There is no such thing as 'sustainable shopping' for Gen-Z

When I look in my closet, I am ashamed. Most of my clothes are textbook fast fashion: outdated graphic tees, paper-thin linen shorts, colorful swim trunks, and the occasional loose-threaded sweater that I convinced myself was good quality. A couple of items are even from those ultra-cheap websites that sell you an entire wardrobe for the price of one hoodie.

 

While I can’t trace every hand that’s touched my clothes, I know many of them may have their origins in exploitative working conditions. As many brands continue to chase faster production and cheap labor, the commercial fashion industry continues to exploit workers, who are often grossly underage. Reports from UNICEF and the International Labour Organization as of 2024 show that more than 138 million children worldwide are involved in child labor, with the textile industry named among sectors of concern [1]. The children and workers forced into these deplorable working conditions are part of the invisible web of exploitation that makes it possible for me to buy a $7 T-shirt.

This is not just an abstract statistic I can easily ignore. Every time I pull out a crinkled top or a wrinkly tote bag from my closet, the evidence of child labour is right there on the tag: “Made in Bangladesh,” “Made in Vietnam,” or “Made in India.” All of these countries, among many others, appear frequently on the Bureau of International Labor Affairs' List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor [2]. I can cut off the label, but the uneven stitching, the almost-seethrough fabric, or the ridiculous shrinkage after one wash will still remind me that this wasn’t made with sustainability or care in mind.  It was made in a rush, by small, tired hands. I know this, and still I shop. Because it’s cheap and fast. Because it’s what everyone else wears.

But not everything in my closet makes me feel like a fraud.

Some of my more treasured garments are thrifted—a leather jacket originally from Diesel, a pair of 90s Levi’s I bought for 8 euros in San Francisco, and a perfectly fitting white tee with no visible tag and a mystery stain I only noticed 3 months into wearing it. These clothes have stories and were likely made with love. They’ve survived lives before mine. They have values and sustainability instilled in them, and they’re fashionable. These are clothes I can wear and feel like I’m representing my values

Thrifting has come to be seen as the antithesis of fast fashion. It lengthens the life cycle of garments and keeps clothing out of landfills.
 
But even thrifting has become problematic. This practice has become a trend among Gen-Z— encouraged by social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram— and as a result, thrift stores have become gentrified. Resellers scour donation bins and then flip items for 10x the price on secondhand websites like Depop or Grailed. The people who actually depend on these donation bins—immigrants and low-income families—are priced out of their own local Goodwill racks. What started as a practice of sustainability is becoming a trend fueled by aesthetics, leaving only damaged and objectively unfashionable items behind..

And still, thrifting is magnitudes better than the alternative: massive hauls from low-cost retailers and bikinis that disintegrate after one wash.

Some items in my closet remind me just how far my generation has fallen victim to hyperconsumerism. A shirt with a half-faded alien print. A paper-thin hoodie that smelled like glue for weeks. These clothes were never meant to last, and honestly, neither was my desire for them.

Gen-Z has really put the ‘fast’ in fast fashion. We are constantly telling each other to consume—through TikTok trends, through Instagram influencers, through micro-seasons that change every two weeks. For You Pages dictate outfits, and cheap overnight brands are waiting to sell us whatever the new trend is—instantly, and in 40 different colorways.

It’s easy to put the blame on us, but the reality is that there aren’t many options. It’s true that we’re the most online generation, but we’re also the most broke. Inflation is rising, student debt is crushing, and ethical brands are expensive. Something from Abercrombie or Aritzia might cost $70, and you're supposed to own at least 3 from each brand nowadays. Meanwhile, TikTokers are pushing fast fashion dupes that are less than $10 [3]. What do you think a college student is choosing?

Even for those with money, luxury isn’t what it used to be. Designer brands offload labor to the same overseas factories they pretend to rise above. Global outsourcing has created a ridiculously inflated market where €2,600 bags can be made for just €53 [4]. Quality has turned from a guarantee into a gamble.

Even here, writing this on my bed, I am complicit in exploitative labour practices. My sheets and pillowcase, bought for $20 in total off Amazon from a third-party vendor, could possibly be sourced from child labour [5].

So, where does that leave us?

Back in our closet, trying to fix the disconnect between what I wear and consume and what I believe. I care about climate justice. I care about human rights. I care about children not being forced to sew seams by hand for pennies. But I also care about fitting in, saving money, and keeping up.

The fashion industry thrives on this contradiction. It wants us to feel bad and shop anyway.

So what does Gen-Z do now?

I honestly don’t know. Retail is broken, and this generation is locked in a vicious cycle of unsustainable shopping. Fast fashion is made off the backs of exploited workers and eventually ends up in the thrift store, where low-income families are pushed out through over-thrifting and price hikes. We cannot hope to correct the disparity between our values and what ends up in our closet on our own.

What we need is more transparency and more regulation. Brands must impose ethical standards on both sourcing and manufacturing. Social media platforms should hold creators accountable when they promote exploitative brands.

Fixing our individual closets will not fix the fashion industry. The companies that styled this mess need to start cleaning it up.

[1] https://data.unicef.org/resources/child-labour-global-estimates-2024/
[2] https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods?page=1
[3] https://www.tiktok.com/@mariee_1025/video/7386451242421079316?lang=en
[4] https://www.wsj.com/business/retail/christian-diors-57-handbags-have-a-hidden-cost-reputational-risk-8175c9c9?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[5] https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/amazon-suppliers-linked-forced-labor-china-watchdog-group-says-rcna16452