What is the cost of fast fashion?

Throw away fashion has become the norm in the west. 1.5 million tons of clothing are thrown away every year in the UK alone, and this attitude towards clothing is draining our planet's resources. The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry in the world (behind oil), and it takes an average of 3 years’ worth of bath water to make 1 t-shirt.

On top of this environmental cost, there is a huge human cost to our cheap clothing. In the past 12 years, 1841 people have died in garment factory accidents in Bangladesh alone due to the increasingly unsafe working conditions. The question we have to ask ourselves is: is our clothing really cheap, or is someone else just paying the price?

As Christians, the Bible compels us to seek justice and to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Proverbs 31:8 says, “Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.” The fashion industry demands a response from us. We cannot choose to remain ignorant, but must educate ourselves so we can play our part in bringing about Gods kingdom in the fashion industry.

Firstly, we need to be educated about the brands we chose to buy from. As consumers, the money we steward gives us the power to have our say about what is acceptable practice. It matters which brands we chose to support. Through just a little time and research, we can find brands such as Know the Origin or Nobody’s Child that pay a fair wage to their workers, don’t use child labor and are environmentally conscious.

Another great way to source fashion ethically is to buy second hand. Not only will you save money, but you will avoid adding to the waste system, meaning your wardrobe’s carbon footprint is greatly reduced. The money you spend on clothes can go to supporting charities working for positive social change, not lining the pockets of big business.

A final thing to remember is that this is not something many people will achieve in one go. To go home now and throw out all of the clothes that come from fast fashion brands in favour of a totally new wardrobe would clearly defeat the purpose of avoiding clothes waste! Instead, by all committing to make small changes one day at a time, I truly believe that we can change the face the fashion industry for the better.