“Fast Fashion” is a new moniker given to brands like H&M, Forever 21, Zara and Asos that produce and sell a wide range of clothing for very cheap. These companies have refined their design and production processes to an extreme degree in order to make more money, but in the process they ignore environmental and humanitarian standards. 
According to Business Insider, the fashion industry creates 10% of humanity’s carbon emissions and up to 85% of textiles end up in landfills every year. Not only that, but a lot of clothes produced by fast fashion brands are made of polyester and other cheap materials. Washing synthetic materials like this can release up to 500,000 tons of microfibers into the environment annually. These statistics speak to the rapid proliferation of the fashion industry and the impact it has on the environment. In fact, perhaps fed by our ever-growing obsession with appearance and social media, some brands now release 52 collections a year, when the standard used to be 4. 
It’s easy to ignore the environmental impact of fashion because most consumers of fast fashion don’t see the negative repercussions of their purchases. Instead, it is the women garment workers who face physical abuse, sexual harassment and forced overtime that suffer as a direct result of the industry. 
These humanitarian and environmental ills make it clear that it’s time for conscientious consumers to reduce their reliance on the fashion industry. Nonetheless, clothes are near impossible to avoid purchasing.  Luckily, thrift stores might be the solution to this problem, as they offer a significantly reduced environmental impact, cheap options for those in need and a never-ending array of options. 
Thrift stores offer consumers the opportunity not only to buy new clothes, but to sell or donate their old clothes as well. This cycle of reuse can reduce the size of your wardrobe, alleviate the environmental strain the clothes industry puts on the environment and provide options for others who want or need affordable unique clothing. So instead of buying new clothes, go to your local thrift store and find a couple pieces of clothing you like. And while you’re there, drop off those pieces you used to love but don’t quite fit your vibe any longer. 
But keep in mind, while thrifting is often far better than buying new, it’s still important to do so conscientiously. Some consignment stores like Buffalo Exchange or House of Vintage in Portland offer a refined selection of second-hand clothing that has been marked up for its vintage or kitsch value. These stores cut out the environmental issues with fast fashion, but they also overcharge and underpay for regular second-hand clothing, cutting out those who don’t have much to spend. Goodwill or St. Vincent De Paul are great places to donate clothing where you know it will be resold at an affordable price.
Consumers also create issues with thrifting by buying up clothing of different sizes to modify or use them for projects. Plus-size women can face difficulty finding second-hand clothing because of people buying larger articles of clothing to hem, sew or modify. 
The most important thing for a conscious fashion consumer is to understand your place in the fashion ecosystem. Thrift stores are important resources for those who cannot afford to buy brand new clothes, but they also hold value for people like myself who wish to reduce their impact on the world. 
The only chance we have to change fast fashion practices is to speak with our wallets. The cheap goods aren’t worth the harmful practices they rely on. As someone who cares about how I look and enjoys fashion, I’m still able to express myself and feel good about how I look by consciously thrifting.