If you walk into an American mall today, you will find yourself surrounded by mega-retailers with flashy lights, displays, and worst of all, never-ending racks stuffed with clothing. The American mall today is characterized by fast fashion retailers by the likes of Forever 21, H&M, Primark, Zara, Charlotte Russe, and more.
To college students and fashion lovers everywhere, the low price points and on-trend clothing are vastly appealing to the masses, and many retailers have acquired this retail strategy precisely because it sells. The quick turnover rate allows these retailers to get their merchandise on the rack right as a trend hits its peak, and your stereotypical young adult is more willing and likely to pay $13 for white go-go boots compared to the lovely leather version from a luxury Italian label for $300.
That's the problem, right? We keep telling ourselves we only shop at fast fashion retailers because of price, but this is the root of the problem. In other countries around the world, such as Italy, the driving force for consumers is not price but quality.
An Italian is not likely to purchase a trendy item that will last a season for a high price, but they will, in fact, purchase gorgeous $400 black leather boots that will serve as the staple of their winter wardrobe. Americans don't make use of a staple wardrobe; in fact, most women wear each piece of clothing in their closet only three times. The more fashion classes I take, the more countries I visit, and the more I consider fashion today, I have come to truly despise fast fashion and here's why:
1. It's cheap.
The prices are cheap AND the clothing is cheap. You can clearly tell the difference between a cheap sweater and a finely made sweater; it's not "just a sweater." Why purchase five sweaters that are likely to fall apart instead of one finely made sweater? $100 for five sweaters or $100 for one. Most American girls will choose the former; a Western European country will choose the latter because less is more. You can purchase the one sweater and wear it five different ways, and no one's going "to call you out for it," because it's about the way you style it with each outfit.
2. It's not sustainable.
The quantity of clothing flooding fast fashion stores is absurd. You really do see something new every time you walk into Forever 21 because their goal is to have a quick turnover. But where does all the dead inventory go? Fashion is not a sustainable industry, but you can just as well argue that neither is construction or hospitals in the medical field. The issue with fashion is that it is now 2018 and we should be using the newest technologies and innovations to reduce the textile waste and amount of clothing piling into landfills. The rise of fast fashion has also increased the amount of clothing bound to be buried in our environment because the clothing isn't meant to last. Fashion today should be more about clothing that is durable and sustainable for the future.
3. It promotes poor labor standards.
As far as we have come in the Western world for our own labor standards, women's' rights, LGBTQ+ rights, etc., the same rights and standards have not caught up in the Eastern parts of the world where our clothing is made. Why shouldn't we demand those same rights? Maybe it truly is not feasible at the moment in given political spheres in some countries, but you prove a point and make a difference by shopping at retailers that do not exploit their laborers.
4. Quality, quality, quality
Have you ever owned a finely made coat, blazer, sweater, etc.? The reason you loved that item is precisely because of how nicely it was made right down to the fibers that compose the fabric. Imagine that all of your clothes could be that nice. Everything in your closet could be composed of the most incredible textiles; your closet will be smaller, but that's perfectly OK. You can manage a smaller closet by wearing those specific items more frequently and buying staple colors such as black, navy, and grey, which is especially doable for a professional environment. Higher quality clothes not only ensure that your wardrobe will last longer, but also will up your appearance because let's face it: expensive clothes just look better.
5. It's not fashion.
Fashion wasn't created from cheap threads being spun in Honduras. Fashion was born out of a passion for textiles, creativity, and glamour. Textiles was once an organic American business that grew the economy until suddenly it wasn't, and production was moved overseas and then suddenly everyone seemed to care a bit less how their clothes were made because oh, look at that price! The runway shows that display clothing and trends that are the backbone of the fashion industry define fashion. The cheap sweater you pick up in the middle of a gaudy mall that will last for the sole day you wear it is not fashion. I don't believe in the fallacy, "no one really cares what you wear," because what you wear is an expression of your personality and shows people your self-identity without even speaking.
