Danielle Nadoryk-David
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Browsing through thrift store racks crammed with fashionable vintage clothes could not only save you money but also save lives AND the planet.
That’s the conjecture of experts who favor the activity known as “thrifting” but frown on popular mainstream fast fashions.
“Thrifting has encouraged me to really explore the more creative side of my fashion sense,” said Hannah Goss-Harris, an avid thrift shopper and fashionista.
Most people are familiar with thrifting, but what exactly is fast fashion?
Fast Fashion is a contemporary term that fashion retailers use to describe cheap clothes that closely imitate expensive fashionable items highlighted on the catwalk. Companies such as Zara and Forever 21 push out these trendy, cheaply constructed clothing that is largely manufactured in such cheap-labor countries as China, Vietnam and Bangladesh. Many of the fabrics include microplastics and synthetic fibers, officials said.
Environmentalists and health care groups complain that the apparel and footwear industries producing these items negatively impact the environment and build unsightly landfills. One chemical that’s produced is CO2eq, a carbon dioxide equivalent contributing to global warming caused by greenhouse gases. A Quantis International study found that the apparel and footwear industries generated 5 percent to 10 percent of global pollution. In addition, apparel alone contributes about 6.7% of global pollutants, the study found.
Fast fashion supporters argue that wearing polyester, nylon and other fabrics used for quick manufacturing aren’t toxic.
Danyell Williams, who owns Illicit Rag Vintage on Bellona Avenue in Baltimore, passionately emphasized that consumers should use the good-quality clothing already on display at thrift and consignment shops such as hers. Her business specializes in clothes from the 20s-90s, she said.
“Vintage clothing comes from a time in which things weren’t moving so fast, so people actually had time to invest into the quality of their products,” said Williams.
“Now, I think things are a bit watered down because they’re trying to produce for the masses. If something remains after an extended period of time, then that just shows the endurance of the piece itself. So why keep forcing people to slave to create things when we already have stuff that’s here?”
Consignment shops such as Goodwill, Salvation Army, Savers, and other stores, sell donated items at a low cost. Markdowns typically range from 50-80 percent off the prices you see in mainstream stores. Many of the thrift stores are non-profit organizations that were started in the 19th Century to raise money for Christian ministry programs, but then grew to be a widespread go-to shop for the less fortunate. They also appeal to on-a-budget fashionistas.
Those who favor thrifting point to the fact that people’s old clothes get thrown into landfills, if not recycled through consignment shops.
And, they point to the hazards of operating unsafe factories in third-world countries. One of the better-known tragedies related to fast fashion involve the Rana Plaza factory building in Bangladesh in 2013. Poor construction of the factory led to the building collapsing, killing 1,127 people in April 2013. Authorities reported that the building owner illegally constructed upper floors to house more workers and used power generators that caused the structure to shake and crack. This building was one of about 5,000 other garment factories in Bangladesh that manufacture most of the world’s biggest brand’s apparel.
Authorities also point to other environmental dangers. For example, a holy river called the River Ganga in the North Indian and Bangladesh region has been polluted by nearby fast-fashion tanneries, those processing leather or coloring fabrics. Authorities said the toxic water results in crop failures, dead fish and poisonous drinking water as well as health issues.
These issues are not a problem for those shopping at thrift stores for sustainable fashion brands.
“At Goodwill, we encourage our employees to be environmentally responsible,” said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International in a press release celebrating the company’s win of the EcoCEO award.
Goodwill launched the Donate Movement in 2010 to promote the positive impact that donating has on people and the environment.
“This grassroots initiative has diverted 1.4 billion pounds from landfills,” in one year, said Gibbons.
Goss-Harris said she has a strong advocation for thrifting.
“I find that I purchase more eccentric pieces than I would if I were shopping at a fast-fashion retailer,” she said. “And thrifting is so much more sustainable for the earth too.”