Despite clothing being one of the most basic necessities of every human being, issues still remain in regards to its production, consumption, and sustainability. Today, the fast fashion industry can be said to have been one of the most popular ways of obtaining clothes, as it is widely accessible and trendy, making it less guilty for people to impulse-buy due to the low prices. However, fast fashion has also resulted in unfavorable implications towards the issues of climate change and labor abuse. Therefore, the general public should refrain from purchasing fast fashion items as the bad impact it brings on our environment and labor force far surpasses the perceived good impact of low prices and up-to-date designs.

Many would argue that fast fashion is a cheaper and faster alternative for the industry to keep up with the demand of clothing trends. In the fast paced world, fashion trends also keep changing and fast fashion is notably the most affordable option available. However, currently this option is done at the usage of cheap and toxic materials, such as synthetic materials which are used to replace cotton. The utilization of such materials are proven to be damaging to our environment as not only does it produce higher carbon emission than cotton, it is also a harmful substance with negative side effects once it breaks down. In addition, fast-fashion garments often use cheap-toxic textile dye to cut down the production cost, labelling the apparel industry as the second largest global clean water polluter. To make matters worse, the fast paced trend also encourages excessive consumption and a “throw-away” culture for its consumer. Studies had shown the fast fashion industry can produce clothing up to 52 times a week to satisfy the consumer's need of jumping in the trend, leading to overproduction of clothing and its mass disposal in the landfills.

Other than the atrocities mentioned above, fast fashion also damages the environment through other various ways. In water consumption, for example, fast fashion consumes huge quantities of water to produce one piece of clothing. It is mentioned that the water used to grow cotton in India can cover 85 percent of the entire population’s daily water needs. Additionally, the fast fashion industry contributes to 4 percent of the 2018 global emission, amounting more than France, Germany and the UK combined. Moreover, the industry also severely injures intellectual property rights of many designers as it often steals designs from high-end brands to be sold at a cheaper price. Zara, for example, had copied Kanye West’s Yeezy design in 2017. This situation is profoundly concerning as unlike musicians and artists, fashion designers are oftentimes not protected by the copyright law.

The author, Lucy Siegle, has perfectly summed up the overall situation of the industry, that fast fashion was not free, for someone, somewhere is paying its true cost. Reconsidering the statements above, it is important to note that although a product appears inexpensive on the price tag, it does come with the expensive external costs which risks the life of innocents. Resolving the issue of fast fashion atrocities requires support and collaboration between different stakeholders. The process will take time, thus the society’s understanding and immediate action in this matter is necessary.