Reality Check: How Fast Fashion Became Everyone’s Guilty Pleasure

Coming from a nuclear family, the highlight of every summer was travelling to Thrissur to meet my mother’s side of the family. Once Appapan (grandfather) had sliced up the last of the season’s Alphonso mangoes, we were instructed to go wash our hands – no sticky fingers near the pile of clothes we were about to rummage through. Sifting through heaps of  hand-me-downs my cousins had outgrown, ten-year-old Kripa never could grasp what’s so terrible about a few clothes smelling like mangoes. 

I remember a maroon sequined lehenga choli I once inherited from my elder cousin sister, wore that for every reception for the next two years until I passed it on to the next rightful owners. Rewearing was an instinctual habit. Now this instinct is replaced by the need to own more, newer, and now. 

When Algorithms change

Brands have mastered the art of manufacturing FOMO, making you feel like you aren’t good enough unless you buy that new dressor jacket. Capitalising on this very fear of missing out has been the winning strategy for many. Fast fashion can simply be termed as a by-product when consumerism conspires with capitalism to meet the profit margin, all fuelled and greased perfectly by trend driven fashion.  

India now aims to reach $3.5 billion in projected market value of the textile recycling sector by 2030, said the Ministry of Textiles. Driven by the rise of sustainable trends, now social media too has a dedicated section for fast fashion solutions. From direct-to-consumer thrift shops to 10 ways to style your ajrakh scarf, it’s safe to say that netizens too now understand the importance of sustainability and upcycling. 

Be your own couturier

If 20 years ago, people practiced rewearing and recycling intentionally to cut corners, today the environmentally conscious youth are intentionally choosing it. Much like the fashion creators on Instagram who upcycle their grandma’s kancheevarams into corseted lehangas. Garnering millions of views, these bytes are a promising step forward in the sustainability game. 

If the threads and needles intimidate you, fret not! You don’t need to be a master tailor to give your wardrobe a second life; all you need is some imagination and creativity. From making mats out of braided old ikat dupattas to trying some eco-printing, the patterns you create will be one of a kind, exclusively yours!

Then my wallet thanked me

The first and most important economics principle I mugged up in high school was that – “wants are unlimited”.  Walking by Hill Road, eyeing the nth black tank top, the urge to own one more feels almost instinctive. But perhaps one might only effectively tackle fast fashion when we as consumers push back against this same very principle. Understanding the thin silver line between a want and a need is also rather powerful here.

One thing I have learned from mix-matching and swapping sarees and blouses in my Catholic girls’ hostel is that tackling fast fashion is not just what’s best for our planet; it’s a practical and economical choice on a personal level. It extends your wardrobe and community five yards longer every time! 

First time’s not the charm

Like the much-infamous saying above suggests, patience is key! Wait to find your balance. Do your research, understand what works for you, steadily start implementing, and introspect. How does it feel to be away from the corporate machine that exhales oxides and carbons? A recent Deloitte study stated that the textile sector contributes to about 3.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Over 99 percent of materials are sourced conventionally and then discarded or landfilled.

Still holding on to the faintly mango scented maroon lehenga choli, I’m reminded that sustainability is not a new age concept we just discovered. It has long been woven with our culture at grassroot levels. Today, social media is a powerful amplifier of this very culture. Louder it gets, the better.