RANT RAVE: FAST AND AFFORDABLE FASHION
BY KITTY CRINO ILLUSTRATION BY NICOLE REESE
Fashion facilitates harmony. It is an unspoken art form that allows humans to express themselves and communicate with others around the world. When we look back on the last 100 years we can identify trending styles changing by the decade. Nowadays, month-long micro trends have taken the fashion world by storm, and with the influence social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram have on young people, those new styles are introduced by an internet personality, adopted in an instant, and soon after are discarded once the next style trend hits the media.
The notion that fashion has become disposable has caused fast fashion brands to dominate the market. Fast fashion makes the hottest trends accessible to all, no matter your background, no matter your budget. Bridging the gap between individuals who would likely never pay any mind to one another is a beautiful advancement in terms of community. Having the ability to relate on the creative level of dress makes for conversation between strangers, allows for new connections to be made, and promotes unison within and beyond the fashion world.
Halle Breudigam, a senior marketing major at Ohio University, said she has experience with the fast fashion brand Shein.
“I used to shop fast fashion a lot during high school and early college,” she said. “I really wasn’t making a lot of money, so [Shein] was the most price-conscious place for me to shop.”
Despite fast fashion coming at a low cost for us, our environment pays a massive price. Within the fast fashion industry clothes are made and sold for cheaper than ever, faster than ever, and people are buying them more frequently and in greater quantities than ever before. Clothes are meant to live a long life consisting of decades upon decades, to be handed down from generation to generation, but with a cheap price tag, comes low-quality products. Poorly made garments tear and break; thin, synthetic materials are extremely difficult to repair.
“A lot of the clothes I bought from Shein when I was in high school I don’t even have today because the quality was so bad that they either fell apart in the wash [or], with fast fashion trends cycling through so quickly, a lot of the clothes that I had I didn’t find cute anymore and I didn’t want to wear them anymore,” Breudigam said.
Not only are carbon and methane emissions released into the air when synthetic materials such as nylon, polyester, and spandex are produced, but they are also emitted at the end of a garment’s life cycle. They are non-biodegradable materials that can only be broken down by incineration. If they collect in landfills rather than are burned, these synthetic garments will remain intact, looking as new as the day they were purchased, for hundreds of years, creating a mass of hazardous waste that will go on to live years beyond any human.
The wardrobes young people have formed from microtrends have been made to be disposable; we deserve more than a wardrobe full of substandard clothing. However, if you really want your fashion fast, there are eco-friendly alternatives that do not come at the cost of the air we breathe.
“Now I realize that sometimes quality is better than quantity,” said Breudigam. “I look more towards basics and thrifting and investing in good quality pieces.”
Check out your local thrift store, get some friends together for a clothing swap, do a bit of research on your favorite brands, and check out their values. If you must buy a brand new garment off the rack, ask yourself a few questions: Is it timeless? Can I see myself wearing this in 10 years? Is it well-made? Will it last?
It may seem difficult to do right in today’s world, but a little goes a long way. And keep in mind what will ultimately benefit your future self, the future of the planet, and how we can bring justice to those who made holding that garment in your hand possible. The integrity to protect and care for our Earth and an appreciation for the art of fashion are two aspects of the human experience that must coexist peacefully.
