Sherburne 1

Andrew Sherburne

Mr. Ventura

English 1530

10 November 2020

Mapping Perspectives

Since the dawn of the industrial revolution, mass consumerism has been on the rise.

Every year, more and more people succumb to the practice of buying more and more items they

may not need. This practice has had no exception within the fashion industry, and the

consumption of textile goods has grown exponentially. High demand for clothing has led to the

development of what is known as “fast fashion,” a practice in which corporate companies churn

out exorbitant amounts of product at mind boggling rates in order to stay “on trend.” While some

see this practice as an economically savvy way to provide consumers with the product the desire

at cheap prices, fast fashion has had many detrimental effects. The practice has had negative

effects on the wellbeing of workers in third world countries, who receive low wages under

horrible conditions. Fast production rates under the fast fashion model have also led to

environmental issues being ignored, as pollutants from unregulated textile factories have spilled

into the environment and atmosphere. The creation of cheap textiles has subsequently had a

higher cost than many have anticipated, and the question of “how do we combat fast fashion?”

has become increasingly prevalent as the depletion of our environment becomes an increasingly

serious issue. The issue of fast fashion conclusively has been met with many different

viewpoints, but it is hard to ignore the negatives of the practice often outweigh the positives.

While the issues presented by fast fashion are plentiful, many still view the practice in a

more positive light. One of the main arguments presented by those who are in favor of the fast
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fashion model are low income consumers who wish to dress fashionably at affordable costs. One

of the largest demographics that represents this group is students, specifically in college. Some

view the low prices and accessibility of fast fashion as a way to “camouflage social class,” and in

turn create a more equal environment among youth (Martinez.) Other groups that tend to view

fast fashion in a more positive light are retailers and corporations that use the practice as their

main business model. These businesses often cite the rapid profits that can be made from fast

fashion. The fact the fast fashion industry is relatively low risk is often cited as well, spurring

from the idea that if one product fails, for example: a certain shirt doesn’t do well with

consumers, the product can be easily replaced (Fast Fashion.) The brand Zara is a large supporter

of the fast fashion industry, and is largely accredited as being of the industry’s main business

models.

Unsurprisingly, many often still oppose the practice of fast fashion. One of fast fashions

greatest critics comes in the form of environmental activists. These activists stress the ideas that

fast fashion is unnecessarily creating billions of pounds of waste each year, and often take issue

with the fact the industry creates substantial amounts of pollution within the worlds water

sources and air (Bick.) Those who seek to bring attention to the negative effects of fast fashion

on the environment also tend to call for increased sustainability within the industry. The idea that

textiles should be produced in ethical ways, with recycled fabrics and environmental

consciousness is often supported by the activists that speak out against fast fashion (Donatelli.)

While many who are concerned with the environmental impact often turn towards holding large

corporations accountable, many stress the idea that consumers should shop responsibly, and

should know where and how their products are being made (Colter.) Overall, may environmental

activists stress the importance of shopping sustainably, but also sustainable production. Many
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brands also are supporters of the sustainable fashion movement. Brands such as Levi’s have

become increasingly in support of environmentally ethical textile production, and have led the

industry in creating their garments in more sustainable ways. The company has vowed to

produce their jeans in ways that produce less water waste, and use recycled fabrics and materials

in order to limit waste, and has been one of many leading proponents within the industry (Let’s

Make.)

Unions and activists of workers’ rights also take great issue with the fast fashion industry.

Workers’ rights activists often call for attention to be paid to the horrible slave like working

conditions that occur within third world countries at the hands of the fast fashion industry. The

ways in which the process of fast fashion effects workers are numerous. One of the greatest

violations is the blatant disregard for safety within textile factories. Garment factories in places

such as Bangladesh have been known to be particularly unsafe, as many have been known to

have horrible conditions, and to even have incidents such as that of the Rana Plaza tragedy, in

which a garment factory collapsed, killing over a thousand (Hobson.) The dangerous effects of

sweatshop labor can even be found within the United States, a fact that often surprises many.

Undocumented workers in southern cities such as Los Angeles have been known to work in

conditions that directly violate health and safety codes, and with little pay (Meagher.)

Furthermore, the health risks put upon workers in fast fashion factories are incredibly serious,

and are often considered to be human rights violations (Hobson.) Overall, workers’ rights

activists stress the idea that sweatshop labor is unethical, unsafe, and inhumane.

Although there are some differences between the many perspectives on the issue that is

fast fashion, there is also many similarities between the majority. While one viewpoint, mainly

consisting of top proponents of the fast fashion issue and unapologetic consumers, often sees fast
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fashion as a practice that promotes socioeconomic equality, the many others often come to one

conclusion, that fast fashion is an unethical practice that has negative effects on the environment,

as well as the wellbeing of workers worldwide. These viewpoints, usually supported by activists

and companies that wish to have a positive environmental effect, all stress that accountability

should be taken by the suppliers, as well as the consumers who enable the industry.

Personally, I believe that the issues presented by fast fashion are incredibly serious, and

that the work of activists that are looking to combat the issue are doing important work. The

pollution caused by the industry, as well as the blatant violations of human rights, are in my

opinion inexcusable. As an individual who believes in the dangers of climate change and the

depletion of our environment, I find the practice of holding fast fashion accountable to be

incredibly important, and instrumental in saving our environment. My concern for future

generations, and the issues they will have deal with due to the instability of our environment, is

only worsened when viewing pollution statistics brought about by the fast fashion industry, and I

believe in the importance of our society doing everything we can to reverse the damage done by

unethical and non-environmentally friendly textile production.

Overall, recognizing the many different viewpoints on fast fashion is incredibly important

to develop a better understanding of the issue. However, recognizing the fact most of the

viewpoints take a negative stance on the topic may be even more important. It is apparent that

the many problems brought about by the fast fashion industry outweigh the few positive aspects.

Therefore, we, as consumers, must be educated on these issues in order to decide for ourselves

which perspective we agree with most in regards to the fast fashion debate.
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Works Cited

Bick, Rachel, Erika Halsey, and Christine C. Ekenga. “The Global Injustice of Fast Fashion.”

Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source, vol. 17, no. 1, Dec. 2018,

EBSCO GreenFile, http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=8gh&AN=133748773&site=ehost-live. Accessed 15 October 2020.

Colter, Amanda. “Why Sustainable Fashion Matters.” Forbes, 7 Oct. 2019,

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellevate/2019/10/07/why-sustainable-fashion-

matters/#1f53000471b8. Accessed 20 October 2020.

Donatelli, Juliette. “10 Ways to Shop Ethically.” Organic Spa Magazine, vo. 8, no. 7, Dec. 2014,

pp. 73-75. EBSCO Environment Complete,

http://search.ebscohost.com.jsrvproxy1.sunyjcc.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=eih&AN=99434182&site=ehost-live. Accessed 16 October 2020.

“Fast Fashion and its Advantages.” BusinessZeal. https://businesszeal.com/fast-fashion-its-

advantages. Accessed 5 November 2020.

Hobson, John. “To Die for? The Health and Safety of Fast Fashion.” Occupational Medicine,

vol. 65, no. 5, July 2013, pp. 317-319. EBSCO Environment Complete,

http://search.ebscohost.com.jsrvproxy1.sunyjcc.edu/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=eih&AN=88989408&site=ehost-live. Accessed 15 October 2020.

“Let’s Make Things Better.” Levi’s.com.

https://www.levi.com/US/en_US/features/sustainability. Accessed 5 November 2020.

Martinez, Flavia. “The Benefits of Fast Fashion for College Students.” StudyBreaks, 1 April

2017. https://studybreaks.com/culture/fast-fashion/. Accessed 5 November 2020.

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Meagher, Syama. “The Not-So-Hidden Ethical Cost of Fast Fashion: Sneaky Sweatshops in Our

Own Backyard.” Forbes, 5 Feb. 2020,

https://www.forbes.com/sites/syamameagher/2020/02/05/the-not-so-hidden-ethical-cost-

of-fast-fashion-sneaky-sweatshops-in-our-own-backyard/#397f731425d. Accessed 16

October 2020.