The Fast Fashion Problem

 by Jae Chang

What is fast fashion?

Fast fashion is the practice where clothing is produced according to the current trends and are not made to last long before they are deemed out of fashion. Fast fashion follows the current trends, influenced by fashion shows, or more recently influencers on social media, before they quickly move on to the next trend.

 

What is the problem?

The quick turnaround of trends creates an abundance of waste as the clothing that are not sold during the craze are thrown out. Also, about 60% of the clothing that are purchased are discarded in the first year due to them falling out of style. In 2020 alone it is estimated that there will be 18.6 million tons of waste created by clothing that are seen as out of style.

Not only is waste from unsold goods a problem, the creation of these items impact our planet as well. Textile dyeing creates pollution that end up in our water ecosystem, and there is plastic and microfiber waste being created during the manufacturing process that also end up in our oceans.

Textile waste in Niigata Prefacture, Japan (c) kiwa dokokano, CCBY 2.0 

 

What can we do?

Unfortunately, until the big manufactures get onboard with sustainable methods of productions the impact we can make is slight. However, this does not mean we should not try. As consumers we can be smarter about our shopping habits and not make so many impulsive purchases that will end up in the trash. We can also support companies that are using sustainable methods. Many companies are even providing ways that you can recycle your unwanted garments. The best thing we all can do is to learn how much our clothing impacts the world we live in.

 

What is Filosofia doing?

We at Filosofia are constantly trying to find better ways to be sustainable. Currently we are using mostly natural fibers that are sustainably produced. We also have changed many of our dye houses to companies that are using DyStar dye which is more eco-friendly (you can learn more about DyStar in our Feb 2020 journal). The styles we produce are simple in order to keep them from going out of style and are made from quality materials so that they can last for a long time with constant wear, hopefully reducing waste. We have are constantly looking for ways to reduce the waste that is created during our manufacturing process. One of the ways being the accessories we are making using the excess fabrics. We also acknowledge that we are not perfect and are always looking for ways to get better.

 

This journal is a small look into the problems of fast fashion and we hope this will encourage you to look more into the issue. The fast fashion issue is not something that will be solved quickly, but it is an issue that we must address. Consumers and manufacturers must look for more sustainability in fashion, as the methods we are currently employing is causing great harm and is not maintainable.