A fashion enthusiast has called out a common fallacy about fast-fashion production that may hold people back from working toward a cleaner future and fighting against worker exploitation.
What's happening?
Beatrice Turner (@thefairedit) is part of the Verified Champion program, a joint endeavor between the United Nations and Purpose to combat misinformation and disinformation.
@thefairedit Hate to break it to you but if the demand for cheap clothing combined to profit margins that satisfies a few of billionaires wasn't so high, clothing factories would still exist. We're still getting dressed everyday and it's easy to create safe and ethical production lines. It's just not that cheap and it's not so profitable. #sustainablefashion #whomademyclothes #fashionrevolution #ethicalfashion ♬ Bad Girls - M.I.A.
On TikTok, she took aim at a misconception she frequently hears when people suggest that fast-fashion companies should continue operating as they are. Their questionable argument? That "without fast fashion, people won't have jobs."
"Hate to break it to you, but if the demand for cheap clothing combined [with] profit margins that satisfies a few [billionaires] wasn't so high, clothing factories would still exist," Turner wrote in the caption. "We're still getting dressed every day."
The logic, if not fully clear, is that people need clothes as a fairly static demand regardless. Yes, fast fashion leads to more consumerism and waste with short-lived clothing items, but that disposable income would generally be spent either way, and traditional clothing factories could employ people in more healthy working conditions and pay them better if people bought fewer total items of clothing at higher price points apiece.
Further, many companies selling fast fashion and other cheap merchandise have increasingly turned to automation and have also been hit with credible allegations of forced labor, so the argument about creating jobs itself is on thin footing.
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"I can't believe this is an actual argument," one commenter responded about the idea that we need fast fashion to provide jobs to people in other countries, to which Turner replied: "It's so shortsighted and really just a way of excusing themselves."
Why is this important?
As fast-fashion brands churn out apparel so consumers can keep up with ever-changing trends, they often engage in exploitative labor practices to maximize their profits, making workers endure long hours, limiting their access to water, and subjecting them to other unsafe conditions.
Baptist World Aid Australia's latest Ethical Fashion Report also found that a large number of the 50 million people living in modern slavery are forced to work in global fashion supply chains.
In addition to being notorious for unethical labor practices, fast fashion is the second-most polluting industry worldwide, accounting for around 8% of carbon pollution and leaving a wake of toxic contamination in our ecosystems that threatens public health.
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As Turner pointed out on TikTok: "It's easy to create safe and ethical production lines. It's just not that cheap, and it's not so profitable."
Fortunately, more and more consumers are breaking up with fast fashion — which can also be a drain on the wallet in the long run compared to shopping high-quality brands or secondhand — and using their purchasing power to support companies that align with their values.
The latest Ethical Fashion Market Report estimates the ethical fashion market will experience a compound annual growth rate of 6.5% to be worth nearly $12 billion by 2030.
"Today's stakeholders are not merely buyers; they are conscientious citizens who demand accountability and authenticity in the products they wear," the report reads.
That could put fast-fashion companies on notice and push them to adopt more ethical and sustainable practices. Educating yourself about greenwashing can help you identify when brands are merely giving lip service to a concept in order to push their products.
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