Doomsday capitalism forces us to reanalyze fast fashion ethics

Arielle Andrews, Contributing Writer

“None of this will matter when the world ends,” my friend said quietly one evening. 

It was after I had brought up a tweet I saw criticizing the impact of fast fashion on climate change. Fast fashion is the rapid production and marketing of large volumes of clothing to keep up with current trends and increase profit. It usually results in poorly made clothing that ends up in landfills and contributes huge amounts of fossil fuels to the atmosphere. 

“The problem is actually people like Elon Musk,” she continued somberly, “the billionaires will kill us, and I can’t actually afford to resist.”

Unfortunately for us, this pessimism about impending doomsday is repeated frequently with many pointing out capitalism as the reason for their dismay. 2022 was the sixth warmest year on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. If the deposition of fossil fuels into the atmosphere doesn’t cease, it’s only going to get warmer and lead to a disastrous climate response.

Like my friend Alyssa, most believe that major corporations like Amazon or Shein are owed much of the ethical responsibility but, really, the problem of climate change is more complicated than that. 

We know the negative effects of overconsumption on the environment but still choose to shop at fast-fashion sites like Shein. Founded in 2008, Shein rose to prominence during the pandemic after millions lost their jobs. The retailer was known for their cheap prices and even cheaper quality. 

Despite the ethical concerns about labor, racism and environmental impact, Shein was named the most popular brand of 2022. What did shoppers say when they were called out for shopping at Shein? “We can’t afford anything else.”

This is true. 

Wages increased the most in 2021, according to the Peterson Institute for National Economics, but inflation led to dramatic price increases, making wages lower than pre-pandemic. Economists predict that the US will be in a recession later this year. 

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that despite the fact that the top 1% earnings have increased by 226% since 1980, earnings of the middle class have only increased by about 47%. The middle class is shrinking faster than we can keep up. 

The federal minimum wage is still only $7.25 an hour despite CBS News reporting that it should be closer to $26 if it kept up with the economy’s productivity gains. Impoverished Americans aren’t lying when they say they can’t afford to shop ethically. 

An emerging solution to decreased wages and climate change is thrifting or buying second-hand clothing. Purchasing clothes that already exist within the ecosystem cuts down on waste and disrupts the amount of energy production, aka fossil fuels, we inject into the environment. The bonus is it’s more affordable for low-income families.

The problem with this, as is usually the root of any modern-day problem, is capitalism. Once thrifting became popularized, people recognized they could capitalize on it. Thrift stores increased their baseline prices, ecstatic to make a few extra bucks and the landlords of Generation Z, those born in min-to-late 1990’s to the early 2010’s, made their grand entrance. 

Enter Depop, the clothing resale site where users can buy and sell second-hand clothing. Most popular in 2021, Depop fostered a rather dangerous idea. Depop sellers would buy out all of the “good” clothes from thrift stores and resell them for exorbitant prices. They would cite the labor costs of “finding” these pieces of clothing as factoring into the price. 

Are you looking for the perfect sweatshirt to go with your new blue jeans? Don’t worry, the Depop girlies found it first, and they’re willing to sell it to you for 10 times the thrift store price. Aren’t you lucky? 

Ultimately, it would be counterproductive of me to blame young people on Depop trying to make a living for the state of fast fashion. Just as it would be equally useless for me to criticize poor people for shopping at Shein. The obvious enemy is a systemic structure and ideology that prioritizes profit over people. 

People under extreme duress, like poverty or income inequality, should not be criticized for unethical purchasing behavior. When a child is hungry and steals food to eat, we should criticize the systems in place that let a child go without, rather than the child’s “questionable ethics.” 

It is unethical to pay people $7.25 an hour for work which leads to billions of dollars in the company’s pocket and then turn around and reprimand the customer. It is unethical for corporations to cut corners and emit fossil fuels and blame the individual for “choosing” to shop there. It’s been said that there is no ethical consumption under capitalism. 

What is true is that we cannot expect people to make ethical purchasing decisions when we don’t give them the option to. We need to pay people more and provide them with affordable businesses engaging in ethical behaviors. 

Unfortunately, this is near impossible under capitalism, which boosts profit over people. Capitalism needs to be exploitative in order to function the way it is intended. 

So what is the ethical responsibility of the consumer when it comes to fast fashion? 

The consumer should demand a radical transformation. While it is true that wealth is power, so is the power of many. We have to remember there are more of us than there are of them. We have to demand better wages, better working conditions and more sustainable corporate practices. 

When it is possible to do so, speak with our labor, our dollars and our political voice. These are our power and contrary to popular belief, we can afford to resist.