‘50% off this Friday only!’ ‘99% off dresses.’
Black Friday deals fill your social media feed and tempt you into the world of cheap deals and fast fashion. Pretty Little Thing being a significant brand offering Black Friday deals, including dresses that cost as little as 5p. My Twitter and Instagram were overflowing with people buying as much as they could without breaking the bank. But who is making these clothes? And what about the impact it will have on the environment?
Firstly, Pretty Little Thing is run by Boohoo, and this year it was found that one of their clothes factories was paying workers less than minimum wage in Leicester. This is not only breaking the law but means billionaire Mahmud Kamani is running a modern-day sweatshop and is facing little repercussions for it. Whilst he sits comfortably in his unimaginable wealth, he is allowing poverty to grow. And whenever he’s been approached over the issue, he sees nothing wrong with his actions and excuses it as an essential evil for a successful business. This controversy is also situated in the UK, thus it’s not hard to imagine that this will be happening across the globe and PLT cannot prove that their clothing wasn’t made in unsafe slave labour conditions. With the reduction of price on Black Friday, it needs to be reminded that PLT are still making a profit. Therefore, it’s clear that the only people that will suffer are those in the factory, making those clothes by hand and earning less than they are already earning. It’s an example that this industry is exploiting people in order to make billions.
Additionally, it’s no secret that fast fashion is dangerous to the environment. PLT’s dresses are 95% polyester and once it falls out of fashion, it’s likely it will go to landfill and pollute the planet. The climate crises are real and companies like Boohoo are directly having a negative effect on our environment. Encouraging people to buy dresses at 99% off will increase sales and thus increase the plastic content that will end up having detrimental effects on the climate.
PLT also profits off people who cannot afford to buy dresses at full price and entices people into the world of fashion for cheap. It can be difficult when you are struggling for money and the people around you are dressing in beautiful dresses. PLT may seem like the answer but before you quickly click on a deal think about what company you are putting your hard-earned income into. It’s also harder for people who are in poverty and use Black Friday as a way to afford the clothing that they already needed, and sometimes it may be the last option. But if you are in a situation where you don’t need the clothes, and you are buying for the sake of easy fashion and a good deal, it may be time to rethink your options and start buying more sustainably. Small businesses are everywhere, and by shopping with the individual you know where your money is going, and you know that you are reducing your carbon footprint. And you’ll also get an item that won’t break within the first few weeks.
