A representation of personal identity, fashion is intimately intertwined with the human experience. As social values and beliefs evolve, culture and society undergo changes that are reflected in new trends. For many individuals, acquiring new clothes can represent a thrilling transformation of character. As the foundation of identity and consumerism, fashion occupies a central position in our lives, and the pressures associated with dressing in the latest fashion trends are often related to the human need for belonging. Feeling the pressure to fit in can be particularly common among college students who feel compelled to conform to avoid being seen as “different.”
Reinforcing the idea that repeating outfits is a fashion faux pas, the anxiousness about belonging and social confirmation could push students to buy new items and throw away the old. This seasonal turnover of wardrobes exemplifies how people may subject themselves to social norms, a concept that seems to have been highly amplified by the rise of social media. Though fashion is a means of self-expression, the idea that we always need to have the newest wardrobe intertwines expression with materialism, an attitude that has caused many to constantly crave for new content.
The “wear it once” culture this mentality has given rise to is detrimental to the environment in various ways. First, to answer the fashion industry’s need for wood pulp to create fabrics like rayon and viscose, 70 million tons of trees are cut down each year, according to the Columbia Climate School, and this number is expected to double by 2034. A 2017 investigation linked fashion brands like Zara and H&M to highly polluting viscose factories in China, India and Indonesia. As a plant-based fiber, viscose is not inherently bad for the environment, but because of the quickly growing fast fashion industry, a large part of the viscose on the market is manufactured cheaply using energy, water and chemically intensive processes that have devastating impacts on the environment, workers and local communities. In addition to speeding the deforestation of some of the world’s endangered forests, the manufacture of viscose also releases many toxic chemicals into the air and waterways of the surrounding factory regions. Not only are the materials used by fast fashion brands harmful to the environment, they simultaneously have a detrimental impact on local communities and biodiversity.
Used by Shein, ASOS, Uniqlo, Forever 21 and more, polyester is the most common material of the fast fashion industry. The Columbia Climate School reports that approximately 65 percent of all clothing uses polyester, consuming 70 million barrels of oil each year. It is a thread made from plastic, which does not break down and can’t be recycled, which creates a massive plastic waste problem. Though climate action has diminished the use of fossil fuels, oil industries are still making profit because of the fashion industry’s endless demand for polyester. Companies, including New Look and Next, are reported to inadvertently help fund Russia’s war on Ukraine by using polyester made from Russian oil, per Forbes. The fashion industry is the second largest industrial polluter after aviation, accounting for 10 percent of global pollution, emitting the equivalent of five billion tonnes of CO2 annually. In 2018, this resulted in more greenhouse gas emissions than the carbon produced by France, Germany and the UK all together, according to the Columbia Climate School.
With the rising awareness that much of the fast fashion industry is not sustainable, the resale market is growing and many people are making some money back, per the Harvard Business Review. The clothes are given a new life instead of simply being thrown away. Nevertheless, Fashion United reports that less than one percent of clothing is recycled to make new clothes. Synthetic fibers are made of polymers — long chains of chemically linked molecules — and the washing and wearing of clothing shortens and weakens these polymers. By the time a garment is discarded, the polymers are too short to turn into a strong new fabric. Of the 100 billion garments that are produced each year, per TheRoundup, as much as 92 million tons of clothing end up in landfills. While clothes made from natural fabrics like cotton and linen may degrade in just a few weeks, synthetic fabrics can take up to 200 years to break down, and as they do, they produce methane, a powerful global warming greenhouse gas.
It seems to me that college students in particular are caught in a cycle of frequent buying. Wanting to stay current with trends but also express their individuality, with the constraints of limited budgets, college students become susceptible targets for the fast fashion industry. Since the manufacturers responsible for these cheap items produce them in excess to meet the demands of consumers, the only viable solution to this cycle of materialism seems to be for buyers to be conscious about their participation in the fashion industry.
There has been a positive shift in mentality with regard to the “wear it once” culture that has come in recent years, as more people have become interested in the sustainable future of fashion. People are becoming increasingly aware of the impacts of fast fashion and unhealthy habits within the fashion industry. There is less of a desire to conform to trends and instead a growing desire to express individuality with unique pieces that cannot be found in stores with mass-produced items. As such, thrifting and repurposing old clothes has become popular over the years. In a world increasingly conscious about its environmental and ethical impact, people are trying to make better choices and prioritizing sustainability. Even with important fashion events like fashion week, people — including celebrities — are fighting the stigma that old means uncool by layering different thrifted finds or wearing archival looks on red carpets. Swapping and sharing clothes is another way in which people are working towards building a healthier and friendlier relationship with the environment. These more viable options focus on style rather than trend, bringing fashion back to its true essence and reminding people that it is not just about the garment, but rather how you wear and style them. After all, clothes are only fabric until they are given meaning.
