"THE PRICE OF FITTING IN"

How the attempt at being fashion forward affects the world

No one hates buying new clothes right?

Especially when we feel like we have nothing to wear, which is almost every day.

Ever thought that how, in spite of having a closet full of clothes, we see nothing useful?

Swarali Deshmukh , a good friend of mine, made quite an impression wearing a high-neck crop top—she had bought three of them in different colors. However, after realizing the true cost of purchasing these tops, her perspective shifted. When I asked her about the economics & stories behind the pricing, her response fascinated me.

I already had one crop top in white, and I loved it. It was trendy, so I bought three more in different colors.

The tops are made from Lycra, a stretchable and durable fabric.

It's so durable that, when these tops go out of trend and end up in landfills, they will stay there.

Lycra is a fabric that takes up to 20 years to decompose.

While this fabric is being made, it requires chemicals like solvents, dyes, and a LOT of water which gets polluted and is then released into water bodies.

I will probably wash and reuse each of those tops for about 30-35 times in a year. Or maybe more than that. Every time I wash it, it will release Micro-plastics into the water.

Conclusion?

I am contributing to 10% of the climate change. Right here, by sitting in my room, wearing clothes that I bought with my own money.

You all have seen the downfall of skinny jeans after the lockdown. That is the fate of these crop tops as well.

On a random Monday morning, a random fast fashion clothing brand is going to decide that crop tops are outdated. And just like that, hundreds and thousands of girls like me are going to throw these out for “New trendy Pieces “.

The tendency of youth to be up-to-date and follow the latest trends is exploited by fast fashion clothing companies. There is no problem in being trendy, the problem lies in the rate at which these trends are changing. Big-shot fast fashion companies launch almost 20-24 collections per year. That means that trends change every 15-20 days.

More collection launches > frequent changes in trends > more sales > more profits

More negative environmental impacts as well.

As we have seen what happens to the clothes after we buy it, it is just as important to consider where our clothes come from. Even a simple crop top goes through stages, there are many people and phases and machines and factories that lead to the production of such clothes.

The fast fashion industry prioritizes trendiness over durability. Thus, the clothes are deliberately designed with a limited lifespan. The material used is cheap. Low cost Labor available in developing countries is exploited for fast production.

Unfair wages, labor exploitation, textile waste, water pollution everything leads to production of cheap but trendy piece of clothing only to end up in landfills after a couple of months.

Not trying to guilt trip you something (maybe I am), but

Next time you strike a pose, consider the unseen hands behind your stylish outfit. There are women who toiled tirelessly, often without fair pay, to bring that trendy top to your wardrobe. Their overtime hours and underpaid labor are the hidden costs of fast fashion. By fueling the demand for cheap, trendy pieces, we unknowingly encourage this cycle of exploitation.

But here's the thing: our choices have far-reaching consequences. The exploitation of workers, the pollution of our environment, and the degradation of our resources are all interconnected. From the vegetables we eat to the water we drink, from the fruits we savor to the sunscreen we apply, every aspect of our lives is linked. Our daily choices can either harm or heal.

Fast fashion industry has made us believe that we need a new garment for everything. Gone are days when each and every garment in our wardrobe used to tell a story. May it be a purse that your sister got you from her first salary, or a really good pair of shoes from your dad on your birthday.

Fashion had a meaning. It had sentimental value. It was sustainable, enjoyable and it really connected us with everything that we own. Clothes back then represented the love and effort that was put by the people. It represented a life of thousands of people whom you are helping just by buying what they made. Trends were still there, but they weren’t our whole life. ?

Now you might have understood that the cheap clothes that we buy actually cost us more. It costs us memories, our relationship with what we buy, true value of spending.

It costs us our environment, our fabrics, our water bodies, our health and our physical well-being.

There is always a space for change J by doing certain things and by not doing certain things, we can play our part in this journey.

What can we do to actually make a change?

I certainly won't be throwing these tops. Being bought in an Indian household they will surely be reused, remade, and re stitched.

1)? Buy less: Yes the top you got in white looks good, it will look good in black too. But no, you don’t need that exact same top in crimson red and olive green and baby pink.

You don’t need each and every color in your wardrobe. Please.

2) Buy less often: try and make every purchase you have special. Buy stuff on your special occasions rather than buying it just because it is trendy. Trends are overrated. ?

3) Reuse: this is the chance for you to be the most Indian you will ever be! We Indians never throw out stuff. It’s either donated or is reused until each and every thread is useless. Hop on the traditions rather than on trends this time;)

4) Normalize repeating clothes: Don’t let the social media fool you. Just because Sarah from Instagram is wearing something new every day doesn’t mean you have to too! Clothes are meant to be reused.

5) Donate: Your closet clean-out can be someone's blessing. There are those who desperately need what you no longer want.

Conclusion

As I sit here, looking at my new crop tops, I'm reminded of the heartbreaking truth behind fast fashion. The exhausted hands that stitched them, the polluted waters that dyed them, and the devastated lives that made them possible.

Every thread tells a story of exploitation, waste, and suffering. In a way, it reflects our values, our influence, and what we have become through time. Do we truly want to wear the weight of someone's struggle on our shoulders?

The polluted water is going to end up ruining my health and yours. That too in more than one way. It is going to affect the rivers and the vegetation that I & all of you will eventually consume.

Let's break free from the cycle of trend-driven consumption and choose compassion. Let's buy less, reuse more, and donate with love. Every choice we make has the power to heal or harm.

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