Last year in Advanced Environmental Science, we were tasked with tracing the journey of an item, evaluating the social, economic, and environmental implications of its production. My group decided to trace the journey of a Patagonia T-shirt. Patagonia is a company reputed for its sustainability and social responsibility. After much investigative work, we discovered that it traveled 12,000 miles before reaching us while traveling between two factories and numerous shipping containers. I was struck by the extensive environmental footprint behind a supposedly simple sustainable garment. Inspired by the project, I dug deeper into the impact of garments and watched the documentary “True Cost.” Unveiling the world behind fast fashion, the documentary 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  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 as fast fashion companies quickly push new products, textile waste accumulates in the landfills.

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.

This documentary spurred me to reevaluate aspects of my daily habits. I realized that each time I purchase something, I am essentially voting with my dollars. Even seemingly small decisions can create large repercussions over time.

We all wield the power to shape our world with our daily actions.