In the article, Dana Thomas mentions Cinderella syndrome – a disastrous phenomenon promoted by social media that contributes to fast fashion and its negative impact on the economy and environment (Chua, 2019). In general, it implies a whole culture that forces people to get rid of clothes after a few times of wearing them. As a matter of fact, this disturbing tendency is real and may be observed – for instance, through Instagram’s highly popular hashtag “outfit of the day” (#OOTD) (Sarner, 2018). There users upload their pictures to show what they are wearing before return these clothes taken only for a photo back to the shop. According to Caryn Franklin, an activist for sustainable fashion, Cinderella syndrome promotes not only unsustainable fashion but the degradation of the soul as well, encouraging dysfunctional consumption and narcissism. As a potential solution, there should be an opposite tendency supported by global influencers. It should advocate the ability to create multiple looks using the same clothes and be different and stylish all the time. In addition, it should revive the feelings of self-esteem and uniqueness that only clothes as “a long-lasting loyal friend” may create.
From a personal perspective, the bankruptcy of Forever 21 is not directly connected with fast fashion and its conditions, especially related to the workforce. In general, the brand focused on rapid expansion, ignoring the development of its supply chain and fresh styles (Thomas, 2019). At the same time, according to Thomas (2019), in 2019, “fast fashion was really picking up and shoppers were hungry for newness” (para. 3). Moreover, there are still multiple brands that use outsourcing and sweatshops and currently succeed.
To be honest, there are multiple facts that I did not know about fast fashion and its impact until reading this article. However, one fact that has probably impressed me more than others is that people polluted the environment by themselves by washing clothes. I did not realize that tiny plastic microfibers from synthetic garments inundate the food chain and water supply when people use laundry, even if clothes are not changed as frequently as possible.
References
Chua, J. M. (2019). The environment and economy are paying the price for fast fashion — but there’s hope. Vox. Web.
Sarner, M. (2018). Why Instagram’s ‘outfit of the day’ hashtag is bad for fashion – and bad for the soul. The Guardian. Web.
Thomas, L. (2019). It’s the last Christmas for some Forever 21 stores. Here’s why the retailer went bankrupt. CNBC. Web.