Mayra J.

Diaz

English IV

Ms. O’Keefe

30 March 2018

Reality behind the Fashion Industry

How is the fashion industry hurting the earth's environment and people? Fashion has been

around for centuries. It has brought color and life into many cultures and societies. The impacts

fashion has on society is, for the most part, obvious - society usually goes along with trends or

their own unique look; however, the downfall of fashion and its production isn't normally taken

into consideration. Some see the negatives of the fashion industry, which is where most

controversies stem from. The points of views regarding the fashion industry all fall in line with

one another: Some think that fashion is a problem worldwide, while others think that fashion is

affecting all different parts of our lives - in all different areas. And still, others believe that the

consumers are the real downfall to this overall fashion dilemma. The fashion industry is

hurting/destroying our environment and leading many to poverty. These different opinions stem

from disagreements about the way fashion is hurting us and how its effects spread over the

nation/worldwide.

Fashion hurting environment

Fashion leads to almost the same amount of pollution that oil does. The amount of

resources it needs to function properly is greatly hurting our environment. POV 1 believes that
fashion is the second greatest polluter next to oil. In an article titled, ​‘It’s the second dirtiest thing

in the world - and you're wearing it,​’ by Glynis Sweeny, states, “... the fashion carbon footprint is

tremendous… A general assessment must take into account not only obvious pollutants — the

pesticides used in cotton farming, the toxic dyes used in manufacturing and the great amount of

waste discarded clothing creates — but also the extravagant amount of natural resources used in

extraction, farming, harvesting, processing, manufacturing and shipping” (1). The production of

fashion is a pollutant that affects everyone and everything (resources) worldwide. One of our

daily essentials is hurting our environment, yet nothing is being done to stop or adjust it. This

reveals that POV 1 believes fashion is a tremendous issue that has effects, not only nationwide,

but worldwide.

POV 2 believes that fashion is affecting all different parts of our lives - in all different

areas.

In a book titled, ‘Clothing Poverty - The Hidden World of Fast Fashion and Second-hand

Clothes.' by Andrew Brooks, states, "Farmers who grow cotton are faced with management

decisions that include seed choices, crop rotations… Proportionally cotton uses a far greater

degree of chemical input than most food crops because there is less concern over consumers'

health… but this can have disastrous impacts on agricultural environments and workers'

well-being" (11-12). The fashion industry is leading to a variety of damages within our lives. It is

affecting people from the in and out - consumers, manufacturers, etc. POV 2 believes that

fashion is destroying our environment, but not only that, our lives and health as well.

POV 3 believes that societies ‘fashion dilemmas' expand through the consumers and that

fashion is becoming more of a problem because of the number of people wanting it. In a book
titled, ​‘Wear No Evil: How to Change the World with Your Wardrobe​,' by Greta Eagan, states,

"Clothing came from a place of necessity… By 2011, the average American was purchasing

sixty-eight new wardrobe items a year - double what we had been purchasing in 1991" (16).

Clothing started as a necessity for people; however, as the years continued, styles emerged,

trends became more up-to-date, and ‘societies norms' shifted, Americans began spending more

and wanting more. We overused a necessity and turned it into a somewhat burden. POV 3

believes that fashion is becoming a burden because of the consumers. It became an

environmental issue because of us, we want more and more. Americans ask for better and bigger,

once one thing becomes worn out/out of style.

Fashion leading to poverty

Fashion is leading many people to poverty. The workers behind our fashion are not

getting paid close to what we are spending for it. These workers do not have rights or minimum

wage, which means that higher corporations take advantage of them and have little to no respect

for their hard work. We are enjoying luxuries that stem directly from dirty corporations. POV 1

focuses on how fashion is affecting our environment; however, they also point out how big

corporations look for countries that will manufacture our clothes for much cheaper than China,

India, etc. In the article titled, ‘It's the Second Dirtiest Thing in the World - And You're Wearing

It,' it states, "​But as production and labor costs rise in China, clothing companies are moving to

countries where manufacturing is cheaper; places like Bangladesh, Vietnam, Pakistan, and the

Philippines” (Sweeny, 1). ​Corporations look for cheaper manufacturers because they do not want

to pay for quality. They want to pay cheap for material and time that is expensive. Further, this
reveals that POV 1 recognizes the dirty corporations and what they’re doing, but does not

explicitly say whether it agrees or disagrees.

POV 2 states what corporations are doing to people in extreme poverty. He also talks

about the difference in prices when sold vs. when bought by big companies. In the book by

Andrew Brooks titled, "​Clothing Poverty: The Hidden World of Fast Fashion and Second-Hand

Clothes,​" he states, "Large jeans alongside other undesirable clothing, like ripped and dirty

garments, are brought by specialist vendors who sell them at a very low price outside of the main

market area to people in extreme poverty… Slow sales and variable quality limit their ability to

profit from the trade and escape poverty" (10-13). Big companies such as Nike, Fruit of the

Loom, H&M, etc. all reflect this poverty problem within working countries. These companies,

and many more, pay little for garments they charge highly for. They are leading people in

poverty, to extreme poverty. These are countries that have nothing and work for little to nothing.

These companies are taking much advantage of these workers and it needs to end. POV 2

believes that these big companies are leading struggling countries and people in poverty to

higher extremes of poverty. Companies only care about the profit and they do not want to pay

high prices for garments because it means less profit.

POV 3 focused on the environmental issues regarding the fashion industry. She provides

a little insight into the poverty behind it as well, but overall she focused on the dangers that

fashion has on our environment. In the book by Greta Eagan titled, "​Wear No Evil: How to

Change the World with Your Wardrobe​," it states, "Today, you can't watch the news without

seeing stories about the sweatshops in Southeast Asia, tragic fires or structural collapses in

unsafe clothing factories, or deadly dyes and unregulated pollution silently seeping their ways
across India and China. Not to mention the lost jobs that have been outsourced to

poverty-stricken children halfway across the globe" (14). Although Eagan focused on the

environmental issues with fashion, she still mentions poverty. Why? Because it is a big issue and

should be addressed more, not only in the U.S but worldwide. Poverty is expanding when it

should be diminishing. This quote reveals how big of a problem poverty is because of the fashion

industry. The fashion industry is leading to poverty, environmental problems/changes, toxin

issues, etc. Our fashion industry continues to grow, which means these issues will grow

alongside it.

How is the fashion industry becoming a problem for the environment and people? The

fashion industry is leading to environmental problems, as well as problems to people. The

previous points of views did not disagree on these issues, but instead, they all correlated with one

another. The various perspectives showed how damaging the fashion industry is becoming and

how it continues to expand worldwide. This controversy cannot resolve itself, without strong

amounts of help and support from a variety of people. It needs to be taken into account more and

publicized in greater amounts, so the nation understands the truth behind these fashion

companies, and the industry itself. There needs to be a change and these big companies need to

stop taking advantage of working countries/people. The industry needs to be stopped and

exposed of their reality, and this controversy needs to come to an end.

Works Cited
Brooks, Andrew. “Clothing Poverty.” ​Google Books​,

books.google.com/books?id=nBBkDgAAQBAJ&lpg=PT5&dq=clothing%2Bfashion%2B

destroying%2Benvironment&lr&pg=PT5#v=onepage&q&f=false.

Sweeny, Glynis. “It's the Second Dirtiest Thing in the World-And You're Wearing It.” ​Alternet​,

www.alternet.org/environment/its-second-dirtiest-thing-world-and-youre-wearing-it​.

“The Apparel Industry's Environmental Impact in 6 Graphics.” ​The Apparel Industry's

Environmental Impact in 6 Graphics | World Resources Institute​,

www.wri.org/blog/2017/07/apparel-industrys-environmental-impact-6-graphics​.

Eagan, Greta. ​Wear No Evil: How to Change the World with Your Wardrobe​. 11 Mar. 2014,

books.google.com/books?id.