With the holiday season right around the corner, teens and adults alike are getting ready to go on a crazy clothing-shopping spree. Despite these two populations’ mutual interest in purchasing new and fashionable clothing, teens and adults have very different shopping habits.
One major difference between the shopping habits of teens and adults is that teens tend to buy from shops targeted for younger shoppers, including stores such as Forever 21, H & M, Express. Adults, on the other hand, adults tend to shop at stores, which tend to carry pricier items. These stores include larger department stores such as Macy’s and Nordstrom.
“High school students tend not to have the financial resources to purchase these pricier clothing items, which is why we generally stick to the relatively inexpensive retailers,” a junior from Richard Montgomery said. “However, some students who have jobs are sometimes able to buy the more expensive items.”
In addition to shopping at different stores, teens and adults tend to buy clothing for different reasons. Teens like to purchase inexpensive, trendy clothes that are not intended to be worn for a long time. The quality of these clothing tends to be lower, which reflects the reduced price tag. Adults have a tendency to buy items they will wear for decades; these pieces are usually less trendy but boast a better materials and construction. Buying more expensive clothing that is intended to last longer is not a very feasible option for most teens, as their physiques and tastes change over time.
By purchasing and then discarding clothing, many items and resources are wasted. Although almost all clothing is recyclable, most of it is thrown away into landfills. However, waste is not the only problem that the fashion industry faces. Sustainability is also an issue. Many companies use irresponsibly produced cotton and plastic, which has taken its toll on the environment. This includes using up large areas of land, which sometimes requires large-scale deforestation. In response to this problem, several clothing brands have committed to only making clothes with sustainable cotton and other fibers. These brands include Allbirds, Jack and Jones, and Alternative Apparel. Many others are joining them in the fight against the harmful effects of fast fashion, and the industry is seeing a slow but present shift towards more responsible and sustainable resources.
Although it would not be plausible to eliminate the harms of fast fashion, teens in Montgomery County can all take action to aid in the fight.
“Doing every small thing will add up, and over time and with lots of commitment our generation will undoubtedly reverse today’s situation and move on to a better tomorrow,” says Sara Logsdon, a junior at Richard Montgomery. One important step can be to purchase clothing from these responsible brands in order to encourage sustainable business practices. However, sustainable clothing tends to be more expensive, which means teens would have to choose wisely and purchase sparingly.
Despite these challenges, taking actions towards helping the earth by gradually changing shopping habits is a step student all across the county should consider taking. “It’s between action and inaction, and the latter will have dire consequences,” says Danny from Richard Montgomery.
Article by Linsen Liu of Richard Montgomery High School
Graphic by Nicole Fang of Richard Montgomery High School