Fast Fashion : Love to Hate it..Hate to Love it.

Have you EVER woken with a resolve SAYING…

"That's it! I’m done scrolling through my Instagram feeds every five minutes; I’ll limit that to lunch or dinner time. Five minutes later, you’re giggling over an Instagram meme. Sounds like you? No worries, that’s all of us. We love the entertainment but hate how much valuable time it consumes.

Let's give it another shot!

Remember the feeling you have right before hitting the showers during the winter? The thought of cold air hitting your skin makes it difficult to go in, but once you’re in, the last thing you want to do is get out because you're pretty warm at this point, dreading the cold that hits you on your way out….now you get it!!

That’s the love-hate relationship I’m talking about. The mixed sentiments experienced in these examples accurately describe how environmentally conscious individuals feel about Fast Fashion, so what is it?

“Cheap clothing produced quickly and sold by large, mass-market retailers …. to respond to the latest fashion trends” (Maxwell).

Shoppers from all works of life embrace fast fashion, regardless of one’s social status or purchasing power. While high income earners visit occasionally to purchase desired items, fast fashion items has become an appealing necessity to average income earners and students without the luxury of a steady paycheck. The clothes are accessible, and affordable, offering versatile designs. For instance, there’s ease of access to the latest fashion trends displayed at runway shows in Milan, Paris, or New York for a fraction of the original price tag, because of fashion retailers like Zara, and H&M. According to martinroll.com, Zara produces 12,000 styles per year and designs are taken off the floor after only three to four weeks.

Regardless of the benefits derived from these short-lived goods, long-term consequences appear to have an impact on our ecosystem.

According to Chloe Foussianes, a contributor for Town & Country,

“Social media has only accelerated the problem. The desire to never be photographed in the same outfit twice, combined with the constant advertising—both in influencer's sponsored posts and actual ads …… fuels a desire for constant wardrobe renewal” (Foussianes).

While a segment of the population remains unaware of the consequences of our buying decisions, ditching fast fashion remains a struggle even for enlightened and ethically conscious people, who despise their love for it.

The real cost of our garments is hidden behind the glitz of advertising, celebrity endorsements, and lovely store settings. Consider this; your new runway-inspired denim jeans cost you around $60, yet to get them to you at that price, someone had to accept a huge wage cut, an underpaid worker overseas.

Let’s not forget the environmental impact of low-cost materials like polyester. Being a non-degradable material used in the production of fast fashion wears, the cheap material takes centuries to decompose. Since these clothes have a short shelf life, more polyester-made items are purchased and discarded on a regular basis, significantly impacting the environment with toxic waste. Cotton, on the other hand, biodegrades completely in a matter of months to a few years. Cotton, being the better alternative, is used in the production of high-quality wears.

Slow fashion saved the day by advocating ecological and ethical principles, but this knight in shining armor doesn't come cheap. So, what should the average earner who is ethically conscious do?

Let’s do some research, we’d see that there are new sustainable brands offering quality clothing, slightly higher but reasonably priced. For example, Kotn is a Canadian brand made of Egyptian cotton, that has received rave reviews and offers a wide range of stylish casuals.

What do we do when we love (and hate) the things we shouldn’t want so bad? With self-discipline and a strong will, the love-hate relationship will eventually run its course. In the end, we’d get it right !

References :

Foussianes, Chloe. “What Is Fast Fashion, and Why Is Everyone Talking About It? ” Town and Country, 17 Jan 2020, https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/fashion-trends/a30361609/what-is-fast-fashion/

"The Secret of Zara’s Success: A Culture of Customer Co-creation." MartinRoll, Nov 2021, https://martinroll.com/resources/articles/strategy/the-secret-of-zaras-success-a-culture-of-customer-co-creation/