![](\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/emily-sharkis-portfolio\/files\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-16-at-2.19.14-PM.png\")
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- It\u2019s Absolute\u00adly Every\u00adwhere \u2014 And It\u2019s Cheap<\/strong> <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Fast fash\u00adion cloth\u00ading options tend to be cheap\u00ader than cloth\u00ading from sus\u00adtain\u00adable com\u00adpa\u00adnies, a fact men\u00adtioned by 15 of the 18 peo\u00adple I spoke to. Fast fash\u00adion is not only wide\u00adspread, but it\u2019s often hid\u00ading in plain sight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFast fash\u00adion is so preva\u00adlent we don\u2019t even real\u00adize it. Almost every store at the mall is fast fash\u00adion no mat\u00adter the price. Zara for exam\u00adple, is so expen\u00adsive, but one of the least eth\u00adi\u00adcal brands out there. Price does\u00adn\u2019t equal qual\u00adi\u00adty, and qual\u00adi\u00adty does\u00adn\u2019t equal sus\u00adtain\u00adabil\u00adi\u00adty,\u201d said UConn junior Maria Ada B. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This preva\u00adlence is fur\u00adthered by fast fashion\u2019s pres\u00adence on social media. \u201cI see a lot of peo\u00adple on Tik\u00adTok doing huge (and often spon\u00adsored) fast fash\u00adion hauls and it real\u00adly con\u00adtributes to a strong sense of over\u00adcon\u00adsump\u00adtion,\u201d said UConn junior Mia Keazer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- It\u2019s Size-Inclu\u00adsive<\/strong> <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI remem\u00adber going to the mall with my friends in high school and being so excit\u00aded to go into For\u00adev\u00ader 21 because that was the only store that I could actu\u00adal\u00adly buy things in,\u201d said UConn Junior Nala Davis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a frus\u00adtra\u00adtion I share: many cloth\u00ading brands sim\u00adply do not have size inclu\u00adsive options. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m plus-sized and it\u2019s hard to find any\u00adthing in my size that\u2019s afford\u00adable and is a style that I like. Sad\u00adly only [fast fash\u00adion] com\u00adpa\u00adnies check all the box\u00ades,\u201d said Katiely Mer\u00adcedes, a Junior at Hunter College. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs a curvy girl, some\u00adtimes the sus\u00adtain\u00adable fash\u00adion lines do not have my size or are not flat\u00adter\u00ading on me. I know my weight fluc\u00adtu\u00adates and when buy\u00ading jeans I would rather buy the ones that are less expen\u00adsive,\u201d added UConn Sopho\u00admore Cian\u00adna Tangishaka. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Green\u00adwash\u00ading<\/strong> <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Green\u00adwash\u00ading is the prac\u00adtice of mak\u00ading a prod\u00aduct or activ\u00adi\u00adty appear to be less dam\u00adag\u00ading to the envi\u00adron\u00adment than it real\u00adly is. Green\u00adwash\u00ading prac\u00adtices can include a lack of pub\u00adlic infor\u00adma\u00adtion, reliance on dis\u00adcred\u00adit\u00aded mea\u00adsure\u00adment tools, hav\u00ading unreg\u00adu\u00adlat\u00aded \u201ceco-con\u00adscious\u201d col\u00adlec\u00adtions, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Accord\u00ading to the non-prof\u00adit Green\u00adpeace UK, stores such as H&M, Zara, Pri\u00admark, and more, are guilty of green\u00adwash\u00ading. While green\u00adwash\u00ading can be dam\u00adag\u00ading, many peo\u00adple are unaware it is even happening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI remem\u00adber see\u00ading a pro\u00admo\u00adtion\u00adal adver\u00adtise\u00adment about H&M cre\u00adat\u00ading an envi\u00adron\u00admen\u00adtal\u00adly friend\u00adly cloth\u00ading line, and then research\u00ading for a class that this was actu\u00adal\u00adly total\u00adly false (at least back then). Almost any com\u00adpa\u00adny can claim \u201cclean & sus\u00adtain\u00adable fash\u00adion\u201d through plain imagery of green leaves\/recycling logos on the tag to imply clean fash\u00adion with\u00adout actu\u00adal\u00adly claim\u00ading it,\u201d said UConn senior Eliz\u00ada\u00adbeth Agarunova. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI used to work for Uniq\u00adlo, and I would notice how many ship\u00adments would come in\u2026from third world coun\u00adtries, and the amount of waste with\u00adin the ship\u00adments despite the company\u2019s claims of car\u00ading for the envi\u00adron\u00adment. Out of curios\u00adi\u00adty, I searched it up and they\u2019re a green\u00adwash\u00ading fast fash\u00adion com\u00adpa\u00adny, and their prices seem to tell peo\u00adple oth\u00ader\u00adwise. I real\u00adized price real\u00adly doesn\u2019t dic\u00adtate\u201d Mer\u00adcedes added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Trends Move So Fast<\/strong> <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
One of the biggest advan\u00adtages of fast fash\u00adion com\u00adpa\u00adnies is their wide vari\u00adety of styles and large num\u00adber of new designs per day. How\u00adev\u00ader, with these seem\u00ading\u00adly non\u00adstop new items, trends move so fast, mak\u00ading it almost impos\u00adsi\u00adble to keep up. This has only encour\u00adaged a cul\u00adture of con\u00adsumerism and overconsumption. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur soci\u00adety val\u00adues keep\u00ading up with the fash\u00adion of today so much that step\u00adping out\u00adside of that mind\u00adset can feel like social death to an extent,\u201d said UConn Graph\u00adic Design stu\u00addent Car\u00ado\u00adline Strapp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This issue is espe\u00adcial\u00adly preva\u00adlent in col\u00adlege, where hav\u00ading both a pro\u00adfes\u00adsion\u00adal and par\u00adty wardrobe and stay\u00ading on-trend are the norm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI had got\u00adten a whole bunch of going out tops and by the time I tried to wear them peo\u00adple had stopped wear\u00ading that style of top,\u201d remem\u00adbers Buf\u00adfa\u00adlo State fresh\u00adman Allie Cigna. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some peo\u00adple also men\u00adtioned need\u00ading quick and qual\u00adi\u00adty out\u00adfits for con\u00adcerts, Hal\u00adloween, and oth\u00ader spe\u00adcial occasions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think the way we will see the most change in regards to this top\u00adic will be when the cul\u00adture shifts to val\u00adue our envi\u00adron\u00adment and health more than mon\u00adey and mate\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal items. The Unit\u00aded States lives and breathes cap\u00adi\u00adtal\u00adism and the pil\u00adlars of that belief sys\u00adtem direct\u00adly oppose those who val\u00adue sus\u00adtain\u00adabil\u00adi\u00adty and social\u00adly con\u00adscious ini\u00adtia\u00adtives. Until there is a cul\u00adture shift in val\u00adues we will con\u00adtin\u00adue to see this bat\u00adtle between ethics and greed,\u201d said Strapp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While buy\u00ading fast fash\u00adion can seem inevitable, there are still ways to cut down on consumption. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Go Thrift\u00ading<\/strong> <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Shop\u00adping at thrift stores is a fun and easy alter\u00adna\u00adtive to pur\u00adchas\u00ading from fast fash\u00adion com\u00adpa\u00adnies. Accord\u00ading to Cap\u00adi\u00adtal One Shopping\u2019s 2024 Thrift\u00ading Report, \u201c83% of Gen Z con\u00adsumers have either pur\u00adchased or are inter\u00adest\u00aded in sec\u00adond\u00adhand appar\u00adel, 10.7% more than the aver\u00adage for all age groups.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Re-Wear Old Clothes<\/strong> <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Try to end the cycle of end\u00adless con\u00adsump\u00adtion, what eBay calls \u201csin\u00adgle-sea\u00adson wear,\u201d by mix\u00ading and match\u00ading to cre\u00adate new out\u00adfits or sim\u00adply keep\u00ading and actu\u00adal\u00adly wear\u00ading the cloth\u00ading you already own. Amy Ban\u00adner\u00adman, eBay\u2019s Pre-Loved Style Direc\u00adtor, sug\u00adgests dye\u00ading old cloth\u00ading and lay\u00ader\u00ading dif\u00adfer\u00adent pieces to keep your clos\u00adet fresh. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While it might be nice to tell peo\u00adple to shop more sus\u00adtain\u00adably, mar\u00adketers and onlook\u00aders must remem\u00adber the rea\u00adsons why young peo\u00adple turn to fast fash\u00adion. Rel\u00ada\u00adtive to fast fash\u00adion, sus\u00adtain\u00adable fashion\u2019s high price point and non-inclu\u00adsive siz\u00ading just isn\u2019t for every\u00adone \u2014 at least not yet. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Emi\u00adly SharkisFea\u00adture Writ\u00ading Clas\u00ads\u00adApril 7, 2024 In 2024, if you glance around a mall, con\u00adcert hall, or col\u00adlege cam\u00adpus, chances are, you will see at least one piece of fast fash\u00adion cloth\u00ading \u2014 often with\u00adout even know\u00ading it. Accord\u00ading to con\u00adsult\u00ading firm McK\u00adin\u00adsey and Com\u00adpa\u00adny, fast fash\u00adion is defined as arti\u00adcles of cloth\u00ading that are rapidly [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":917,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-written-work","post-preview"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/emily-sharkis-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/emily-sharkis-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/emily-sharkis-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/emily-sharkis-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/917"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/emily-sharkis-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/emily-sharkis-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":118,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/emily-sharkis-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115\/revisions\/118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/emily-sharkis-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/emily-sharkis-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/emily-sharkis-portfolio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Re-Wear Old Clothes<\/strong> <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Go Thrift\u00ading<\/strong> <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Trends Move So Fast<\/strong> <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Green\u00adwash\u00ading<\/strong> <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- It\u2019s Size-Inclu\u00adsive<\/strong> <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n