Combating fast fashion

F A I L E D B Y F A S T F A S H I N

Students turn to sustainable fashion choices

MAKDA BEKELE DESIGN EDITOR | TARA PANDEY REPORTER

As fashion trends come and go, the amount of clothes people dispose of is rarely given a second thought. Fast fashion brands like H&M, Uniqlo and Zara attract customers through their affordability, marketing and accessibility.

While they are convenient, many of these overproduced clothes end up in landfills, making the process of producing clothes incredibly damaging to the environment—fast fashion companies are known to use polyester, a synthetic fabric that is actually a form of plastic, and is not easily decomposable. But to go sustainable, there are a lot of factors to consider.

“I think it’s hard to find a student at McLean who hasn’t bought something from a fast fashion store,” junior Elizabeth Nourse said. “Under a high schooler’s budget, fast fashion is probably the most accessible option for most students.”

Teenagers are targeted as consumers via social media. Advertisements for notorious fast fashion brands such as Romwe and Shein are virtually inescapable. They often partner with social media influencers and low-level celebrities in order to market their brand to a large audience.

“Occasionally I do buy into fast fashion just because I have to pay for my own clothes. Especially when I’m looking for something specific, fast fashion is right there at my fingertips for only like two or three dollars,” junior Lily Martin said. “It’s easy to not think about the implications of fast fashion when you’re buying something.”

To combat the alluringly cheap clothes provided by the fast fashion industry, sustainable brands aim to promote slow fashion, using ethical, eco-friendly means to produce their clothing. However, one issue with such brands is that they are expensive in comparison to fast fashion brands.

“Not everybody has the opportunity to seek out sustainable clothing,” junior Arielle Else said. “It can be difficult because if you look up sustainable brands, for example House of Sunny, a sweater can cost $100.”

Nonetheless, there is a cheaper option. Shopping sustainably does not only include slow fashion shops but also secondhand shopping. As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. This is characteristic of many secondhand shops such as thrift stores, flea markets and even online shops, which are an easy way to shop more conscientiously.

“A few months ago, I hit a 50% mark in my closet, meaning half of my clothes are secondhand,” Nourse said. “This has been a massive goal for me, and I want to reach 75% next.” Martin tries to be mindful about where she buys clothes while cycling out items she no longer wears.

NOT EVERYBODY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK OUT SUSTAINABLE CLOTHING.”

- ARIELLE ELSE JUNIOR

“I go to a lot of places that mass-sell clothes that people donate,” Martin said. “It’s convenient because I’ll get clothes from there as well when I donate.”

Online consignment stores, such as ThredUp and The RealReal, are also great sources for sustainable fashion because they accept items for consignment, resell items at a marked-up price and then pay the original seller a percentage of sales. They compete with fast fashion stores like Romwe and Shein which are exclusively online rather than having physical locations.

“It can take a while to look and find a piece you like, compared to places like Shein who have basically everything,” junior Chewey Zhang said. “It’s so worth it though when you find that one unique item.”

Apart from online consignment, reselling apps that prioritize individual sellers, like Depop, Mercari and Poshmark are a good way to have a healthy balance of sustainability.

“Depop and Poshmark have been so helpful to me if I want to shop secondhand but don’t have the time to go to a thrift store,” Nourse said.

These apps are easy-to-use platforms that operate like small businesses. Comparable to websites such as Etsy, eBay and Facebook Marketplace, they rely on their community of sellers rather than a third-party platform. The only difference is their exclusive focus on clothes. Depop seems to be the favorite among McLean students.

“I prefer Depop to other apps because I think a lot of people are on there,” Martin said. “You have more accessibility and variety, and it’s just easier to use.”

Along with buying secondhand, some students have been contributing personally to combat fast fashion issues by starting businesses of their own on these apps.

“I have sold many clothes that I don’t wear and have wanted to get rid of for years,” Nourse said. “Selling on Depop allows the clothes to find a new home.”

Nourse is not only a consumer of secondhand clothing through these apps but is also a seller herself. She explained that reselling clothing is a win-win situation— in addition to earning some money from her sales, she knows the clothes she does not wear anymore aren’t going straight to landfills.

Zhang has her own Depop page as well, but she creates her own products for it.

“I used to resell clothes that I had no need for anymore through the app, but now I sell things I crochet, like hats, gloves and leg warmers,” Zhang said. “The consumer can always be proactive in finding ways to shop sustainably.”

Although she sees the value in shopping sustainably, Nourse warns that extreme sustainability consumption can be just as damaging as fast fashion. The problem stems from overconsumption: overpurchasing to keep up with trends as opposed to finding staple wardrobe items.

“No one should vow not to repeat an outfit because that will never be sustainable. It limits clothes to a one-use item when they will last for hundreds of years after they are discarded,” Nourse said. “People who spend $500 at places like Shein every week and have the money to shop sustainability but choose not to are part of the problem. It’s the people who have lots of money and overconsume that need to reevaluate their choices.”

Although shopping sustainably can seem overwhelming, students can begin to incorporate ethical purchasing into their regular mindset.

“The only way to shop entirely sustainably is to be naked and not own any clothes at all,” Nourse said. “But the simplest way is not to buy as many clothes. Balance is most important.”

THE CONSUMER CAN ALWAYS BE PROACTIVE IN FINDING WAYS TO SHOP SUSTAINABLY.”

- CHEWEY ZHANG JUNIOR

FASHION FORWARD — McLean

students contribute to the online marketplace by selling secondhand clothes and handmade items on apps like Depop. Sellers can adjust prices, upload pictures of their products, add descriptions and essentially design their own online store. (Photos courtesy

of Charlotte Carson, Elizabeth Nourse & Chewey Zhang)