Minimise the Microtrend

Reflections on the intentionally hidden costs of fast fashion – In conversation with NARM Designs

It was an early Saturday afternoon and we'd managed to snag one of the highly coveted study tables at my favourite tea salon. My best friend and I love to drink tea and work together, our laptop lids almost kissing in the awkward tangle between procrastination and productivity. I had just been side-tracked by a marketing email from one of my favourite Australian clothing brands– they were offering 15 per cent off their summer workwear. After almost committing to yet another blazer-esque dress (one that I absolutely did not need), I was hovering above the “Add to Basket'' button when I broke the tranquil silence. “How often do you buy new clothes, do you reckon?” I asked, perhaps in an attempt to alleviate the guilt of still another purchase.

My friend responded with a conservative estimate of at least one fresh outfit every fortnight. The reality for many young people– and specifically for those belonging to Gen Z– is that our wardrobes are considerably larger than our parents’ or grandparents’ ones ever were. In terms of fashion consumption trends in the last 20 years, the amount of clothes that young Australians flippantly purchase and then consequently discard has grown by approximately 60 and 30 per cent.

The social reality for young Australians is that we have been born into an era of brick-and-mortar fast fashion stores which outsource textiles and garment production to overseas manufacturers with unclear labour practices. As a generation who enjoy fresh outfits more than our predecessors, most of us have not really known how to consume ‘fashion”’without having the word ‘fast’ attached to the idea. With the majority of social media platforms documenting how the phenomenon of fast fashion has evolved into rapid fashion, chances are you’ve seen the trend of outfit challenge videos in which a TikTok influencer creatively edits 10 outfits in the space of seconds. You’ve probably also seen the occasional SHEIN or Boohoo haul video where an influencer might showcase their most recent shipment of outfits that they purchased for less than the cost of Friday night drinks. 

Before the prolific rise of fast fashion from the late 90s onwards, clothing collections typically took months to reach the shop floor from the initial design phase. Nowadays, many of us are accustomed to expect trendy designs to be ready for purchase in less than a few weeks. On top of the instant gratification that the microtrend brings we are now more accustomed to expect an item of clothing to cost less than a basic meal.

Young Australians are likely to feel the social pressure of keeping up with trends inspired by celebrities and our favourite fashion influencers on Instagram and TikTok, but keeping in vogue is becoming increasingly difficult with the rise of the microtrend. 

In conversation with Sydney-based slow fashion label NARM Design, founder Julie Narm speaks about the pressures that young people and especially women face in order to stay up to date with the trends:

 “If an influencer is wearing something trendy you just want to buy it, and then you see them wearing something else, and you just want to buy what they have all over again”. 

When our clothes can be purchased on the gleaming shop floors of a trendy outlet or can be posted straight to your doorstep from a kaleidoscopic e-commerce site, it is easy to dissociate from the true costs of fast fashion. But in order to engage in more sustainable and ethical fashion consumption patterns, we need to look beyond the price tag. If an item of clothing is inexpensive, we need to ask ourselves: “How was that garment made?” and, “Who made it?”. 

The reality of fast fashion is that there’s a definitive binary between who benefits from the overconsumption of low-quality clothing and who is exploited by it. According to a recent study from Garment Worker Diaries, only 3 per cent of garment factory workers across several South Asian countries including Bangladesh, India, and Cambodia were earning enough money to sufficiently feed themselves. 

“Every load of laundry we do can shed thousands, if not tens of thousands of microplastic fibres that then enter our waterways”

Fast fashion’s exploitation of human labour is not the only concern. The true cost of our trendy purchases is woven into the ‘fabric problem’, with many fast fashion brands predominantly using synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon. The University of Queensland’s Sustainability project outlined a much-overlooked issue– the fact that every load of laundry we do can shed thousands, if not tens of thousands of microplastic fibres that then enter our waterways.

Unfortunately for us, the problem of fast fashion is a wicked one and is deeply embedded in our global economy. The emerging war against fast fashion feels futile, especially because the conversation around class and privilege and who can actually afford to shop ethically comes into play. “Buying from slow fashion brands is definitely a little bit more expensive than the fast fashion processing,” Julie explains.

“There is that step where you have to just make sure you pay everyone the right amount they’re owed. With fast fashion manufacturers, they might not even reach the minimum wage– it might be lower than that and that’s all part of the fast fashion cycle. With buying from a smaller brand there’s more transparency”. 

Even though there certainly is the acknowledgement that buying more ethically and sustainably won’t always be the cheapest option, Julie also takes me through a pertinent thought exercise:

“Let’s just say that there’s a fast fashion item of clothing for 20 dollars, like a t-shirt– a nice t-shirt that looks pretty basic. But let’s just say you’ll pay 20 dollars more to know that it comes from somewhere more ethical, somewhere you know that pays people a living wage. Let’s just say you know that it’s recycled fabric. Then you know that you’re part of being on the environmentally conscious side of things so you feel a bit better about yourself as well”. 

So, what can we do as individuals if buying from sustainable brands isn’t an option?

Unlearn the Meaning of “New”

Acquiring ‘new’ clothes doesn’t have to mean purchasing garments and accessories that have just been displayed in your local shop front window. Organising a clothes swap with friends, family, and even your local community can be a great way to make fashion feel fresher for longer. Your friend’s chemise that you’ve coveted since last spring might find a new home with you!

Get Thrifty 

“New” clothing items can also be found at your local op-shop. Not only is op-shopping considerably better for the environment, you can also feel good about diverting money from a fashion giant’s pockets to a community organisation like Noffs or Vinnies instead.

From E-commerce to ‘Re-commerce’

The rise of online shopping has undeniably opened up increased access to fast fashion with exploitative environmental and labour practices. In saying that, online shopping can also be leveraged in the fight against fast fashion. Second-hand e-commerce platforms like Depop and Facebook Marketplace can also help us everyday folk to engage with buying, selling, and swapping pre-loved clothing and accessories.  

A Needle and Thread

Before you throw out your favourite summer dress whose sleeve became a ripped victim of that rogue nail sticking out of the wall, can you mend it? Learning some basic sewing skills can help prolong the life of your clothing, there are even tons of YouTube videos to show you how.

Although the fast fashion industry can really make us feel like we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to adding to our wardrobes, Julie Narm also has some pertinent words to live by: 

“If you find a clothing brand that you really like, do your research! If you really like an item, purchase it. But see if you can match it with something you already have at home so that your clothes at home don’t go to waste. You can mix and match– that’s what I really like to do”. 

Even just changing our mindset and becoming more intentional with our purchases can certainly make a world of difference. It will be one less textiles item tossed into landfill and perhaps that will be worth it in the long run. 

Check out these local Australian brands that we love:

• NARM Design is a locally grown clothing brand from Sydney, Australia that has slow fashion as its central focus. Part of founder Julie Narm’s business model is her small capsule collection and her signature Mexican Tuck Pleat. NARM encourages slow fashion, sustainable manufacturing, and reduced fabric wastage all while empowering women in the process.

• Melko is a Naarm-based Brazilian and South American boutique that brings Latin American designs and brands to Melbourne’s vibrant streets. With an emphasis on sustainable and ethical practices, Melko proudly upholds the work of multicultural artists, artisans, and designers. You can find Melko online and in person at 18 Howey Place, Melbourne 3000 or 98 Bridge Road, Richmond 3121.

• The Social Outfit is a slow fashion, sustainable, and multicultural social enterprise that provides “employment and training to people from refugee and new migrant communities in clothing production, retail, design and marketing”. The Social Outfit is unique to Sydney’s fashion landscape, with its prioritisation of ethical labour and fabric sourcing practices. You can find The Social Outfit online and in person at 188 King Street, Newtown, New South Wales.

With special thanks to Julie Narm from NARM Designs for sharing her time, resources, and knowledge. 

WORDS: DEBORAH PROSPERO
PHOTOGRAPHY: NARM DESIGN