Fast Fashion has earned a reputation for being socially, ethically, and environmentally detrimental, as it fosters a culture of overconsumption, exploitative labour practices, and environmental degradation. With increasing awareness to the dangers of fast fashion I have taken time to reflect on my own shopping habits. My shopping habits have never been so bad such that an item sits unworn in my closet with the tags still on, but every couple of weeks (or days) I wander into a store and see if anything catches my eye. If I do buy something I wear that item so much afterwards in turn leaving the other pieces of clothing, which I once cherished to lie untouched for months. How do I escape this cycle of consumerism?

Consumerism is a theory that believes the consumer's interests are paramount to a business transaction. Historically, these interests were limited to basic needs, such as food and water, and conveniences that bring pleasure, such as a taxi ride. But the rise of fast fashion points to interests of a deeper desire. Consuming items that are beyond our basic needs and don’t bring pleasure taps into our desire to feel attractive, have an identity, and create social importance. The choice of a Ralph Lauren sweater over one from Uniqlo is to feed the unspoken desire for attention, and how does one ever relinquish that desire? At what point does the consumer’s interests turn from their own into the interests of the public?

To answer the first question, my way of combating my own desire to consume has been to allow myself to buy things only if it was second hand. This seems a bit like cheating, but it works to combat the environmental impact that fast fashion and its tendency to force consumers into an atmosphere where current trends are dominating the shelves. It allows me to continue to enjoy the shopping experience without directly supporting unethical fast fashion practices. Shopping more second hand for everyone I believe truly is best as it forces consumers to think about what they prefer to purchase, not what an ad prefers, finding that I choose pieces which are a bit more timeless.

In answering the second question I am reminded of Aristotle as he describes human nature: “Man is either a political animal (the natural state) or an outcast like a bird which flies alone.” The desire to buy a certain item of clothing to align with those around you is not a frivolous desire and should not be seen as such. If it fits into your budget and it is done sustainability then there is no issue to the buying of new clothes. I think that mind set switch also made my experience with shopping easier. I no longer felt guilty that I needed another pair of boots. Yes, wellies are a valid buy if you live in Scotland for 4 years.

Each purchase feels like a more a deliberate choice, weighed not just by the appeal of the item but the benefits it brings. There is no use harping over past guilt of over-consuming but to simply change to a new way of shopping and looking at clothes. Whether that be borrowing from your friends, hitting up a charity shop, or just waiting another week to see if the shoes are really what you want. These small changes of thinking and habit greatly improved my relationship to shopping and helped curb my overconsumption of fast fashion.