Social Issues in the Fashion Industry Essay Sample

When you think about the fashion industry what do you think of? Do you think of the good-looking models, the fashion designers, or the extravagant outfits? Behind the faces of fashion are where the real issues lie. The fashion industry has negatively impacted our environment for years. There are many unethical components of the industry such as the horrible working condition, wages, and many more. Biggest of all it is racist and non-inclusive. Behind everything article of clothing lies a dark story of how it was made, but we can fix the story. 

When we go to the mall or do online shopping we rarely stop to think about how the clothes are made. Most importantly, who is making our clothes? Most of our clothes are made in countries where the worker’s rights are limited or not even a given. About 168 million children are forced to work in this industry because it doesn’t require highly skilled workers. This mostly affects children where their families are in poverty. These workers work long shifts 7 days a week for up to 14 to 16 hours a day. The wages the workers get paid do not equate to how long and hard they work. Most workers in manufacturing countries like China, Bangladesh, and India get paid living wages. A living wage is the bare minimum amount to fulfill a worker’s basic needs such as food or healthcare. About 80% of workers in the fashion industry are women workers and most get discriminated against and are sexually harassed. Men probably do get discriminated against in the industry but not as high a chance as women do. 

There are numerous factories used in the textile industry and they all negatively impact our environment. The fashion industry is the second-largest polluter in the world just after the oil industry. As the industry grows the more environmental damage it causes. The fashion industry contributes to water pollution, microfibers pollution, our nation’s waste problem, and heavy chemical use. When our clothes are being made most of the untreated toxic wastewaters from textile factories are dumped directly into the rivers, causing water pollution. One way we as consumers can not contribute to water pollution is to shop brands in countries with stricter environmental regulations. We can also buy clothes that don’t contain synthetic fibers such as organic and natural fibers. As more clothes are produced the more waste there is. Synthetic fibers, such as polyester, are plastic fibers, therefore non-biodegradable, and can take up to 200 years to decompose.  Most of our clothes are commonly made with synthetic fibers too which is also a problem. A solution to this problem would be to recycle your clothes. With cotton farmers, the use of heavy chemicals can cause disease and premature death. 

Among all of the environmental damages the fashion industry causes, the industry also lacks diversity and inclusiveness. Many fashion brands don’t have a wide range of sizes for everyone. Some people are too tall so certain pants won’t fit them, and some people are just bigger than any of the sizes the store has. People shouldn’t have to always order their clothes from special factories or companies that have their size. They should be able to go into any store and find something that fits them. Another example of where these brands could improve is for the disabled and for little people. For adults with dwarfism, they don’t want to always show in the little kid’s section just to find clothes that fit them. There should be adult appropriate clothing for them to buy no matter how big or small they are. To add on the diversity when these brands are advertising and promoting they should include disabled people. Every time I see an advertisement I specifically only see able-bodied people promoting the brands.