The Fallout of Fast Fashion

As the years go by, Northwest students spend more and more on cheap, low-quality clothing, the sacrifices for trends ultimately destroying the environment. 

Every decade has had its own sense of style, right? Well, as of the late 20th century and early 21st century, there is a new look going around every few months. Whether it is a bright pair of shoes, a controversial graphic tee, or different shapes of pants, the average American spends 120$ per month on those new trends. This is known as fast fashion, the rapid production of cheap, low-quality clothing. Shien, H&M, Forever 21, Brandy Melville, and the list goes on, and even the most popular stores fall victim to this. Why does this matter, though? Why should it matter what other people spend their own money on? 

Justin Ketterl, a sophomore at Northwest High School, said, “Fast fashion is just quickly produced, cheaply produced, not high-quality stuff that fits trends very quickly.”

“Cheaply produced,” many consumers overlook who bears the cost of these low prices. Often, it is the workers in disorderly factories who endure harsh conditions for minimal pay, contributing to a cycle of exploitation. 

Alyssa Hardy from Vogue stated, “Historically, workers around the globe (80% of which are women) are paid through a piece rate system, resulting in wages that are extremely low. Within this system, workers make a very small amount per item, totaling to wages as little as $200 a week for full-time work.”

To put food on the table, workers must create more and more, faster and faster, resulting in that cheap-looking product. In addition to the workers, consumers, producers, and most importantly, the environment suffer from the effects of fast fashion. 

Ecology Teacher and advisor of Environmental Club, Ms. Loyd, said, “On the waste side of things, if something is no longer in fashion or no longer trending, then you throw it away. The problem with many textiles nowadays is that they have some percentage of polyester in them, and polyester is plastic, so we know that plastic takes a very long time to degrade. And so, if it does start degrading, it will contribute to the microplastics and waste stream.”

Considering the number of fashion trends that have already happened within the span of four years, there is no doubt that the majority of landfills are clothes. 

To prevent overproduction or excessive waste, a popular fashion trend has been thrift stores. Instead of buying unused clothes and tossing the old ones, some people have found it environmentally and cost-beneficial to shop and give to thrift stores. No matter the item, every single one of them has another owner just waiting to purchase it. 

Do not let the soil Northwest High School stands on suffer the consequences of fashion.