The Untold Story of a T-Shirt: The True Cost of the Modern Fashion Paradigm

Written by Ella Gupta (W’27); Edited by Élan Martin-Prashad (C’27)

I was a girl with a passion for fashion, until…

The world of fast fashion as revealed in the documentary “True Cost” opened my eyes to the underbelly of the garment world.

In order to keep prices low in a competitive marketplace, fast fashion companies squeeze garment factories for cheap labor. The majority of garment workers are women, who work long hours in perilous working conditions, with virtually no recourse and agency. The film also illustrates the extent to which fast fashion degrades environmental and human health. For example, in Kanpur, India, where leather is produced for large brands, heavy chemicals like chromium 6 used to treat the leather flow into local farming and drinking water, which has led to ubiquitous ailments in the community, including cancer.

The story of our clothing doesn’t stop there. Once we move on to the next item, fast fashion companies quickly flood stores with new products, causing textile waste to accumulate in the landfills, which poses further damage to environmental integrity and human health for those residing near the landfills, as the decomposition process typically produces detrimental chemicals.

This documentary led me to realize the true difference between price and cost. The numerical value on the price tag doesn’t reflect the hidden cost of a pair of jeans, as it fails to capture the underlying environmental and human costs. There are real people–human hands–behind the clothing we wear.

Inspired by the documentary, I decided to trace the journey of a Patagonia t-shirt because of the company’s reputation for sustainability and responsibility. After much investigative work, I discovered that it traveled 12,000 miles before reaching me while traveling between two factories and numerous shipping containers. Despite Patagonia’s socially conscious reputation, a mere 35% of its apparel factories pay their workers a living wage. I was struck by the complexity and environmental footprint behind a supposedly simple sustainable garment.

The fast fashion industry has rapidly evolved. Companies like Shein, which sells its clothing at ultralow prices and rapidly refreshes its inventory, have transformed it. The time it takes from design to selling can be as little as a few days, allowing the company to remain flexible and align itself with trends. However, environmental degradation and low wages for garment workers underlie these cheap prices. Shein has also pioneered fashion branding in the digital age. It meets Gen Z—who are digital natives--right where they are: the internet. Shein partners with Instagram and TikTok influencers, who encourage impulsive consumption by posting promotional clothing hauls and sharing discount codes.

More generally, one-click checkout and the ability to make purchases directly through social media channels have made mindless consumerism all too easy.

The importance of sustainability is increasingly being recognized as demands for social responsibility shift the business paradigm. As future business leaders, we must push for companies to implement operational shifts and reevaluate their supply chains. In the meantime, however, we can approach our daily choices with a critical eye. Amid the push for social consciousness, companies have increasingly adopted greenwashing practices in which their environmentally responsible marketing claims belie reality, so conducting due diligence is paramount.

We have power as consumers. Collectively, we can shift the tide of fast fashion. In addition to engaging in more mindful purchasing behaviors, thrifting and reselling clothes benefit the environment. It’s easier than ever with an array of physical and digital options. For instance, Plato’s Closet and online resale marketplace Depop are both great resources. You can also consider donating to the Career Wardrobe, a non-profit organization right here in Philadelphia that supports people in life transitions where the cost of clothing can be a barrier to positive change. If you want to further explore the story of your clothing, I encourage you to check out Planet Money’s T-Shirt Project, in which the team follows “the making of a simple cotton t-shirt through the global economy.”

Fast fashion does not need to become the new status quo; we can take steps to bring profits into alignment with purpose. Continuing to educate ourselves and adopting intentionality in our daily lives will create positive ripple effects.