“My Shein order finally came, look at all this for $40!”
This is a statement echoed by many teens across America.
Shein’s rock-bottom prices and trend-savvy designs make it irresistible, fueling billions in global sales.
For teens, who can’t afford a $200 wardrobe but crave the latest trends, fast fashion is a lifesaver. Yet, behind every $40 outfit lurk steep costs, environmental damage, ethical abuses, and even human lives lost.
The Hidden Cost of Cheap Trends:
As high school students feel constant pressure from those around them to keep up with the latest trends and not lag behind their peers, they turn to fast fashion companies that can virtually instantly gratify these needs.
According to Forbes, one in three Gen Z consumers admit that they are “addicted” to consuming fast fashion, attributing their absence of a wealth of funds and find it as the only option.
The secrecy of fashion giants
Fast fashion may seem a harmless, cost-effective fix for trendy teens, but its hidden methods tell a darker tale. Fashion giants hide how they manufacture thousands of items. Focused on snagging the latest trends, most teens never question where their clothes come from.
The hidden nature of these production processes not only conceals unethical labor practices but also shields their devastating environmental impact.
The environmental toll of fast fashion
Fast fashion churns out more than 10% of global carbon emissions, more than ships and planes combined, all while toxic dyes pollute our water supplies.
With trends changing at lightning speed, teens discard garments after only a few wears, fueling a global consumption of 80 million new pieces annually, according to earth.org.
Made from cheap polyester and microplastics, these clothes not only clog landfills but also poison oceans and drinking water. A 2017 IUCN report found that 35% of oceanic microplastics come from laundering synthetic garments.
If these companies continue their harmful practices unchecked, the consequences for our planet will be dire.
The environmental toll of fast fashion is just one part of the story.
The same cost-cutting measures that lead to environmental destruction also come at a devastating human cost, with factory workers bearing the brunt of unsafe and exploitative conditions.
Lives for profit:
Large companies go to unfathomable extents to keep costs low to keep customers purchasing.
Companies cut costs at the expense of worker safety, the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh, which killed or injured 3,600 people, exposes this grim reality
Yet, brands continue to operate in dangerous conditions, prioritizing profit over human lives.
Social media promotions:
While companies are to blame for these inequities, consumers share the responsibility.
It isn’t uncommon to find countless 30 second “haul” videos while scrolling through Tiktok, where teens gush over their latest finds, yet few mention the human and environmental cost behind these trendy outfits.
Corporations have become deceptive to the extent that they will present false alibis to the manufacturing of their clothes to keep people purchasing and remain in good standing.
Many “haul” influencers unknowingly perpetuate fast fashion’s cycle by overlooking its hidden costs, further endangering our planet and human lives.
Teenage audiences of these influencers hold the power to change the narrative. Awareness is the first step in making better choices, and with action, the tide can turn.
Fashioning a better future:
To combat the damage fast fashion has already done, we must challenge the very systems that allow these companies to thrive.
Educating consumers, especially teens, about these hidden costs can spark change. By promoting sustainable brands that prioritize ethical production, we can promote that trendy clothes don’t have to come at the cost of human lives or the planet.
Sustainable companies can harness adolescent presence in the media to promote new brands of clothing that do not pose the same adverse impacts that fast fashion does, and be a model to show that you can still find clothes that you enjoy wearing that do not foster the costs of fast fashion.
Fast fashion thrives on impulse and ignorance, but as the generation fueling this industry, we have the power to rewrite the future.
It’s time to demand transparency, support ethical brands, and redefine what it means to be truly trendy.
