Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if you are contributing to fast fashion. There are so many different online influencers saying different things regarding what qualifies as fast fashion, and what popular brands may be exploiting labor. College students are busy, and broke, so it can be very difficult to sit down and research what makes a brand ethical or sustainable. However, there are some red flags to know regarding clothing brands that can easily be applied in practice.
Fast fashion refers to garments that are produced in correlation with fast-changing trends. Buying fast fashion can be harmful because when you buy trendy clothes, you may be less inclined to wear them two months later when the trend is over. This can result in clothes ending up in landfills. You can tell if a store is on the fast fashion track by observing how quickly their stock changes. Stores that change their stock every two weeks are probably basing their stock on fast fashion trends. Stores who’s stock stays relatively the same for a whole season may not be contributing to fast fashion.
Another good place to start is a company’s mission statement. A lot of times this can be found on an easily accessible part of their website. Sometimes their mission statement will say something about corporate social responsibility (CSR). Companies will talk about what they are doing to reduce environmental impacts, and other contributions to social causes. It is a good indicator if a company has this type of mission statement, but you still need to do more research because they could just be lying.
Packaging also plays a big role in fast fashion. Have you ever ordered one small thing from amazon and it comes in a box four-times the size of it? Brands that sustainably package their clothing are more ethical, because they are reducing their impact on the earth. You can research how brands package their clothes, or just shop in person and bring your own reusable bag.
Since clothes do eventually wear out, you should be conscious about what types of materials your clothes are made out of. The materials are usually written on the sizing label, so you can quickly check whether something is made out of polyester, which is a non-biodegradable plastic, or linen, a material that can break down easily. This quick check can have a great impact on the Earth.
You can also look up the working conditions of the workers for the clothing brand. Even if the company doesn’t directly state them, a quick google search can reveal a lot. You can find articles about popular clothing brands and their treatment of workers. Generally speaking, if there is a negative article about the working conditions for a specific brand, that’s enough of a red flag. For example, SHEIN has countless negative articles about how they may be utilizing child labor in third world countries.
Sustainable brands can be more expensive, because fair labor and quality materials cost more. If you are a broke college student who typically defaults to shein because of how cheap it is, I would recommend trying to thrift your clothing first. There are plenty of thrift stores throughout Hoboken, like St. Mary Advocates, that have basic clothing staples. You can also organize clothing swaps with your friends where you all bring clothes you don’t wear anymore and pick out clothing from each other’s old wardrobes.
So next time you need something new to wear, remember how to detect clothing store red flags, so you can contribute to a healthier, more ethical Earth.
