Fast Fashion: Let’s Understand The Actual Impact Of Our Disposable Fashion Habits.

Fashion is considered a universal language because, through dressing and styling, people like to reflect their identity and personality, and with time, the fashion industry has witnessed many changes. Fast fashion refers to affordable yet trendy clothing that shifts quickly from design to retail stores to keep up the fashion trends. These fashion collections are often inspired by runway shows of Fashion Week or celebrity styles.Fast Fashion allows regular shoppers to buy new looks at cost-efficient prices. Fast fashion emerged from faster and cheaper manufacturing and shipping processes; a consumer desire for the latest styles and increased purchasing power, particularly among the younger generation, have led to the popularity of Fast Fashion. Fast fashion is gaining popularity among global consumers as this kind of fashion allows the buyers to get the clothes they want when they want them. Fast fashion has made clothing more cost-efficient, stylish,  and innovative.

Labour rights violations in the fast fashion industry

1) Unsafe Working Conditions

Workers, especially women, have to face poor working conditions, including exposure to harmful chemicals, cramped spaces, and even physical abuse. Workers are trapped in unsafe working conditions because of which they have to suffer from exploitation and poverty, struggling to meet production targets.

2)Insufficient Compensation

Fast fashion leads to insufficient compensation for the workers. Garment workers are victims of unfair treatment and are paid poorly. Almost 85% of textile workers earn less than their minimum wage. Most workers work for around 60 hours a week but do not receive overtime pay.

3) Forced Labour and Abuse

Fast fashion manufacturers prioritise their profit over the welfare of their workers, which leads to abuse and forced labour. This has resulted in long working hours with appropriate pay, poor working conditions, which can be hazardous for the workers, and an unsafe working environment.

4)Suppression of Unions

Due to fast fashion, unions of workers are suppressed to prevent workers from demanding better working conditions and pay. The suppression of unions helps the garment companies keep the costs low, but due to this, the workers’ voice remains unheard.

Exploring the true cost of fast fashion

1) Gender-based discrimination 

The fast fashion industry depends on unequal opportunities and gender discrimination to ignore feminist concerns about gender inequality. Young women who are featured in fast fashion ads are influenced and pressured to work in the fashion industry.

2) Child Labour

Child labour is found in all the stages of the fashion industry. In the fast fashion industry, child labour is used because they are obedient workers and can be controlled easily. Cheap and irregular child labour is still practiced in the fashion industry because it helps in keeping the costs low.

3) Environmental impact

Fast fashion pollutes rivers and streams and dries up water sources. Every year, 85% of all textiles end up in dumps. Washing these clothes releases 500,000 tonnes of microfibers into the ocean, which is equivalent to 50 billion plastic bottles. Fast fashion impacts the environment due to the depletion of non-renewable resources, consuming large amounts of energy and water, and emitting greenhouse gases. Brands use synthetic fibres like nylon, acrylic, and polyester, which take long years to biodegrade.

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