Fast Fashion: Idol of Youth or Environmental Hazard? - Essay Sample

Introduction

Fashion has become the idol of many young people as they compete to wear the trending clothes. Fast fashion has taken this advantage to come up with affordable clothes. As young people buy these products, their minds are blocked from realizing the effects they have on the environment.

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The writer explains that people only care about fashion when deciding on clothes to buy. He talks of how people watch with excitement as their cart is filled with fashionable clothing. He adds that sometimes people do not try out the clothes to see whether they are fitting. Shopping bocks the minds of students to the extent that they do not bother to look at the size, price or quality of the clothing. As a result, many end up buying clothes that last only for weeks. To what matters to people is the heavy plastic bags that hang on their hands as they go home. "Had you bothered to try them on? Or even check the size? Or the price?."

The author uses the types of clothing used by his audience in making his arguments. He opens his statement by talking about how crop tops and jeans crowd the minds of his audience. Only people who understand jeans and crop tops can listen to the argument presented by the author. He also uses the language of shopping to appeal to customers. He talks about "the clothes, hanging heavy in your hand."

Another idea presented by the article is that people are quick to judge industries for causing the greenhouse effect, forgetting their contribution towards the same. Kiely reminds the audience of how people pointed fingers to industries when Times article reported that humans have about twenty years to save the planet. He argues that the cheap clothes at Forever 21 satisfy the shopping desire while at the same time contributing to the greenhouse effect. A 2017 report by world resource institute indicated that fast fashion is responsible for about five per cent of the greenhouse effect. The five per cent is higher than that emitted by international flights, and the whole country of Russia.

The current culture of clothing is making fast fashion the second dirtiest industry in the world. In the early years, people used to make clothes that fit for the four seasons. However, the need to keep up with fashion and trends has made Zara, Forever 21 and H&M to produce cheap non-durable clothes at a high rate. The clothes stay in style for weeks, and then they are thrown away or burned where they emit carbon dioxide and other dangerous gases. The writer is pained by the fact that workers in these industries are outsourced, and they are poorly paid.

Kiely comments that the big industries should be at the forefront in reducing the greenhouse effect. Many companies have seen the impact of fast fashion, and they have decided to run a more sustainable business. He gives an example of H&M which has introduced clothes made from recycled textiles. However, some people have pointed out that the company is recycling the textiles for fashion's sake and not to preserve the environment.

Laws and regulations are the only ones that can make fast fashion industries to reduce air pollution. Kerry quotes say that "For them to support sustainable practices would be the opposite of what they do." Any change made in the future will be from the government and not from fast fashion industries. Currently, the government proposes more than 40 legislations that will increase taxes on carbon-emitting industries. The authors recommend that the government should put more effort into ensuring that laws strict laws are prohibiting the greenhouse effect.

The change for a clean environment starts with changing the shopping habits of the consumer. The article argues that fast fashion industries will die a natural death if consumers decide to use more sustainable clothing. Consumers need to think about the effects of their cations. "Only since I've started college have I really thought about what my consumer habits are doing for the environment, especially in fashion. I used to buy a lot of clothes from the fast fashion industry before I actually started thinking about my own ethics," said one consumer.

Having the right ethics begins by educating upcoming fashion designers. Educating students will help the companies to have the right direction on fashion and design. The author gives an example of how ASU is integrating environmental ethics with classwork. "Students need to be prepared to help their future companies move toward more sustainable practices. They need to understand the impact they are making on the planet and how they can be part of the solution." students are encouraged to shop responsibly. Lastly, students are taught how they influence the fashion industry by deciding on what to wear.

Students are encouraged to participate in activities that advocate for a clean environment. The ASU students collaborate with organizations such as Arizona Eco Fashion Week which promotes sustainable fashions. Students who cannot afford expensive durable clothing are encouraged to look for cheap, sustainable clothing. For example, students have found second-hand clothing as durable and fashionable. "What I really think is interesting about thrifting and going to resale stores like Buffalo Exchange is that you can still find designer pieces, fast fashion pieces, and even really cool vintage finds for a great price, and you do not have to go buy directly through those large corporations."

In conclusion, the article has highlighted the contribution of fast fashion to the greenhouse effect. Students are majorly affected by fast fashion because of their desire to shop more at a lower price. The article has discussed the solution to fast fashion industries. Students should be educated on the effect of consumer preference in creating a healthy environment. Also, the government should put legislations that discourage emission of greenhouse effects.

Fast Fashion Might Want To Pump the Brakes

The article is addressing the entrepreneurs who may want to consider where to invest their money. The author is using statistics as a business language to drive his point home. The author knows that statistics are vital in scaring or encouraging an investor. For example, quotes hat 39 per cent of people preferred to buy durable, expensive clothes. He also gives his audience some predictions that will help them in making the right decision.

The article claims that people are shifting from fasts fashion to environmentally friendly clothing. The author uses statistics to back up his claim. A research was done by fashion retail academy, for people between 18 to 35 years. Thirty-nine per cent of the population said they prefer buying durable, expensive clothes. Out of this population, people aged between 18 to 23 preferred sustainable clothing over the fast-fashion compared with the rest of the community who preferred fast fashion. The statistics show that the ASU idea of integrating environmental ethics in classwork may be working.

Though many surveys point that are changes in preference, it is still unclear on how this shift will impact consumer preference. He argues that a significant number still prefers fast fashion. The influence of social media is making people prefer quantity over quality. He gives an example of how the Kardashians are influencing style on social media. However, there are still people who are looking for simple things that bring joy in their life. "But I believe that fast-fashion might have hit its peak. I think there is a growing trend towards 'less is more' experiences over things, eliminating waste, even finding items that 'spark joy' a la Marie Kondo and getting rid of the rest."

The fall of high fast fashion industries is another evidence of a significant shift to sustainable fashion. H&M and Uniqlo reported that they had a financial crisis in 2016. At the same time, other companies like Zara continue to rise in the fast fashion industry. The fall of fast fashion industries is also attributed by people aware of the human rights violation in the industry. As indicated in the above article, industries employ people from outside countries. The employees are overworked and poorly paid. Other ethical factors are the fast discarding of used clothes.

The article advises fast-fashion retailers to be ready for a change. "Fast-fashion can still be a good business, but these retailers should look at perhaps scaling back their mix and focusing on making what available better quality is. " The article argues that though fashion is here to stay, there is enough evidence that fast fashion is slowly going down. The death of fast fashion industries will even be more when the government enacts the tax laws, which will increase the cost of emitting air pollutants. "Some retailers that rely on low prices and volume for their business models to work need to pivot to a different position. That will be far from easy, and not all will survive. However, we already see adaptations such as American Eagle's recent foray into clothing rental/subscriptions."

There are still people who strongly believe that fast fashion will never be extinct. With the growing influence of social media, it will be hard for fast fashion not to exist. The retailers will find new ways of reaching out to their customers. Social media have also created new forms of advertising which makes it easier to reach your customers. People confessed that it would be hard for them to stay without fast fashion. 'While I'm into acquiring fewer items that have longevity (quality and style), the power and appeal of 'Instagrammable' outfits may not die down any time soon for digital natives!" wrote Patricia Vekich Waldron, CEO of Vision First."

In summary, fast fashion seems to be slightly going down. The author uses statistics and predictions as a business language to convince his audience on the importance of deciding where to invest. People are becoming more aware of the effect of fast fashion, and many are choosing to conserve the environment. Though research may show that fast fashion is going down, there are still evidence that it cannot be extinct.

Summary

The two articles have presented the effect of fast fashion on the environment. Research shows that fast fashion contributes to more than five per cent of the greenhouse effects in the whole world. The rapid discarding of clothes is the most significant contributor of greenhouse effects. Many industries do not recycle these out of fashion clothes. The clothes are burned, which makes them emit methane and carbon monoxide.

The articles have discussed two categories of people who influence the fats fashion industries. Students have been identified as mainly contributing to the rise and fall of fast fashion industries. The author gives examples of how students are driven fashion in deciding the clothes to buy. Students do not care about cost, size, durability or quality. Fast fashion retailers also influence the industries because of their quench to get more at a lower price. Companies like Forever 21 and Zara sell their clothes at half price. Fashion retailers will, therefore, buy clothes from these companies to make a reasonable profit.

The two articles have given a prediction on the future of the fast fashion industries. Both reports agree that there are already signs for the end of the fast fashion industry. People are becoming more aware of the effect of these industries, and they are opting to consider ethics in deciding what to wear. The exploitation of workers has also been indicated as the primary reason why people will not be using fast fashion clothes. The articles note that employees are poorly paid while there are overworked.

The articles finish by offering opinions to those who wish to continue with fast fashion industries. The industries need to establish ways of re...