We often see the term fast fashion used as a buzzword to describe the cheap, low-quality clothes that retailers sell. In actuality, according to the Oxford Dictionary, it is “inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends.” It is important to note that the low quality associated with fast fashion is often a byproduct of the manufacturing processes used to produce it. Ultimately, those manufacturing processes are what make fast fashion so damaging to the world.

To be blunt, the fashion industry will do anything to cut costs and increase profits, often at the expense of the environment and human rights. An underlying factor that allows both of these issues to flourish is the rise of outsourcing. Ever since the 1970s, the fashion industry has seen a shift from manufacturing in the West to production in countries such as China and those in Southeast Asia, following the broader trend of the West transforming into a consumer-based economy. By outsourcing their factories-simply moving production to cheaper locations around the world-these corporations are able to bypass the stricter workers‘ rights laws typically found in the U.S. and other Western countries. According to the BBC, in China, the largest garment-producing country, workers are often paid around 2,400 yuan ($327 USD) for shifts lasting more than 10 hours. As the Australian Human Rights Institute states, “Most major brands do not directly employ the workers or own the factories crucial to production, opting instead to outsource. Consequently, the risk of human rights abuse is higher, and such risk has consistently materialised in recent history.”

Furthermore, the fast fashion industry has detrimental impacts on the environment. It currently accounts for more than 10% of global carbon emissions, according to the Environmental Innovations Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania. By comparison, total maritime and air transport make up only about 5% of the world’s carbon emissions. In addition, fast fashion is not only damaging the environment through carbon emissions. A 2017 report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimated that 35% of all microplastics in the ocean come from textile production associated with fast fashion.

So, what is the takeaway? Are we all doomed, and is fast fashion the only way clothes can be produced without a massive markup? The answer to these questions is no. In addition to the many initiatives aimed at addressing human rights violations and environmental damage, there has been a recent shift in consumer behavior. Instead of buying from fast fashion corporations, many people are choosing higher-quality, custom-made clothing from smaller brands or purchasing secondhand items through apps like Depop. Participating in this change can be as simple as skipping that shirt from H&M and buying from a local thrift or clothing store instead. These actions may seem small on an individual level, but as Mother Teresa famously said, “Together we can do something wonderful.”

<Aiden Choi 학생기자 서니힐스 고교 11학년>