Type in the key terms “clothing haul” on YouTube, and thousands of videos pop up with the same basic formula: a 15 minute monologue paired with scarily extensive recent clothing purchases. I’ll confess, I’ve fallen down this black hole on the Internet before, living vicariously through the fashionable purchases of influencers. These videos seem innocuous at first glance, but the inundation of content on new clothes cultivates a culture of instant gratification and consumerism that jeopardizes our environment.
Fast fashion companies are pivotal in the cycle of wanting and buying. Their lucrative business model of sampling catwalk ideas and marketing through online influencers allows cheap clothing to be pumped out at disturbingly breakneck speeds.
The low price of knockoff runway fashion comes at a more expensive cost: it’s killing aquatic ecosystems. Consumers perpetuate this by fueling the high demand for clothing. We feed into the cascade of environmental problems when clothes travel from factories to homes to landfills. The toxic dyes used to create bright colors and vibrant patterns are haphazardly dumped into waterways. After tumbling around in washing machines, clothes shed tiny plastic microfibers, which then slip into more aquatic habitats. According to a study conducted by U.C. Santa Barbara, the U.S. alone releases 64,000 pounds of microfibers into oceans each day. Fish are exposed to toxic chemicals and unknowingly eat microfibers. This ultimately echoes back to consumers when the latest ‘fresh catch’ eventually ends up on our dinner plates.
The shared impact we bear warrants a shared responsibility for change. Before planning your next shopping spree or preparing to click “add to cart”, ask yourself: do I need this, or do I just want it? Put deliberate thought into your purchases. Identify the scenarios where necessity genuinely exists. Maybe you’ve outgrown clothes, or the items are stained beyond salvaging. In these cases, locate sustainable, transparent companies that opt for natural dyes and biodegradable materials. Though often pricier, the pieces are high quality wardrobe staples that last in the long term.
Admittedly, in a world where celebrities are shamed for outfit repeating, it’s easy to succumb to wanting more clothes. However, even without the help of new pieces from impulse buys, you can definitely still express individuality through clothing. Look towards your existing wardrobe to explore unexpected color combinations, layering different pieces, or adding statement accessories for a fresh look. You avoid the cookie cutter trends blatantly marketed in fast fashion and create more imaginative outfits with the items you already own.
For the sake of the environment, it’s time to let go of the dream wardrobes touted by influencers. Cut your ties with the addictive consumerism of fast fashion, and aquatic ecosystems have a chance at revitalization.
Works Cited
Friedman, Vanessa. “The New Meaning of Fast Fashion.” The New York Times, 20 April 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/20/fashion/farfetch-gucci-designer-delivery.html?searchResultPosition=5
Perry, Patsy. “The Environmental Costs of Fast Fashion.” Independent, 8 Jan. 2018. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/environment-costs-fast-fashion-pollution-waste-sustainability-a8139386.html
Schlossberg, Tatiana. “How Fast Fashion is Destroying the Planet.” The New York Times, 3 Sept. 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/03/books/review/how-fast-fashion-is-destroying-the-planet.html?searchResultPosition=19
Varinsky. Dana. “The US may be releasing over 64,000 pounds of tiny synthetic clothing fibers into the water every day.” Business Insider, 2 Nov. 2016. https://www.businessinsider.com/us-releases-microfibers-into-water-2016-10