Shopping Ethically When Fast Fashion is Unavoidable
Shop for the planet, not just for yourself.
by MAYA CAMPOS ★ AUGUST 21, 2021
In a perfect world, we would all be wearing organic fabric made by ethically sourced companies. But we live in a world where fast fashion is, unfortunately, an unavoidable norm; it’s affordable, it’s cute, and it’s insanely easy to obtain while staying on top of trends. Like, not everyone can go out and drop $200 on a new skirt. Come on! Fast fashion offers ways for you to stay stylish while on a budget. It can sometimes be hard to find larger sizes through sustainable brands, and fast fashion brands often offer a larger range of sizes.
So as much as I would love to tell you to never shop fast fashion again and go out and only shop sustainably, that is soooo unrealistic--especially for college students. I love shopping just as much as the next girl, but just like everyone else, I tend to have a lot of pieces in my closet that I wouldn’t be caught dead in. So the next best thing is to shop fast fashion ~ethically~, and here’s how you can do just that.
Stay Away From Trends
When looking at more trendy pieces, ask yourself if it goes with your actual style and pieces in your wardrobe or if it’s just the hot item at the moment. It is 100% valid to enjoy trends--I’m guilty of buying the cutest thing I've seen on my Pinterest board or the newest mini skirt that Devon Lee Carlson is wearing--but trends are trends. Trends will go in and out of style, some faster than others, and soon you'll be left with that tie-dye collection you once thought was adorable hanging in your closet untouched.
Spending Habits
We all love a good Shein haul. I mean, the amount of clothing you can get for the price? Unmatched. Don’t let price completely dictate value. Just because something is cheap, doesn’t mean you HAVE to buy it. You might be in the mindset of “well even if I don’t love it, it was so cheap anyway.” This is where fast fashion companies get you. You don’t even really have to think if you really need it because it’s so cheap, it won’t make that big of a dent in your wallet anyway. By no means do you have to start shopping at Reformation for all your clothes in order for you to shop ethically, you can just be more mindful of your shopping habits. Next time you want to throw everything you see on Shein’s website into your cart, think if you are actually going to wear it more than once. Are you buying it because it's cheap, or are you buying it because you actually love it? When clothing is more expensive, we tend to think about them for longer and really debate if it’s worth the price. Start doing this every time you shop, and the environment and your wallet will thank you.
Personal Style
Instead of buying the hottest new piece, consider your own personal style. Are you only wearing things because everyone else is wearing them? Start to really focus on curating your own style so when you go out to shop, you aren’t grabbing everything you see at Zara and thinking you absolutely need it whether it's your vibe or not. If you really like a certain style, it may be worth it to save up and invest in those statement pieces so you aren’t stuck buying lower-quality garments.
Impulse Buying
You’re just about ready to check out, and as you are leaving the fitting room, something else catches your eye. You don’t love it, but it’s so cheap and you could maybe wear it out this weekend with the jeans you are just about to purchase. This is impulse buying. Not only does this hurt your budget, but the environment too. There are some questions you can ask yourself before you buy something impulsively that might help you decide if it's actually really worth it.
SO IS IT WORTH IT?
Are you going to wear it more than once?
It’s easy to feel like you need something new and special when you’re going to an exciting event. However, buying something just for one-time use isn’t the most sustainable. So when you go out shopping for a new event try to look for pieces that already match your style and you can see yourself wearing them over and over again.
Do you need it/can you live without it?
Buying something out of necessity or because you have wanted it for a long time is a lot different than buying something because it’s cute and you want to buy something new. The rush of buying something right then and there or waiting for it to come in the mail is great...but in the long run, you might find you don’t love it.
If there is a will, there's a way
What it really comes down to is making sure you are doing your part to help the planet. Even though it might be fun to get an entirely new wardrobe for the new season, ask yourself why you feel like you hate all of the clothes in your closet. Is it because they were all once trendy and now they’re *cheugy?* You can still shop at Zara (I would never tell anyone to not shop there), but shop responsibly. Don’t feel like you need to buy everything just because it is cheap or on sale.
We all love a good shopping spree. Next time, try shopping more mindfully so that you are not only helping the planet but also helping yourself. If you only buy pieces you truly love then you will loveeee your wardrobe and no longer have that I HATE everything in my closet feeling. No one's saying you have to drop your fave fast-fashion brands completely, but it is worth doing your part to help the environment by not only shopping more mindfully but more sustainably. Thrifting is always an option for when you want to shop affordable and sustainably and you can typically find really cool pieces no one else has. There are loads of ways to clean out your closet so you can welcome in new stuff and feel like you're not just consuming and consuming. So next time you take a trip to your favorite retail store, just remember to be mindful. Happy shopping!