Who Made My Clothes?

As a student of Fashion Communication and Promotion I have always been interested in the business side of fashion and the entire process of producing fashion. After watching the documentary 'The True Cost' my interest in fast fashion has grown significantly. I can honestly say that it opened my eyes to the real impact cheap clothing has on many people across the globe. To us, the consumer, it has a positive effect - we are able to keep up with the latest trends season to season and still be left with money to keep up with our social lives. However, our demand for cheap clothing and the competition between brands for the consumer has a devastating impact on the factory workers producing these garments. The documentary 'The True Cost' showed just how dreadful the workers in the factories are being treated providing an insight into the lives of a factory worker and the sacrifices they have to make such as taking their children to work and even having to send their children to live with relatives in order to provide them with a bright future. The documentary got me thinking about the clothes in my wardrobe and how many of my items of clothing come from stores such as H and M, New Look, Zara and similar. The impact that buying the latest trends from these fast fashion stores is something that I believe people should be made more aware of. The documentary follows the life of a factory worker showing the sacrifice she must make as a mother just to produce a top that we will forget about in roughly a month after purchasing it. It also showed some disasters that happen due to the poor conditions of work and the environment the workers are subjected to, resulting in multiple deaths. Deaths that could be prevented by changing the way we buy and use clothing. Seeing this documentary has made me rethink and begin to change my fast fashion habits. It is definitely something that is hard to do as the companies that don't follow the fast fashion ways are more expensive however, it is a change that will be worth it in the long run and will benefit the lives of thousands all over the world.

#FCP #FastFashion