The fashion industry is extremely crazy. There is always something new being revealed from the deep and dark corners of the fashion world. We have all heard something scandalous popping up on the news or on social media about it at least once in our lifetime. A lot of really known brands have had controversies and scandals about how ethical- or unethical- their clothing is. They either were put on blast because of how their workers are treated badly, how the employees are underpaid, or how hash the working conditions in third world countries where they are located are. Regardless, the fashion industry is slowly changing because of how this generation responds to cancel culture.
Fast fashion is one of the biggest controversies of this generation. Some people prefer fast fashion because although it may be unethical, it is a lot more affordable than shopping at malls or big brands. Websites like SHEIN and Fashion Nova allow people to shop for clothing at lower prices. However, these brands often come up on the news. They are exposed for underpaying their employees, using children and forcing them to do child labor, or for lying about the products that they are selling. A lot of the bad things that they try covering up with glitter and sequences, end up coming to light, and it takes a toll on the amount of purchases that their customers continue to make.
A lot of people are coming to the realization that even though fast fashion is easy on the pockets and don’t hurt bank accounts like well known brands, there is still the unethical concept to think of. Many people have decided to purchase from small businesses and support their upbringing. When this started to happen, fast fashion industries began to create items like purses and crop tops in order to fool people and convince them to come back to their websites rather than buying the items somewhere else. It is often very hard to tell the difference between crochet and knitting. Not many people pay attention to how the stitch work looks and how it needs different techniques. Most of the time people think they are the same thing. However, unlike crochet, knitting doesn’t always have to be by hand. You can machine knit something, and it will look just like a hand made piece of work.
It doesn’t stop there though. Some of these companies are literally copying small business owners and their work. They are ripping them off and creating the exact same things, except they are selling this projects and items at a lower cost in order to attract more customers than the small businesses. The amount of unethical rules these companies break is incredible. They sometimes even post the work of the small business owners. They don’t even bother taking their own pictures for their websites nor credit where they find the pictures. They just act as if it is all theirs and don’t credit the owners.
As a small business owner, I feel for them. I try my best to provide unique pieces for my customers. I work hard to come up with new ideas and new designs for my clothing pieces. It’s hard swimming with bigger fish and sharks, but I manage to survive and keep my loyal customers happy. Like I said though, I do feel for the small businesses who are not receiving the credit they deserve.
Buying from small businesses can cost a good amount. The only reason why is because we have to charge for the materials, the tools, the time it takes to make the pieces, and sometimes even fees. The fees come from booths at pop up markets, or the fees for selling on websites like Etsy, or even fees for advertisement on social media. It leaves little room for us to charge for our time. Often, creators don’t charge the minimum wage for themselves because the prices of the creations are already too high. In my case, I don’t mind because I love to crochet and seeing people happy and excited about my work makes me happy. It all ends up adding up in the end for me, but other creators and business owners are not as lucky as I am, and they suffere from profit losses because of fast fashion.
Together, we can stop this. We can out an end to the unethical fast fashion companies and support small businesses at the same time! Next time you think about purchasing a new outfit or accessory, think twice before purchasing from a company that does fast fashion. Consider the idea of maybe buying from a local small business. They put their heart and soul into every little thing they create just for you. They care about providing excellent work and with good materials.
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