"The True Cost" of Fast Fashion
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaGp5_Sfbss[/embed]
For those who know me, they all have heard me blabber on and on why fast-fashion is killing (has killed?) the fashion industry, obliterating our environment, and completely ignoring basic human rights for millions of workers. Today 1 out of 6 people in the world work for the garment industry and most of these human beings are suffering from poverty, illness from toxins, and social inequalities and I am so pleased that these major issues are finally being highlighted in the brand new documentary “The True Cost”. Shot in 13 countries, from the slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh, to the cotton fields in Texas, the film asks us directly: Who pays the price, as we proudly display our bargain find of jeans under £10?
The Director Andrew Morgan began this project after the tragedy of the 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse where more than 1,100 factory workers were killed and thousands more severely injured. The outsourced factory manufactured clothing for brands including Primark, Walmart, Benetton, and Mango. Morgan states, “The day I read about the [collapse], I looked down and realized I had never thought about where clothes come from.”
That is the case for most of us.
Some are drawn to a piece because it is “cute”, others because of the reasonable price point, others because they can. Why buy 1 pair of jeans when you can buy 2 for 1!?… When an item is only £5.00 there is no shame to throw it away and buy a new one right..? Most fast-fashion strategies are built for their clothing to be disposable, like a piece of gum or a used tissue. Zara products are designed to be worn no more than 10 times and then discarded (McAfee, Sjoman, & Dessain, 2004).
80 billion pieces of clothing is purchased globally each year- that is 400% more than only a decade ago. (10 years ago!?) and of course our disposal is growing exponentially as well. (And this is currently happening albeit the fragile state of our environment -scarce resources, polluting, deforestation, genetic manipulation of agriculture, ect) Oh my… In the UK alone, more than 1,000,000,000 kg of textile is sent to landfill every year (Waste Online, 2008) and is continuously rising, due to our obsession with the cheap and chic.
The film explores these issues through interviews with fashion designers, factory workers and managers, cotton farmers, and academics on Western consumption habits and sustainability, ultimately analyzing this "perfectly engineered nightmare" that feeds shoppers' insatiable appetites and starves those who create them.
"When you grow up looking only at a store window and only thinking about your side of the equation, it leads to a very dangerous set of effects,” says Morgan and I am confident that those who view this documentary will consider twice before purchasing another oh-so-cute £3 t-shirt. However, I fear that those who should view this film the most, such as some street style bloggers who do anything for a like or the fashion haul you tubers (just google fashion haul), won’t be interested.
But what about those that can’t afford more than a £3 shirt? I argue it’s not so much the price, but the mentality (although instead of buying 10 £3 shirts a year buy 2 quality ones?) I agree with documentary, in that it is fundamentally wrong to buy a new piece of clothing for each occasion, storm the shops to buy as much as possible on Black Friday, or go on a weekly “haul” for clothes and replace the perfectly fine clothes in your closet. We must consider the “true cost” of every purchase- on the price of other human beings and of the environment. Every purchase we make, we vote. We hold massive power as consumers.
Do we want to support a deadly fast-fashion industry or do we want to support fair-trade, craftsmanship, high quality design and innovation? The choice really is ours.
Fashion is meant to be appreciated and cherished. Isn't it incredible when clothing lasts? Like when you are wearing shoes which belonged to your mom when she was your age or a skirt your grandma wore in the 60's? When I look into my closet I want to be reminded of happy memories and crafted tailoring associated with each piece- not the pain and suffering of those who created my dress, jeans, or shirts.
“The True Cost” is a must watch for all- not only those concerned about fashion. It is now out in theaters worldwide, on video on demand and iTunes. Watch now!
