The hidden cost of cheap clothes
A €5 shirt may look like a good buy. But the price on the label does not show the full cost of making it.
The fashion industry has a significant impact on the environment. It contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, uses large amounts of water and raw materials, and produces wastewater and solid waste throughout the production process. Some estimates suggest that the fashion industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than international flights and maritime shipping combined. Its long and global supply chains also make it difficult to see the full environmental and social impact of the clothes we buy. The real cost of clothing is therefore much higher than the price we pay at the checkout. If a garment is sold very cheaply, someone or something may be paying the difference. That cost can fall on the people who made the garment, the communities where production takes place, or the environment.
How can clothes be sold so cheaply?
Around 90% of clothing production takes place in low- and middle-income countries, where production costs are often lower. Global brands commonly outsource different stages of production to suppliers around the world, creating long and complicated supply chains. This helps keep prices low, but it can also make it more difficult to know exactly how a garment was produced and under what conditions. Low prices are often connected to large-scale production, low wages, inexpensive materials, and a constant pressure to produce garments quickly.
The business model of fast fashion also depends on frequent consumption. New styles are introduced rapidly, encouraging consumers to keep buying and replacing clothes. When garments are inexpensive, it becomes easier to make impulse purchases and to discard items after only a short period of use. The result is a cycle of low prices, high production, frequent purchases, and increasing textile waste.
Cheap clothes have an environmental and social costs
The environmental impact of fashion begins with the materials used to make clothing. Demand for man-made fibers, particularly polyester, has grown significantly in recent years. Polyester, nylon, acrylic, and other synthetic fibers are made from fossil-based materials. Their production requires energy and depends on resources such as crude oil. Synthetic textiles can also release microfibers during washing, which can enter wastewater systems and the wider environment.
Natural fibers are not automatically without environmental impacts either. Cotton, for example, can require significant amounts of land and water. Animal-based fibers such as wool also have environmental impacts related to land use and greenhouse gas emissions.
The way clothing is dyed, finished, and processed can create additional pollution, including wastewater containing chemicals. At the end of a garment's life, clothing that is not reused or recycled often becomes waste.
There is also a human cost behind cheap clothing. Fashion companies frequently outsource production to countries where labor costs are lower. Workers in these supply chains may face low wages, long working hours, and unsafe working conditions. The people who make our clothes can therefore pay part of the price that consumers do not see on the label.
Fast fashion encourages overconsumption
The fashion industry does not only respond to demand; it also helps create it. Fast fashion has made new trends available quickly and at low prices. Social media and constant marketing add to the pressure to keep up with changing styles. When clothes are inexpensive and easily available, buying more can feel normal. The problem is not that people enjoy fashion or want to buy new clothes. The problem is a system that encourages people to buy more garments than they need and use them for less time.
A low-priced item may appear to be the cheaper choice, but its environmental impact is not determined by the price tag alone. A garment that is worn only a few times before being discarded can have a greater impact than a more durable item that is worn for many years. This is why the number of times we use a garment matters. Extending the life of clothing can reduce the need for new production and make better use of the resources that have already gone into making it.
A more sustainable way to buy clothes
Sustainable fashion aims to reduce the environmental and social impacts of clothing throughout its life cycle, from the production of raw materials to manufacturing, use, and disposal. No single material or solution can make fashion sustainable on its own. A more sustainable system requires changes in how clothes are designed, produced, sold, used, and discarded.
Consumers can contribute by buying fewer and better-made clothes, choosing items that are likely to last, repairing garments instead of replacing them, and buying secondhand when possible. Slow fashion offers an alternative to the fast fashion model by focusing on durability, longer use, repair, reuse, and more thoughtful purchasing. A circular approach also aims to keep clothing and materials in use for as long as possible through reuse, resale, repair, and recycling.
Consumers should also be critical of greenwashing. A company using recycled materials or making environmental claims is not necessarily sustainable in every aspect of its business. It is worth looking for clear information about how clothing is produced, where it is made, how long it is designed to last, and what the company is doing to reduce its environmental and social impacts. Consumers cannot solve the problems of the fashion industry alone, but their choices can influence the market. When consumer behavior changes and demand for more durable, transparent, and responsible products grows, companies have to respond to that demand. In this way, choosing what we buy — and what we do not buy — can help push the fashion industry toward better practices.
References:
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Anisah, T. N., Andika, A., Wahyudi, D., & Harnaji, B. (2024). Fast fashion revolution: Unveiling the path to sustainable style in the era of fast fashion. E3S Web of Conferences, 475, 02005. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202447502005
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