Warrior’s Wear is a column discussing CHS student fashion, trends, and opinions. We would love to feature your outfits in our weekly school-wide fashion competition, CHS Best Dressed! Whether it’s your favorite second-hand buy, something you sewed yourself, or your everyday outfits, send a picture of your style to our Instagram page (@chswarriorscroll) to enter the competiton. 

As everyone knows, trends come and go. Think… rainbow loom, silly bands, eyebrows the size of toothpicks. But what really can become a problem is fashion trends. Most especially what we call micro-trends. As Good On You  clothing brand says, micro trends “rise to popularity quicker and then leave the trend cycle faster.” The article talks about the dangerous truth of how short lived fashion trends, fueled by corporations like Target and Shein, contribute frightening amounts of waste into the world.   

Fortunately for the credibility of my article, and quite unfortunately for the globe, we see that this is proven in fact time and time again. “The fashion industry is the world’s second-largest industrial polluter, second only to oil. In fact, 20% of global production waste comes from the textile and apparel sectors.”, according to Lead the Change.  Millions upon millions of tons of textile and clothing waste are produced each year. While some businesses like Patagonia and even H&M(which just so happens to be on the list of major fast fashion fuelers) are moving towards a more recycled product base, the rest of the world has not caught up. 

In terms of the H&M situation there is a term we use for companies and corporations branding themselves as eco friendly or sustainable, while not practicing what they preach. The term is Greenwashing. Many major companies have been subject to this circumstance, including but certainly not limited to, Coca-Cola, IKEA, Starbucks and as mentioned H&M. For more information on businesses called out for greenwashing I highly recommend this article: 10 Companies Called Out For Greenwashing – EARTH.ORG

Back to the topic of fast fashion and micro trends, it’s imperative that we address some examples. First off we have everyone’s favorite, cow print. From the middle of 2020-2021 the surfacing of the “indie” aesthetic began. Mixed of course with the dawn of Shein, fads and trends became ever popular. At the time social media, influencers and teens were all over the trends of the style. Most memorably, the cow print everything. Using this new hurdling flood of girls in clout goggles to their capitalist benefit, brands like Shein had a field day. Using cheap material, labor and retail prices the trend grew even further. Now unfortunately for these brands the trend died out relatively fast. By the start of 2022 cow print was generally a thing of the past. Now it seems, all the sophomore and junior girls who spent one week’s allowance, at the maximum, on their cow print jeans are getting rid of them in bulk. 

It could be argued that all trends have this effect. However the potency of short lived trends has great power over the market and with the market comes the waste. On the contrary, trends like neutral color palettes and sneakers, that have lasted and most fashion experts predict to last, contribute less fervently and ignorantly than month long trends. 

Of course there is a way around this issue. To a certain extent. Buying second hand at local thrift stores and vintage shops is one of the simplest ways to not contribute to the contant waste and injustice that major fast fashion brands create. Especially if you shop consignment, you could even make some moolah… Other options include buying staples and base pieces like, tees, tanks and underwear from sustainable brands can be incredibly beneficial. Not only does this make you extremely cool, but it also provides a platform for businesses working to reverse the effects of fashion waste. 

The bottom line here is: cow print was never cute. Please don’t bring it, or other micro trends, back. For the sake of our planet and our fashion sense. 

Wanna know more about sustainable fashion and where to get it? Check out these links. 

Earth.Org.- (fantastic website that writes articles speaking on climate change, policy, pollution and so on)

Centre of Sustainable Fashion – (blogs and articles written by students at the London College of Fashion, in relation to their implemented use and research of sustainability within fashion and the fashion community)

Greenpeace – (general sustainability slay)

Sustainable Brands I Love:

Pact – (sustainable clothing brand, that is certified organic,carbon neutral and fair trade, perfect for starting a capsule wardrobe or for basics)

Kotn – (very similar to Pact but with more flair and design opportunities, they focus on the sustainability and consciousness of supply chain issues that are so very common within fashion)

The Girlfriend Collective – (body inclusive activewear made with the heart strings of feminists, oh and they also have certified ethical production, recycled & sustainable materials, circular & take-back initiatives, recyclable packaging, eco-friendly dyes)