Shopping is fun! With going to Urban Outfitters and shopping off of Amazon, there’s so much to find. But do you ever wonder where these companies get most of their clothes? The answer is fast fashion. Fast fashion is shopping for clothes at an affordable price, but it comes at an environmental cost. The fashion industry produces 10% of all humanity’s carbon emissions, is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply and pollutes the oceans with microplastics. Not to mention, people who live in third world countries are the ones receiving little to no pay when making most of these clothes, all according to businessinsider.com.

Many brands such as Zara, Forever 21, H&M and Boohoo make cheap, disposable clothing, but the cost is higher than we think. According to Jasmin Malik Chua, who writes for Vox.com, by buying from these brands, you’re contributing to fast fashion. There are many ways to avoid this inhumane activity.

In the past few years, thrifting has become a huge trend in American culture. This should remain a trend because of how many benefits it provides, such as reusing clothes so industries who contribute in fast fashion aren’t producing so many products. You’re also supporting small business, and you can save a lot of money.

This year, I have shopped a lot online off of many thrifting websites due to COVID-19. Shopping in person wasn’t an option for me. I have gotten name brands and handmade items. Places I shopped from included Depop, Poshmark, Etsy and Instagram thrifting accounts. One of my personal favorite purchases was my Calvin Klein sweatshirt that was originally $50 that I got through Instagram for $20 plus shipping. The sweatshirt was only worn once by the seller, and was sold because it didn’t fit her well.

Of course, when shopping off of thrifting accounts online, you have to be careful of scammers. When looking into someone’s shop, look for credentials such as how many sales they’ve made, photo evidence of people getting their products, and how many followers they may have. Typically, followers shouldn’t matter on social media, but when it comes to shopping, the more followers means more people trust the person selling.

If you’re not into shopping online, you can go to your local thrift store. It’s a great feeling to  look at how many different kinds of clothes they have. It can also be a fun adventure for you and your friends. You can also go to Goodwill. I have purchased so many old t-shirts from there that are my absolute favorite.

Please continue to get to the bottom of fast fashion and end it by staying thrifty!