ĐẠI HỌC HÀ NỘI KHOA TIẾNG ANH
SPEAKING TERM 3
Mid-Term Test: Informative Presentation
Outline
The Contrasting Impacts of Fast Fashion
Lecturer : Tran Huyen Trang
Class : 6A23
Members: Bùi Vân Nga
Nguyễn Hằng Nga
Trần Thị Tâm Như
Mai Hồng Quân
Date 23 October 2024
Topic: Fast Fashion
General Purpose: To introduce a general information about Fast Fashion
Specific Purpose: To inform my audiences about one of the concepts of Fast Fashion and its
contrasting impacts.
I. Introduction
A. Attention Getter:
1. Using questions:
- How often do you usually buy new clothes?
- How do you usually choose clothes to buy (from advertisements, trends or sth else)?
2. Definition:
- The term fast fashion refers to a large sector of the fashion industry whose business model
relies on cheap and speedy production of low-quality clothing, which gets pumped quickly
through stores in order to meet the latest and newest trends (Lai, O. ,2024).
B. Reason to Listen:
- Fast fashion is a controversial term nowadays, it does not bring only positive effects but
also detrimental negative effects. It is important to be provided with the basic knowledge of
this term.
C. Thesis Statement:
- This presentation will provide you not only with the contrastive effects of fast fashion but
also with the general backgrounds of it.
D. Preview of Main Points:
1. Today, our group will discuss the positive impacts of fast fashion on individuals - consumers, and the
economy.
2. Second, our group will discuss the negative effects on the environment and society.
II. Body
A. Background of Fast Fashion (Quihuiz, A. 2023)
1. In the past
- 1800s
+ The introduction of the sewing machine in 1846, and later the outsourcing of garment
production to factories, prompted a decrease in clothing prices and an increase in the amount
of clothes being made (Idacavace, S. 2018)
- 1960s -1970s
+ Textile mills had opened around the world to meet the demands of consumers who desired
affordable and stylish clothing
- 1980s
+ Although H&M was founded in Sweden in 1947 and Zara opened in Spain in 1975, most fast
fashion brands didn’t reach the U.S. until decades later.
+ When Zara opened a store in New York City in 1989, the New York Times coined the term
“fast fashion” to explain the brand’s process of changing its stock every three weeks. (Anne-
Marie, S. 1989)
2. Today
- The 2000s accelerated the rise of fast fashion with the introduction of social media and influencer
culture.
- From 2000 to 2014, clothing production doubled and the number of garments purchased per
capita increased by about 60 percent. This is due, in part, to the rise of fast fashion. (Quihuiz, A,
2023)
- In 2023, the global industry was estimated to be worth $1.7 trillion. And more than 300 million
people all over the world work on clothes, somewhere along the value chain. (Ariella, S. 2023)
Transition: Next, Vân Nga will be your companion to discover the positive effects of fast
fashion.
B. Positive Impacts
Thesis: There are 2 main positive impacts of fast fashion: benefits for individuals and benefits
for the economy.
1. Benefits for individuals - consumers: Fast fashion offers affordable and diverse clothing.
a) Individual benefit 1: Affordability
- Hook: Have you ever looked at a fashion item from a luxury brand, so interested in the design
but then realized they are too out of budget? If so, then maybe you should turn to another
option - fast fashion items.
- Fast fashion companies can bring stylish clothing from the runway to rack, at a more affordable
price.
+ Example 1: Compare leather jackets from 2 brands
name: Balfern Leather Biker Jacket
$450
from: AllSaints (high-end brands)
name: "Faux Leather Biker Jacket"
$80
from: Mango (a fast fashion brand)
- Besides, there are fast fashion brands like Uniqlo that focus more on fabric quality and simplicity,
with the brand aim to provide “made for all' clothing that can be worn whenever and
wherever. Uniqlo’s items are considered affordable.
eg:
→ By offering affordable to cheap clothes, FF allows people to add to their wardrobes more items without
breaking the bank
+ Example:
b) Various choices for customers
- Every year, fast fashion produces millions of styles. Let's take a look at this bar chart:
(data illustrated by: Vox)
According to Sheng Lu, a professor at the University of Delaware who studies the global textile and apparel
industry, in one year, the Gap listed about 12,000 different items on its website, H&M had roughly
25,000 and Zara had about 35,000. During the same period, Shein had 1.3 million (Vauhini Vara,
2022).
→ conclude that the number of styles is huge
→ This offers consumers a vast array of styles and options, allowing for personal expression. It makes it
easier for people to discover their appropriate styles and experience different versions of
themselves. Especially in this modern era where appearance is important, the demand for better
and more diverse outfits is rising.
2. Economic benefits
- Fast fashion contributes a lot to the global economic growth. Let’s take a look at this bar
chart “Global Fast Fashion Market” (Market Data Forecast, June 2024)
(source: Market Data Forecast)
+ The bar chart shows that the fast fashion global market size has experienced a
constant rise from around 15 billion USD in 2019 to 47 billion in 2024. And, it is
forecast to double in 2029, with 90 billion USD.
- Fast fashion creates job opportunities: The more the global demand for clothing rises, the
more fashion-related jobs are needed. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation states that the
clothing industry employs more than 300 million people - 11.9% of the global workforce. A
lot of fashion-related jobs are:
+ Retailers
+ Manufacturing workers
+ Logistics and Supply Chain Managers
+ Designers, etc
- In some developing countries like India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, China, Indonesia, and
Cambodia, fast fashion offers huge opportunities for economic growth.
Eg: Bangladesh - the beating heart of the global fast fashion business. Over three decades, fast fashion has
transformed the country from one of the world's poorest to a lower-middle income nation.
+ In 1998: low GDP (under $500), most people living in poverty
+ Recently: GDP rising to $2,500 → the nation has undergone an “economic miracle”. This rapid
economic growth in Bangladesh is closely linked to garment exports, a main source of
income for the country. (Joy Buchanan, 2022)
+ Further discussion: Although fast fashion industry hinders many environmental risks as well as
social problems which will be discussed in detail by my teammates - Tâm Như and Hằng Nga
- in the next parts, the perception of many people from these developing countries about this
industry is: this is a link to the world economy that employs millions of people. However, for
the sake of economic growth, they choose to sacrifice.
Transition:
In the past, clothing ourselves was a struggle that consumed much of our time and money. Now,
with fast fashion, it is a lot easier and more convenient.
But as an old saying “every coin has two sides”, many negative effects lie in this kind of
manufacturing system. In the next part, Tâm như will discuss the negative impacts of fast
fashion.
C. Environmental Impacts
1. Textile waste:
a. Lower garments and overproduction
- As Nga mentioned above, fast fashion is a rapidly growing industry, with a global market
size increasing about 32 million from 2019 to 2024, and people are buying more clothes
than ever.
- It actively leads to the changing quality of clothing production today:
Factor Clothing in the Past Clothing Today
Material High-quality natural fibers Relies on more non-iron and cheaper
such as wool, cotton, silk, synthetic materials like polyester and nylon.
and linen.
➔ Brands can produce massive
quantities of clothing at low costs.
Craftsmanship - Handmade. Less detail, overproduced in large quantities
- Pay attention to
detail. ➔ Encouraging rapid production.
Durability - Durable. Durability can vary significantly, with fast
- Designed for fashion items often wearing out quickly.
longevity.
➔ Degrade faster.
➔ Short lifespan of items, easily tears.
- The combination of low prices and poor quality encourages consumers to buy more clothes and gives
them the perception that wearing an item only a handful of times is okay. They often discard items after just
7 to 10 wears.
b. Landfills
- As a result, most of the clothes end up in landfills:
+ According to research by Charles University in 2024, the United States alone discarded 17
million tons of clothes annually.
- A huge amount of clothes become textile waste in landfills releases toxic chemicals like dyes
and pesticides when they degrade. (Khan, Waseem. (2023))
➔ These chemicals of garment waste leach into soil and groundwater. Over time, these substances
break down and contaminate surrounding environments.
2. Microplastics
- According to Brian Resnick’s research in 2019, about 60 percent of the material made into
clothing is plastic, leading to a large amount of synthetic fibers being produced.
- The manufacturing and washing processes of these synthetic fibers can shed tiny microplastic fibers
that end up in the ocean.
➔ These microplastics can come from oceans and enter rivers and lakes, contaminating drinking
water and harming marine ecosystems.
3. Carbon footprint:
- Textiles’ detrimental ecological footprint is caused by high energy, and chemical use:
(Niinimäki et al., 2020).
+ Chemical use: As I mentioned, synthetic materials like polyester are used to make clothes.
When people burn these synthetic materials in landfills to dispose, this process contributes to the
release of methane - a potent greenhouse gas. (Juanga-Labayen, 2022)
+ Energy: The transportation of raw materials, and finished products across global supply chains
contributes to textiles’ carbon footprint. Energy deployed in garment care such as washing, drying,
pressing, and dry-cleaning, further adds to the environmental impact throughout a product's life cycle.
➔ The fashion industry is the second-largest industrial polluter, accounting for 10% of global
pollution. ( Dolzhenko, Industry 4.0, 2022. )
Transition: Beyond its environmental consequences, fast fashion also shapes societal issues now will
be presented by Hằng Nga.
D. Social Impacts
Fast fashion often relies on low-cost labor in developing countries, raising concerns about workers’
rights, wage and working conditions
1. Poor Working Conditions
a. Unsafe work environments
- Factories lack proper safety standards: credible safety audits, extremely low wages for workers
and the increasing pressure on manufacturers to reduce costs of garments
-> Exposing workers to hazardous conditions, increasing pressure on manufacturers and the risk of
accidents
+ The collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in 2013 where “more than 1,100 garment workers were
killed and at least 2,000 injured”
b. Health hazards
- The use of toxic dyes, pesticides, and synthetic chemicals in fabric production poses significant
health risks to workers, causing respiratory issues, skin diseases, and other chronic health problems
- Many workers are not equipped with the proper protective gear to avoid the consequences of
being exposed to carcinogenic chemicals (Lambert, M. (2014). The Lowest Cost at Any Price)
2. Exploitation of Workers
a. Unfair labor practices
- Many fast fashion companies outsource production to countries where labor laws are weak or poorly
enforced
➔ Leading to the exploitation of workers, particularly women and children, who are often paid low
wages, work in unsafe conditions, and endure long hours
b. Child labor
- In some parts of the world, children who are considered to be small, quick, cheap, and obedient are
employed in hazardous conditions, working in garment factories for extremely low wages to produce cheap
clothing
+ Bangladesh, alongside Pakistan, Egypt, and countries in Central Asia employs children to work the same long
hours in the same unsafe factories as their parents
+ E.P. Thompson, in her work The Making of the English Working Class, recounted one boy’s experience
working in a mill for seventeen hours without eating or taking a rest
Children suffer mentally because they are not provided and educated with proper education
-
➔ Generational poverty
III. Conclusion
A. Review of Main Points:
1. Today I first discussed the positive impacts of fast fashion on individuals - consumers and the economy.
2. Second, I discussed the negative effects of fast fashion on the environment and society.
B. Restate Thesis: From the effects of fast fashion, the natural environment and human life are affected
and changed.
C. Closure: In conclusion, while fast fashion makes style accessible, its broader implications on
society and the environment are increasingly concerning. Making use of the advantages and
minimizing the disadvantages is what needs to be done in the future with the rapid
development of fast fashion.
REFERENCES:
1. Lai, O. (2024, March 4). “Explainer: What is fast fashion?” Earth.Org.
https://earth.org/what-is-fast-fashion/#:~:text=What%20Is%20Fast%20Fashion%3F%20The
%20term%20fast%20fashion,order%20to%20meet%20the%20latest%20and%20newest
%20trends
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https://www.instyle.com/what-is-fast-fashion-8302371
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https://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/fast-fashion-market
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