Fast Fashion and the Impact on Clutter
To begin, let’s talk about the definition of fast fashion. Fast fashion is the term used to describe the quick production of garments in bulk to keep up with the seasons or ever-changing trends. The term was first popularize in a New York Times article in 1989 to describe retail store Zara’s first opening in the United States. The retail brand’s goal was to have a design that was developed from concept to consumer in only fifteen days.
What is the reason for fast fashion?
To keep up with continuously changing trends seen on runway shows, by influencers and frenetic social media fads, fashion connoisseurs and the public tend to quickly follow the most convenient, and often budget-conscious, fashion options. Many times, that is what is known as fast fashion designs. These products are offered by e-tailers with their endless feeds of wallet-friendly designs. They are also offered by big box stores selling that knee-length trench coat or oversized flannel at sale prices.
But while cheap chic may seem like the best option, the fast fashion industry sees clothing manufactured on a scale that is even too large for most consumers to devour. In addition, the materials used can last for as few as seven to ten wears before losing their shape or coming unraveled.
Fast fashion designs are “dupes.”
Fast fashion is a business model that focuses on the production of garments in big lots or bulk. It is made as quickly as possible to respond to current trends. Generally, fast fashion designs are “dupes.” The term “dupes” is a term used on social media. Dupes is short for duplicates. Dupe fashions are knock-offs of high-end products. “Dupe culture” is a counterculture of sorts, made up of people seeking style on a budget. Counterfeit fashions borrow on the status of iconic brands.
The goal of brands and manufacturers is to get these popular designs into the hands of consumers while the clothes are at the height of their popularity. And, typically, these products are at unbelievably affordable prices.
Because of their extremely quick production turnaround time, as little as three days from design to ready-to-buy, online retailers can push out hundreds or thousands of designs in batches and adjust the production rates according to consumer responses.
Fast fashion and its impact on the world.
The fashion industry accounts for ten percent of annual global carbon emissions, according to a report and statistics from the United National Environmental Programme. The report also found that the number of garments produced today has doubled since the year 2000. Further, the report showed that consumers buy an estimated sixty percent more clothes today, but only wear them for half as long. For this reason, many people have an overabundance of clothing in their closets.
To keep the price of production low, fast fashion pieces are often made with materials like polyester. This is a synthetic and cheap fiber made from petroleum. Polyester can take approximately two hundred year to decompose, according to a 2016 report by Greenpeace.
And not only does the fast fashion industry rely on cheap materials. It also relies on cheap labor, with approximately 75 million factory employees around the world. Only two percent of these workers make a living wage, according to George Washington University.
Where is fast fashion produced?
Apparel companies tend to turn to countries such as India, Bangladesh and Pakistan to manufacture their products. The garment manufacturing industries in these countries see workers paid lower wages, sometimes in dangerous conditions and, occasionally, allows for the exploitation of children. In other words, while the end products may be cheap to consumers, both the environment and the workers that make them are paying a high cost.
Fast fashion accounts for quick designs, quick manufacturing, quick marketing, quick retailing, yet it doesn’t leave the time to consider bigger, ethical questions such as the impact it has on people and the environment.
Ethical questions about fast fashion and consumption.
So, the next time you’re tempted to purchase that new piece of clothing, think again. Especially if your closet is packed to the brim with hardly worn products purchased in the spur of the moment to keep up with fashion trends. Evaluate your need to consume more carefully. While clothing is a commodity, we all need, overabundance of fast fashion may not be the answer.
To declutter your closet, and to help consume less by knowing exactly what you have, look to The Uncluttered Life, Inc. We are available to help with decluttering and organizing to get the most out of your current wardrobe. By working with you on a one-on-one basis, we declutter clothing that no longer serves you. This allows for improved organization to see exactly what you own. You’d be surprised that it is often much more than you realize.