Fast Fashion | Fatal Conveniences™

Trends come and go in the blink of an eye. Fast fashion is a way to keep up with those trends. The clothes are cheap, easy to find and come in every color of the rainbow. It makes it easy to afford a different outfit for every day of the week if you wish. But at what cost? This fast fashion is endangering our health, the health of the planet and the dignity of workers all over the world. WELCOME TO Fatal Conveniences™. The average person buys 60% more clothing than they actually need. Ever walk by a store window or get an ad that pops up on your social media and think “oh that’s nice and cheap, I’ll buy it”? Yeah, we all have. I’m even guilty of that, in my younger days anyway. Maybe you wear the outfit once or twice, and then it sits in your closet for years. Or you toss it out and it sits in a landfill for years. The point is: cheap, trendy clothes are not a good thing. Have you ever wondered why fast fashion is so affordable? Those trendy outfits at the mall are cheap because companies are outsourcing cheap labor. And by cheap labor, I mean exploiting workers by not paying them a fair, or livable, wage. Remember, you vote with your dollars. So when you’re buying fast fashion from companies screwing over their workers, you’re supporting that. But wait, there’s more. The fashion industry is one of the biggest sources of pollution on our planet! It takes 7500 liters of water to produce one pair of jeans. I mean, come on! And all those cheap materials are full of toxins that are terrible for your body and your health. Remember that anything with chemicals off-gas, so not only are those toxins soaking into your skin, you’re breathing them in as well. There is a better way, guys. You can say no to those fast fashion gimmicks and go old-school. Shop at consignment shops, buy vintage. Make your own clothes, patch up your old ones. I’m in the market for a sewing machine myself so I can do just that!  You don’t need a closet full of cheap clothes, and neither do your kids. Support fashion companies that practice ethical business methods, pay their workers a fair wage and use sustainable, clean fabrics. It’s time to slow down this fast fashion craze. BREAKDOWN [00:01:27] What is “fast fashion”? [00:02:38] The origin story of fast fashion [00:04:16] Buying clothes you don’t need [00:05:29] What fast fashion is doing to our planet [00:07:27] How to break the fast fashion cycle LINKS Investopedia- Fast Fashion CBC- Fast Fashion Chemicals 2019 Study on the State of Fashion Ready to Waste: America’s Clothing Crisis Download Episode Transcript Here I really hope you enjoyed this episode of The Darin Olien Show! If you want to support or follow the podcast, here's how: Subscribe, rate or listen on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher Follow my Instagram to keep updated on the podcast, weekly deep dives and other projects that I'm supporting (and the occasional Chaga appreciation post) Sign up for my weekly Fatal Conveniences™ Email to get topic breakdowns & solutions delivered straight to your inbox. For feedback or suggestions, email my team at info@darinolien.com Find the list of brands & products that get the big tick of approval from me here. Comment below to join the discussion!