As a sustainable company, we strive to make ethical, responsible and conscious choices to help protect and preserve what we are passionate about - our planet!
We also want to spread awareness about the effects the fast fashion industry has on the world we live in. This is a massive problem we face, however, the topic doesn’t seem to be talked about enough.
It’s most likely you have heard the mention of fast fashion through the news, magazines or instagram captions, however, might not know the full meaning of the phrase or what it is at all!
Firstly, we have all bought something from Zara, H&M, Boohoo or Missguided. We can't deny that, and this is no way shaming anyone for buying from these companies. However, simply bringing awareness to the problem that these company's cause with fast paced trend chasing is critical to know.
What Is Fast Fashion?
Once upon a time, fashion trends were set by the fashion houses of the world and walked down catwalks before we could get our hands on anything similar. However, now trends change almost on a weekly basis through the use of social media.
Now, all big clothing brands such as Zara, PrettyLittleThing and Shein are trying to keep up with the fast pace of trends yet keeping the prices of the pieces low. That's what fast fashion is; a design, manufacturing, and marketing method focused on rapidly producing high volumes of clothing.
Usually using low quality materials and cheaply made in order to create an overwhelming amount of inexpensive styles for the public to consume. However, this results in more harm than good, for the environment, garment workers as well as consumers too, since the clothes don't usually have a long lifespan.
Effect's Of Fast Fashion.
- Environmental impact
The environmental impact fast fashion has on our planet is a silent killer. The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of worldwide CO2 emissions annually, making it the world’s second largest polluter. This is due to many factors from the transportation, manufacturing and the synthetic fibers used to make the clothes which are made from fossil fuels.
Not only are the carbon emissions bad enough, the chemicals used within the textile industry play a huge role. These chemicals are washed off the fabrics in the dying process as well as the washing stages of the production, using 1.5 trillion litres of water per year!
The wastewater from these factors end up in the waterways, ending up in our ocean including fibers from the synthetic fabric which takes over 200 years to break down.
These are only some of the problems with the production of fast fashion. Not to mention the mounds of clothes thrown into landfills yearly, and deforestation which occurs to create this landfills.
- Human rights
Another impact is on human beings. Human rights seem to be overlooked in these fast fashion factories!
People are being over-worked to the bone - some lose their lives - being paid close to nothing for their extreme hard work in horrendous work conditions. Some of factors use child labour...
There are lots of organisations and charities trying to help go against these factories to ensure the use of human rights, as well as other issues due to the fashion industry, click the link to find some to support.
Here at Tide + Seek we have personally spent a lot of time in our factory in Bali, to ensure that the workers are treated and paid well.
How to reduce the consumption of Fast Fashion.
1. Capsule wardrobe:
By getting pieces which will never go out of fashion such as linen white shirts, relaxed natural blue jeans, black Chelsea boots, Birkenstock sandals, you won't need to buy something new every season.
The great thing about creating a capsule wardrobe is all the pieces are essential, most of which you can wear throughout the year. For example, a white shirt, in the winter pull on a cosy jumper, jeans and a warm coat whilst in summer, it's the perfect beach cover up!
2. Buying from Sustainable brands / good quality pieces.
Supporting brands who are using already sustainable materials, none exploitative workforce and not over producing just like us here at Tide + Seek.
Sustainable brands put more effort into the quality of products, meaning buy once and it lasts. Instead of buy cheap, buy twice.
3. Going to vintage / charity shops
Everything in fashion for the past few years are recycled from days gone by. Perfect place to find cute, unique and trendy items are you're local vintage and charity shops! No one will be turning up in the same outfit as you then! Also, lots of websites are now encouraging the wear and reuse culture such as Depop and Vinted.
Don't throw away last seasons clothes, take them to the charity shop!