What Is Fast Fashion, Anyway?

Let'due south Ascertain Fast Fashion—And Hash out Why We Need To Slow Down

"Fast fashion" is a fizz phrase in the sustainability world. But what does this term actually hateful? And as we continue to encourage the industry to move towards a more than sustainable and ethical futurity, it's helpful to know what we're upwardly against.

Fast fashion is a blueprint, manufacturing, and marketing method focused on apace producing loftier volumes of clothing. Garment product utilizes trend replication and low-quality materials (like synthetic fabrics) in lodge to bring inexpensive styles to the public. These cheaply made, trendy pieces have resulted in an industry-wide motility towards overwhelming amounts of consumption. Unfortunately, this results in harmful impacts on the surroundings, garment workers, and, ultimately, consumers' wallets.

But to better understand and define fast manner, let'south first familiarize ourselves with the movement's history and context.

The History of Fast Mode

Upwardly until the mid-twentieth century, the style manufacture ran on four seasons a year: fall, winter, spring, and summertime. Designers would piece of work many months ahead to program for each season and predict the styles they believed customers would want. This method, although more methodical than fashion today, took away agency from the wearers. Before way became accessible to the masses, information technology was prescribed to high society, and in that location were rules to exist followed.

It wasn't until the 1960s that a well-timed marketing campaign for paper clothes proved consumers were gear up for the fast fashion trend. This resulted in the fashion industry quickening its step and lowering costs.

"Information technology's been customary for stores to have a towering supply of stock at all times, then brands don't have to worry near running out of clothes."

However, it wasn't until a few decades later, when fast fashion reached a point of no return. According to the Sunday Style Times, "It especially came to the fore during the vogue for 'boho chichi' in the mid-2000s."

Nowadays, fast style brands produce almost 52 "micro-seasons" a yr—or one new "drove" a calendar week. Co-ordinate to author Elizabeth Cline, this started when Zara shifted to bi-weekly deliveries of new trade in the early aughts. Since and then, information technology'due south been customary for stores to take a towering supply of stock at all times, so brands don't have to worry about running out of clothes. By replicating streetwear and fashion week trends as they appear in real-time, these companies can create new, desirable styles weekly, if not daily. The brands then have massive amounts of habiliment and can ensure that customers never tire of inventory.

While brands like H&Thousand, Topshop, and Zara take been the brunt of overproduction complaints, even luxury brands measure growth by increasing production. According to Fast Company, "apparel companies make 53 million tons of apparel into the world annually," and the amount has surely increased since the article'south original release in 2019. "If the industry keeps up its exponential pace of growth, it is expected to reach 160 1000000 tons by 2050."

Is Fast Fashion Bad?

Many people debate what came first: the desire for fresh looks at an alarming charge per unit or the industry's top players convincing united states of america that we're backside trends as presently as nosotros come across them existence worn. It's hard to say, just there is no incertitude that we thirst for the "adjacent best affair" every day of our consumer-driven lives. ("x Things I Hate About Y'all," anyone?)

Withal, with this increased charge per unit of production and questionable supply chains, corners are inevitably cut. Article of clothing is made in a rushed manner, and brands are selling severely low-quality merchandise. There isn't enough time for quality control or to brand sure a shirt has the correct amount of buttons—not when at that place is extreme urgency to get vesture to the masses.

The fast-fashion manufacturing process leaves a lot to exist desired, and pieces are oft thrown abroad later no more a few wears. The aforementioned urgency that throws quality out the window besides keeps the costs of these garments incredibly low. Companies like Topshop and Way Nova are greatly concerned with their bottom line and are banking on the "ocean of clothing" they churn out for profit.

These brands earn millions of dollars while selling pieces cheaply because of the sheer number of items they sell, no matter the cost or markup. And garment workers are undoubtedly being paid well beneath the minimum wage. In the documentary "The True Cost," author and journalist Lucy Siegle summed information technology up perfectly: "Fast manner isn't costless. Someone, somewhere is paying."

"Fast mode isn't free. Someone, somewhere is paying."
— Lucy Siegle

Moral lines become blurred, yet, when factoring in how much more attainable and size-inclusive fast way can be. Ethical way advocates accept worked difficult to unpack this complicated narrative, merely the cost and exclusive-sizing are withal barriers for many.

The Human & Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion

All of the elements of fast fashion—tendency replication, rapid production, low quality, competitive pricing—take a detrimental bear on on the planet and the people involved in garment product.

Brands like Boohoo, for case, employ toxic chemicals, dangerous dyes, and synthetic fabrics that seep into water supplies, and, each year, eleven million tons of clothing is thrown out in the US lonely. These garments—full of pb, pesticides, and countless other chemicals—rarely interruption downward. Instead, they sit in landfills, releasing toxins into the air. Fast style'southward carbon footprint gives industries similar air travel and oil a run for their money.

"Many of us are familiar with the news nigh Nike sweatshops, but they're just one of the many fast fashion brands violating human rights for the sake of manner."

In improver to ecology touch, fast manner affects the wellness of consumers and garment workers. Harmful chemicals such as benzothiazole—linked to several types of cancer and respiratory illnesses—have been institute in apparel on the market today. As our skin is the largest organ of the body, wearing these poorly made wearing apparel can exist unsafe to our health.

This danger only increases in factories, towns, and homes where fast fashion is made. For instance, according to the Environmental Health Journal, conventional textile dyeing often releases "heavy metals and other toxicants that tin can adversely impact the health of animals in add-on to nearby residents" into local water systems.

The health of garment workers is always in jeopardy through exposure to these chemicals. And that doesn't even take into account the long hours, unfair wages, lack of resource, and even concrete abuse. Many of the states are familiar with the news about Nike sweatshops, simply they're just one of the many fast style brands violating human rights for the sake of fashion. The people who make our dress are underpaid, underfed, and pushed to their limits because there are few other options. Instead, we can proactively support garment workers and fight for better conditions and wages.

The Rise of Slow Fashion

"It'due south encouraging to know that in that location are brands, communities, and individuals out there fighting for the planet and the safety of garment workers."

Although the fashion industry as a whole is guilty of committing many crimes against people and the environment, it is about evident when it comes to fast fashion. Society's obsession with consumerism may make it hard to quit, but better options are out there.

Ho-hum fashion offers an alternative, with mindful manufacturing (sometimes including vertically integrated and in-firm production), fair labor rights, natural materials, and lasting garments. It's encouraging to know that at that place are brands, communities, and individuals out at that place fighting for the planet and the safety of garment workers.

By buying garments from responsible brands, speaking up for social responsibleness and accountability, and going through secondhand shops, we tin ensure agency and that we're advocating for the environment and others.

Audrey Stanton  was born and raised in the Bay Area and is currently based in Los Angeles. She works as a freelance author and has an heady venture of her own in the works! Audrey hopes to continue to spread awareness of ethical consumption.

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