Sustainable fashion is a big topic in current times, everyone is becoming more aware of their consumption, and the negative impact that fast fashion has on society has become more commonly known than ever before. Some will even criticize others for buying fast fashion items because they define fast fashion consumption as irresponsible and damaging. Fast fashion brands launch new collections very fast and sell the items for very low prices which makes trends easily accessible for everyone. But this reduction in price also means that a lot of shortcuts are taken along the way. Clothes are being burned, factory workers are underpaid and the production is not sustainable because costs have to be reduced in all parts of the value chain.
Something that is inevitable when discussing fashion is the topic of trends, and in many ways it seems to be paradoxical to the topic of sustainable fashion. In this article it will be discussed how trends and sustainable fashion can be described as a paradox and even antithetical to each other and furthermore, what is the root of this societal problem?
(Vogue, 2020)
A lot of people feel that they have to live up to a societal expectation when it comes to consuming fashion; to be fashionable, you have to follow the trends. Fashion is a significant factor in the human experience, because it allows people to express their social identity and their sense of belonging to a certain culture or social group (Mair, 2018, p. 70). This all comes down to the individual consumer feeling accepted and desirable in the group that they are in or want to be a part of. In today’s western society, where social media is affecting a lot of people’s fashion consumption, and trends are changing faster than ever before, feeling accepted can be very difficult unless you have a lot of money to spend on fashion - it’s rooted in capitalism.
Trends in fashion can be a complicated topic because if something is popular, it’s a profitable business decision for fashion brands to take part in it by creating something that fits into the given trend. This can result in some of the consumers choosing to buy items from affordable fast fashion brands instead of paying an extra amount for a similar item made by a more quality-minded and more sustainable brand. Brands like H&M and many Bestseller brands produce a lot of fashion items that are aesthetically similar to popular high-end fashion items. The rise of Capitalism about 4-500 years ago can be directly connected to the emergence of fashion and trends (Rocamora, 2015, p. 31) - Money is the fuel that makes the trend-machine work.
Because these trends come and go very quickly, the consumer can feel a need to buy new items quite often. This means that in order to be fashionable/trendy and also avoid fast fashion brands and be more sustainable as a consumer, a lot of money has to be spent. But then what can the big part of the population who don’t have the resources do? They can turn to fast fashion and buy into the capitalistic cycle of trends because it’s the only option they’re left with if they want to be considered fashionable and desirable. This raises the question: Are original and sustainably made items completely out of reach unless you live a privileged life and belong to a certain class in society?
Everyone has the option to buy used items, which is a common argument to hear in regards to sustainability in fashion. This argument however does not take into consideration the factor of trends and the societal expectation that consumers have to follow the fast changing trends to feel accepted. Second Hand stores are filled with fashion that people have deemed to be “not trendy anymore” which means the newest trends and popular items are hard to find in these stores, because people rarely donate clothes that they have just bought. While it is very true that one can find a nice quality shirt in a Second Hand store, it doesn’t mean the shirt is considered fashionable, which means a lot of consumers will again turn to fast fashion to find a shirt that they deem more trendy.
All of these arguments indicate that it can be difficult and very expensive to be fashionable and also be sustainable. Like beauty standards, you could say that there are “fashion standards” put in place by magazines, social media, and fashion brands that are nearly unattainable. Everyone has to have new clothes every season, outfit-repeating is not accepted, and if a new trend emerges you have to buy into it in order to be considered fashionable and “cool”. But as stated earlier, a lot of people can’t afford to keep up with these standards and follow the trends. Are these people not deserving of feeling accepted and desired? And is it a “cycle of evil” that can’t be reckoned with?
On one hand, trends are a phenomenon that many people would describe as harmless and fun, because in the end it’s all about shopping for fashion items and expressing your economic, cultural or symbolic capital by wearing trendy items. On the other hand, there are many who fall short because they lack the economic resources, and therefore they get marginalized and seen as less trendy. This problem can be seen as an example of classism in fashion, which is once again rooted in capitalism.
Conclusion
In todays’ western world, some people look down on others for buying fast fashion and thereby not being sustainable as consumers. But through the discussion in this article it becomes clear that there is an underlying systemic issue that is preventing these less privileged people from sustainable consumption: Capitalism.
Criticizing others for shopping fast fashion brands can therefore be defined as a privileged and quite ignorant thing to do, because in the end everyone is living in a paradoxical world and playing a “game”, where you have to follow trends, but you’re also expected to buy sustainably, and not everyone has the economic resources to play this “game”.
The problem of capitalism, trends, and sustainability can be described as a big and complicated one, where the consumer can easily feel overwhelmed and confused. Analyzing all the different factors of the problem, it comes down to trends and the power that they hold in our society. What if everyone cared less about trends? Would that actually allow everyone to wear what they feel confident in without turning to fast fashion brands in order to be a part of a trend?
If everyone became less dependent on the media and fashion brands and embraced their own style, “fashionable” or not, the inequality between privileged and unprivileged consumers could perhaps become less significant, because everyone would not be trying to fit into the same fashion standard. Buying Second Hand could then possibly be seen as more acceptable, because things wouldn’t go out of style at such a rapid pace like they do now. Being less concerned with trends as a societal standard would also allow people to buy sustainable items and keep them for years instead of changing them out for something that is seen as more trendy. Defining a solution for this systemic and very deep-seated problem is near impossible, but if people cared less about following trends it would be a good way to not buy into the capitalist agenda.
References
Rocamora, A. (2015). Thinking Through Fashion: A Guide to Key Theorists. Bloomsbury Publishing
Mair, C. (2018). The Psychology of Fashion. New York: Routledge
Vogue. (2020). The Words and Their Definitions to Know When Talking Sustainability in Fashion. Lokaliseret på https://en.vogue.me/fashion/glossary-sustainability-fashion/
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