4 . Special Offers

6 . As thrift was introduced into mainstream pop culture, young people started going to thrift stores for cheaper, fashionable finds. Gen Z consumers state that sustainability is an important factor while making buying decisions. Many choose to shop for a second-hand or resale item of eco-friendly products. Thrift shopping may have once been on the to-do list of people in poverty. But now a rise in eco-conscious thinking has caused young people to pop to thrift stores.

However, scientists recently have come to realize such trendy sustainable practices could actually be less rosy than expected.

Actually, the root of this sustainability dilemma is not only assessing what you use in your life, but the overconsumption. “Buying piles of second- hand clothing doesn’t help to build a sustainable future or challenge our addiction to shopping whenever we want them,” says Anna Fitzpatrick, a project coordinator at the Sustainable Fashion’s Centre. In some cases, the very existence of second-hand stores can give us a false sense of guiltlessness. Fitzpatrick adds, “we can clear out our entire wardrobe by leaving what we don’t want at a second-hand store with the hope that it’ll be put into good use. Instead of buying less, we trick ourselves into thinking we can shop our way out of the problem by donating again and again.”

While shopping second-hand may seem like fun, or even an adventurous activity for fashion lovers, it’s absolutely essential for people of limited budget. With thrifting reaching new levels of popularity, a great many people are noticing a rise in prices at their local thrift stores. This can influence those who rely on the used market for everyday wear.

“Actually, they aren’t shopping in second-hand shops to be sustainable or cool—they’re doing it out of necessity,” says Fitzpatrick. So, when you walk into a thrift shop or really any store, it’s important to ask yourself whether it is necessary. While buying second-hand used to be economical and sustainable, it’s now about consumption and staying on trend. Just remember, when it comes to your wardrobe, less is more helpful for society and the planet.

8 . The essence (本质) of fast fashion is to make clothes inexpensively and quickly, to get new trends and styles into stores and online as soon as possible, and it comes at a high social and environmental cost. Keeping production costs low means they can make their clothes cheap, using cheap labour in unsafe working conditions, and in countries with bad environmental regulations.

Throw-away culture is deeply rooted in our society; three in five of our clothing pieces are thrown out within a year. Fast fashion brands keep the consumers hungry and feeling like they need more by attracting them with newness and convincing the consumers that they need what they’re selling. This only results in increasing textile waste as people no longer want but throw it away.

Criticisms of the fast fashion industry include its negative environmental impact: water pollution, the use of toxic (有毒的) chemicals and increasing levels of textile waste. Textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of clean water globally, after agriculture. Fast fashion companies rely on their products being made cheaply and quickly, so they avoid talking when it comes to being aware of their impact on the environment. Greenpeace’s recent Detox Campaign showed that many brands use toxic and dangerous chemicals in their supply chains, and many of the chemicals are either banned or strictly controlled in lots of countries.

In conclusion, the fast fashion industry has a bad effect on our environment through fast fashion brands’ ecological practices and only continues to make the problem last for a long time in the future through extreme consumerist culture. In order for change to happen, the common people need to open their eyes and take measures to prevent the fast fashion from growing.