We live in a consumer-driven society where an endless need for material items can easily be met, but not without consequences. A particularly pervasive issue that arises from our capitalist society is fast fashion. Fast fashion is a global issue, affecting citizens of the world in varying ways. In the U.S, the utopian desire of unlimited access to new styles and fresh looks allows us to stay on top of social trends at relatively low costs. The price of this, however, manifests itself in many dystopian forms. Brands like Zara, Forever 21, and Shein are known for selling clothes made by garment workers who are paid unethically low wages. They are also forced to work in less than ideal conditions, with few breaks and unsanitary workstations. Many fast fashion brands rely on outsourced clothing factories to supply their cheap, trendy items, with underpaid workers stitching t-shirts in Bangladesh, India, and Cambodia, among countries. The fast fashion industry also has an enormously negative impact on the environment. It is a known contributor to carbon emissions and uses and pollutes huge amounts of water. While millions of social media users enjoy purchasing huge hauls of cheap new clothing to stay on top of quickly changing styles, the result is tons and tons of barely used clothing piling up in landfills. Not only this, but the pressure to remain relevant online and in the real world depletes mental health and distorts body image. This video critiques these darker aspects of fast fashion and seeks to bring awareness to the dystopian consequences of an absurd utopian dream.

References:
[ Ссылка ] Fashion Nova’s Secret: Underpaid Workers in Los Angeles Factories - The New York Times
[ Ссылка ] How Fast Fashion Adds to the World’s Clothing Waste Problem - Marketplace
[ Ссылка ] The True Cost of Fast Fashion - The Economist
[ Ссылка ] The Ugly Truth of Fast Fashion - Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj
[ Ссылка ] What Do Gen Z Shoppers Want? A Cute, Cheap Outfit That Looks Great on Instagram - The New York Times
[ Ссылка ] Fast Fashion: Its Detrimental Effect on the Environment - Earth.Org
[ Ссылка ] The Impact of Fast Fashion on the Environment - Princeton Student Climate Initiative
[ Ссылка ] 10 Fast Fashion Brands We Avoid at All Costs - Good on You
[ Ссылка ] The Virtual Rise of Shein Within the Fast Fashion Industry - University of California, Irvine : Official Campus Newspaper
[ Ссылка ] The life cycle of a t-shirt - Angel Chang. TED-ed

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