Heels in the hottest colors for $11 and dresses remarkably similar to designer items for $5: How can you not be tempted by apparel and accessories that will make you look like a fashionista with almost no financial commitment?
Many are taking advantage of these extraordinary deals. According to the Fast Fashion Global Market Report 2023, market size for this industry is expected to grow from $106.42 billion in 2022 to $122.98 billion in 2023.
There are many reasons, however, to hit the brakes on fast fashion. Not only is it hard on the environment and problematic for workers, in the long run it can be more taxing on your finances than you might imagine.
What Is Fast Fashion?
Fast fashion is defined as mass-produced, trendy apparel available at rock-bottom prices. It’s typically manufactured in areas of the world with the lowest labor costs, it’s poorly constructed and it’s produced from synthetic materials.
The word “fast” refers to the condensed fashion cycle.
There are five stages of fashion trends: introduction, rise, peak, decline and obsolescence. Each stage has a lifespan, but companies that sell fast fashion items condense the start-to-finish cycle. By doing so, the company can sell a much larger quantity of items because the pieces go in and out of style at a rapid pace.
Traditionally, there are four fashion seasons per year: spring/summer, fall/winter, resort and pre-fall. Fast fashion brands, however, typically produce one microseason a week, or 52 each year.
Social media influencers who appear on platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Instagram can have regular outfit changes without a significant financial outlay, all while they promote the brands they’re wearing to make money. Vogue Business reports that videos of fashion hauls, in which content producers unbox massive orders, have been popular since the 2000s.
Not all in the industry are fast fashion fans, however.
“I think it’s terrible,” Nina Vargas, CEO of LAFM, says. “It’s an evil that’s making it too easy to do the wrong thing. If $80 can get you a huge box of stuff, step back and think about the larger picture.”
Before buying, Vargas encourages shoppers to ask themselves why they think they can purchase these garments for next to nothing. The reasons aren’t pretty.
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Fast Fashion Brands
There are a few clues that a company fits into the fast fashion category.
In addition to the prices being extremely low, the collection is updated on an almost daily basis. The styles are very trendy and the items are poorly made and made of petroleum-based fabrics rather than natural materials.
Companies throughout the world produce fast fashion items, including:
— Shein, headquartered in China.
— YesStyle, headquartered in Hong Kong.
— Fashion Nova, headquartered in Los Angeles.
— Old Navy (Gap), headquartered in San Francisco.
— Nike, headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon.
— Uniqlo, headquartered in Japan.
— Zara (Inditex), headquartered in Spain.
— Forever 21, headquartered in Los Angeles.
— H&M, headquartered in Sweden.
— Mango, headquartered in Spain.
Shein sits at the top of the list for a reason. In 2022, Harris Brand Platform data found that it holds the largest share (28%) of the fast fashion market in the United States.
According to the consumer insights platform HundredX’s data report, Shein is most popular with people ages 30 to 39, a group that gravitates to the company for its value and ease of use.
Why Fast Fashion Is Bad
Rock-bottom prices can be appealing, but the downsides to fast fashion are emerging, causing customers to question whether or not disposable clothes are worth the cost.
The HundredX report on Shein discovered that those from 18 to 29 have pulled back sharply on the brand in 2023, and they’re viewing the prices and selection less positively. Consumer purchase intent (the extent to which customers are willing to buy a product within the next six to 12 months) declined by 5% for Gen Zers and early millennials.
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Here are three reasons fast fashion is under fire:
— Poor working conditions. In order to sell items with tiny price tags and still turn a profit, labor costs must also be small. Hence, some companies turn to sweatshop labor. “Respondents in the HundredX report, which surveyed more than 310,000 consumers, noted allegations that Shein has poor working conditions and underpays workers who leave negative feedback on the company,” Rob Pace, founder and CEO of HundredX, says.
— Environmental issues. An article on the The World Bank website reported that data from the UN Environment Programme and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation concluded the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions, which is more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. The data also showed that the total fiber input used for clothing (87%) is incinerated or disposed of in a landfill. Sarika Bajaj, co-founder and CEO of Refiberd, a textile sorting company, says 192 billion pounds of textile waste is produced every year.
— Deceptively expensive. On the surface, fast fashion simply presents itself as a bargain. Certainly the occasional piece can be light on your budget if you wear it only a few times, but over the long run its value declines. A high-quality jacket you spend $150 on and wear 50 times has a per wear cost of $3. Spend $25 on a jacket that you wear twice and the per wear cost is $12.50. Additionally, if the garments don’t fit well or the fabric is unpleasant to the touch, you may not bother to return them because your initial investment was so low. The bottom line is that it’s a waste of your money.
Some fast fashion companies, however, have made progress, Bajaj says.
“There are a lot of brands that are actively trying to be sustainable,” she says. “It’s not perfect because it’s a hard problem, but I think there is a lot of hope in the industry. H&M is one of the biggest investors in recycling technology.”
How to Avoid Fast Fashion
Thankfully, there are ways to avoid the fast fashion trap while remaining in style.
“Go into a slow fashion approach,” Vargas says, explaining that it starts with taking the time to learn more about the company before spending.
Find out if it’s trying to do right by the environment and is committed to ethical working conditions. Check out apps like Good on You to see how the company rates for sustainability. Once you’ve identified a few brands you like and that appeal to you ethically, focus on your shopping.
If one of the compelling features of fast fashion is you get to change your look frequently, an alternative might be a company like Rent the Runway, Vargas says.
“I get 10 luxury, well-made items from them a month, then swap them out for more the next month. The company is committed to zero waste and their packaging is recyclable,” she says.
Explore thrift shops and consignment stores, too.
“One day a month I go thrift store shopping and I’ve found phenomenal stuff,” Vargas says. “I mend, I add buttons. You can even clean out your closet and take your clothes to a secondhand shop and swap them for other clothes.”
Finally, consider saving — and waiting — for quality items that last. If buying an abundance of throwaway items has become a habit, try breaking it.
Bajaj asks, “Do we need all of this stuff? We should be mindful of our consumption habits. No one is saying don’t buy clothes, but remember that every item is a resource.”
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Fast Fashion: A Trend That May Cost More Than You Think originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 05/18/23: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
