The Market for Sustainable Fashion

Photo by Ashim D’Silva on Unsplash

Consumer culture has become so prevalent in the global economy and government system that it can be hard to imagine a world without shops, grocery stores, gas stations, and outlet malls lining the streets. For many, it has become second nature to stop by at Target, Walmart, or Meijer on the way home from work or visit the mall to go shopping with friends. 

When the pandemic began, many of these behaviors were suddenly cut off, causing a steep decline in retail businesses. Another more harmful method of shopping was adopted almost immediately: online shopping. To the consumer, having products delivered to their doors seems like the height of convenience. To the Earth, however, this is not true. Not only does shipping use plastic packaging likely to end up in landfills, the transportation of items emits an immense amount of greenhouse gases. 

Aside from the consequences of shipping, online shopping has created multiple new problems highlighting the lack of sustainability of the products that consumers buy. Websites like Shein and Romwe are known for their extremely low pricing and somewhat low quality products. Although some consumers may not be able to afford other more expensive products, other consumers use these websites at an increasingly alarming rate. Due to the international companies on these websites, there are very few laws limiting the use of child labor or sweatshop labor to produce their products. Additionally, these products are low quality and are often thrown out after one or two uses. 

Humans purchase 80 billion pieces of clothing per year, which is an insane amount of apparel to be consumed and eventually thrown out. This non-sustainable fashion is extremely wasteful and has gone unnoticed by society for years. It’s time to make a change and reverse the harmful effects of consumer culture. The best solution to this problem is sustainable fashion.

The market for sustainable fashion is niche. Although it may seem daunting at first, living sustainably can be achieved in a few simple steps. First, use what you have! This method is the best way to sustain your wardrobe rather than throw out everything you have to replace it with sustainably-made clothes. Second, shop at vintage, secondhand, or thrift stores to minimize impact on the Earth. Third, check for greenwashing before you shop at a seemingly sustainable store. Greenwashing is a marketing strategy used by companies to make their products seem sustainable to the consumer even when they are not sustainably made. H&M and Love Beauty and Planet are examples of companies that have greenwashed in the past. Finally, you can purchase from locally-owned businesses or small, sustainable, or free trade companies.

As a customer, shopping small is one of the easiest things you can do to fight consumer culture and make the fashion market more eco-friendly. Shopping small not only supports small businesses, but also expands the reach of the market, reduces shipping and pollutants, and helps eliminate the use of sweatshop labor. Sustainable products last longer and can be used multiple times as well. It is the customer’s duty to know what they are buying and why they are buying it.