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Corporate retailers such as Shein, Zara and H&M use cheap products – known as fast fashion – to keep pace with fast-changing fashion trends. Despite its growing popularity and affordability among college students, fast fashion is environmentally and socially harmful.
Because fashion is only popular for a short period of time and is promoted by celebrities and social media influencers, it’s easy to fall victim to micro-trends. Young adults now consume fast fashion by buying the clothes that the companies thrive on.
More than two out of five college students buy clothes for events that they might only wear once, Forbes reports. Because of these subtle trends, consumers say they are addicted to fast fashion and college students prefer to spend less on cheap clothes.
Students need to stop overthinking the effects of fast fashion and switch to alternatives such as thrift and new trends before buying fast clothes. Fast fashion is not worth sacrificing the environment and safety of workers.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the average consumer buys 60 percent more clothes than 15 years ago. Garments discarded by consumers are thrown into landfills, which is a major source of environmental pollution. Fast fashion manufacturers often do not follow their strict regulations because they are not monitored closely, leading to poor working conditions such as low wages, long hours, dangerous conditions and abuse.
Although college students are the biggest consumers of fast fashion, they are not fully responsible for the environmental and social impacts. Students are targeted by companies that promote clothing through advertisements and trends, making their products seem like a better, more affordable option.
In the year In 2022, the average college student in Philadelphia will earn $3,856 a month, according to Zip Recruiter, and fast fashion is more affordable in that region.
Fast fashion companies know that students don’t have a lot of income, and they make clothes that fit the style of college students, said Kira Eng, a sophomore gender, sexuality and women’s studies major.
“There’s guilt in buying fast fashion, but a lot of people do it because we can’t afford other things,” said the engineer.
However, students who are struggling financially can generally find clothing at thrift stores, which are more affordable and environmentally friendly.
The fashion industry is the second largest user of water, accounting for one-tenth of the water used to run factories and industries. A Princeton student with a climate initiative says he uses 20 percent of the world’s wastewater and pollutes the ocean because many overseas retailers lack strict environmental regulations.
Much of the clothing being produced is made from cotton, which contributes significantly to water use, said Colson Schlosser, professor of geography and urban studies.
“Agriculture and commodity crops like cotton always have a huge environmental impact on soil fertility, water quality, water use, because cotton is really water intensive.”
Beyond the environmental effects, fast fashion has a negative impact on the people who produce it. Many retailers are located outside the US and use forced, child and underpaid labor to produce clothing cheaply and quickly. Faster production is prioritized over the welfare of workers who are involuntarily neglected by the companies they work for.
Another social impact of current trends is the pressure to constantly have new clothes, said Fletcher Kamara-Huff, professor of geography and urban studies.
“The whole consumption grind that we have is not good, this whole idea that you have to have something new and more. More stuff doesn’t equal happiness,” Kmara-Huff said.
College students should shift conversations about everyday fashion and buying new pieces to sustainable fashion practices, such as buying second-hand, donating, and upcycling.
“The most sustainable option is to always have what’s in your closet,” says Eliza O’Grady, junior advertising major and president of Thrift and Flop. “Before you buy a piece, think about how it will fit into your closet and how it will interact with your other pieces.”
It is important to decide whether buying new clothes is a very important and ethical choice. If the item doesn’t work well with your other clothes, it’s important to donate or upcycle instead of throwing it away.
However, if a piece of clothing doesn’t fit or is old, upcycling—to create more usable items—gives clothing another life. Thrift and Flop is an on-campus club and resource that teaches upcycling to repurpose pieces from students’ closets.
There are many thrift stores that donate their money to non-profit organizations and work with other organizations. Philly Aids Thrift is a shop in Philadelphia where students can make lots of money and donate their unused clothes. FabScrap is another resource that sells a variety of second-hand collectible fabrics for customers to sustainably grow their own clothing.
Today, the Office of Sustainability is hosting a pop-up thrift on Pollet Walk, where clothes donated for last year’s residence hall walk-out will be sold for under $10.
It is important for college students to pay attention to their decisions when purchasing new clothing and disposing of their unused pieces, as it has a significant impact on the environment and society.
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