fast fashion
UNCW Sustainability’s Fast Fashion vs. Thrifted Threads by Avery Owen On January 23, 2020 UNCW Sustainability hosted “Fast Fashion vs. Thrifted Threads,” an event intended to expand community education about the sustainability of clothing industries. The event featured a clothing swap and an interactive panel with a focus on the issues associated with “fast fashion.” Fast fashion is defined as inexpensive clothing manufactured from cheap materials at a rapid speed to keep up with the latest trends. H&M, Old Navy, and GAP are great examples of popular shops that stock their shelves with fast fashion styles. Fast fashion exists because consumers want cheap, attractive clothing. But, this clothing comes at a cost. Consequences of fast fashion affect all three pillars of UNCW’s definition of sustainability—social equity, environmental sustainability, and economic viability. Cheap (and often plastic) materials used to create fast fashion are designed to wear out and be tossed in the trash.
What Is “Fast Fashion?”
Cambridge English Dictionary: clothes that are made and sold cheaply, so that people can buy new clothes often
Collins English Dictionary: the reproduction of highly fashionable clothes at high speed and low cost
Merriam-Webster: an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers
“For many shoppers, Primark has an irresistible offer: trendy clothes at astonishingly low prices. The result is a new and even faster kind of fast fashion, which encourages consumers to buy heaps of items, discard them after a few wears and then come back for another batch of new outfits.” — The Economist 9/5/15 https://www.economist. com/business/2015/09/05/ faster-cheaper-fashion
Spring / Summer 2021
Unfortunately, most fast fashion styles are assembled in foreign countries by grossly underpaid and overworked employees. Though alternatives to fast fashion exist and allow consumers to make more sustainable choices, these solutions are not always accessible or affordable outside of cities. The multifaceted issues surrounding fast fashion make it an important topic to know. “Fast Fashion vs. Thrifted Threads” featured a panel of four active community members with unique perspectives on the issue at hand. Elaine Logothetis Jack, a biologist and former owner of Sapona Green Building Center, discussed the environmental impacts of manufacturing fast fashion. Kelsey Gibbs, the owner of The Wonder Shop and Sealevel City Vegan Diner, shared the journey of a piece of fast clothing and her experiences selling sustainable fashion. Dr. Ann Rotchford, a social psychologist in the Sociology and Criminology Department at UNCW, focused on realities of throw-away culture and overconsumption. Finally, Shelby Diehl, an environmental science and political science student at UNCW and secretary for 350 UNCW, offered a student perspective on the issue. After each panelist presented a brief explanation of their take on fast fashion, questions were presented to encourage a conversation between panelists. The audience, which comprised a mix of students, faculty, and community members, covered a diverse range of perspectives that fostered thoughtful questions about fast fashion. Participants asked about the cultural pressures to purchase fast fashion, which clothing materials are environmentally-friendly, the sustainability potential of thrift and vintage stores, and how to shop sustainably in Wilmington. Panelists responded with their knowledge and recommendations. The event created a space for an interesting conversation between coastal NC residents about a widespread issue. Audience members learned about fast fashion’s significance and ways in which they can reduce their consumption of fast fashion.
The January Fast Fashion vs. Thrifted Threads event was co-sponsored by UNCW Healthy Hawks, Plastic Ocean Project, Give, and Divest UNCW.
Fast fashion is not a distant sustainability concern. It should be important to anyone who purchases and wears clothing. If you are interested in reducing your contribution to fast fashion industries, think before you buy and consider alternative methods of acquiring the item. In your mind, conjure the backstory and impacts of the garment you may consider purchasing. Then, take a look at local shops offering secondhand goods. Thrift shops, vintage shops, and community clothing swaps offer fantastic and fun solutions. Thrift shops cater to a wide range of budgets, and clothing swaps can be free. Avery Owen wrote this while an environmental science and geospatial technologies student at UNCW. She worked as a Sustainability Peer Educator for UNCW Sustainability and served as Vice President and Community Outreach Coordinator of UNCW Plastic Ocean Project. She grew up in a pottery family among a community of clay artists that taught her the importance of sustainability and the beauty of Earth’s resources.
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