Environmentally Detached from Reality

This post is addressed to those of you who say, "If you buy fast fashion, you're responsible for global warming. You are supporting child labor, unfair wages, and pollution." Have you ever thought about the people who can only afford fast fashion? Like the people who thrift, but sometimes buy from Shein, H&M, etc., as a treat for them? Let's see this from a different perspective.

So, you're telling me that the single mom working two jobs, buying a five-dollar shirt for her kid from Shopee because that's all she can afford, is the villain now? Not the multi-billion dollar companies dumping literal toxic sludge into rivers and green-washing the shit out of it? Nah. Apparently, it's Susi from Depok with her three-dollar leggings. The audacity.

You blamed people for not buying bulk. "Oh, don't buy shampoo eceran/sachetan, buy the big bottles or refills." Hey, people can't afford the big ass bottles of detergent or whatever the fuck it is. But no, in your bonobo ape brain, you think they're doing it on purpose. Like, "Oh, let me litter the earth for funsies!" You don't even understand how being poor costs more in the long run, like buying small amounts, not having storage, transportation, or access to certain options.

Someone pointed out that they only buy fast fashion once a year, and it lasts them years. You said, "Doesn't matter, you're still polluting by buying even one." You sound like one of those people who think activism is just yelling at poor people on your Instagram stories. Never once holding corporations accountable, because OMG! that might piss off the sponsors or cut your brand deals with "eco-conscious" luxury brands that still exploit labor and pollute the planet, just with a minimalist sad beige aesthetic.

It's just so damn easy to preach from a rooftop made of generational wealth, then act like you're the moral authority while punching down. Also, let's be real, rich people buy ten "minimalist" $100 shirts and call it eco-friendly. Poor people buy one five-dollar shirt and they're the environmental criminals?

I'm all for being eco-conscious, but it's not as easy or as black and white as you think. It takes time. And sometimes people just don't have a choice. We should embrace them, then introduce them to better alternatives. Yelling about how much better you are than everyone else because you don't shop fast fashion won't magically make the earth better. Educate people, don't villainize them.

Sometimes we blame the individuals, when really, the core problem is the way that societies are organized. I'm not smart enough to elaborate, but the more you chase away people with your "you buy cheap clothes?! bad! no! bad! evil!" the harder it will be to actually make a meaningful change in society about how we shop and the impact it has on the environment.

I'm sure there will be people who thinks I'm supporting global warming, and encouraging people to buy fast fashion. It won't be the first time someone says that, and I'm sure it won't be the last, since here I am, preaching about it again. I said "hey, let's buy this one good quality shirt, it'll last us longer instead of buying 5 different cheaper shirts." instead of "OH MY GOD!!!! IS THAT UNIQLO?!?!!!! YOU WANT TO KILL CHILDREN HUH?! YOU HATE EARTH!??? MURDERERRR!"

Thrifting is good. But, it's been misused so much it's insane (I'm looking at you, unethical resellers). That's another topic for another day.