Brianna Torres Adame

“As someone who grew up with the internet, social media is useful for many things, but we collectively have taken a negative hit on our consumer habits. I remember in high school when I started to earn money I would buy whatever piece of clothing I thought was cute because as a fashion lover, finally being able to wear what I wanted gave me a rush. With money still being limited, I invested into a lot of fast fashion. This continued until I was about 19 and was introduced to the world of sustainable fashion and thrifting. The way I viewed fashion changed as I adopted sustainable habits. However, it’s hard to feel like my efforts are worth it when I see so many posts of people’s large clothing hauls promoting fast fashion because it’s cheap and accessible. It’s hard watching people feel the need to have a new outfit for every event or feel like they must keep up with the quickly changing trends. I have taken it upon myself to enable change in how people view sustainability. I write articles through my campus’ Her Campus chapter that brings awareness to the damage fast fashion has caused. So much can be done if we de-influence each other and adopt sustainable practices. Whether you’re sharing posts that bring awareness to the topic or even talking amongst your friends about the reality of fast fashion companies, small changes make big impacts. 

Fast fashion has its place for people who are not as fortunate to invest in clothing, but ultimately the damage it has done to not only the planet but people’s psyche is alarming. Rapidly changing trends cause fast fashion companies to turn out clothing at a quick rate while workers are exploited to keep up with these demands. Only so much can be done by donating these clothes to secondhand shops because eventually they end up in a landfill. I am all for fashion being accessible to all, but letting fast fashion companies continue their harmful practices is leading to more damage to workers, the environment, and consumers. 

Overall, to slow the fashion industry down, trends must stop turning over so quickly. If brands started to implement recycling old garments that would help out more than people believe. It would be a dream for everyone to exclusively shop secondhand, take old clothes and make them into something new, or learn how to make their own clothes altogether; but for now, small changes can help us get there someday.”