Fast Fashion

Written by: Eliora Tan Yuxuan (21-E5), Jolina Prisha Nair (21-E5), Kothandam Anusha (20-I1), Ng Teck Zhong (20-E5), Pheobe Ong Hong Ying (20-O1).

Designed by: Sargun Kaur (20-E4)

Fast Fashion… We’ve all fallen victim to the corporate flaws and the schemes of multimillion-dollar companies, easily ordering articles and clothing for insanely cheap prices and having it delivered to our doorstep in less than 10 working days. We all want to stay up-to-date with the latest fashion trends but may not always be able to afford the high fashion brands, making online shopping a much more popular alternative. Moreover, the abundant and easily accessible nature of this industry makes it all the more addictive and next to impossible not to succumb to its services.

We had been revelling in the wonders of online shopping and retail for a prolonged time too. However, it wasn’t until a few weeks ago when a single article changed that. Shein’s latest scandal on the allegations of part of its production line coming from sweatshops and child labour was a huge blow to some of us. The shop that some of us had over 20 items wishlisted instantly fell down its allocated ranks in our books. This one article though, enticed us into digging into the highs, lows, and dirty inbetweens of the particular shop as well as the entire industry. 

Fast Fashion is coined as cheaply produced and priced garments that copy the latest catwalk styles and are pumped quickly through stores in order to maximise on current trends. Just as the definition states, it is an industry that pumps clothes and retail at an absurd rate. Undoubtedly, this has many social and environmental implications on our surroundings. 

A few of the environmental implications associated would be the excessive use of non-renewable sources in its production methods, greenhouse gas emissions as well as massive use of water and energy. The industrial practices of using over 2000 gallons of water to produce a few articles of clothing contribute to the relative water scarcity issue that is seen throughout the world. Moreover, actions such as textile dying, are still being utilised in the production processes despite being the second largest cause for water pollution globally. Furthermore, the use of micro-fibres in the textiles results in them taking over a hundred years to biodegrade, taking up precious space in landfills. The irreversible conversion of plastics into textiles is also an energy intensive process that also releases harmful chemicals and emissions into the atmosphere, further impacting the environment negatively. Overall, this industry is highly unsustainable environmentally, which has only worsened with its exponential growth in popularity in recent years. 

Environmental impacts aren’t the entire picture though. There is much more to this. Socially, the number of labour infringements associated with this industry is also shocking. Most of the production line, which are stationed in less economically developed countries, divides its labour. This makes it possible for more job opportunities. Yes, this allows the people in low income countries to develop economically, but it is also counter-intuitive when the workers are severely underpaid. Furthermore, there have also been evidence of forced and child labour in many underdeveloped areas in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, India, and China. When Zara workers sew in secret messages of their unjust labour conditions into the fashion line, many of us will be obligated to think of this as a serious issue…

Learning more about all the shady businesses and dealings that take place has truly subverted me from the entire industry. The continuous battle between capitalism, environmentalism and sustainability is not an easy issue to fix. When environmental activists, such as George Bernard Shaw, said that ‘progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything’, it should be heeded. Drastic changes should be underway by now to make the fashion industry more sustainable, or at the very least, labour management and production processes should be transparent or more mitigated. 

However, the big businesses aren’t the only ones that have the ability to do something about this issue. Margaret Mead’s ‘never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is being the only thing that ever has’ rings true in cases such as these. We, as the public, are able to influence the supply of these services through our own consumption of it. 

Knowing what services and companies are more ethical and sustainable is a huge part of this! Many companies now are headed towards a greener line of work that focuses on lowering emissions while taking into account proper labour laws and practices. Reducing their production to a ‘by order’ system and not mass producing them is also another solution taken to make the industry more sustainable. However, there are companies that claim to be sustainable but still go against it as well, in order to maximise profitability. Being on the lookout for such companies is another duty that falls onto the consumers – us. 

Looking into the company’s background and at the transparency of their production line is a habit that we have now developed when shopping. Reports such as the Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Guide serve to be incredibly useful. This report researched the labour management and production ethics of over 400 shops in Australia and assigned each of them a grade ranging from A to F, A being the best and F being the worst. Though not all the stores stated in the report are found in Singapore, a reasonable number of them are and we recommend referring to this when making purchases. Seeing recognisable names such as Cotton On and H&M receive good reviews on this report really warms the heart. 

The fast fashion industry does have its determinants and its negative impacts, and they undoubtedly have to be changed and reevaluated. However, hope is not lost – you can still shop online sustainably and affordably. The process of shopping is now more research intensive, yes, but if it immensely aids people and the environment in the long run, is it really a price too large to pay?