4 Shocking Things You Don’t Know About Your Favorite Fashion Brands

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Guest post by Amber of Feel Good Swim

Do you shop at Forever 21, Zara, Fashion Nova, or H&M? Ever bought a new pair of jeans for less than $25? You might just stop those shopping habits after reading this post. Check out 4 shocking things you don’t know about your favorite fashion brands to help you minimize your wardrobe this year and become a more ethical shopper.

Last year was the year sustainable fashion really made a name for itself on the main stage. But many people still don’t know what “sustainable” or “ethical” fashion is.

We are surrounded by big retailers and brands that are able to churn out trends on dime.

These brands have come to be known as fast fashion and they’re what many typically end up purchasing because of the quick trends and cheap prices.

That’s exactly where the term “fast fashion” hails from.

Have you ever wondered how new styles seem to magically appear on shelves week after week at prices less than your cell phone bill?

That is fast fashion’s bread and butter – their livelihood.

But I can almost bet that you’ve never thought of what it takes to meet those weekly deadlines or what happens to the clothes when people don’t buy.

Let’s dive into 4 shocking things you don’t know about your favorite fashion brands.

1.    Fast fashion brands are often tied to factories that pay workers illegibly low wages

One of the most surprising of the 4 shocking things you don’t know about your favorite fashion brands is that they pay workers extremely low wages. The most recent example of this is the new PR nightmare that’s come out for Fashion Nova. They are a notoriously large “Instagram brand” that lives up to those weekly new styles.

The founder of the company was quoted in the New York Times saying “[it’s online customers] need to buy a lot of different styles and probably only wear them a couple of times so their Instagram feeds stay fresh.” Sounds like the opposite of quality over quantity.

To keep this constant stream of clothing alive, the Fashion Nova team then gives customers new items “priced to sell.” For example, a pair of jeans on their website is often seen to be as low as $25!

A price this low for a pair of denim is an immediate red flag.

In that same New York Times article, the journalist covered all angles of the case – including perspectives of several of the garment workers that have sewn Fashion Nova clothing.

In L.A., these workers were found to be making as low as $2.77 per hour! Obviously, much lower than minimum wage.

Often times, these workers weren’t even paid. The factories (often subcontractors) tied to Fashion Nova have accrued millions in back wages.

There is only one way to offer jeans at a retail price of $25.

When this happens, there is no way that garment workers are paid fairly.

Think about it: how does Fashion Nova, it’s sample partner, and the subcontractors all make enough money to pay any one off of $25? (See the cost breakdown in this post.)

It’s important to arm ourselves to better spot these red flags and make a stand for the treatment of others.

2.    Factories often do not meet minimum safety standards

Although sustainability and ethical practices are getting more attention than they have in recent years, there are still factories where worker safety isn’t a priority.

Often, big brands push for cheaper production. The factories want to keep their business, so they’ll do what they can to eliminate costs.

Building maintenance is often thrown to the wayside and many workers are often in unsanitary working conditions.

Here’s is a classic example that’s often used when discussing garment worker safety and rights: the 2013 collapse of the Rana Plaza, a garment factory in Bangladesh.

This was an event that shook the fashion industry and led to enormous outcry.

Over 1,100 people were killed and another 2,500 were injured – it is the worst accident in fashion history.

There were five garment factories in the plaza all producing garments for well-known western brands.

These factories aren’t just in developing countries. As you can see in the Fashion Nova example, they are right here in the U.S. as well.

3.    Workers are often subjected to physical and verbal abuse

The pressure of quick turnaround and ever decreasing profit margins has led to toxic environments for many women in garment factories.

Women are often physically and verbally abused to meet unrealistic turnaround expectations from underbid production contracts. More often than not, cases of abuse go unreported due to the fear of retaliation.

Even the brands you love can be directly linked to this kind of treatment.

A report in October cited that many workers making Lululemon clothing are harassed and beaten for even the slightest offense – feeling sick, needing to leave work early, or not working fast enough.

4.    Fast fashion is bad for the environment

And on top of all this, fast fashion is terribly bad for the environment.

In 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated textile waste to be 16 million tons – 69% more than in 2000.

Of that, about 10 million tons made their way to landfills. According to Fashion Revolution, that’s 30 times as heavy as the Empire State Building.

Of those textiles, you can bet clothing makes up a significant portion.

When you decide to purge your closet, you’re probably creating a stack of clothes to be taken to your nearest donation center.

And while doing it, you’re thinking that you’re doing a service to your community.

Of course, donating is definitely better than just throwing your clothes away, but donation centers can only take so much inventory.

And if the clothes are just not proper for resell or if they don’t sell at all, they get taken to the landfill – which ends up being a tremendous amount of clothes.

Clothes being thrown out often meet one of these criteria:

• They’re ripped and/or have holes
• Garment structure has worn out
• Quality of the garment is poor overall
• They’re no longer stylish and don’t pass the next season’s trend test
• You’re bored of them

If you’re going to buy that $10 dress shirt from H&M, you have to stop and wonder what it’s made with and how it was made.

Have you ever washed a blouse from one of these shops and then taken the blouse out only to realize that somehow the seams have come completely undone?

Plain and simple, fast fashion isn’t meant to last.

And when it inevitably doesn’t, it goes to the landfill. Hence fast fashion’s nick name, “landfill fashion.”

So how do you become a better shopper?

Stay tuned, I’ll be sharing quick tips (next week here at Literally Simple!) on how to implement better shopping habits.

You may also find these posts helpful:

6 Clothing Items I Don’t Buy

Why Every Woman Should Create a Uniform

5 Essentials for a Fall Capsule Wardrobe

Join the Discussion

What is the most surprising thing you learned about the fashion industry? How might this change your shopping habits?

Author

Amber Rankin is the founder of Feel Good Swim. She is on a mission to create swimwear that chesty women will love and adore. Being well endowed herself, she understands the pains of finding anything that is both attractive and supportive. Join her and other chesty ladies in arms on the journey to the best swimwear you’ve ever purchased.

Instagram: @feelgoodswimwear

Join the journey: https://beta.feelgoodswim.com/launch/