Why Fast Fashion Isn't Good For You
Posted by Sandra Resch on
What is fast fashion? Fast fashion is the practice of creating clothing for approximately 52 micro-seasons throughout the year with a rapid turnover (link). Basically, in an effort to keep up with trends on and off the runways, clothing companies create an overwhelming amount of stock that they sell quickly and is in turn consumed quickly by buyers. But why does that matter to you? It can have devastating environmental and ethical impacts across the globe and that affects you because as consumers we contribute to this cycle by purchasing from these companies.
So, let’ start with the not so pretty. This isn’t just happening overseas, it is happening right here in the USA. It can get pretty complicated for who is to take the blame as brands are not the ones employing the actual manufacturing workers but instead their production companies are. Leading to a lack of accountability from major retailers who are turning a blind eye for the sake of profits. Here is a break down of the ugly mess…
-workers are underpaid, often at cents per seam (usually less than $6 an hour!)
-harmful work condition due to chemicals used in processing
What can we do to combat this? Anyone can take small steps to combat this industry without braking the bank. We know that there is a stigma with clothing that is ‘organic’ or ‘eco friendly’ being expensive but that is not the case! There are plenty of brands that support this mission as well that you can shop from, here is a list of brands! Also the Centre for Sustainable Fashion has teamed up with major retailers over the years to help teach them how to produce sustainably. These brands include Nike, H&M and ASOS.
At Bond Boutique we know that it can be difficult to find on trend, affordable clothing that meets our core values of sustainability and social good, that’s why we have a system in place where any brand that we carry must meet the majority of the following core values we hold close…
-Eco Friendly
-Social Good
-Not on Amazon
-Organic
-Women Owned
-Minority Owned
-Made in the USA
In our own designs we use repurposed fabric. Repurposed fabric is still brand new fabric, except that we shop for it through sources that accept dead stock, donations or scraps of fabric that are in excellent condition. This keeps these fabrics out of landfills! Currently, we handmade each garment in our own Bond Collections but we promise that if we do go to a production company it will align with all of our core values.
We will also be donating 10% of profits each month to different non profits that combat fast fashion and promote environmental and economical welfare for those negatively impacted by the fashion industry. We will also run programs and specials for our customers to participate in so they can give back without taking anything out of their pocket.
Thank you for reading about our mission! We can’t wait to shop with you!
