ASHION

Thefashionindustryisamanufacturingsectorthathas,no doubt, an immense impact on our lives. We often find ourselves racing to follow the latest trends, or to buy the popular accessories we see on social media However, whilst there are many great benefits to the world of fashion, it can also bear a negative impact In this article, wearegoingtotakeadivedeepintoboththeprosandcons ofthisinfluentialindustry

Tobeginwith,let’slookatthepositivepoints

Fashioncanbeusedasaformofself-expression;itallows people to display their unique individuality and their personality The wide variety of styles available allows peopletocomfortablyexpressthemselvesandshowpeople whotheyare Theclothesweweartellstoriesofourculture and often our heritage Many choose to wear their traditionaldress,nativetotheirhomecountries,andsome may choose to wear garments reflecting their beliefs – in this way, we see that fashion can be a non-verbal way of communicating to others what we believe and what we standfor

On the topic of self-expression, we start to see the link between fashion and raising awareness Many people use thistradetospeakoutaboutvariousissues,suchasanimal rights or gender equality For instance, brands and designers are known for donating proceeds to charities (Louis Vuitton, for example, supports UNICEF - for every bracelet sold, around £120 is donated to the charity and since 2016, the company has raised £16 million for the charity)

Aswellassocial,therearemanyeconomicbenefitstothe fashionindustrytoo–itprovidesemploymentformillions ofpeoplearoundtheworldinmanufacturingjobsaswell as related fields such as marketing or design It may also stimulate local economies by providing goods to be purchased by consumers, ultimately supporting jobs in varying sectors such as transportation or retail Additionally,fashioneventsandshowsgeneratesignificant revenue for cities and businesses In the UK alone, it is responsible for 800,000 jobs and is currently worth £26 billioninrevenue,makingitthelargestcreativeindustryin theUnitedKingdom

Although the list of benefits continues, it is important to acknowledgethedownsidetosuchasuccessfultrade Let’s explore some of the more negative impacts. For example, despitecreatingnewemploymentopportunities,thereare many businesses, such as sweatshops, which employ workers at shockingly low wages while exposing them to dangerousworkingconditions

Many companies prioritize maximising profits by minimisingcosts;oftenleavingemployeeswiththeshort endofthedeal

Contrary to what you might have thought, this problem isn't limited to only developing countries – there have beennumerousreportsoverrecentyearsaboutgarment factories across Europe exploiting migrant labourers whohavelittlelegalrecourse.

It is not unheard of for wealthier countries to take advantage of the cheap labour and tax regulations of developing or struggling countries There are cases where restrictions are imposed on imports from poorer countries, reducing economic opportunities through international trade agreements By doing this, richer states prevent competition while simultaneously allowingthemselvesadditionalsourcesofprofit

Turning our attention away from the labour issue, we can also detect some negative influence in the alliance between fashion and the media to promote unhealthy beauty standards and misrepresent minorities Narrow definitions of beauty promoted by parts of the fashion industry can pressure individuals to give up their uniquenesstoconformwithunrealisticstandards;thisis usually done by implementing dangerous eating habits (which may lead to eating disorders in the future) or extremeplasticsurgerytoaltertheirappearance There has also existed in the industry a severe lack of representation when it comes to racial minorities; even whenpresent,suchportrayalsareoftenone-dimensional stereotypes Thankfully,theseissueshavebeengaininga lot more attention and these practices are hopefully in decline

One final point is the common practice of mass overproduction which leads to excessive amounts of waste beingcreatedeveryyearduetoclothingitemsnolonger being used once the season is over Toxic chemicals utilized during production processes cause air pollution and can result in health issues among nearby communities The manufacturing process endangers many animal species, particularly those of marine life andseabirds–somethingthatisparticularlyrifeinthe riversofChinaduetoillegalfactorywastedumping. To conclude, for this important industry to survive and thrive, we need to consider how best to rebalance the prosandcons,sowecanensureasustainableandethical futureforthisvitalsectorofoureconomy