“You need to calm down” — The one about fast fashion
One of my most favorite guilty pleasures is Taylor Swift’s song, called “you need to calm down”. Although the video clip and the lyrics refer to the gay community, experiencing sex discrimination, I enjoy the lyrics “you need to calm down, you’re being too loud”.
Not only does it express the way I feel about the hidebound ones, but also, in my opinion, it is a hymn to everything being expressed at its hype.
So, let’s now talk about styling and fashion. Does the whole fashion industry need to calm down? The answer is “yes” and “no”, at the same time. And let me explain myself…
The era of “non-era”
We live in the post-modernism era, where everything is possible and allowed. We do not have just a few styling movements being approved, there are no strict rules, no limits, no barriers. The mix and matches are on fire and this is why you can see men dressed in suits wearing sneakers, and women in sports jumpsuits, wearing high heels. It smells like freedom, right?
And actually, it does. We are more than free to express ourselves in several ways via social media (thank you, Mark Zuckerberg) and interact with other people. We are able to observe new movements being born from the scratch, or even pivot the existing ones with our massive “likes” or “dislikes”.
We are clearly the creators of the “no season, for no reason” era. Everything is possible at any time, everything is worth wearing, as long as you feel well in it.
The charm of the massive production…
Let’s just admit it. We all love the fact that we can buy the garments we like, in the correct size, and on the colored version we fell in love with.
It’s kind of sexy to know that you have access to everything at a low price. You can purchase the skirt, the t-shirt, the gowns, or any clothing you choose, just by “clicking” online your selected ones. And at the same time, you can walk down the streets, enter a small or a bigger retail shop and buy anything your eye catches (ok, that applies for the ‘’pro-corona ages’’).
…or just great, ethical destruction?
But have you ever considered the true consequences of this easiness? First of all, we need to clarify the actual meaning of this buzz phrase, called “fast fashion”. Fast fashion is this massive production of clothing, by the top brands, we have all entered or shopped by, for at least once in our lifetime.
It is said that the movement of fast fashion made its baby steps in the mid-’60s, when a paper manufacturing company launched some cheap clothing, just for marketing purposes. Its intention wasn’t to get into a different market, but the people’s response was so massive, that it gave new entrepreneurs the stimulus for the new big thing; the conception of fast fashion.
But no one could predict all the environmental and ethical harm this movement was about to mean.
No human rights, no environmental ethics, no quality
There are more than a few out in the open stories about hidden messages, written in pieces of paper, placed in the clothes’ pockets of a super famous franchise retailer (daaahh, we can’t name the retailer). Those messages were coming from unpaid factory workers, claiming that the company they worked for, owed them lots of wages. The true meaning of this action was not just to protest or show their dissatisfaction for being underpaid. In fact, it was a desperate action. A true call for help.
But, what about the environment? What would it state if it had a voice to express itself? We all know that fast fashion clothes’ quality is incredibly low. Because the concept of fast fashion says “it’s all about quantity”. So, apart from bad tailoring, the materials used for cloth manufacturing, are extremely cheap, and synthetic fabrics. And by synthetics, we mean materials full of lead, pesticides, oil, and other chemicals, responsible for soil, water, and air contamination.
And this is not how the story ends. All those jeans, those favorite dresses of yours you strut down the streets with, harm your health in a more direct manner. Because the materials they consist of, are linked to health issues, such as cancer and respiratory illnesses. And yes, they affect the workers’ health, too.
Lots of individualities, one global change
It could be a second or a great event that happens once in a lifetime. Or it could be just a quick glance in an informative article, such as this one, the motivation that will make you change your consuming behavior.
And we know it, as well as you do. Fast fashion is everywhere, accessible, and ready to be consumed. It gives you the ability to shop almost every time you desire it, while slow fashion is harder to get. You need to check if the materials are environmentally friendly and ensure that the brands you are buying from, show respect to their colleagues, workers, and value your health.
It might take you some time to make relevant research. But it might be an act of respect to you, to your fellow man, to the environment.
Because our world is rapidly changing. How could you stay the same?