Usually when you hear the words “fashion” and “revolution”, you might think that a brand new, chic style clothes will be introduced within the next year or so. Maybe you’re expecting your favorite designer to announce an exciting new fashion line, or maybe widely-known clothing brand is opening up at one of your local, high-end malls. Either way, using a term that’s commonly used with war coupled with the word “fashion” doesn’t usually convey a sense of urgency or conflict. Except that’s exactly what this is.

Developing countries are finding themselves trudging along oily shores and wading through putrid waters that run red, blue, or gray, causing emotions like anger, sadness, and emptiness in the people of Bangladesh as seen in this New York Times article. India’s landfills could rival many others, and sometimes civilians find themselves journeying across them in search for some treasure in all the industry’s trash. It would be behoove of me to say that the fashion industry in these countries is far from the only industry that takes advantage of these people, their homes, and their rivers that are so sacred to them. However, it is one that seems to go to the wayside, veiled behind a glittering facade of friendly advertisements and flawless models.

Some people have seen through this pretty masquerade, though. Patagonia, Indigenous, and People Tree are all just a few companies in many who have seen the truth behind the unsustainable and unfair treatment of fast fashion. Patagonia strives to raise money for grassroots organizations, give out environmental grants, and even start up a very intuitive program called “Worn Wear” which advocates for a longer-term use of clothing while people share the experiences they’ve had while wearing some of their favorite threads. Indigenous is a Peruvian clothing company that gives voices to the natives and enables them to share their ancient artwork all across the globe, an art that uses organic, all-natural materials when they craft their masterpieces. People Tree has been up and running for over two decades now, and has reached public eye multiple times in the past with their unwavering passion for fair trade, ethical treatment, and sustainable clothing standards. There is even a whole website dedicated to this fashion revolution called, of course, Fashion Revolution.

On top of responsible clothing companies being on the rise, certain media has also turned to face the fashion industry’s misgivings. Andrew Morgan is a now internationally recognized director likely due to his shocking film documentary called The True Cost. The movie showcases the horrid conditions caused by fast fashion in India, the apathetic attitude that biotech companies like Monsanto have towards cotton farmers who provide the materials for clothing, and the health hazards textile pollution poses on people and future generations. It’s a story that is still relevant today, but could become history if we are to face this issue head on.

It’s true that many of us, if not nearly all of us have not skeletons, but clothes in our closets. Clothes that may have made skeletons somewhere else at some other time, cheap leather from a tannery that stews chemical-soaked leather in water, and cotton shirts that were woven or sewn by Bt cotton, a patented Monsanto crop that cripples Indian farmers. We all are a part of this problem. Yet as consumers, we can decide where we consume and how. Even the smallest step can lead to larger solutions.