Over the last year, I have taken the time to examine my fashion industry purchases. A global pandemic gives you time to think. Do we need the amount of fast fashion we consume? Or are we just feeding into the capitalist agenda?<\/p>\n If you\u2019re like me and have spent the last year in roughly the same five outfits then the short answer is no \u2013 you don\u2019t need a seventh \u00a0<\/sup>\u20ac10 Missguided dress.<\/p>\n The fast fashion industry is one of the biggest pollutants of our time with Wrap.org estimating \u00a3140 million worth of clothing going into landfills each year according.<\/p>\n The fast fashion industry is also extremely cruel with clothing often made using child labour, sweatshops and paying far below minimum wage. Notably – two of the world\u2019s most well-known shops, H&M and Topshop, refused to pay their suppliers at the beginning of the pandemic, meaning thousands of already underpaid garment workers in Bangalore were fired on the spot to cut production costs.<\/p>\n Is this the true price we pay for fast fashion?<\/p>\n The realisation that even when returning items you\u2019re contributing to the wasteful nature of fast fashion hit me like a brick.<\/p>\n If you didn\u2019t know \u2013 a majority of clothing returned by customers to online clothing stores goes straight in the bin! This, \u00a0alongside the cruelty of fast fashion, made me feel sick. What\u2019s the point in recycling, composting, using keep cups and cutting down on buying plastic if we\u2019re still hugely contributing to this industry?<\/p>\n During the pandemic, my love of vintage shops and upcycling has grown.<\/p>\n A cross between reading articles about the cruelty behind fast fashion \u2013 especially when the pandemic hit – and not wanting to indulge in the absolute mania of shops in the time they have been open has led my interests to other areas.<\/p>\n Of course, I\u2019ve still had to head to Penneys to get some socks and pyjamas, but overall I\u2019ve made a conscious effort to watch where I shop.<\/p>\n Numerous \u201cfashion challenges\u201d emerging on social media got me thinking \u2013 what do I have in my closet? It\u2019s been a long while since I\u2019ve had a look through the clothes that I own, and this gave me the opportunity to examine the way I could style different pieces of clothing to change their purpose.<\/p>\n This was the side of insta-bloggers I could get on board with, unlike thousands of Shein hauls which I couldn\u2019t seem to grasp. Even seeing people online using the lockdown time to start up Depop accounts got me inspired!<\/p>\n Depop is the perfect mix of social media and second-hand shops. It allows you to sell \u201cpre-loved\u201d items, follow different accounts and message account holders.<\/p>\n It is the perfect way to offload some of your old clothing, shoes or accessories, and make a bit of cash while you\u2019re at it!<\/p>\n After purchasing a few bits from various sellers, I have enjoyed my Depop experience but of course, buyer and seller beware, as not everyone is as lucky as I have been. I\u2019m even hoping to upload some bits and clear out my closet a bit.<\/p>\n I think the real take away from my pandemic fashion research is that there is no need for the amount of fast fashion we consume. Quality over quantity any day \u2013 no one is going to slag you for re-wearing a dress instead of filling up a landfill just because you can.<\/p>\n So while we\u2019re still in lockdown maybe do a little research and rethink the number of items you have sitting in your basket. It looks like you won\u2019t be needing them, for a while anyway!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.anfocal.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/90987ddb6bd9ce29e02d97fbaea0ce46-240x300.jpg\")
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