Climate change and pollution are growing concerns for millions of people, and the fashion industry is contributing to this growing problem. 

According to earth.org, 1.92 million tons of clothing are tossed into landfills each year, and the average American throws away about 81.2 pounds of clothing each year.  In the last 15 years, people have been wearing fewer of the clothes they own and keep buying new clothes.

Micro trends are prominent in the fashion industry, even though these trends last a month or less. Once the fad is over, people (typically teenagers) throw out the clothes and forget about the trend entirely.

The fast fashion companies that make these clothes, like Shein, Temu, White Fox, and Essentials, exploit their workers severely. Shein workers spend 75 hours a week working to only earn $344 a month in American dollars. The lack of labor laws in these countries lets companies horribly abuse their workers since they won’t be punished.

There are ways to avoid fast fashion and its negative effects, such as choosing to buy at thrift stores or donating clothes to thrift stores. Buying timeless pieces of clothing can cut down on overconsumption. Also, check where the clothes are made from so you don’t buy clothes from companies that exploit their workers, by googling the company names and reading news articles on credible sources to see any controversy the company has had or is currently facing.                                                     

Limiting over-production through boycotting fast-fashion companies helps decrease the profit of the companies. This can encourage them to give better treatment to their employees. In an overview, micro trends don’t seem to be worth the negative consequences they cause.