For the longest time I struggled with being able to explain the impacts of fast fashion on people, environment, and our consumer habits. I also struggled with convenience - it's way easier to shop stores that offer hundreds of styles for low "sale" prices. But I knew that my purchases were contributing to a negative impact. There was one instance where I had recently bought a pair of pants and noticed a tag in the lining while getting dressed for work. The tag said "Made in Bangladesh". It made me pause because I knew what was going on there - forced labor, sweatshops, and lack of factory regulations. I knew I couldn't continue my fashion consumer habits.

THE TRUE COST FILM

Last year, I watched The True Cost film which is "a story about clothing. It’s about the clothes we wear, the people who make them, and the impact the industry is having on our world." The film follows several story lines to shed light on aspects of the industry including factory life, environmental affects and interviews with those in the industry.

WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH

The documentary is a must-watch for those who desire more transparent information about who makes our clothes and the standards we support in other countries. The film itself has helped me form opinions about my shopping habits and how I pay attention to labels, company transparency and quality of garments because there is a life behind the clothes we wear.
Even if you do not have a background in fashion, this film is for you. We are all clothing consumers and can take away some insight from learning how an industry works. Before the documentary, even the film director, Andrew Morgan, had no background in fashion, but was so convicted after the 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse, that he knew he had to do something about it.

This film will teach you about...

• Human Rights : As a partner in the Who Made My Clothes movement, the film will continue to highlight real people in factories like those in Bangladesh as well as brand influence in production practices (ethics) and viewpoints on capitalism.
• Environmental Impact : the film highlights cotton production, disposing our clothes, chemical and leather hazards.
• How to buy better : the true facts from this film will help us shop smarter by questioning our purposes. The film also releases resources throughout the year with other companies, focused on the same goal in revealing the downfalls of the fast fashion industry.

The film will help us break habits like...

• Thinking we can throw a garment away because it was just $8.00
• That you have to have a background in fashion to care or understand the industry
• Always going to sale or cheap prices because we will now know what it costs to make a garment
• Believing campaigns and companies that lack transparency - do they know who made their clothes?
• That there's no other way to stimulate economic growth than turing in cheap labor in other countries
• Your needs will be satisfied if you continue to buy all the trends from each season