Why Fast Fashion Hurts the Fashion Industry, Luxury Brands and the Environment – And We Buy It Anyway

Fast fashion is a term used to describe the production of clothing at a rapid pace to meet the latest trends. You know fast fashion – Shein, FashionNova and other dropshipping websites have made it ubiquitous and filled your social media feed with access to the latest trends for next to nothing. Fast fashion brands produce large quantities of clothing at low prices, which has made them popular with consumers. However, fast fashion has created several negative consequences for the fashion industry, luxury brands, the overall quality of fashion, and the environment.

Fast fashion has contributed to the decline of the traditional fashion industry. Fast fashion brands have undercut traditional brands on price, forcing them to either compete by lowering their prices or to focus on niche markets. This has led to the closure of many traditional fashion businesses and ateliers, and the loss of thousands of jobs.

Fast fashion is also detrimental to luxury brands, though this quality doesn’t produce much pity when we hear about the surreptitious decline of quality of brands like Chanel amid biannual price increases. Luxury brands rely on their reputation for quality and exclusivity. However, the fact that fast fashion brands are able to produce knock-offs of luxury designs at a fraction of the price has devalued luxury brands to some extent – in addition to how some are devaluing themselves today.

Fashion as a whole has suffered at the hands of this industry. Fast fashion brands use cheap materials and construction methods in order to keep their prices low. This results in clothing that is not very durable and that often falls apart quickly. How many times have you bought a Shein piece for it to fray or fall apart after one wash?

Fast fashion is also bad for the environment. The fashion and textiles industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, and fast fashion exacerbates the issue. Fast fashion brands produce large quantities of clothing that often ends up in landfills. Additionally, the production of fast fashion uses a lot of water and energy.

Economic inequality and upward mobility have played a sad role in the rise of fast fashion. Many people who want to appear wealthy or successful feel pressure to buy expensive clothes. However, most of us cannot afford to buy luxury brands – it’s estimated only about 4,000 people worldwide are able to wear haute couture regularly

today. Fast fashion brands, for all the negative consequences they create, offer a way for people to look wealthy without spending a lot of money, and that’s a desire many of us can be sympathetic towards.

Quiet luxury and high-end brands without visible labels or logos have an emerging role in the fashion industry that may help bridge the gap between the loss of quality in luxury brands, the oversaturation of the market with houses like Louis Vuitton sporting logos on bikinis and baseball caps, and the shoddy craftsmanship in fast fashion garments. These brands (The Row and Isabel Marant are prolific examples) are popular with people who want to look stylish and sophisticated without being too flashy. Quiet luxury brands often use high-quality materials and construction methods, and they often have a timeless aesthetic.

Quiet luxury brands are a good alternative to fast fashion because they offer consumers a way to buy high-quality clothes that will last. Additionally, quiet luxury brands are not as harmful to the environment as fast fashion brands.

Overall, fast fashion is bad for the fashion industry, luxury brands, the overall quality of fashion, and the environment. It is important to be aware of the negative consequences of fast fashion and to make choices that support sustainable fashion brands.

Here are some tips for avoiding fast fashion:

• ● Buy clothes from brands that are transparent about their supply chain and labor practices.

• ● Invest in high-quality pieces that will last.

• ● Shop secondhand for unique and affordable clothes.

• ● Take care of your clothing so that it lasts longer.

By following these tips, you can support the fashion industry and reduce your environmental impact.

About This Author:

Cailin Koy writes about fashion, beauty, makeup and style at her blog SassyDove.com.

Also check her instagram page to get updated regarding fashion world cailink.jpg