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Why fast-fashion is a bane, and what you can do

What is fast fashion?

Afad that came into being about 20 years ago when clothes became cheaper, shopping became a hobby, repeating outfits became faux pas and your relevance became inextricably linked with fashion trends. Online shopping added to this belief and fast fashion retailers such as Zara, H&M and Shein made their presence felt globally.

What is the problem with fast fashion?

The affordability came at a price that included cheap, toxic textile dyes and materials like polyester made with fossil fuels and microfibres that add plastic to water when washed. Even pure cotton needs a lot of water in its manufacture. The fashion industry is currently the second-largest polluter of clean water.

Retail companies like H&M are working towards achieving a ‘100 per cent ‘circular model’ where all the clothes can be reused or fully decomposed; and Zara is aiming at zero discharge of hazardous chemicals for its supply chain.

What can we do to correct it?

Draper Sustainable Fashion Award 2020 (Graduate Award category) winner Rebecca Powell and finalist Mia Herrod suggest:

1. Dye your clothes at home using plants, barks and flowers. Natural dye sources like marigold flowers contain more than one type of dye compound, which gives a flattering visual effect.

2. Buy clothes made with sustainable yarns such as bamboo and cotton and wools such as cashmere and merino. These last longer and don’t add pollutants to the water when washed.

3. Look at shopping as building your wardrobe: Pick things only if they go with almost all the things you already have.

4. Don’t discard garments due to broken zips, etc., as it can be repaired or replaced.

5. Printed fabrics contribute negatively to the environment, so avoid them. They also fade relatively easily and don’t last.