Kamya Anand, freshman, used to buy from fast fashion brands after being intrigued by their advertisements.
“I’ve bought a few things off Shein in the past, and I’m never purchasing from them again,” Anand said.
Like many other teenagers, Anand enjoys the easy access to cheap clothes that fast fashion brands such as Shein, Temu and Nike provide. However, Anand said lately she would rather spend more money on quality clothing.

Anand said she stopped buying from fast fashion brands around August when she noticed everyone else around her had stopped as well.
“I didn’t want to be supporting brands that are known for poor working conditions and treating their workers badly,” Anand said.
Andrew McCray, senior, has also heard information about fast fashion companies using child labor.
“I didn’t know about that until I saw a TikTok ad about it and that made me stop buying clothes because I was like ‘we shouldn’t be doing that,’” McCray said.
McCray also pointed out other flaws in buying from fast fashion, such as his packages taking a long time to ship or his clothes wearing out more easily.
McCray decided to save up to buy more expensive clothing or to try finding clothing at a thrift store.
Mallory Farner, fashions teacher, said the new trend of thrifting is growing in popularity. Farner also suggests creating a “capsule wardrobe.”

“Find things that are going to work for you that you can mix and match with other pieces. And find a few of those really trendy pieces but keep a lot of your stuff very classic,” Farner said.
Farner said that besides using child labor, fast fashion companies are also bad for the environment. The dyes used in their products can go into water sources, which can hurt animals and pollute their habitats.
Farner said getting information about the truth behind fast fashion companies can be a hit or miss.
“We can’t control the media. People are gonna put things out,” Farner said, “But just knowing as consumers, we should dig a little bit deeper to find what information is true.”
Audra Harrold, co-founder and executive director of STL Fashion Alliance, said people often get information from social media platforms, such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Influencers on these platforms have made overconsuming seem normal.
“Overproduction and overconsumption has turned us into a throw-away society,” Harrold said. “The days of mending something and taking care of an item is gone in the world of fast fashion.”

The STL Fashion Alliance is a nonprofit organization that provides resources to fashion professionals and students in the greater St. Louis area. Harrold said they prioritize high-quality and sustainable fashion rather than keeping up with trends and consuming fast fashion.
Harrold said there is always a mix of correct and incorrect information whenever any information is spread. However, consumer awareness has helped slow down the trend of fast fashion.
“The younger generation is more aware of and caring of the planet which triggers the less purchasing of fast fashion. Plus, the younger demographic has made thrifting cool,” Harrold said.
Harrold said fast fashion companies have tried to stop misinformation from spreading to stop their reputation from being harmed. Whether it be from creating public relation campaigns or having influencer partnerships to advocate for them, fast fashion companies are trying to lessen the amount of criticism they recieve.
Harrold said fast fashion companies are still harming the environment and their workers. The production of synthetics, the consumption of water from these companies worldwide, and the increase in the amount of waste going into landfills and incinerators is concerning.
Though not all fashion companies use child labor, many do and are morally wrong for it, Harrold said.
“Brands need to be held accountable should they be investigated for child labor violations and should never prioritize profits over the well being of people, especially children,” Harrold said.