Armed with this knowledge, how can we still shop so voraciously for clothes we don’t need? As a fashion editor it might sound ironic, insincere and sanctimonious for me to urge readers to shop less, or more responsibly. But as a fashion editor I also feel it is my responsibility to educate people on the true cost of fashion, particularly fast fashion. I have spoken previously of my real loathing of shopping , not simply because I find the crowded stores of Oxford Street unbearable and the thudding music blasted out on the shop floor insufferable. But also because, for the past 10 years or so, the notion of cheap clothing and the consequences of buying it and endorsing its production has not appealed to me, and often appalled me. When it comes to a decision between buying lots of poorly made clothes that I quite like, or investing in an item that has been beautifully crafted in an ethical environment, which I can wear for the rest of my life and potentially pass down to my future daughter, the choice is indisputable.