The pitfalls of fast fashion

Everything is getting ‘fast’ — food, communication, transport and what not.

- Subhasis Ray & Srijoni Das

Fast fashion is the latest buzzword that refers to fast production of inexpensive clothing following the latest trends. The materials used in fast fashion are chosen primarily for their low cost, ease of manufacture and ability to mimic more expensive fabrics - the ‘look’ part of ‘look and feel’. Synthetic fibres like polyester and nylon are petroleum-based products that allow producing cheap, durable and stretchy garments but are skin unfriendly, non-biodegradable and shed microplastics in water systems during each wash. Among other types, acrylic is an ersatz for natural and more expensive wool and elastane or spandex based lycra provides comfort when blended with natural fibres like cotton, linen or silk. Mixed fabrics like polycotton, viscose or rayon, generally, outperform natural fibres in retaining the shape apart from cost advantage but often require chemical-heavy processing. These fibres not only leave a heavy carbon footprint during their production cycle or the supply chain, they create a greater negative impact on disposal. The fashion industry accounts for about 10% of the world’s pollution, second only to the oil industry. Fast fashion accounts for about 10% of global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined! The industry produces over 92 million tons of textile waste a