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3 Reasons to Quit Fast Fashion
But when you stop to think about who gets that $9.99 - between the retail shop, the brand or label that manufactured it, the raw material cost to produce it, taxes, and the actual laborers who created it, it’s hard to reason that anyone (especially the laborer who probably made a few cents) got their fair share.
We invite you to change this script - to move away from fast fashion purchases that will go out of style and are poor quality that won’t last. When you begin to invest in your purchases, you’re investing into the lives of the people who made it. And bonus - your investments will be higher quality, made to last, giving you years of wear (and higher resale value if you do need to say goodbye).
Here are our top 3 reasons to quit fast fashion and begin investing in your purchases:
1. Did you know that the fashion industry is one of the greatest participants in modern slavery? The demand for trendy, cheap clothes has fueled an incredible demand for labor - one that is enslaving and endangering millions of women and children. Many garment laborers work long hours in unsafe conditions. In an industry rampant with human trafficking, wasteful practices, and dangerous conditions in the name of low prices and excessive production, we are committed to ethical practices and the belief that humanity is always more important than profits.
2. Waste is a serious issue within the fashion industry. Between the cast-offs and by-products of the production process to consumer waste, the fashion industry is a major global polluter. Each year the average family throws away around 70lbs of clothing and nearly 85% of all textiles that are discarded end up in landfills or are burned. Fast fashion and overconsumption has led to millions of tons of textile waste each year - equivalent to about a garbage truck full per second. When you begin to purchase thoughtfully and invest in higher quality garments, you’ll likely lower your overall consumption. That’s right - the best step you could take is to just buy less!
3. Quality items last longer - When you invest in high quality purchases, you’re investment is actually spread over many more wears and many more years. If you consider that your $140 dress will be worn once or twice a month for several months of the year (or even for several years!), suddenly that equates to having only paid $10 or less per wear! Instead of paying $30 or $50 for trendy fast fashion dresses that will begin to show wear in a matter of months, you can invest in a piece that can literally last years. Quality over quantity. And ethical practices over a good deal.
We realize that change doesn’t happen overnight and you likely don’t have the resources to do an immediate overhaul, we would encourage you to really examine your closet, make a wish list, and budget to save up. Invest in quality, invest in people, invest in the planet. Invest in yourself!
If you need a little more guidance to get started, check out our post on building an ethical closet.