Thrifting versus fast fashion: Why you should choose second hand clothing

Did you know that about 62 percent of people shop at fast fashion shops every month? Fast fashion is the mass production of trendy and affordable clothing which attracts the eyes of young buyers like the Gen-Z population. Shops like SHEIN, Zara, Forever 21 and H&M are all fast fashion industries which not only harm the environment, but also have a negative impact on the employees as well.

The excessive use of water and energy from fast fashion industries causes a negative impact on the environment. The fast fashion industry is the world’s second largest polluter of water requiring about 700 gallons of water to produce one cotton shirt and 2000 gallons of water to produce a pair of jeans. Fast fashion brands also use synthetic fibers like polyester and acrylic which not only take hundreds of years to biodegrade, but are also of very poor quality.

A shop that goes by the name of SHEIN is one of the most popular sources of fast fashion clothing, having approximately 88 million active users globally. SHEIN not only contributes to the large amount of water and energy usage, it has also been proven that they severely mistreat their workers, some of their workers being children. In 2023 there were two cases admitting SHEIN’s use of child labor followed by several more in 2024.

Some people might continue to argue that fast fashion is a reliable source because of their affordability and trendy clothing. Many fast fashion brands keep their prices low and are able to because of the cheap materials they use. This makes keeping up with the latest clothing trends financially accessible to a wide variety of people.

¨Whenever you need something cheap and quick it’s easier to rely on fast fashion sites,” said junior Kori Rogers.

But there are many other alternatives when it comes to finding good clothing, like thrifting. Thrifting is actively buying or selling used and pre-owned goods, typically from thrift stores. Thrifting is an eco-friendly choice because it gives used items a second life, this reduces the amount of energy and water being wasted.

¨You can never really go wrong with thrifting, especially when you’re looking for a good quality statement top,” said junior Savannah Spencer. Thrifting not only provides cheap clothing, it can provide better quality than the synthetic fibers used in fast fashion companies.

In short, fast fashion industries are a main cause of many problems in today’s society. Although alternatives such as thrifting can’t solve all the problems, buying second hand clothing could be a small stepping stone to a better future. So whether you want to look classy or simple, consider thrifting as an option and dress your best for less.