**Tl;dr: People who shop fast fashion often have little other option in the pressures of today's society to 'fit in' (especially on low budgets). Society has made it so that you will get shamed for shopping at charity stores and shamed for buying cheap clothing- the brands using such cheap labour deserve to be shamed instead.** While recognising the incredibly damaging impacts which fast fashion has on the environment and workers, and agreeing that it should be discouraged, for many, the cheap pricing of clothing outlets like Primark, SHEIN, etc are the only way people can afford clothes and can live up to societal expectations of being in- trend. [Buying habits cannot always reflect personal ethics](https://bylinetimes.com/2020/07/22/shame-fast-fashion-brands-not-the-people-who-buy-their-clothes/). In today’s society it is not easy to avoid fast fashion. Many people are quick to say ‘you do not need to shop fast fashion when you can shop second hand.’ However, sites like DEPOP have been largely overtaken by teen sellers who triple the price of an item by labelling it ‘Y2K’. Equally, with societal pressures to wear certain clothes or trends, charity shop clothes can leave people with a lack of confidence in what they wear through shame of what others might say and think. For the majority fast fashion sites like BOOHOO and PrettyLittleThing are the only way to afford what is in style to avoid the shame in schools, work places, etc when you cannot afford high quality clothing. It should not, therefore, be the consumers being shamed for buying what they can afford to fit in with societal standards. This is a form of classicism, it is easy for those who can afford it to shop the brands which practice ethical standards- yet these brands are usually more expensive as they are paying their workers more. I am sure many more people would shop this way if they could afford it. We should focus our energy on shaming the brands who are exploiting labourers in the first place. Through doing so there would be more education and media coverage on these unethical practices which could make charity shopping less taboo and shameful!

**TL;DR It is important to recognise the roles of both the manufacturer/retailer and consumer.** In terms of changing consumer behaviour, I believe 'shaming' to be an inappropriate form of approaching the need for change. Despite consumers and buyers having no influence in the production process, their behaviours ultimately influence those of the retailer as they produce the product demand. It is therefore important to educate and influence buyers to be more considerate in their purchases, consider more eco-friendly options and reduce their fashion carbon footprint. By doing so, the demand for cheap and accessible 'fast fashion' will be reduced; this is when it comes down to turning our attention to the brand itself. When retailers notice a fall in demand they will be forced to change their manufacturing process to meet the standards of those that are buying, and if this demand is placed on sustainable alternatives then this will be where retailers will turn their focus to. It is difficult to seperate the behaviours of retailer/manufacturer and consumer and it is important to recognise how one influences the other.

**TL;DR People need to consider the different financial circumstances of consumers that may lead them to shop unethically. However, the endorsement of the overconsumption of fast fashion needs to be addressed, such as the influence of social media on the quantity of product that is consumed.** Although the fast-fashion industry no doubt has damaging impacts socially and environmentally and is one of the largest causes of ocean pollution, it is important to recognize that these companies are branded ‘fast fashion’ for a reason: their clothes are accessible, affordable, and on-trend. [The fashion industry emits more carbon than international flights and maritime shipping combined] (https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-fashion-environmental-impact-pollution-emissions-waste-water-2019-10?r=US&IR=T) A lot of the time, people who shame others for not shopping ethically and investing in their wardrobe can come across as insensitive to people’s financial situations. Ethical clothing, whilst good for the environment, is often very expensive. This is due to the cost of sourcing: the products need to be made with sustainable materials, which are more costly, and sourced more locally to reduce pollution. Unless you’re shopping second-hand in charity shops or through online reselling companies such as Depop or Vinted, shopping sustainably is pretty tough when you don’t have the money to set aside. [How Instagram influencers fuel our destructive addiction to fast fashion] (https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/fast-fashion-influencers-instagram-fashion-nova-waste-climate-change_n_5c5ae8ffe4b0871047598750?ri18n=true) However, it is important to recognize the negative role that social media has in fuelling overconsumption. As with the nature of fast-fashion brands like PrettyLittleThing, SHEIN, and BOOHOO, the amount of product created is based on consumer demand. In the fast fashion industry, arguably the most effective marketing tool in our current climate is social media: with the emergence of ‘smart-ads’, which personalize adverts based on individual online shopping habits, and social media influencers, who are paid to promote and sell product to their audiences. The endorsement of fast fashion to this extent generates unethical consumption. People buying clothes in vast quantities, and buying into ‘trends’ (which will no doubt be out of fashion in a year) leads to waste. We should instead focus on endorsing slow fashion companies, therefore creating the demand for more sustainable fashion, which will make these companies more accessible to everyone, rather than just those who can afford it.

**TL;DR - Big Fast Fashion Brands must take accountability for the issues they cause** Fast Fashion Brands are the often the center of debates concerning the effect of fast fashion on the environment, modern day slavery and impact on mental health. Modern Day Slavery - 1/6 people work in the garment industry and only [2%] (https://www.bwss.org/fastfashion/) of them earn a living wage - There have also been examples of the working conditions at these factories being un safe and un-hygienic. These big businesses ignore workers rights to produce clothes at a cheap and fast rate. Environment - Personally I think they should be held accountable for their impact. In the U.S. [9.5 million tons of clothing is thrown into landfill] (https://www.bwss.org/fastfashion/) that could have been used as a result of fast fashion! This is insane and is a result of big brands like Boohoo and PrettyLittleThing creating cheaper clothing and promoting new styles constantly. - The impact on the environment is also extortionate, not just in thrown away clothes but also textile waste that pollutes rivers and areas globally. Mental Health - Some of these big fast fashion brands also target their advertising at young impressionable girls, even when many of their clothes are more ‘risqué’. - They also promote the toxic idea that you have to keep up with the new fashion consistently. As mentioned, this promotes a mindset of never being on trend or cool which effects young adults especially.