People are in a fast fashion frenzy over finding the latest and trendiest styles. Fast fashion is growing rapidly, and the influence of pop culture is taking its toll on the fashion industry.
With an exciting summer of touring artists, like Taylor Swift, and blockbuster movies, such as Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” fans have been scrambling for new and stylish outfits to purchase. The joy of a special outfit made for one special day is spreading like a glittering plague over the fashion industry. However, the glitz and glamor of fast fashion is clouding the minds of people from the real danger that this industry is bringing.
The recent spending surplus on low-cost clothes has left many questioning if fast fashion is actually dangerous and the negative influence it is having on our society today. When asking GC students their thoughts on the influence fast fashion is having on society, some students brought some helpful insights on the impact that fast fashion is having on people today.
“I think it is terrible for the environment and makes everyone look the same,” said sophomore Carson Nelson, a nursing major. “There is no diversity because everyone shops on the same website, so they wear all the same clothes”
This leaves some questioning if fast fashion is actually limiting diversity. Carson’s statement about people buying all the same products is a fair point to make in this dilemma. Social media advertisements for new and trending products are spreading like wildfire. People are rushing to their laptops to busy themselves with online shopping. Little do these people know they are giving into the uniformity. While people are rummaging through Amazon to find the last concert T-shirt available, they are also promoting lack of uniqueness in a time where fashion is supposed to be used as an expression of the self.
Among the mania to be the first to have the latest styles also comes a heavy burden. The large quantity of waste produced with the production and distribution of products is overwhelming.
According to the Center for Biological Diversity, fast fashion has brought, “a notorious source of microplastics in marine environments as the cheap, plastic-based materials shed fibers that make their way to the oceans.”
Fast fashion is leading the environment down a dark road and could bring about catastrophic damage to our oceans. The overconsumption of products that are made with damaging fabrics is having a negative impact on the environment. With these garments in high demand, products are being made at a faster pace, so those products are not necessarily the best quality.
“A lot of people buy from SHEIN or Temu,” said senior Katherine Deen, a special education major. “It’s cheaper, but it’s not necessarily good quality.”
In the hysteria to follow the trend of extravagant concert outfits or Barbie-inspired styles also comes the price of waste. With retailers trying to keep up with the mass media of fast fashion trends, it causes an overproduction of cheaply made products, so they can be sold at a cheaper price. Quantity tends to suppress quality.
