Fast Fashion can be described as “easy to ignore” or an “invisible problem” by Mrs. Clive, the advisor for Spartan Expressions and an average consumer. But what is fast fashion anyways?
Fast fashion can be described as trendy cheap clothing that is made quickly with very little care for the environment or the people making the clothes. Fast fashion is the cheaper alternative to more expensive clothing but that cheapness comes with a cost.
Fast Fashion has been around for a very long time but was first labeled by the New York Times in the early 1990s when Zara, a very popular clothing store seen in malls all over the US, could go from the design process to a fully fledged garment being sold in stores in just 15 days. Fast Fashion as a whole started when the sewing machine was invented in the 1830s by Barthelemy Thimonnier, a French tailor using a chain stitch that is still used today for many styles of jeans. While the sewing machine made the process of sewing much faster, it also affected the many seamstresses and tailors around the world who had spent their life mastering the art of sewing.
So how is the average person supposed to avoid fast fashion? While it may be hard, put time and research into how your clothing is made. Before you buy into the latest trendy t-shirt think about the impact that it has on the world. When you do buy new clothes, find them at the thrift store. Thrift stores’ increasing popularity means they are popping up everywhere, even online, such as ThredUp, and Thrifted.com. And when you wear your older clothes that may have a hole or two, wear them with pride.
