How And Why We Should Cut Back on Fast Fashion
It’s no mystery to me why fast fashion has blown up over the last several years. Trend cycles are getting shorter and basic necessities are getting more expensive. It actually makes perfect sense why you’d want to buy something that’s in style for as cheap as possible, because who knows how long it will stay in style? Plus, buying quality pieces usually means spending way more money on clothing. But if you’re like me and you’re ready to stop buying fast fashion (or, at the very least, significantly cut down on it) here are some ways to do it.
The Negative Consequences of Fast Fashion
I first thought the only drawback to fast fashion was the clothing didn’t last as long thanks to the cheap fabrics. But it’s much deeper, more complicated and, at times, more sinister than that. A documentary called “Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy” on Netflix tackles this topic. The film talks about more than just fast fashion, but it features interviews with former employees of Amazon, Adidas and Apple.
They confirm what might seem like a “no duh” — these companies do everything in their power to get you to buy more and maximize profits. But when they succeed at that, we end up with mountains of waste all over the globe. The Guardian found that up to 40% of the clothing produced each year is never sold, and synthetic materials like polyester and nylon take hundreds of years to break down. And we can’t forget that the fast fashion market is largely made possible by the exploitation of workers. Do you ever wonder how a shirt from Temu could cost $3? It’s made with the cheapest materials and cheapest labor possible.
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How to Stop Buying Fast Fashion
It seems simple to just stop buying fast fashion, but putting it into practice is much harder than it looks. Fast fashion brands are everywhere. To cut down on buying it, you have to know what fast fashion is, and you have to know what to shop for instead. I’m still new to this process myself. So let’s go over some tips that have helped me and how to implement them.
Know What’s Considered Fast Fashion
While brands like Shein get a lot of the blame for fast fashion — and they are a big part of it — it’s actually been around for a while. The New York Times first coined the term in the 90s to describe Zara’s business model. It was designing clothes then getting it in stores just two weeks later, which is very quick. Zara is still a big player in the fast fashion game. (And just to prove that we listen and we don’t judge here: I’m on a mission to buy less fast fashion and one of my favorite coats is from Zara.)
Other fast fashion brands include Old Navy, H&M, Uniqlo, Gap (this one hurts), Fashion Nova and many more. No company outright labels themselves as fast fashion these days now that it’s a negative term. It’s also kind of subjective. But basically, it’s brands that produce cheap and trendy clothing insanely quickly.
Shop for Used Clothing
If you’re like me and hunting down a thrift treasure is your favorite way to spend a Saturday, this won’t be hard. However, some people have reservations about shopping used. It takes work and time to find something you like. It may not be in perfect condition. Not to mention, if you’re looking for something specific like a crew neck sweatshirt of your favorite sports team that’s in good condition and in your size, well, that takes pure luck to find.
That all being said, it really is worth the extra time, effort and disappointment. You need to search, and I mean look at every single piece of clothing in your size, if you’re going to find exactly what you’re looking for.
You also might have an easier time finding what you need on second hand clothing websites like ThredUP, Depop and Poshmark. We also have some advice on how to sell your used clothes online. That way, you can make money and help other people shop more sustainably.
I also need to be clear about the difference between most thrift stores and vintage clothing stores. Thrift stores and estate or yard sales will get you cheaper clothing. Vintage stores have hand-selected, in-style, curated pieces that someone put in work to find. These stores typically won’t save you any money, but they will help you find a well made and well taken care of coat that needs a new home.
Learn How to Mend Clothing
If you’re like me and still have clothing from fast fashion brands that you love and wear regularly, keep it. Making your clothes last is part of sustainability. If you learn to sew buttons back onto items, patch up holes or even mend clothing in a way that changes up the style, it will go a long way. We have a guide on how to get started with visible mending to save on clothing.
Know What Pieces Are Made to Last
If you don’t do this already, start looking at the material something is made of before you buy it. That way, if you do end up buying from a fast fashion brand, you can try to buy pieces that are cotton, hemp or linen. These are natural fibers that are biodegradable.
Polyester is what you’re going to see in a lot of fast fashion products because it’s cheap. However, what drove its popularity in the 20th century was the fact that it was wrinkle resistant and easy to care for (no dry clean only). But now we’re surrounded by it, both in the stores and in landfills, because it’s not biodegradable. Nylon and acrylic also fall into this category.
Some products will be a blend of natural and synthetic fibers.
It’s Hard to Stop Buying Fast Fashion, But Possible
Now, should the burden of phasing out fast fashion lie with the companies who are using it to rake in crazy profits? Absolutely. Also, I realize fast fashion is what’s accessible for a lot of people. These brands have stores all over the world. Plus, not only do you need the money to shop quality pieces, you need the knowledge and funds to care for them properly. Anyone who has taken a genuine leather jacket to a dry cleaner knows it’s not your cheapest errand that day.
However, until companies start to truly take accountability for their production practices and quality clothing brands become the majority instead of the minority, informed choices are all we’ve got. Buy quality and secondhand pieces when possible, learn to mend the clothes you already have and resist jumping on a new fashion trend without thinking it through.
Mackenzie Raetz is senior editor of freelance at The Penny Hoarder.
