The see now, wear now, buy now mentality has become a normal part of the modern consumer behaviour. Fast fashion has never been easier to access. High street brands have accelerated this culture, the cheap manufacturing and retailing of clothing means shoppers can get their hands on the latest trends not long after appearing on the catwalk.

But what is the true cost of fast fashion? In the west, have we become over-stimulated by new things?

Even though big high-street fashion names are far from ethical, due to public pressure and increasing concern over climate change and the environment, they are being forced to make more manufacturing changes that reduce pollution and favour more sustainable materials.

In the U.K, over 300,000 tonnes of clothing is sent to landfill each year. It used to be where people only had a few items of clothing in their wardrobe, a winter coat, a party dress, worn from year to year. Now we are spoilt for choice, the fact that we only enjoy something for a short amount of time shows how inherently unsustainable the fast fashion model is.

Is it possible to be fashion conscious and green? 

Carla Green, an art student from Hull is a keen second-hand shopper who condones fast fashion and its detrimental contributing factors to the environment. She explains why she opts for second hand, (Audio above)

(Photo credit to Carla Green)