Social Media and Fast Fashion: Is this a Toxic Relationship?

@may_garland

We cannot deny there are consuming effects of social media and quarantining during the COVID-19 Pandemic has meant our weekly screen times have become embarrassingly high. The shopping experience itself has changed from exploring high-street and small businesses to spending hours scrolling through virtual space and purchasing more clothes than we need. According to Leah Bourne, “social media is the fashion’s newest Muse”. It has turned influencers into supermodels and changed the marketing direction from print to Instagram, but has our consumption of social media created a toxic relationship between this and the retail industry? 

According to Alex Crumbie of the Ethical Consumer, “Fast Fashion is “fast” in a number of senses: the rate of production is fast; the customer’s decision to purchase is fast; delivery is fast; and garments are worn fast […]. It is a model that is entirely unsustainable”. We’ve all been there, sometimes it seems like you can just dream up the clothes you want and they will pop up on your social apps, before you know it you’re a few clicks in and have a new wardrobe on the way. Next comes ditching your out-of-style clothes for fleeting fashion trends wrapped in undegradable plastic. “Three out of five fast fashion items end up in a landfill” (Clean Clothes Campaign, 2019). Fast fashion is predominantly a result of consumer choice and an overindulgent mentality, it is easy to slip into bad habits, yet we are unconsciously contributing to climate change through our ‘innocent’ purchases. 

 “Three out of five fast fashion items end up in a landfill.” 

Outfit Of The Day and YouTube Haul videos have replaced magazines as the source of the latest fashion inspiration for the Millennial generation. I get fashion FOMO when viewing them and am always tempted to purchase their stylish favourites. Sponsored celebrities have enforced an unhealthy mentality that it is not acceptable to have an outfit feature more than once on your feed. However, it is no surprise that this lifestyle is not sustainable for the planet. The perfectly curated insta feed hides the disastrous manufacturing truths of sub-par working conditions for employees and appalling wages. Transparency is key to ensure respect for all workers and reduce pollution; however, “fast fashion brands like Fashion Nova, Boohoo, Revolve, Pretty Little Thing and Forever 21 all score less than 10% on the Fashion Transparency Index” (Fashion Transparency Index, 2020). They are yet to adjust their practices to encompass more moral principles and prioritise the planet over profit.

We only have to look at the tragic disaster in Dhaka Bangladesh to see an example of horrendous working conditions; the collapse of the Rana Plaza in 2013 killed 1134 garment workers in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The devastating incident brought to light the terrible ventilation and unsafe working conditions for employees, yet in developing countries like China and Bangladesh the minimum wage still “represents half to a fifth of the living wage” (Sustain Your Style), which is lower than the bare minimum required for a family to have basic needs to survive.

 

Although, the relationship between social media and fashion may not all be toxic. The wide reach of many influencers’ voices have supported the anti-fast fashion movement and cancel culture has been very prevalent on social media platforms. Whether you agree with it or not, the strong reaction of boycotting large manufacturing brands that support bad practices leads to a more sustainable direction by revealing the truth behind shopaholics’ go-to brands. Education and awareness on social media mean more people are likely to take a sustainable step in their lifestyle choices.

Credit: Instagram / @thecurlytop

Fill your feed with bloggers who care about where their clothes come from and encourage sustainability. These Instagram accounts, in particular, have inspired me with ways to upcycle and educated me on fantastic organisations to donate unwanted clothes to. 

We should normalize wearing outfits for more than just a season, and support garment recycling in resale markets. This will then force companies to change their negative practices to appeal to more forward-thinking and globally conscious customers.

 

So, is the relationship between fast fashion and social media toxic? This all depends on how the consumer chooses to use this platform. Advertising is abundant from companies that contribute to fast fashion and climate change. Nevertheless, there are also resources to educate you on what choices positively affect the environment. It is up to us to support ethical brands and influencers who care about what companies do to the planet. We need to use the impressive reach of social media to share companies that are globally conscious and transparent and follow fashion accounts that prioritise the planet alongside their passion for fashion. Being sustainable and stylish does not have to be exclusive!