Nowadays high-end fashion has been made very accessible and attractive to consumers who might not have that big of a budget, but still want to follow upcoming trends in fashion. This may sound harmless, but the cons far outweigh the pros in this case. There are already so many clothes rotting away in closets, but because of this phenomenon, that is often overlooked by the urge to be trendy. At what cost? And is there a solution?
Have you ever wondered how a piece of clothing you see on a runway on your Instagram timeline is suddenly available for under €10,- on a website riddled with coupons? That is called ‘Fast Fashion’. Websites like SHEIN, TEMU and AliExpress take advantage of every high-end fashion trend and turn them into cheap-looking and cheaply priced versions available online. There are many reasons for people to get into Fast Fashion, such as the lack of bigger sizes categorised as ‘plus size’ in retail stores. Common retail stores don’t go past size 42 (European sizing). With retail being so exclusive, more people tend to buy fast fashion items which can go up to 5XL and above.
This is only possible if all process steps are carried out as cheaply as possible. This also means that the tailors assemble the clothing for unacceptable low wages. Child labor is also often still used in this sector. There are approximately 215 million children at work worldwide, more than half of whom work in dangerous conditions. Many of these children work in the textile industry. These children often work 12-hour days and are paid minimally for this. But child labor does not only take place in the factories, but children are also used in the rest of the chain.
According to the Dutch government, more than 50% of textiles ultimately end up in household trashcans. Clothes aren’t being recycled as much as they should be and the volume in which fast fashion is being produced and sold only increases per year. Why do this when we all have perfectly good clothes in our closets which deserve a second chance?
Swapping clothes isn’t just better for the environment, it is also the main way for some people to even acquire clothes in the first place. The option to fill your closet with ‘new’ items for free is an amazing option for people who don’t have the funds. And with everyone bringing their own clothes to swap out, the sizing pool is infinite. The more people contribute, the more options there are in sizing and materials.
Therefore we would love it if you and your old clothes join us on the 1st of February. Bring as many items as you can carry and of course return with an entirely new closet! Sign up here for free and we will meet you there.
