To keep up with new trends, fashionistas and shoppers always prioritiez the most convenient and budget friendly options, which is fast fashion.
Stores and online retailers regularly update and launch “trendy” collections at affordable prices.
This production chains creates a large amount of products, with a rapid update frequency to meet the changing needs of the market. However, this leads to overproduction compared to consumer demand, causing waste and waste management problems.
The rise of fast fashion
Fast fashion is a business model that focuses on producing garments in bulk and quickly in response to surrent trends. It was first popularized in 1989 by the New York Times, where Zara’s goal was to have a design developed from concept to consumer in 15 days. Fast fashion designs are often “dupes” inspired by luxurious looks by celebrities and trendsetters. online retailers like Shein, Temu, Boohoo, ASOS, PrettyLittleThing, and Fashion Nova are increasingly taking charge of the industry due to their quick production schedules.
The consequences of fast fashion
The fashion industry contributes 10% of global carbon emissions annually, with clothing production doubling since 2000. Consumers’ purchasing habits have increased by 60% but by the they wesr clothes has decreased by half. Fast fashion products are often made from polyester, a cheap synthetic fiber from petroleum, which take 200 years to decompose. Garment materials can only be used for 7-10 wears, and the industry relies heavily on cheap labor, with only 2% of garment workers earning a living wage. garment companies often move factories to countries like India, Bangladesh, an Pakistan, where workers work in dangerous conditions for low wages, often children.
The industry meets four criteria: “fast design, fast production, fast marketing, fast retail” but ignores issues such as ethics and workers’ rights. Aja Barber, a writer and stylist, expressed concern about the pace of production and consumption, stating that fast fashion contributes to climate change.
Bibliography
- Amaya McDonald and Taylor Nicioli (November 24,2023). What is fast fashion, and why it is so controversial? https://edition.cnn.com/style/what-is-fast-fashion-sustainable-fashion/index.html
- Jolin Li (August 23,2024). Fast fashion and emissions: what’s the link? https://earth.org/fast-fashion-and-emissions-whats-the-link/#:~:text=How%20Is%20Fast%20Fashion%20Linked,flights%20and%20maritime%20shipping%20combined.
- Chiara Baruta (September 21,2021). The detrimental effects of fast fashion on children’s rights. https://www.humanium.org/en/the-detrimental-effects-of-fast-fashion-on-childrens-rights/
- Maxwell Boykoff (May 26,2021). Examining climate change and sustainable fast fashion in the 21st century: ‘Trash the runway’. https://academic.oup.com/oocc/article/1/1/kgab003/6284245
I love the powerful contrast you highlight in your post between the availability of fashionable, affordable clothing and the hidden costs of environmental degradation and exploitative labor practices. Many consumers today buy more clothes but wear fewer, and fast fashion drives this cycle of overconsumption, and some fast fashion brands offer clothes with little fabric but high prices. The complexity of fast fashion requires people to think about its true costs.
You captured the right image on the costs behind fast fashion, that people usually tend to disregard. Many fashion enthusiast and people who are easily persuaded miss out on the process and consequences of their consumptions of these trends that are not timeless. Not realising the pollution taking place as well as the harsh labor.
Your blog is an eye opener, well done!