Fashion and social justice

• A. Haute couture
• B. Sustainable and ethical fashion ✓
• C. Fast fashion
• D. Trend forecasting

Why: Sustainable and ethical fashion is the umbrella term for approaches that consider labor conditions, environmental impact, and community well-being throughout the garment lifecycle.

• A. The collapse of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh ✓
• B. The launch of the first fast fashion chain
• C. The invention of synthetic dyes
• D. The start of Paris Fashion Week

Why: The collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka killed more than 1,100 garment workers and exposed unsafe conditions and weak oversight across the global supply chain.

• A. The minimum wage set by law in each country
• B. Pay sufficient to cover basic needs such as housing, food, healthcare, and education for a worker's family ✓
• C. A bonus paid to workers for meeting production targets
• D. The average salary of fashion executives

Why: A living wage goes beyond legal minimums to cover a worker's essential needs and those of their dependents, which is central to debates about fair pay in garment supply chains.

• A. Lowering prices to make clothing cheaper
• B. Featuring models of diverse body sizes, ages, ethnicities, and abilities in campaigns and runways ✓
• C. Using only natural fibers in collections
• D. Producing clothing exclusively for export

Why: Representation addresses who is visible and valued in the industry, and diverse casting in advertising and runways is a common way this principle is applied.

• A. To produce garments more quickly to meet rising demand
• B. To reduce overconsumption by encouraging fewer, higher-quality, longer-lasting garments made with care for people and planet ✓
• C. To eliminate the use of machines in clothing production
• D. To increase the number of seasonal collections a brand releases

Why: Slow fashion counters the rapid cycles of fast fashion by prioritizing durability, transparency, and responsible production over speed and volume.

• A. Vertical integration
• B. Subcontracting ✓
• C. Horizontal merger
• D. Cooperative ownership

Why: Subcontracting, often through multi-tier supplier networks, is the dominant model in global garment supply chains. Brands outsource production to factories they do not own, which can make it harder to monitor working conditions and assign accountability.

• A. Piece-rate pay ✓
• B. Overtime premium
• C. Profit sharing
• D. Living wage

Why: Piece-rate pay ties earnings to output, so workers often earn very little unless they produce at high speed for long hours. This pressure can push workers toward unpaid overtime and unsafe working speeds.

• A. The collapse of the Rana Plaza building ✓
• B. The Shanghai port strike
• C. The closure of the Mumbai textile mills
• D. The Vietnam tariff dispute

Why: The collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Savar, Bangladesh, killed over 1,100 garment workers. It prompted international agreements such as the Accord on Fire and Building Safety and intensified scrutiny of supplier factories.

• A. The legal minimum wage set by a government
• B. Pay sufficient to cover a worker's basic needs such as food, housing, healthcare, and education for dependents ✓
• C. The average wage in a given industry
• D. Wages paid only to permanent employees

Why: A living wage is designed to meet basic needs for a worker and their family. It is often higher than the legal minimum, which in many garment-producing countries does not cover basic living costs.

• A. Garment production requires no human labor
• B. Long, multi-tier supply chains obscure visibility, and buyer pricing pressure can squeeze supplier margins ✓
• C. Workers in garment factories are legally barred from unionizing everywhere
• D. Fashion brands are required by law to own all factories

Why: Many layers of subcontractors make it hard for brands to see who is actually making their products. At the same time, aggressive price negotiations and short lead times can push suppliers to cut corners on wages and safety.

• A. Slow fashion
• B. Fast fashion ✓
• C. Haute couture
• D. Upcycling

Why: Fast fashion refers to the rapid production of inexpensive, trend-driven clothing that is designed to be worn only a few times before being discarded.

• A. Reduced water consumption
• B. Significant water pollution from dyeing and finishing processes ✓
• C. Decreased carbon emissions
• D. Elimination of chemical use in production

Why: Dyeing and finishing textiles often release toxic chemicals and dyes into waterways, making water pollution one of the industry's most serious environmental problems.

• A. Less than 1 million tonnes
• B. Around 10,000 tonnes
• C. More than 90 million tonnes ✓
• D. About 500 kilograms

Why: Estimates suggest that more than 90 million tonnes of textile waste are generated globally each year, much of which ends up in landfills or is burned.

• A. Cotton
• B. Linen
• C. Polyester ✓
• D. Wool

Why: Polyester is a synthetic fiber made from petroleum-based chemicals. Its widespread use contributes to microplastic pollution when garments shed fibers during washing.

• A. Tiny natural fibers used in luxury garments
• B. Small plastic fibers shed from synthetic clothing that pollute oceans and waterways ✓
• C. Fibers recycled from old bedsheets
• D. Threads used to repair torn garments

Why: Synthetic clothing such as polyester and nylon sheds microplastic fibers during washing, which enter wastewater systems and accumulate in oceans, harming marine life.

• A. Tokenism
• B. Homogeneous representation ✓
• C. Adaptive design
• D. Fast fashion

Why: Homogeneous representation refers to showing a limited range of racial or ethnic groups, which reinforces narrow beauty standards and excludes many consumers from seeing themselves in fashion.

• A. Paying models a fair wage for their work
• B. Including a single model from an underrepresented group to appear inclusive without meaningful change ✓
• C. Designing clothing for people with disabilities
• D. Using recycled materials in garment production

Why: Tokenism involves superficially including a small number of people from marginalized groups to create the appearance of diversity, without addressing deeper issues in hiring, design, or decision-making.

• A. Black models are required to wear more clothing than other models
• B. Black models have historically been underrepresented on runways and in campaigns, and when included, are often limited to a few slots or specific aesthetics ✓
• C. Black models are only hired for swimwear shoots
• D. Black models cannot fit standard sample sizes

Why: Critiques highlight that Black models have been persistently underrepresented and sometimes confined to narrow roles or quotas, reflecting systemic exclusion rather than equal opportunity.

• A. Making clothes only in a single standard size
• B. Offering a broad range of sizes that accommodates diverse body types, including plus sizes ✓
• C. Selling clothes exclusively online
• D. Producing garments without any seams

Why: Inclusive sizing expands size ranges so that people of different body shapes, heights, and proportions can find well-fitting clothing, countering the historical exclusion of larger bodies.

• A. It only affects the cost of advertising
• B. People are influenced by seeing diverse people reflected in media, which affects their sense of belonging and who they perceive as fashionable ✓
• C. It is required by law in all countries
• D. It helps brands avoid using photography

Why: Representation shapes cultural norms and self-image. When diverse people are visible in fashion, more consumers feel seen and valued, and beauty standards broaden.

• A. Sartorial inflation
• B. Size normativity ✓
• C. Textile hierarchy
• D. Silhouette drift

Why: Size normativity refers to the way industry norms treat a narrow range of body sizes as the default or ideal, marginalizing everyone outside that range in design, sizing, and representation.

• A. To reduce production costs through standardized fittings
• B. To broaden who sees themselves reflected in fashion and challenge narrow beauty standards ✓
• C. To comply with textile import regulations
• D. To increase the speed of runway shows

Why: Diverse representation helps audiences of varied ages, sizes, ethnicities, and abilities see themselves as valued consumers and challenges the idea that only one body type is beautiful or worthy of fashion.

• A. A preference for menswear design in magazines
• B. A way of depicting women as objects for male viewers' pleasure, shaping how clothing and bodies are presented ✓
• C. A technique for lighting male models in studio shoots
• D. A market category focused on men's luxury goods

Why: The male gaze, a concept from feminist film and art theory, describes imagery that frames women's bodies for a presumed male viewer, which has influenced how fashion photography and advertising portray women.

• A. Because they increase the cost of clothing
• B. Because constant exposure to narrow ideals can fuel body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, and low self-esteem ✓
• C. Because they limit the number of available fabrics
• D. Because they require models to work longer hours

Why: Research links frequent exposure to idealized images with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating, particularly among young people, which is why advocates push for more realistic and inclusive representation.

• A. Offering only the smallest sizes at a discount
• B. Designing and grading clothing across a wide range of body sizes so more people can access well-fitting garments ✓
• C. Merging two clothing brands into one label
• D. Using larger fabric panels in every garment

Why: Inclusive sizing expands size ranges and grading so that people of all body shapes and sizes can find clothing that fits, rather than being excluded or forced into poorly fitting options.

• A. Impulse buying
• B. Ethical consumption ✓
• C. Bulk purchasing
• D. Brand loyalty

Why: Ethical consumption means choosing products based on how they were made and what impact the company has on workers, communities, and the environment, rather than only on price or appearance.

• A. To rank the most fashionable clothing brands each season
• B. To measure how openly brands disclose information about their supply chains and labor practices ✓
• C. To calculate the price markup on luxury goods
• D. To track celebrity endorsements of clothing lines

Why: Transparency indexes evaluate whether brands publicly share details about factories, wages, and sourcing, helping consumers judge how responsibly a company operates.

• A. Choosing to buy from brands that publish supplier lists and pay living wages ✓
• B. Ignoring product labels entirely
• C. Buying the cheapest item available regardless of origin
• D. Discarding clothing after one wear without considering alternatives

Why: Consumers influence the market when they reward brands with responsible practices through their purchases, signaling demand for better labor and environmental standards.

• A. The minimum wage set by law in each country
• B. A wage sufficient to cover basic needs such as housing, food, healthcare, and education for a worker's family ✓
• C. The average salary of fashion designers
• D. Wages paid to models and influencers

Why: A living wage goes beyond legal minimums to cover a worker's essential needs, and it is a central demand in campaigns for fair treatment of garment workers.

• A. It uses faster production methods to lower costs
• B. It emphasizes fewer, higher-quality garments made with more sustainable and fairer practices ✓
• C. It releases new collections every week
• D. It relies mainly on celebrity marketing

Why: Slow fashion encourages buying less, choosing durable pieces, and supporting production with better labor and environmental standards, in contrast to the rapid turnover and exploitation often linked to fast fashion.

• A. Sustainable sourcing
• B. Performative activism ✓
• C. Fair trade certification
• D. Circular design

Why: Performative activism refers to visible displays of support for social causes that serve mainly to enhance a brand's image, without meaningful policy change or structural action behind them.

• A. To set the lowest legal minimum pay for factory workers
• B. To ensure workers earn enough to meet basic needs such as food, housing, and healthcare ✓
• C. To replace factory jobs with automation
• D. To increase retail prices for consumers

Why: A living wage is designed to cover a worker's basic needs and those of their family. It goes beyond the legal minimum wage, which in many garment-producing countries is insufficient to live on.

• A. The Fair Labor Standards Act
• B. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act ✓
• C. The Garment Worker Protection Act
• D. The Clean Clothes Directive

Why: The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act presumes goods from Xinjiang are made with forced labor unless companies can prove otherwise, and it restricts their import into the United States.

• A. Brands must extend warranties on clothing for longer periods
• B. Producers are held financially and physically responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, including disposal and recycling ✓
• C. Workers are given extended contracts with more job security
• D. Retailers must extend store hours to reduce overconsumption

Why: EPR policies require producers to take responsibility for post-consumer waste, often by funding collection, recycling, or reuse systems, which encourages more durable and recyclable design.

• A. Because consumers trust celebrities more than workers
• B. Because those most affected by industry practices have essential knowledge and should shape the solutions that impact them ✓
• C. Because workers are legally required to lead all campaigns
• D. Because brand executives prefer hearing from workers rather than advocates

Why: Centering affected communities ensures that solutions reflect real conditions and experiences, and it counters top-down approaches that may overlook workers' needs and rights.