My Thoughts On The Adverse Effects of Fast Fashion And Transitioning To a Sustainable Mindset

Clothes have been a part of my existence since birth. It’s a sense of self-identity. It’s something personal and meaningful. But we forget to think of its importance and value. An item of clothing is worth more than the $ you spend on it, no matter the name brand or where it came from. It stems from a deeper meaning.

I grew up with my own personal style and every now and then it typically changed. After graduation, I started playing around with the clothes I wore (not being afraid to go outside my comfort zone and feel free to express my personality). I was never concerned about the brands I was wearing as long as they fit with what I liked. And now being sustainably conscious, it’s crazy to think that I was okay with purchasing these cheap items of clothing without having any background knowledge on how it was produced and manufactured. It’s sickening to say this, but I was the type of person that never liked wearing the same outfit twice because that wasn’t considered “trendy.” I was falling under this materialistic spell that it never crossed my mind on who made my clothing or where that person came from? And that really had an impact on me and left me in deep thought. Why did I not care to ask the brands that I was choosing to purchase my clothes from who made them? Clothing was turning into fast fashion before my eyes, and I was numb to even notice what was going on in the industry and for so long. But why? Why aren’t brands and companies making it a top priority to share transparency to its consumers?

Fast forward to July 2019 when I had the opportunity to enroll in Fashion Revolution's Sustainable Development Goals course; it completely changed my life and the way I looked at clothing. This course opened up my mind and truly propelled me into my purpose and passion for fashion. Thanks to Andrew Morgan for filming The True Cost, an inside look at what’s really going on behind the scenes of “fast fashion” and the harmful effects it’s having on our planet. Everything from foreign garment workers and the unsafe and unethical conditions that they have to work in, to personal one on one interviews with highly accredited industry professionals, world leaders + more influential advocates giving their views on the subject. (Please watch The True Cost if you haven’t seen it. It’s on Netflix, and it’s a MUST watch!)

It hurt my soul, knowing that these garment workers have to work tirelessly with little to no money to support themselves, let alone their families. They have to work 16-18+ hours with hardly any breaks just so we people in the West can keep up with weekly trends. Imagine if that was you, your mom, your sister, your friend? Just sit and think about that. Not only are our garment workers suffering, but our planet is spiraling downhill from all the waste that is continuously being thrown into the rivers and oceans. Leftover residue from garment factories are being discarded into incinerators or left to rot in landfills for centuries. There are millions of plastic products in our oceans and it’s harming the wildlife and ecosystems for the animals. C02 emissions are rising, and global warming is becoming a severe problem. Our beautiful Mother Earth will soon be in shambles if we as human beings don’t make a change for the better. I knew I couldn’t be a part of fast fashion consumption anymore, and so I decided to take a step back.

Although I don’t have a fashion degree from Parsons, FIT, or the London College of Fashion, I as a human being can be a part of the change in the fashion industry. I want to expand my knowledge, develop my skills in sustainable fashion, and create clothing that holds impact and is made ethically and gives garment workers a living salary. I'm becoming more socially conscious on what I consume and the way I treat our planet. Stated by the great Wendell Berry, “The Earth is what we all have in common.”

I feel sure of myself and the direction I'm going in, and I haven't felt that way in a while. I'm super excited to see what the future holds and where I'll go next on this journey called LIFE.

I hope you learned something new, and I encourage you to ask the brands you wear, "who made my clothes?"

Til next time bebe's <3

Xo - Brit