The equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned every second. The fashion industry produces more global carbon emissions per year than all maritime shipping and international flights combined. A 2023 survey of garment workers in Bangladesh found that 100 per cent of participants were not paid enough to adequately feed themselves.

It’s no secret anymore that fast fashion is a massive global issue. But where do we go from here? Ethical fashion, which refers to the consideration of how and by whom apparel is made, offers an antidote. Does the garment worker have safe working conditions and receive a living wage? Is the item made of more sustainable and long-lasting fabrics like linen or cotton?

The majority of Canadians say they would spend more money on sustainable and ethical fashion, but it seems like we still have a long way to go. As an example, fast fashion giant Shein’s app was the most downloaded fashion app in Canada in June of this year.

Fast fashion is a cheap option during this time of exorbitant living costs, but shopping ethically doesn’t need to break the bank. A t-shirt at Zara now costs $30, and you can find one for the same price, or less, at a thrift store. We’ve become accustomed to cheap clothing, so we don’t properly comprehend the cost of their production. But the bottom line is that if the consumer isn’t paying the price, someone along the supply chain is.

“Stuff from Shein is made to last one wear,” says Sarah Lewis, cofounder of Lower Lonsdale’s Wild Honey Goods. “You’re supposed to throw it out afterwards like a plastic bag, so you’re spending more money in the end. It’s so trendy that you’re not going to wear it in six months. I believe in building a wardrobe that you’ll love for a long time.” 

Wild Honey sells vintage pieces; many are made of high-quality materials like wool or suede. They have a discount rack of half-priced items and host sales where clothes are two dollars, proving that ethical fashion can be affordable. Wild Honey—like many other small businesses, including Hunter & Hare (which has locations on Lower Lonsdale and Vancouver’s Union Street)—donates unsold items to local charities.

There are numerous other ethical fashion options in Canada, including thrift, vintage, and consciously-minded online or brick-and-mortar stores.

Vancouver’s Park & Fifth makes its bridesmaid and wedding-guest dresses locally, and its reselling program offers customers a store credit upon returning worn garments. Main Street alone has a plethora of economical options, including Rewind Resale, The Main Exchange, and The Rag Machine.

On a global scale, moving away from fast fashion is hard. It’s the default for the world’s biggest fashion players to outsource labour at a cheap price to increase profit margins. 

“We value clothes. They’re an expression of belonging,” says Christopher Bennett, a Dalhousie management and sustainability professor. He says our economic framework pushes developing countries to be “export houses,” so their growth relies on manufacturing. With our deep-seated clothing obsession, North America will likely remain a steady export market. 

While these political forces propel fast fashion, Bennett believes investors are starting to hear the voices of slow fashion advocates—and emphasizes that we all have a voice to use through the shopping choices we make.

“Consumers do have power,” Bennett says. “It has to be exercised en masse.”