Say Goodbye to Fast Fashion.
For some of us it’s easier said than done. We’ve grown up online, where anything and everything is available to purchase and have delivered to your door within moments. But, it’s time for us to consider just how fair fashion is (short answer, it’s often not). For those constantly shopping for deals, for those trawling websites like wish, shein, boohoo and pretty little thing, for those making the rounds in primark, H&M and even TopShop - it’s time to consider what impact your purchase is having on others.
I’m sure you remember this absolutely ICONIC moment from the Lizzie McGuire movie, in which Lizzie is shamed by Kate for wearing an outfit she has already worn, thus being the worst of all people: ‘An Outfit Repeater.’ I too once had this fear, feeling like I could not be seen in the same thing twice. With the birth of social media, outfit repeating became even more shameful. You could no longer repeat an outfit for different groups of friends if you had already uploaded a picture in it online. The horror!
Fashion had to adapt to this culture of buying an outfit purely for one event. Starting with weddings, but then seeping into less prestigious life events, 16th birthday’s, proms, random nights out where you attempt to impress a bunch of drunk people you don’t know and will ultimately end with you being sick on the floor. I’ve been there. I feel you. Fashion followed the trend, giving you a one off, single use outfit for every occasion at low low prices.
Cheap labour combined with cheap materials often brings us items that wear down or break easily. Forever on the hunt for bargains, we often fail to see the repercussions of our actions. We are driven by the need to have the newest trends at the most affordable prices. Factory workers and delivery drivers are often on zero hour contracts and given little to no support (see my blog post on why I don’t support Amazon here). Garment makers across the globe earn little and work in poor, unsafe conditions. Once again, Corona virus is highlighting the main issues that come up time and time again across industries, especially the fast fashion industry.
On March 31st, ASOS’ warehouse in Barnsley was open. That warehouse sees up to 4,000 employees. They do not have any protective equipment, they’re dealing with an unclean workplace, they have to be in close proximity with other workers. It’s not like it’s beneficial for a worker to take time off either, as statutory sick pay in the UK stands at £95.85 a week. JD Sports is also still open, with workers there saying their lives are being ‘put at risk.’
Over on Instagram, XR Boycott Fashion have uploaded information on just how much money brands are withholding from garment workers. They write:
“A humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Bangladesh, with the fate of 4.1 million garment workers in the hands of western fashion brands, who have reportedly cancelled over $2.8 billion in orders as the COVID19 crisis escalates.” The True Cost Of Brands Not Paying For Orders During The COVID-19 Crisis by Brookes Robert-Islam, Forbes, March 2020.
The production on these garments is completed. The orders fulfilled. These workers should not now have to suffer by waiting for what they are owed. I realise how lucky and fortunate I and many of my friends are - to be in positions where we are working from home, where maybe we have been furloughed, or completely unable to do our job but we are still getting paid for it. I fall into that last category, as I work as an English teacher / childminder here in France. I can’t do that job right now but I am still getting paid (my full wage) because, luckily, France seems to have a good social security system. In the UK a furloughed wage sits at around 80% of what you normally earn. Though, if you’re on that £95 a week... that’s rough. That is certainly not enough to live on. But these garment workers, they are getting nothing. Zero. And despite that, there still seems to be confusion over whether they should be working or not, with workers being called into the factories or trying to get there themselves (risking their lives), traveling on packed vehicles. It seems now that the factories are planning to shut, but that still leaves the workers living in uncertainty.
So let’s name and shame those companies who are withholding payment.
(Image from XR Boycott Fashion’s instagram page)
I urge anyone reading this. Now, and after Corona virus, really consider where your clothing comes from. Can you be sure that everyone in the supply chain is protected and supported? Are you certain that people are being paid fairly for their work? I’m sure you recognise this headline from 2019, when Missguided sold a bikini for £1. If something is that cheap, then somewhere along the line, someone is suffering.
Join me by swapping out fast fashion companies. Even if you aren’t someone who buys clothes for one event. Even if you (like me) have pieces in your wardrobe that you’ve had from high street brands for years! Pledge to yourself that you will not support them any longer. I use the app Good On You if I see something I like in a shop to check the ethics of the company. If it scores three out of five or less, I don’t buy it. Mend what you already have. Shop secondhand. Check out depop or other similar swapping apps. Companies like this, like ASOS, like Primark... they are only interested in their profit. They will continue to exploit workers for as long as they can. The only way to put a stop to it is to not fund them and speak up against them.
(And, despite what Kate says - Repeat those outfits!)
Until next time,
The Sustainable Swap.
