Fashion has evolved over the past century with various trends and fashion norms. Throughout time, the way clothing is made and sold has changed. Fast fashion is a form of clothing that affects the way product are made and makes clothing more efficient to get to consumers convenient and cheaper. The real problem with fast fashion is it hurts the environment and the people producing it. 

    Fast Fashion has created an unstable environment for by releasing carbon emissions and greenhouse gasses that gets put into the air which is unsafe and unhealthy. 

According to the UN Environment Program, “The industry is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for 8-10% of global carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.”  

   The reason that these companies make product some fast and cheaper, is paying there workers poorly. This creates unfair work pay. These sweat shop workers get paid less than $11 an hour with horrible conditions. Over 2.7 million factory workers got injured or an illness in 2020. These factories are unsafe and the machinery and process of making the clothes release unhealthy toxins and chemicals like nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide into the air.  

   According to The Guardian, “Whether they are workers in Leicester being paid $3.50 an hour in sweatshop conditions, or farmers in India dying from dangerous chemicals in the production of cotton – collectively and individually, we are all paying.”

   These companies have made shopping the easiest it has ever been. Dresses and other accessories from places like Shein, Windsor and Asos are convenient for all events especially, dances like prom and homecoming. These products are efficient for producers to make and consumers to buy.  The United States itself spend over $300 billion on clothing each year. Homecoming and Prom sales are estimated to bring in $2.7 billion in revenue for dresses, shoes, suits and other accessories.

   According to ICSID, “Approximately $1,604 per year is spent on clothing on average (that’s $134 a month).”     

   The underlying issue with fast fashion is that it harms both the environment and the people who produce it. To help ourselves and the planet, we must put an end to fast fashion.

   At the end of the day, fast fashion create poor working conditions, unfair wages, environmental destruction and pollutes the earth. To find more information about sustainable fashion visit The UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion and also lps.org to find more about homecoming.