Do you ever wonder how fast fashion comes with such a low price tag?Â
As "This Is Uncomfortable" podcast producer Alice Wilder shared in a viral video, "These clothes are cheap for consumers because someone else is paying a high price for them."
Wilder's video, posted to Marketplace (@marketplaceapm), investigates how fast-fashion brands such as Shein and Zara offer trendy clothing at affordable prices at the expense of an invisible workforce of garment workers.
She describes how most garment workers are paid just a few cents per piece of clothing that goes through their machines. She also explains how these brands don't have their own factories but have contracts with many small factories, including some in Los Angeles' fashion district.
By contracting out the work, brands can avoid responsibility for how little garment workers get paid, which is usually between four and six cents per piece. Meanwhile, factory owners can blame the brands for not spending enough to pay the workers adequately.
"And in the middle of all this finger-pointing are workers who are just trying to survive, making a few cents for every seam they sew," Wilder said.
This investigative report is troubling because an L.A. garment worker must make at least 1,733 pieces daily to earn $13 per hour.
Fast fashion is a big problem from a labor perspective and also because of its impact on the environment.
The mass production of cheap clothes causes significant waste, uses excess water, and exposes workers to toxic materials and unsafe conditions. This clothing caters to the latest trends but is designed to wear out quickly and frequently ends up in landfills because it's too low-quality to be resold or repurposed.
Alternatively, shopping at thrift stores can help you save money on clothing, prevent labor exploitation, avoid unnecessary landfill waste, and offer timeless fashion with zero guilt.
Instagrammers were shocked to learn the truth about fast fashion and spoke out about its negative impact on today's world.
"This is depressing," one wrote in the comments. "I'm done with new clothes."
Another user said: "I just thrift and consignment shop and antique shop almost everything nowadays. There's already enough clothes made in the world."
"My parents make garments for a living and thank goodness they get paid a decent hourly wage instead of these terrible working conditions from fast fashion!" another Instagrammer wrote.
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