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In 1989, New York Times reporter Anne-Marie Schiro coined the term “fast fashion.” To this day, environmentalists and fashion conservatives use the term to describe the fast production and consumerism of cheap-material products.  

When we think of fashion trends, we most likely think about influencers and content creators on TikTok, Instagram and mass media. These platforms are what perpetuate the concept and negative effects of fast fashion.  

Online marketplaces like Shein, Temu, Zara, H&M, Forever21 and more are goldmines that are notorious for generating fast fashion trends. Online platforms like Shein and Temu are mega corporations that cater to the masses by selling cheap materials for a low price. Consumers rarely bat an eye when it comes to the ethics of these companies that mass produce items that cause overconsumption.  

“America can’t resist fast fashion. Shein, with all its issues, is tailored for it,” wrote Alina Selyukh in a 2023 NPR article. 

Companies like Shein have consumers participate in microtrends, which are only meant to last a short amount of time. 

These fashion microtrends are enforced by many social media users and influencers. This increases the rate of consumption of these goods.  

“Shein calls it ‘on demand.’ Others call it ultrafast fashion. Many women call it an obsession, powered by TikTok, home of #sheinhaul videos showcasing the plastic pouches of polyester pouring out of shipping boxes and glowing young women parading in new outfits,” Selyukh said. 

These pieces are “trendy” and quickly go out of style once new pieces are advertised on fast fashion websites and marketing. Thus, the endless cycle of fast fashion is born.  

Fast fashion has drastic environmental effects that go hand in hand with various ethical issues. One of these issues is the amount of carbon emissions it takes to fabricate cheap material into a product and the mass amount of shipping for each order placed.  

Astha Rajvanshi’s 2023 Time Magazine article “Shein Is the World’s Most Popular Fashion Brand—at a Huge Cost to Us All” states that the fast fashion industry contributes to 10 percent of global carbon emissions, and this is expected to increase by 60 percent by 2030. 

The amount of carbon emissions produced by a single user’s order directly contributes to the statistics and rates of carbon emissions by fashion brands. Multiply this by the number of times a consumer orders online, and this increases the carbon emissions drastically.  

Another ethical issue is the unfortunate reality of modern slavery. According to Madeleine Schulz’s Vogue article titled, “Modern slavery is on the rise. Fashion’s role remains steady,” there are over an estimated 50 million people (about twice the population of Texas) experiencing modern slavery. The production of fast-fashioned pieces is what keeps many in this specific type of modern slavery.  

According to Schulz, exploitative working conditions include workers experiencing poverty due to low salary. “Piece-rate pay” also perpetuates the low amount of income these workers make. This, along with forced and unpaid overtime are in direct violation of Chinese labor laws. These poor working conditions are what also cause health and safety risks among the workers stuck in the cycle. 

According to Rajvanshi, Shein was investigated by journalists and advocacy groups who ultimately uncovered that the production of cheap clothes like their $11 bikinis and $7 crop top were manufactured by workers in unsafe environments. This includes a lack of safety protocols, windows, and access to emergency exits. These workers are paid the bare-minimum wage, with some workers not even having working contracts with Shein, meaning Shein cannot be held accountable for the mistreatment of their workers. Reports from The Times’ sources state that Shein workers go up to 75-hour shifts with very little time off. Additionally, detailed reports from sources investigating Shein caught them in violation of Chinese labor laws. 

When society benefits off cheap labor, we become the perpetrators of the violation of rights of the workers in factories that are underpaid and overworked. 

In other words, consumerism plays a vital role in keeping the fast fashion industry alive. The rising rate of overconsumption is something that has risen over the last 20 years, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, an advocacy organization for the well-being of the environment.  

“Waste occurs at every stage of the garment manufacturing process, harming wildlife, degrading land, and polluting soil and water. The fast fashion industry is a significant contributor to the climate crisis, responsible for as much as 10 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions,” wrote the Center for Biological Diversity. 

By continuing to purchase cheap fashion pieces from fast fashion websites, we continue the harmful cycle of the industry. The cheaper and faster it is to produce items, the faster of a chance it may have to end up in a landfill, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.  

The various negative effects of fast fashion are overwhelming. The work of one person is not enough.  

The solution? Thrifting, donating, reselling, upcycling, recycling and reusing clothes. These terms are synonyms for each other and have similar positive effects. It is more about how the consumer acts and decides not to intentionally be wasteful of clothing.  

Cameron Glenn writes in a 2023 CBS article that shopping at thrift stores, or more popularly known as “thrifting” is on the rise, causing the selling of used clothes to increase more than twice the amount it was four years ago. This along with additionally ethical and sustainable practices are what generate solutions against the harm of fast fashion industry. 

Shopping and donating clothes to thrift stores with respectable mission statements is an ethical way to shop for clothes that may be second-hand, but can still be styled.   

Many thrift stores are locally owned or part of an organization that gives back to communities, so thrifting is easily a 2-in-1 solution for those that deal with consumerism.  

Upcycling clothes as fashion statement, recycling and repurposing clothes, reselling and reusing clothes with family and friends for personal use and expression are all solutions to avoid our rate of fast fashion consumption.  

Earth.org is an organization that publishes independent articles by writers and scientists in advocacy for the well-being of the environment. In her 2023 article, Kathleen Fernandez introduced the term Slow Fashion, which serves as a general term to show a solution to harmful fashion practices.  

“On the contrary, slow fashion is about buying clothes that are meant to last and using them for a long time. This also includes buying second-hand or pre-used clothing, which essentially extends the product lifecycle, therefore reducing its overall carbon footprint.”  

Although consumers can make efforts to be more environmentally friendly with their fashion practices, the initiative is not required or always truthfully represented with all fashion brands and companies.  

“Unfortunately, there are plenty of companies out there that are greenwashing their brands to appear sustainable and eco-friendly, when it is often not the case. A quick check of their certifications and claims is a simple way to figure out where a brand stands on the sustainability scale.” 

There are many terms that allude to the same thing; the need for fashion that does not harm humanity or earth. 

“The term “sustainable fashion” is sometimes interchangeably used with other terms like “ethical fashion” or “eco fashion,” with the latter bringing the environmental aspect to the forefront.” 

The harmful effects of fast fashion can be remedied by online marketplace consumers and megacorporation practices – a shift in fashion and consumer culture would need to occur. Society can choose to make ethical practices and sustainability trendy. Possibilities include reducing the number of carbon emissions and levels of consumerism, raising awareness for harmful workplace environments, and causing a shift in fashion perspective.  

Fashion is timeless, as is style. As the society of fashion consumers continues to evolve, so should the outlets for sustainability and ethics in the industry.