Issue #17: A rant about fast fashion

April 16, 2026

We’ve all heard about fast fashion, haven’t we? Cheap, mass produced polyester clothes that replicate whatever is going on in Fashion Week, made to sell to regular people. Lovechild of capitalism and consumerism, what are the issues with it?

Fast fashion is not only designed to be fast in production, but also in consumption: trends are quick and easy to miss, (much like fish in a river) and they create a constant pressure to keep on buying, and to keep on being trendy, creating a mindset where clothes are treated as something to dispose of, instead of something to value and keep.

I have been introduced to the concept of fast fashion by haul videos (hauls): similar to unboxing videos, they're all about showing off what someone bought recently (based on what the latest trends say), even if it’s not strictly about clothes. These kinds of videos show an enormous amount of clothes that no one can reasonably wear before the next trend hits, and those clothes will find a forever home in a landfill and this cycle will keep on repeating. These videos normalize the idea of buying 20 or 30 pieces of clothing at a time which, if you ask me, is ridiculous. This behavior creates unrealistic expectations, and pushes viewers (especially younger ones) to indulge in the same habit.

This is one of the main problems that fast fashion brings behind the façade of being “convenient”: the textile industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, which use massive amounts of water (roughly 8,500 liters/year (2,250 US gallons/year)) and lots of harmful chemicals are released into rivers and ecosystems. On top of that, every time a polyester garment sheds microplastics when it is washed, which can end up in our food chain too.
Aside from that, to make their garments, fast fashion companies tend to exploit workers (usually women and children) in sweatshops, in inhumane conditions, only to get a few bucks for their work, and for the garment to pretty much implode on itself just after a few washes. Many of these workers barely even have any rights, and to their employers, they can be easily replaced, things that brands conveniently hide to their customers. Grab any shirt and you’ll see how many of them were made in Bangladesh or Pakistan.
Brands like Zara, Shein, Bershka, H&M and Primark are all part of this system, and no marketing campaign will ever convince me that what they do is inherently good, because if it was, we wouldn’t be here in the first place.

What’s the solution, you might ask? The answer is really simple. Thrift stores (whether they’re physical or an online marketplace) or DIY. Get your hands on an old piece of clothing, find a tutorial (or go crazy) and make something cool, thrifting gives clothes a second life. “B-But it’s expensive!!!” That statement is true only if you find something made of gold or if you insist on wanting something haute couture for only ten bucks. (Or you go to a store whose only goal is profit.) You can also use rags and tailor them to custom pieces, websites like Pinterest can give you plenty of ideas. Even just basic sewing skills (mend holes, reattach a button) makes clothes last longer.

My honest personal opinion is if you can avoid buying fast fashion, that’s great! If you really can’t, make it last. I know that fast fashion in general doesn’t last long, but wear it more than once, and if it starts falling apart, make something else out of it, even if it’s just a rag for cleaning.

So, overall, don’t buy fast fashion. And if you do, use it responsibly. Change does not happen overnight, but by changing our habits can make a difference over time.

- Dam