Letter to the Editors:

Know Your Facts Before You Spend Your Cash

Have you ever ordered a package from Shein? Or shopped at Zara? Well, then you have, hopefully unknowingly, contributed to the fast fashion industry. The term “fast fashion” is coined as to be the mass production of clothes at an unprecedented rate, which results in harmful effects on the environment as well as the people involved in the process.  

Even though fast fashion may be the easy way to go when buying clothes because of its affordability and accessibility, its convenience is not worth the negatives that this industry generates. One attraction of fast fashion includes the recreation of trendy clothes at a cheaper price, but this comes at a cost. Fast fashion corporations produce these “micro trends” so quickly, that the production emits carbon into the environment. It also adds to serious problems like greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution by discarding unhealthy dyes and chemicals into the water. Throwing away cheap clothes results in contaminated soil filled with dangerous chemicals. Not only does the production of the items harm the environment due to its pollution, but it also causes the mistreatment of the workers in the industry. In order to create these clothes cheaply and quickly, employees are overworked and underpaid. Oftentimes, the big fashion corporations build their factories in countries with less regulation on labor laws, which allows the companies to sneakily get by by bending the rules. Working at these factories alongside hazardous chemicals can also lead to various issues with the employees health. 

The overall aspects of a company reflect these big corporations’ values and work ethics.  A business’s morals, treatment of their employees, and their impact on the environment is the cause which you choose to give your money to. Knowing a business’s true intentions should dictate what you are spending your money on rather than which option is the most affordable. Companies like Shein, Zara, H&M, Forever 21, and Primark all are fast fashion brands and have the negative effects explained previously. The most important feature to analyze before buying from a company is their ethics. Being knowledgeable of fast fashion creates a foundation to look back to when purchasing clothes and can prevent any further pollution to the environment.