Are You A Fashion Sellout?

It's an ugly question, one most of us would prefer not to answer, but after reading the post Fashion’s Biggest Sellout; You? by 39th & Broadway, I had to seriously question whether my appetite for fast-fashion might have more far-reaching consequences than just improving the finances of H & M, Zara and Forever 21. Everyone at one point or another has looked at a ridiculously low-priced garment and felt both the elation of finding a bargain coupled with the sinking feeling that it was probably made in less than ideal working conditions. Without any hard evidence, it's easy just to shrug off any thoughts of impropriety and go home with your new clothes: it's one thing to think that your clothes might be made in sweatshop and another to know that they are.

While weighing my fast-fashion dilemma, I came across the  BBC documentary series "Blood, Sweat and T-shirts." It follows six young people that love fast fashion as they work in the factories where these throw away garments are made. This program gave me great insight into a question that has been quietly nagging me: "how is it possible to make clothes for so cheap and still make a profit?" The answer, unfortunately, was just what I suspected: