📸 : The Donkey Sanctuary

Why You Should Rethink Shopping Fast Fashion

Here at Hülya, we are so proud to say that we are a completely sustainable swimsuit brand! However, many other clothing companies are not up to speed like we are. Fast fashion releases around 1.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year, which makes up about 10% of the worlds carbon emission. Now more than ever, we need to shop for our clothes in a more sustainable manner.

Shopping fast fashion has been very appealing because of its extremely affordable prices. The reasons behind why fast fashion clothes are so cheap are unfortunate. First of all, fast fashion producers cut many corners to keep the prices low. The products are not made to last and often fall apart after just a few washes. 

Due to how inexpensive fast fashion is, many consumers are drawn to fast fashion websites to treat themselves to new clothing. Fast fashion shoppers especially tend to over consume clothing. We live in a throw away culture, therefore we tend to believe that we should be throwing out and buying new clothing frequently. Throw away culture encourages fast fashion. It's concerning how many fast fashion products fill our landfills every year because we are so accustomed to tossing our clothes in the trash. 

Fast fashion is also set at very low prices because of the mistreatment of laborers in other countries. Unlike in the U.S., many other countries don't have strict labor laws or they are not enforced very well. Oftentimes, our fast fashion comes from these countries. Workers are being overworked, underpaid and forced to work in extremely unsafe environments. By shopping fast fashion, you may be helping a company mistreat it's employees. 

Producers of fast fashion use water at an excessive pace. About 20% of global wastewater is due to the fashion industry and fast fashion factories especially are not helping to lower this percentage. As many fast fashion factories move to countries without strict environmental regulations, they continue to overuse water for cheaply made clothing that will not last. 

We know it's tempting to shop fast fashion, but please do our planet a favor and start shopping sustainably! Brands like Hülya are determined to make a change for the environment and create beautiful clothing that will last. It's time to start supporting transparent businesses that have a passion for fashion and not a passion for getting a quick, easy buck. At the end of the day, the earth is our only home and we need to start living (and shopping) with her in mind!

✍️ : Anna Rojo

References:

Le, Ngan. (2020, July 20.) The Impact of Fast Fashion On The Environment. Princeton Student Climate Initiative.  https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/7/20/the-impact-of-fast-fashion-on-the-environment