Over the last several decades, fast fashion has undoubtedly revolutionized the garment industry. However, while the average consumer sees affordable clothes, the true cost of fast fashion extends far beyond the price tag.
Now, a few clothing brands are starting to take a stand. Reminding us of the importance of ethics, sustainability, and the irreplaceability of human touch, these brands are using unique techniques to steer us away from fast fashion.
Fast Fashion: A Brief Definition
Fast fashion, if you’re unfamiliar, is widely considered to be low-quality apparel produced rapidly to follow current trends in the industry, sold at rock-bottom prices. It has existed since the 70s, but a significant spike in “ultra-fast fashion” has recently arisen thanks to social media and influencer culture.
A few examples of leading fast fashion brands include:
- SHEIN
- Temu
- Zara
- H&M
- Boohoo
- Fashion Nova
- Forever 21
- GUESS
- PacSun
- Wish
- Romwe
Even brands you may not associate with fast fashion can be culprits. For example:
- Gap
- Old Navy
- Victoria’s Secret
- Urban Outfitters (Anthropologie, Free People)
- American Eagle
- Abercrombie & Fitch (Hollister)
- Brandy Melville
- Nike
- Amazon
Why Is Fast Fashion Bad?
The answer is simple: fast fashion is an exploitive business model that disregards its consequences. It is unethical, nontransparent, and unsustainable.
Fast fashion exploits its workers.
Sweatshops and child labor fuel the industry. Employees face modern slavery conditions, and inhumane work environments, and are paid very little to keep prices low.
They often work 96+ hours a week, do not receive overtime pay, and are not allowed to unionize. Additionally, they are exposed to toxic chemicals, dyes, and substances with little to no protection. The communities near factories face health risks as well.
Fast fashion exploits its consumers.
The goal of fast-fashion companies is to encourage people to spend more money on more clothes that they use for a shorter time. This means that most items get discarded after only a few uses—since trends change often, brands release new clothing weekly, and garments are made poorly.
In other words, fast fashion promotes overconsumption. Excessive consumerism is not just bad for your wallet, but also for the environment.
Fast fashion exploits the environment.
Thanks to fast fashion, 40 million tons of clothing end up in landfills each year where they pollute the environment. Only 1% of clothes are recycled.
The toxic materials cheap clothes are made of pollute the air, with the apparel industry being responsible for 4% of greenhouse gas emissions. For comparison, that percentage is the equivalent of Germany, France, and the U.K.’s emissions combined.
Toxic dyes and metals also get flushed into the water system, where they sicken humans and animals, and harm ecosystems and biodiversity. Additionally, washing synthetic clothing accounts for 35% of all microplastics in the ocean. Synthetic materials heavily deplete petroleum resources and degrade our soil too.
Let’s not forget about the 150 million trees razed by the industry each year either.
Brands Taking A Stand
Many major fashion companies today have, unfortunately, fallen into the ways of fast fashion. However, there are still many brands working to keep the industry sustainable and ethical.
For example, this list by The Good Trade compiles 99 sustainable clothing brands based on ethical, eco-friendly, sustainability, affordability, and design criteria. Here are its top 10, most affordable companies:
- Pact
- Kotn
- Quince
- tentree
- Fair Indigo
- Everlane
- Allbirds
- Sézane
- Etsy
- Reformation
Companies like the ones above are doing a great job of using sustainable resources and remaining transparent. But some brands are even taking it one step further. They’re not just using sustainable practices – they’re also making a statement.
HUMAN TOUCH
One such clothing brand using a unique method to discourage fast fashion is HUMAN TOUCH. At HUMAN TOUCH, workers sew with paint-covered hands. When the garment is finished, each touch is left visible on the fabric thanks to the paint.
Through this design choice, the brand “visualizes the human labor essential to garment manufacturing.” It serves as a stark reminder that there is another human being behind each piece of clothing you wear. In a roundabout way, the method highlights the need for improved rights and workplace conditions for many workers in the garment industry.
Stitch Fix
Another interesting brand that encourages personalized, slow fashion is Stitch Fix. Stitch Fix allows you to take a style quiz and then matches you with a personal, human stylist. Your stylist then handpicks five personalized pieces to send your way.
In the same way, HUMAN TOUCH emphasizes the humanity behind the clothing industry, Stitch Fix reminds us of the power of personalization. When you customize your fashion experience, it encourages you to purchase items that you’ll keep for a long time. Not only does this make your purchases more meaningful, but it also helps cut down on excess waste.
Other brands encourage sustainability through recycling programs, such as Eileen Fisher. Eileen Fisher offers a “take-back” program that resells or repurposes used clothes into artful new designs.
Or, more similar to the work of HUMAN TOUCH, the brand Christy Dawn includes a story with each purchased piece. The stories connect the consumer with each farmer and tailor behind their clothing.
Those are just a few examples. But as consumers slowly move away from the damaging practices of fast fashion, brands like the ones above will prove essential to both the future of the clothing industry and the future of our planet.
Thrifting: A Trend You Should Get Behind
Shopping from sustainable brands is a great alternative to contributing to the fast fashion industry. But there’s another option that works just as well, if not better: thrifting!
Over the last decade or so, Gen Z has re-popularized thrifting. Shopping second-hand is a great option for several reasons. It reduces waste, supports local businesses, helps you find unique items, expresses personal style, and saves money. Plus, thrifting is the best way to find vintage gems for cheap.
Besides your local thrift stores, there are plenty of online second-hand retailers as well. You might consider buying from some of these companies:
- Depop
- Poshmark
- ThredUp
- Thrifted
- Luxury Garage Sale
- Swap
- Retro and Me
- Beyond Retro
- The Real Real
- Ebay
Conclusion
The fallout of fast fashion is near. As the true price of fast fashion becomes more and more detrimental to society as a whole, and as consumers continue to shop more mindfully, sustainable brands will soon rise to the top.
The companies currently taking a stand against fast fashion are doing important work. Not only are they fighting for a more ethical and sustainable future, but they are also bringing something back that many modern businesses are lacking: humanity.
Artisans, craftsmanship, and personalization – the power of human touch and design – are things that are simply irreplaceable. The rise and fall of fast fashion is just one of many modern, societal changes that will prove this point so.
