Fast fashion and overconsumption

What do you think of when someone says fast fashion? Brands like Shein or Temu typically come to mind, and many people refuse to buy from them because of their treatment of workers.

From unsafe working conditions to low pay, people should always consider exactly where an item has come from.

Fast fashion is a business model. It's about making clothing quickly, cheaply, and in bulk.

But what about those well-known brands, brands that don't come to mind when fast fashion is mentioned?

Womens tops on a rail

H&M is estimated to make around 500 million pieces of clothing every year. The majority of their garments are made of polyester. Polyester is an unsustainable material, typically made from petroleum, so it relies heavily on fossil fuels.

Polyester is also non-biodegradable and can stay in the environment for up to 200 years. The material constantly sheds microplastics, contributing to ocean pollution.

H&M regularly releases new drops, updating its stock to fit trends, with seasonal drops mirroring runway trends and online fads.

With over 90 million tons of clothing dumped annually, 10% of carbon emissions now come from clothing landfills.

Knitted jumpers

From paid ads to hauls, influencers affect the trends we see every day.

With things like bows and Labubus being just microtrends, Bows used to be seen plastered on everything from hoodies to water bottles, now searches for items with bows on them have dropped by around 70%.

Trends will always influence the creation of new clothing. Even the Y2K aesthetic, inspired by the early 2000s, has been adopted as a fast-fashion model. Searching “Y2K” on Amazon will flood your search with polyester copies of the classics.

Some influencers regularly drop hauls of clothing costing hundreds of pounds from fast fashion sites. Quality over quantity doesn't appeal to influencers anymore, but are audiences to blame?

With online fashion sites regularly posting articles titled “celebs who weren't afraid to be outfit repeaters,” this reinforces the stigma around not constantly rotating your wardrobe. Repeating outfits is nothing to be ashamed of and should not be stigmatised the way it is.

Charity shopping

You do not need a new outfit for every occasion rewearing and upcycling are in.

Understandably, not everyone is in a position to shop sustainably, and those who can't shouldn't be shamed.

But there are many alternatives to buying fast fashion. Buying second-hand through places like charity shops, car boot sales, and vintage shops is an easy way to buy sustainable items.

One of the most important things to look for is what the clothes are made of. Instead of polyester, consider natural fibres like cotton and hemp. Rescuing anything from landfill is a sustainable practice.

But making and altering your own clothes is another practice you can adopt, those jeans you thrifted too long? A simple hem can shorten them. A sewing machine isn't necessary many projects can be done by hand.

If you can make your fashion sustainable, you should. Upcycling is chic.