Reasons To Quit Fast Fashion

piles of garbage along a coastline

From watching an exclusive Coachella rehearsal to watching my designs walk down the runway, my passion for fashion has led me to many things. Most recently it’s led me to realize that when it comes to fashion, there is ALOT that I didn’t take into consideration. I never thought about where my clothes go when I’m done with them. I never thought about what happens to all the clothes once we’ve deemed them unworthy of being worn. I never questioned if my castoffs were causing harm, but now that I actually am asking myself these questions I don’t like the answers. Even without the massive impact of fast fashion brands, the fashion industry in general puts so much stress on the environment and depletes valuable resources. That being said, of course the worst offenders of environmental harm in the clothing industry are the brands that use a "fast fashion" model.

So what exactly is fast fashion?

Companies like SHEIN, Temu and Forever 21 sell trendy, low quality garments that can be easily mass produced for minimal cost, which maximizes their profit. They overwhelmingly use synthetic fabrics which results in more microplastics in our water supply and more harmful chemicals being introduced into our bodies and lives. Since the big fashion corporations refuse to address these issues, it’s our responsibility as consumers to force their hand. So if you’re still on the fence about whether or not to click “buy” on that SHEIN haul, keep reading for a few reasons to empty your cart instead.

Child Labor

Most fast fashion brands are making their products in countries that don't have the same child labor laws that we have in the US. This means that companies can take advantage of the lack of protection and exploit children. In addition to long hours, they may also be subjected to working under harsh conditions for very little pay.

High Water Consumption

It takes roughly 700 gallons of water to make 1 shirt and that same amount of water could serve 1 person for 900 days. While it's easy to glaze over that fact when you're living in a place that has plenty of clean drinking water, it's harder to ignore when you consider that around 2.1 billion (yes, BILLION) people don't have access to safe drinking water. And before you go thinking it's a "third world problem" there a places right here in the United States that don't have access to safe drinking water.

rushing water

Soil Degradation

Cotton is grown using large amounts of pesticides, these chemicals not only kill pests, but they also wipe out other beneficial life forms like worms and ants. In addition to the toxic chemicals, there's also the intensive constant growth, which means the soil becomes less fertile over time.

Textile Waste

Over 92 million tons of textile waste is made every year because of the fashion industry. Not only are the cheaply made products being tossed out at a rapid pace, the leftover scraps and fabric bits from making those clothes are also adding to the growing waste issue we have on this planet.

Low Wages

As a way to save money and cut corners many fast fashion brands do their manufacturing outside of the US to avoid dealing with proper working conditions and paying workers a fair wage. This can lead to injury or death when people are crammed into unsafe buildings, not given breaks or meals, and paid little to no money for their efforts.

stacks of coins

Microplastics

Clothes produced by fast fashion are low quality which often means they're made from synthetic materials. When you wash these materials they leach microplatics into our waterways contaminating the water and all the creatures who live in it. Studies have found that even the fish we eat now have microplastics in them, creating a weird circle of synthetic life.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The fashion industry is responsible for around 2% of the global emissions making it the second largest industrial polluter, ranking higher than the air travel industry. From 2022 to 2023 alone there was an almost 8% increase in the level of greenhouse gas emissions because of the rise in production and use of synthetic fabrics. There was another sharp increase from 2024 to 2025 which means that the problem isn't improving.

Zero Corporate Accountability

The biggest reason to quit fast fashion is the fact that these brands know how much harm they're causing and they don't care. They could make substantial changes if they wanted to but it would cost them money and they're not willing to give any amount of profits, especially not in the name of doing the right thing. This is why it's so important to hit them where it hurts-their pockets. The less business they have, the less damage they can do. And with the right amount of pressure they may even be willing to start taking accountability and helping to repair some of the damage they've done.

corporate boardroom

I know it can be hard to change old habits and I know it can be even harder to resist temptation, but we can do hard things! Small shifts in your mindset and little tweaks to your shopping habits can work together to have a big impact, so don't feel like you need to do everything all at once. If you're looking for ways to get started, check out my my blog about sustainable ways to shop for clothes. And if you feel yourself wanting to buy something from Temu or SHEIN refer back here for reasons to just say no ;)

Happy Styling!