Break the Cycle: How to Shop Sustainably in The Age of Fast Fashion

Those lucky enough to attend college know it is a period of life full of challenges, especially in today’s society with the influence of social media. One of the biggest, most recent challenges college students have begun to face, is learning how to keep up and navigate the rapid change in fashion trends and doing it without giving in to fast fashion. With the great influence of social media, fashion trends are changing rapidly and most college students follow and rely on social media influencers to know the latest fashion trends. The hold of fast fashion’s grip on college campuses is undeniable and while the allure of trendy clothes at bargain prices may seem great, our planet is paying a much larger price. 

As we live in the age of social media, the lifespan of fashion trends has become very short, going in and out of style at rapid paces and allowing fast fashion brands to have an incredible grip on those trying to keep up with them. Navigating sustainable shopping has become more difficult than ever, especially on a college student's budget. But fear not my college student fashionistas, I have mastered the ways of sustainable shopping and thinking on a budget and am here to help cultivate a stylish wardrobe that is both kind to the wallet and the planet. 

Here I have listed five pieces of advice to craft a sustainable & stylish wardrobe:

1. Avoid Fast Fashion:

One of the biggest pieces of advice I give to potential and current college students is to avoid fast fashion at all costs. While I know buying an $8 shirt may seem like a great deal at the time, I guarantee you, it will last you maybe four wears if that, and a very low price tag comes at a high cost. Most fast fashion brands use cheap, synthetic fabrics such as polyester to produce their clothing, which contributes to water pollution, and microplastic waste, and releases greenhouse gasses, which is overall, increasing our carbon footprint. In addition, fast fashion corporations use incredibly unethical labor practices, often relying on sweatshops, where workers face unfair wages, unsafe working conditions and incredibly long hours. That cute new $8 top purchased, most likely comes with a side of exploitation.

To put this into perspective, here are some (not so) fun facts about the fashion industry:

• The fast fashion industry releases approximately 1.2 billion tons of potent greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide every year, calling for the increase of global warming.

• The fashion industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions and 20% of water waste.

• The fashion industry is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply, following agriculture. 

• Garment workers work 14-16 hours a day, 7 days a week, that is 96 hours a week, just to make around $40 a month.

2. Thrifting is Gifting:

Thrifting is one of the best ways to shop for unique, trendy pieces, without hurting our planet or abusing garment workers. All fashion trends are circular, meaning every old trend always comes back in style at some point, so might as well find the rare, vintage pieces no one else will have. Thrift shops and antique stores are truly hidden treasure chests waiting to be explored. I have found some of the coolest, most unique, high-quality pieces of clothing at thrift stores at cheap price points. For my Contemporary Issues in Fashion course, I had the opportunity to interview the manager of 3fifteen, a local thrift shop on the Syracuse campus. I learned many things about the second-hand clothing industry and learned most thrift stores choose to donate their profits to those in need. 3fifteen donates all proceeds to The Rescue Mission, a non-profit organization founded in Syracuse, New York. Thrifting not only gives back to the planet, but it can also help those struggling to survive.

Some of my favorite thrift stores, other than 3fifteen near my university, Syracuse University, include:

• The Cherry Pit Collective

• The Salvation Army

• Thrifty Shopper

• Goodwill

My favorite online thrift stores:

• Depop

• Poshmark

• Grailed

• eBay

3. Quality over Quantity:

One of the most important things I have learned while studying fashion design at Syracuse University is to shop with the mindset of ‘quality over quantity.’ After working with both expensive and cheap materials, fabrics or textiles, in multiple fashion classes, I can confidently say that quality matters. Clothing produced with quality fabrics will last immensely longer than a cheap shirt sold within the $5-$25 price point. With the ‘quality over quantity’ mentality, cultivating a long-lasting, timeless, fashionable wardrobe will happen in no time. 

4. Borrow, Swap, or Rent:

Some other fun, sustainable ways to spice up a wardrobe are borrowing clothes from friends, organizing a clothing swap or trying out clothing rental platforms such as Nuuly or Rent The Runway. Borrowing clothes from friends is not only a free way to experiment with different styles, but it reduces overall clothing consumption and usually strengthens friendships, as long as the clothing is given back afterward. Another fun, sustainable and inexpensive way to find new clothing items is through a clothing swap. Clothing swaps are a fun way to refresh one’s closet while giving other clothes that may be collecting dust in said closet, a breath of new life. Finally, one good thing social media has brought to the fashion industry is clothing rental companies. There are so many ways to shop sustainably, but these are just some of my favorite ways!

5. Break the Trend Following Cycle:

As a college student in today’s society, one of the biggest challenges I have faced is learning how to break the trend-following cycle and embracing my own, unique fashion sense. Figuring out what I truly like to wear instead of simply trying to keep up with the ever-changing fashion trends, has allowed me to stop buying into fast fashion and instead, invest in long-lasting pieces I will forever cherish. Every person in this world has a unique sense of fashion and I believe that embracing it allows for less overconsumption of clothing, and brings more one-of-a-kind styles to the spotlight. 

The fashion industry is the third most polluting industry on this planet but with the help of new shopping mentalities, we can save this planet. Remember that every trend comes back in style, so try thrifting a unique and rare piece of clothing instead of buying the exact top all the influencers have. College is a period of change, and learning to embrace my own unique sense of fashion was one of the best changes I ever made. I hope that if there is anything taken away from this article, it is that there is no point in following a trend and buying into fast fashion because at the end of the day, our planet is hurting and only we have the ability change that.