Volume 9 Issue 1

“The creation of fabrics both natural (cotton)
and artificial (polyester) use a large amount of
water for the former and chemicals for the latter.
But it is the combination of the consequences
of the manufacturing of fabrics and the excess
of products made that makes fast fashion an
unsustainable practice.”
Microtrends change just as rapidly as
viral dances do on TikTok. The speed at which
microtrends are established leads manufacturers
to increase the speed of production which
negatively affects the laborers who create the
articles of clothing. Leighton Siegal, a senior
studying technical theatre at The University of
Alabama, has hands on experience creating
clothes as a costume designer.
“Rushed production leads to lower quality
clothing and often worse working conditions for
the people making the clothes,” says Siegal.
According to Astha Rajvanshi’s article “Shein Is
the World’s Most Popular Fashion Brand—at a
Huge Cost to Us All,” Shein is a prime example of
a clothing company that abuses its employees. In
an attempt to profit off of microtrends, Shein forces
their workers to labor for shifts up to seventeen
hours long for extremely little pay and no days
off. In addition to extreme shifts and low pay,
Shein’s workshops are extremely dangerous; for
example, several of Shein’s workshops lack safety
precautions, such as exit signs and windows.
Now that the negative impacts of
microtrends have been established, how can
one avoid participating in these highly alluring
trends? First, the longevity of the trend must be
questioned. Does the trend appear to be losing
momentum already, or does it look as though it
will be around for a while? Did the trend suddenly
appear out of nowhere on social media? How many
times will the outfit be worn? If the trend is already
dying down or the clothing is something that would
only be worn once, reconsider whether it should
be purchased or not.
If the clothing will be worn more than once,
then ask if the clothing fits an already established
personal style. Will the article of clothing stick out
like a sore thumb in your closet, or will it fit right in?
Having a personal style is much more sustainable
than constantly participating in microtrends, and
a personal style leads one to make much more
informed decisions on what to purchase for their
wardrobe. While participating in microtrends
can provide oneself with a temporary sense of
satisfaction, fostering one’s very own personal
style can be an incredibly rewarding experience.
On the topic of sustainability, buying clothing
from companies that do not partake in unethical
production is a great way to still participate in trends
without negatively affecting the environment and
those who assemble the clothes.
From Bid Day to weddings, Swag. is a
boutique located on Greensboro Avenue in
downtown Tuscaloosa that specializes in highly
customizable clothing and merchandise. Swag.
does its best to utilize ethical business practices
while still providing customers with what is on trend.
“[Swag.] does a lot of in-house work…We
reuse the screens hundreds of times,” says Emma
McGowin, a cashier at Swag. who is studying public
relations and apparel design at The University of
Alabama.
Swag. and stores similar to it ethically
create trendy clothing by keeping the production
of their clothing off sweatshop floors and instead
employing local individuals. By shopping at stores
like Swag., one supports their local economy
and ethical business practices. When abstaining
from purchasing clothing manufactured in the
fast fashion industry, consumers are removing
themselves from the influence that acts on fast
fashion companies to churn out microtrend after
microtrend.
As microtrends pop up on social media
feeds, it is imperative to rethink one’s participation
and consider
the impact of fast
fashion on the
world. While tempting,
one must
remember the harm
that fast
fashion causes and
consider
to
their own contribution
the fast fashion cycle.
Hopefully, sustainability
will be on trend next.
Design by Kayla Ripp
Modeled by Morgan Collins
Photos by Hannah Grace Mayfield