Intervention 1 - 10/4

My message is centered around spreading awareness about the negative effects of fast fashion. The brands we regularly shop from mass produce their clothing. Brands such as Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, and Windsor are a few companies that mass produce their clothes. We mindlessly shop at their stores and don’t consider how much waste we will produce. Cheap and low quality clothing aren’t sustainable. After a few months of wear, cheap clothes are thrown away and sent to landfills. Expensive, sustainable, and quality clothing are accessible to everyone at thrift stores. There are a lot of environmental benefits to buying thrifted pieces and upcycling clothing. Selling used clothes also helps everyone have access to sweaters and winter jackets. Homeless people struggle to keep warm in the winter. Low-income people can afford the prices of used clothing. Immigrants also frequently shop at thrift stores. Our money should be spent wisely and on clothing that will stand the test of time. When thrift stores sort through donated clothing they send unsellable clothes to be recycled. It is important that we reuse the clothing that has already been produced. Clothing stores like H&M or Forever 21, sell clothing that is low quality and isn’t sustainable. Large brands make their clothing in sweatshops with poor conditions. Factory workers are overworked and underpaid. When factories are making fake leather they use chemicals that are harmful for the environment. Factory workers dispose of these chemicals in rivers and their drinking water. The quality of their water affects the development of children in their village. Mass produced clothing is harmful for the environment and unethical.


“Clearly we cannot dismantle a system as long as we engage in a collective denial about its impact on our lives.” - Understanding Patriarchy by Bell Hooks


We mindlessly buy clothing all the time. Everyone knows that mass produced clothing is bad for the environment and are aware it is unethical. Information on this topic frequently circulates social media. Most people don’t care about issues if they don’t directly affect them. Some people are uncomfortable with the stigma associated with people who buy thrifted clothing. The temporary satisfaction of buying a shirt from H&M or Forever 21, comes at the expense of the environment and factory workers.


“Politics is about people’s perceptions of the truth, their feelings about facts, and their visceral experiences of the world.” - The Art of Activism


People are mostly passionate about social issues that make them feel bad. We’re more likely to support causes that help wounded animals or children. Conversations about fast fashion are generally about its effects on the environment. People should be more knowledgeable on how mass-producing clothing affects factory workers, and children in foreign countries. The clothing we buy for eight dollars could lead to children developing diseases.