OK, so here’s the deal— we know fast fashion sucks.

It is not only unsustainable but also causing more harm than good to our environment. We talk a lot about clothes being tossed like leftovers from the rise of fast fashion but we never really discuss how this affects us as humans. We’re a part of the environment too (unless I’m mistaken) and we should consider how fast fashion can act as a faux dopamine release to have something because it’s cheap. Be honest with yourself, did you really need that thin layered sequin skirt or is this a coping mechanism to buy what’s within reach.

The Sheer Realizations

I’m not talking out of my ass but as someone who has been there and used to use a  fast fashion shopping spree as a fickle sword to my pain.(I was between the world of sustainable shopping and temporary pleasure ok?) It was like a rush of ordering something because it’s there and the discounts feel like enablers disguised as expedited shipping. The low of this was receiving these items and realizing “Did I really need this”? That realization hit hard like a stiff bed after a long day of nothing. Think of it like scratching an itch that was never there. You browse casually but then you start adding products to your cart as if your debit card just checked in to an all inclusive resort. There’s that feeling of an adrenaline rush as you convince yourself that you need this and that it’s only $30 or maybe Klarna comes in with a cape to save you from not buying your whole cart. The order is processed and like clockwork you feel you accomplished something great. Congratulations— fast fashion just preyed on you worse than those middle of the mall cart shops. The ones that  convince you to buy holy grail lotion that is really just CVS lotion repackaged . There’s a feeling of control associated with a fast fashion purchase because you have the ability to buy it at your own convenience. Then comes the next high of tracking down the package like an FBI most wanted criminal. It arrived but somehow you feel hollow? Maybe even disjointed that the $10 you spent on that sequin dress is really showing its ass and proving it’s cheap. These are the highs and lows that we don’t talk about enough. How this shopping has become a faux pseudo dopamine fix that you have to constantly resubscribe to because each “flash sale” purchase just feeds into hollowness that amplifies. 

Obeying The Trend

Let’s also get into how fast fashion flips the script on what we’re allowed to wear. Cargo pants trendy one season? Cool. Fast fashion houses will post this everywhere making you feel as if you need to have it because FOMO is just the debt collector to your impulsive spending. When the trend fades and the next one rolls around, fast fashion has a grip on how you tie your identity into clothes even if the material sucks. Hence why thrift stores are being unintentionally dammed with SHEIN pieces. If you’re a thrifter you know the loud ASF eye roll that you do when you pull an almost cool piece and see the SHEIN tag. At some point you feel the fabrics and like a psychic, your prediction is true of “Yeah…that’s a fast fashion piece”. It goes to landfills because we’re programmed to be done with clothing once the trend ends. It’s like watching a popular Netflix show then canceling your subscription once the season ends. You have no attachment to anything besides the need to buy again when fast fashion houses duplicate something else for half the cost . 

The Landfill Of Your Mental Health

Just like how landfills get cluttered with fast fashion clothing, the same goes for your mind. That shopping cart full of good deals that you just need to have? This thought has probably lived rent free in your mind as you make a mental note to buy everything once pay day hits. There’s that clutter of what you’ll wear everything with and thinking if you should check the site again to see if there are any more promotional deals. There is actually—it’s the discount of mental clarity to make space with fast fashion overconsumption. If your closet is starting to look like a donation relief center then no more hauls babe! You conditioned yourself to believe you’re saving because a sheer top with swirly designs can’t go untouched. It can actually. I know it’s easy to get caught up in the mental gymnastics of what to order and when, but you just indicated yourself as a mental landfill. That sounds detrimental actually. 

Bottom Line

Fast fashion isn’t a “Fix”. It’s a problem. When you think about how it impacts the environment, also include yourself in that equation. Don’t be like Sharpay spiraling over Troy and Gabriella over some garments that will tear like shredded paper after 2-3 wears. You’re better than this.

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