From the beginning of my sustainable fashion journey I have taken a “conscious consumer” approach. The money I spend is more like a vote. I try to give my money to brands who uphold my values: sustainable design, ethical manufacturing, activism. I used to think being a conscious consumer was the solution to all of the issues in the fashion industry, but I have come to understand the nuances of conscious consumption as my journey has continued. Before, I thought boycotting fast fashion was the solution. Then I thought it was harmful, as garment workers could lose their jobs.

But now I understand it’s more complex than that. So let’s explore what boycotting fast fashion would mean for the industry, alternatives to all out boycotts, and why conscious consumption isn’t enough.

What would boycotting fast fashion look like?

When I originally wrote this post (I’m updating this in 2021) I thought that boycotting fast fashion was a horrible idea. I read somewhere that boycotting fast fashion would ultimately harm the garment workers. Here’s a quote from the original post:

If we all boycott fast fashion, the garment workers will lose their jobs!! They will be fired by the fast fashion brands and they will be forced to take the next available job. And that job will likely pay less and be more unsafe than their previous job. We can’t let these garment workers lose their jobs.

The reality is, the chances that a boycott of any fast fashion brand would be big enough to cause a shutdown of a factory (or even a major disruption of a factory) is slim to none. Consider the sheer success of nearly every fast fashion brand – Shein, Forever 21, H&M, Zara, etc. With the rate at which people consume clothing, especially fast fashion clothing, an all out boycott of any fast fashion brand is incredibly unrealistic.

Keeping fast fashion brands in business does not help garment workers in any way. There is nothing noble about fast fashion brands employing vulnerable people (mostly young women) when they do not provide safe working conditions or livable wages.

Are fast fashion sustainable collections actually sustainable?

So what did I suggest instead of boycotting fast fashion in my old post?

Instead of just boycotting fast fashion brands, we have to buy their sustainable collections. We can vote with our consumer dollars and let these brands know we want more sustainble products. Eventually they will become more sustainable! And we won’t hurt the garment workers in the process. Things will just get better for them.

One the past few years I have come to a very clear understanding of what fast fashion brands’ sustainable collections really are. A small percentage of the millions of products a fast fashion brand produces and sells each year is made with slightly more sustainable materials in slightly more sustainable factories. If there is no plan to transition all products to more sustainable materials and more sustainable methods of production, those collections are nothing more than a marketing tactic. Releasing new sustainable collections without any plans to reduce the overall amount of items they produce entirely misses the point of sustainable fashion. These collections are perfect examples of greenwashing.

Supporting “sustainable” collections only rewards fast fashion brands for doing the bare minimum: offering a few slightly more sustainable product options. So yes, boycotting fast fashion – especially these greenwashed “sustainable” collections is an important part of challenging the direction the fashion industry is moving in. But your efforts shouldn’t stop there.

Why conscious consumerism & boycotts aren’t enough to change the industry

My favorite analogy about the climate crisis (and really any issue related to it) is the overflowing tap. If your sink is overflowing, what is the first thing you do? Do you grab a bunch of towels to soak up the water? Or do you turn off the tap? While towels are needed to clean up the water, they will not solve the problem at the source. The tap needs to be turned off before you can clean up the mess. This same ideology can be applied to companies and their role in the climate crisis: companies have long told us that it’s our job to grab the towels, but they are the ones in control of the tap.

Fast fashion brands tell us that buying their “sustainable” clothes or recycling our old clothes in their stores is good for the environment, but the best thing those brands can do is produce less in the first place. So while we as individuals and conscious consumers do need to take individual action (buying less, boycotting fast fashion brands, consuming more consciously, making our clothes last as long as possible, etc.), these actions will not stop the problems with fast fashion at the source.

Advocating for a more sustainable industry

While boycotting fast fashion can be part of your commitment to advocating for a more sustainable and ethical industry, it should not be the only thing you do. Conscious consumerism cannot fix the fast fashion industry. In order to really create change, legislation and accountability are needed. Check out these resources for more information and ways to take action:

• Free ways to advocate for sustainable fashion
• A practical guide to quitting fast fashion
• How to ask brands to be more sustainable
• Support legislation like CA SB 62

Ready to start your sustainable fashion journey? Learn about boycotting fast fashion in your own way.