feel okay to carry on, not wanting to have to pay more and therefore enforcing that it’s fine for corporations to continue to mistreat their workers:
"If a piece of clothing costs you 19.99 dollars that means the person who made it was paid 19 cents" (Dana Thomas)
I recently read an article where Dana Thomas discusses her book: ‘Fashionopolis: The Prices of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes’. In this interview she mentions the Cinderella syndrome, in which she describes how people often purchase something, post it on Instagram and then get rid of it. Reading this shocked me; however, it is no surprise in today’s society with the increasing impact of influencers whose aesthetic feed of their perfect outfits encourages people to go out and purchase the same clothes, which is made even easier as on the app they are able to tag their whole outfit. This rise in social media has led to an increase in consumerism over the years; one study shows that the average garment is worn seven times before it’s thrown away- and in China, it’s three times. This fact demonstrates just how badly we need to cut down on what we are buying and make use of what we have.
As they say quality not quantity…
Investing money into your wardrobe may be more expensive at the time; however, in the long run through buying quality pieces you will actually find that you save money, as these clothes won’t have to be replaced after just a couple of wears like cheap clothing sites. As well as saving money, through consuming less you will also benefit the environment, for example, just to finish one pair of jeans hundreds of gallons of water and toxic chemicals are used. This highlights the amount of waste that is created in order to produce your ever-growing wardrobe, so the next time you need a dress for a birthday party try looking through what you already own.
Purchasing second hand
Buying pre- loved items on sites like Depop or in charity shops is a great way to purchase clothes, as they have already been produced, which means it is better for the environment. Purchasing second hand can even be cheaper than fast fashion brands which we are usually drawn too in the first place for their low pricing. Therefore, it a great way to save money, particularly if you need an outfit for an event which is only going to be worn once anyway.
I have always loved fashion and creating outfits and will continue to do so; however, from now on in my style pieces I aim to discuss how you can reimagine and re wear your wardrobe in different ways as well as staple pieces which you can use for many years to come.
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