The modern world is filled with consumerism in every possible area. The fashion industry is one of the fields that is consumerism saturated the most. People live in societies where the idea of paying for or buying personal well-being and happiness is prevalent. It is crucial to understand the issues that surround consumerism and its history to know its roots. Everyone can contribute by being conscious, informed, and responsible about what they purchase and use. Fashion consumerism causes inequality, poor working conditions, and pollutes nature.
The circumstances that preceded consumerism determined its future by having specific problems at the root. The history of consumerism began in the early eighteenth century when European countries started colonizing (Baggott). People’s wages began to rise due to colonization, and they started to afford and spend more which led to even more considerable growth of the businesses. It was also developed even more in the 1770s when women wearing tall wigs became a trend. This fashion tendency started the trend fashion that only accelerated and multiplied with time (Baggott). It is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic caused another wave of consumerism in fashion because people felt alone and bored (Baggott). With time, fashion consumerism increased people’s demand for goods eve more.
The fashion industry has many issues that people are unaware of. This industry employs millions of people, primarily women, which receive some of the lowest salaries in the world (Antoshak). This problem is related to how much people consume clothes and an increased demand that provokes inequality and poor working conditions. It is clear that “many products and services which are marketed, and in fashion specifically, can have unethical traits and even cause harm” (Mitterfellner 8). The problem of fashion consumerism needs to be perceived more seriously to prevent humanity from the aftermath this issue can cause. The main problems that fashion consumerism provokes are meager wages for manufacturing workers and nature pollution.
Fast fashion is another aspect that strengthens consumerism and exacerbates this problem. It is known that an average of sixty-eight items are purchased in a year by typical fast fashion consumers (Barber). Mass-market is a thing everyone is used to because people want to look fashionable and pay less money. It is comfortable, but it is hard not to see the adverse effects it creates on the environment and workers’ provision. On average, about seventy-five million people employed by fashion brands are paid two to five times less than a livable salary (Potempa). That creates a highly unfair gap between consumers and manufacturers.
Demand for fashion is increasing every year because of different trends. About 150 billion garments are produced yearly, and the average cost continues to fall (“Consumerism & circular economy in the fashion industry.”). Moreover, at least fifty micro-trends are created each year to make this never-ending process continue (Sampson). Casagrande Dal Bello states that “the products are like instruments that help carry out the transport of the real self to the ideal self” (111). People see the product and imagine how they would like it if they had it. That provokes consumers to buy the product expecting to meet their needs. With time, people want to cover even more of their pretentiousness to feel better.
To conclude, fashion consumerism is a severe problem that needs more attention from humanity. The price and quality of clothing are falling while demand rises. Consumerism is not a healthy concept in any field, but it is even worse in the fashion industry. The world does not be destroyed by how much people consume fashion trends. It is vital to cut clothes and fashion purchases to help humanity fight this issue.
Works Cited
Antoshak, Robert. “Why Can’t We Turn Off Consumerism and Fashion?”Just Style, 2021. Web.
Baggott, Olivia. “A History of Consumerism and our Fashion Consumption.”Curobe, 2022. Web.
Barber, Aja. “Fast Fashion Manipulates Us Into Consumerism.”Teen Vogue, 2021. Web.
Casagrande Dal Bello, Leticia, et al. “Fashion, Image, and Consumerism: Fashion Editorials as a Communication Strategy for Brands.” Variata, vol. 13, no. 30, 2020, pp. 95-117. Web.
“Consumerism & circular economy in the fashion industry.”Circular, 2021. Web.
Mitterfellner, Olga. Fashion Marketing and Communication: Theory and Practice Across the Fashion Industry. Taylor & Francis, 2019.
Potempa, Hanalei. “The Dangers of Fast Fashion, Consumer Culture, and Microtrends.”The Arbiter, 2022. Web.
Sampson, Eirini. “Is Fast Fashion About Self-Expression or Consumerism?” Sustainability for Students, 2022. Web.