The Perils Of ‘Fast Fashion’

Are you falling prey to ‘fast fashion’? Read on to know what it means and why it is hampering the society in the long run.

Do you ever wonder how the paper boy and your teenager son or brother look so much alike when it comes to their dressing these days?

Were you stunned when you saw your cook wear a casual kurti that you had yourself bought recently but had not worn as yet?

If yes, then bingo! You already know what fast fashion is and you’re already a victim of it. My intention here is not to point out differences in the society or to demean someone. My intention is to show how fast has fashion reached the corners of the country today and to evaluate the price we are paying for it – promoting ecological imbalance.

Fast fashion means any fashion or style that looks super trendy, quickly changes and comes very cheap. If you had to get it done by a tailor with all your measurements and intricate design detailing, you would have had to spend 5 or 10 times more than what you pay for the same fashion that comes ready-made.

So, what are the disadvantages of fast fashion if you can look trendy for the cheapest of prices?

1. There will soon be nothing called ‘your own creativity’. Whatever the big names like Zara, H&M, Fashion BB etc dump to you, their customer, you lap it up!

2. Production costs work very cheap for all these big brands. They end up with 90% profit margins and that’s why they are able to give you huge discounts and clearance sales.

3. Whatever you buy this month will soon be out of fashion in the next 2-3 months. It means that you will forever keep buying and burning holes in your pockets.

4.  Funnily enough, it looks like everyone is wearing school uniforms. As there are various sizes from XS to XXXL, these clothes practically fit almost every person in the country. That’s precisely what their sales modus operandi is !

Once in a while, it can be a good coincidence but doesn’t it look odd when you always bump into someone and realize that they own a similar shirt or tunic that you too own.

“Truly tailor-made” has become more expensive today .

1. It’s never good for the country’s economy. More reliance on fast fashion means zillions of machine-made clothing and accessories. It is directly proportional to reduction in jobs and directly impacts the country’s economy and its people’s standard of living.

2. This whole trend of buying lots and lots of fashion at such continuous pace is never good for the environment because due to our growing buyer needs, we are insisting on augmented production. In the earlier days, they would get new clothes stitched 2-3 times a year. Due to fast fashion, we literally end up burning money, shopping at least 2-3 times a month.

Can you imagine the amount of burden we are putting on the planet?

Can we wake up please??

If the above reasons seem a wee bit valid to you, think twice before you order fashion online – Amazon or Flipkart or Walmart or wherever!

And think thrice before you spend your hard-earned money shopping in malls. Who knows, there may be at least 1000 people at one point of time, buying exactly that piece you thought would look so unique. And there’s nothing called a ‘designer piece’ in fast fashion. It’s a myth and a big illusion. We end up filling the pockets of supply chain majors, that’s all. And the saddest part is those who actually are the bottom-most level of fashion production, actually live in poverty. This is the naked truth. So, by not buying fast fashion, you actually are promoting ethical business and filling the pockets of those who toil for that rupee of yours. Isn’t this great compared to making the rich, even more richer ?

So, are we all set to head back to the days of the good old family Darzi/Tailor?

Image Source: Movie Promo Stills ‘The Devil Wears Prada’

Vishali Naren

As mom, wife, homemaker, French speaking business analytics professional, I have many roles to play

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