While some fast fashion giants such as H&M and Zara build their clothing empires inside beautifully lit glass skyscrapers, others like Shein build their garment realm on social media, largely on the strength of one-click shopping. However, whether online or in person, what these brands all have in common is that they offer a kaleidoscope of different trendy and modern clothes, all at a very low cost. This type of clothing is known as fast fashion. A pertinent controversy regarding this industry is whether or not it should be more regulated. Those who argue further regulations within the fast fashion industry are not required maintain that such clothing is extremely affordable, fits current trends, and is offered in a larger variety of sizes than more expensive brands; however, beneath the sheen of each affordable garment is often an appalling narrative of human exploitation in overseas factories, along with significant environmental degradation. Furthermore, fast fashion brands mass produce low-quality garments with a short lifespan, sell garments that often contain harmful toxins detrimental to human health, as well as frequently appropriate designs of others without authorization. It is imperative to reveal the alarming truths of what happens before each garment reaches the racks to then implement adequate and increased regulations within the fast fashion industry. 

        Fast fashion must be regulated because the emphasis on mass production of inexpensive clothes results in low-quality garments that do not last. According to Dana Thomas, journalist and author of The Price of Fast Fashion and the Futures of Clothes, “‘two-thirds of all clothes are made of polyester or other petroleum-based synthetics’” and therefore of cheap quality (“The Chinese fast”). Only after a few washes the clothes—especially those made of polyester—tend to fade and appear worn out (“Is Fast Fashion”). The quality is also compromised when it comes to the thickness of the garments. For instance, the thickness of fast fashion clothes is around 75% of the quality level of garments made by slow fashion brands (“Is Fast Fashion”). Such low-quality makes the clothes significantly less durable and more susceptible to tears. Elizabeth Cline, author of Overdressed and The Conscious Closet, recalls purchasing a top from fast fashion chain Old Navy. Upon examining it more closely, she realized that the flowers on the shirt were “fixated with some sort of tape. They weren’t even sewn on” (Zarroli). The prevalence of low-quality clothing produced in immense quantities by fast fashion corporations prevents consumers from wearing garments more than once or twice before they are no longer in usable condition. This in turn causes consumers to have to spend additional money more frequently to replace the quickly worn-out clothing. Not only is this unfair to the consumer, but it may also cause them financial strain. Therefore, increased regulation within the fast fashion industry is necessary to ensure that customers receive quality clothing for their money.

        Fast fashion is detrimental to the environment due to the unsustainable production process, which results in an excessive amount of carbon emissions, water pollution from clothing washing, and the frequent disposal of garments in landfills. Fast fashion’s adverse effects are glaringly evident in places like Ghana, where discarded clothes rot in a “30ft-high toxic textile mountain” (“Our Toxic C”). Chile’s Atacama Desert has likewise become a dumping ground for more than “66,000 tons of clothes” that are even “visible from space” (“Thanks to Fast”). With no facilities to deal with the rapidly increasing amounts of waste, chemicals from the garments leach into the ground and nearby waterways, polluting the environment and bringing about diseases like cholera; likewise, according to Ocean Clean Wash--a campaign against microfiber pollution--after each load of laundry full of fast fashion clothing, nearly “9 million unfilterable microfibers” are released into rivers, lakes, and oceans (Park). This poses a substantial threat to aquatic life, as fish easily ingest these pollutants, resulting in the deaths of various species and the disruption of marine ecosystems. Fast fashion is also a major contributor to air pollution. For instance, the industry is responsible for releasing upwards of 6.3 million tons of carbon dioxide each year, making it the third largest polluter following the fuel and agriculture industries (Rajvanshi). Lessening fast fashion’s environmental impact on water pollution, air pollution, and textile waste accumulation would be possible through stricter measures on sustainability.

        Not only is fast fashion damaging to the environment, but it also often contains toxins that are incredibly harmful to humans. A substantial number of garments contain cotton, a material that necessitates the use of pesticides in its production. For example, farming cotton accounts for a “quarter of all the pesticides used in the U.S.” (Anastasia). However, pesticides were found to cause health problems such as asthma, a chronic respiratory condition characterized by difficulty in breathing (Anastasia). Likewise, a new report by Greenpeace, a network of organizations that expose global environmental issues, recently published evidence that “15 percent” of Shein’s clothes contained “high levels of phthalates and formaldehyde,” which are “hazardous chemicals for humans” (“The Chinese fast”). According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the World Health Organization, inhaled formaldehyde can cause cancer, allergic contact dermatitis, irritant contact dermatitis, and “cellular changes that may lead to the development of tumors” (“Formaldehyde in Textiles”). Another study, which included data from 75,000 people, such as textile workers, found that at high levels of exposure, the chemical was linked to leukemia and variations of nose and throat cancer (Searing). Clearly, inadequate safety measures continue to affect the health of consumers and those involved in the supply chain; it is outrageous that the health of customers continues to be compromised because multi-billion-dollar corporations do not ensure their garments do not contain harmful chemicals. Regulating these companies would create oversight and penalties for failing to protect public health.

        The compelling need for increased regulation of fast fashion is furthered by the fact that brands often steal products from other designers and sell them without the original owner's permission. Some designers claim fast fashion brands—such as Shein—not only replicate their designs but also steal their promotional images, blatantly plagiarizing the work of others. One such designer is Emma Farley, who runs a hedgehog rescue charity in New York by selling handmade jewelry on Etsy and Facebook (Farley). One of Farley’s online followers alerted her that Shein not only “copied her hedgehog-shaped earrings” but had used her photograph to market them, as “the image even featured her hand” (“A fast-fashion”). Although Shein took down her product after Farley took the issue to social media, the designer had received “no apology and certainly no compensation” (“A fast-fashion”). This is problematic because when Shein replicates and sells the products of others for a lower price, it can lead to substantial financial losses for the small business. However, Emma Farley is far from alone; a Manchester-based nail artist, Yan Tee, claims Shein likewise stole her designs. Even after the brand removed the products upon Tee’s request, she says that not even a day later, one of her designs reappeared on the site (McLaren). This further proves the lack of care and regulation towards the plagiarism of designers’ creative work; not only has this affected small businesses, but even other global fast fashion retailers such as H&M are now suing the Chinese brand for plagiarism ("H&M takes Shein”). Stealing others designs not only undermines the principles of property rights and fair competition but also diminishes the uniqueness of the original work with a quick and inexpensive copy. Likewise, this can cause the original owner to lose money as consumers gravitate towards a seemingly similar product for less money. Thus, more robust regulation of fast fashion brands is needed to ensure they do not plagiarize the original designs of others.

        Stricter regulation within the fast fashion industry is essential due to the frequent violation of human rights. In the pursuit of low production costs, workers face long hours, unlivable wages, and dangerous working conditions that lack safety standards. Numerous reports found that fast fashion brands frequently resort to the use of child labor in order to hit manufacturing goals (“Fashion’s moment of”). Corporations take advantage of the lack of regulation surrounding child labor in many countries and exploit young workers. Not only does this infringe upon human rights, but also reflects a glaring disregard for the well-being of employees by multi-billion-dollar fast fashion brands. Last year, Channel4 released a documentary titled Inside The Shein Machine, in which undercover journalists secretly filmed garment workers in Shein’s factories (Rajvanshi). The documentary revealed that many workers were forced to pull 17-hour shifts while only being paid “$1 to $3 a day,” which is an insufficient, unlivable wage (Fellows). Likewise, countless workplace-related accidents and tragedies occur every year due to fast fashion brands’ neglect of providing safe working conditions. One of the largest examples of this was the incident at Rana Plaza, in which a massive structural failure occurred. Rana Plaza was a factory in which workers made clothing for several fast fashion brands, including Mango, Primark, and United Colors of Benetton. Yanur—one of the factory garment workers—recalls hearing staff discussing visible cracks in the building the day before the tragedy (“The Fast-Fashion”). However, although the employees were concerned about entering the building the next day, management threatened to withhold wages if they did not work (“The Fast-Fashion”). Later that same day, disaster struck: the factory crumbled in less than 90 seconds, killing more than “1100 Bangladeshi garment workers” and injuring another 2600 (“Fashion’s moment of”). Yanur was inside the factory at the time of its collapse. She explains, “‘the concrete beam had crushed my legs and caused extensive nerve damage. My spinal cord was severely affected, meaning I’ll never fully recover’” (“The Fast-Fashion”). As a result, she is no longer able to go to work and instead sits at home in constant pain. However, this incident is no outlier; workers are still losing their lives due to unregulated and dangerous working environments. For instance, in November 2020, 12 people were killed in a textile factory explosion in Gujarat, India (“India: At least”). In March 2021, 50 workers were killed and many were left injured as a result of two incidents: a clothing factory fire and a garment factory collapse, both in Cairo, Egypt (“The Fast-Fashion”). These incidents, combined with the other human rights abuses within the industry, highlight the urgent need for regulation of fast fashion corporations and serve as a reminder of the high human cost behind each of their garments.

        Therefore, there urgently needs to be increased regulation of fast fashion because the industry’s current practices, ranging from environmental degradation to human rights abuses, occur daily with dire consequences. Additionally, not only are fast fashion’s actions detrimental to the environment, but in many cases they have been proven to contain materials toxic to humans; likewise, fast fashion brands produce clothing of poor quality as well as steal the designs of small businesses without permission, violating copyright laws. To improve the situation, consumers may start by purchasing their garments from slow fashion brands or thrift stores. To prevent exposure to dangerous toxins, buyers can look out for garment labels such as the OEKO-TEX label. If a clothing article carries the Standard 100 label from OEKO-TEX, it means every component of the garment has been "rigorously tested against a list of up to 350 toxic chemicals" and that article is therefore "harmless for human health" ("Standard 100 by"). Nevertheless, it is imperative that fast fashion giants like Shein, H&M, and Zara take accountability and work towards implementing more stringent measures to ensure that their clothing does not come with nearly as much negative impact. This way, consumers may continue wearing trendy apparel that not only tells a story of unique style but also one of ethics and sustainability.