What Is Fast Fashion?
Fast fashion is the term used to describe clothing designs that move quickly from the catwalk to stores to take advantage of trends. The collections are often based on styles presented at Fashion Week runway shows or worn by celebrities. Fast fashion allows mainstream consumers to purchase the hot new look or the next big thing at an affordable price.
Fast fashion became common because of cheaper, speedier manufacturing and shipping methods, an increase in consumers' appetite for up-to-the-minute styles, and the increase in consumer purchasing power—especially among young people—to indulge these instant-gratification desires. Because of all this, fast fashion is challenging the established clothing labels' tradition of introducing new collections and lines on an orderly, seasonal basis. In fact, it's not uncommon for fast-fashion retailers to introduce new products multiple times in one week to stay on trend.
Key Takeaways
- Fast fashion describes low-priced but stylish clothing that moves quickly from design to retail stores to meet trends, with new collections being introduced continuously.
- Innovations in supply chain management among retailers make fast fashion possible.
- Zara and H&M are two giants in the fast fashion field. Others include UNIQLO, GAP, and Topshop.
- Fast fashion's benefits are affordable prices and instant gratification for consumers, more profits for companies, and the democratization of stylish clothing.
- On the downside, fast fashion is also associated with pollution, waste, the promulgation of a "disposable" mentality, low wages, and unsafe workplaces.
Understanding Fast Fashion
Shopping for clothing was once considered an event. Consumers would save up to buy new clothes at certain times of the year. The style-conscious would get a preview of the styles to come via fashion shows that displayed new collections and clothing lines several months in advance of their appearance in stores.
But that began to change in the late 1990s, as shopping became a form of entertainment and discretionary spending on clothing increased. Enter fast fashion—cheap, trendy knock-off garments, mass-produced at low cost, that allowed consumers to feel as though they were wearing the same styles that "walked the runway" or were sported by a sexy entertainer.
Fast fashion is made possible by innovations in supply chain management (SCM) among fashion retailers. Its goal is to quickly produce cost-efficient articles of clothing in response to (or anticipation of) fast-shifting consumer demands. The assumption is that consumers want high fashion at a low cost. While the garments are often carelessly made, they're not intended to be worn for years or even multiple times.
Fast fashion follows the concept of category management, linking the manufacturer with the consumer in a mutually beneficial relationship. The speed at which fast fashion happens requires this kind of collaboration, as the need to refine and accelerate supply chain processes is paramount.
$30.58 billion
The size of the fast fashion market in 2021. It's projected to reach $39.84 billion in 2025.
Fast Fashion Leaders
Major players in the fast-fashion market include Zara, H&M Group, UNIQLO, GAP, Forever 21, Topshop, Esprit, Primark, Fashion Nova, and New Look. Many companies are both retailers and manufacturers, though they often outsource the actual production of clothing.
In addition, traditional mass-market department stores such as Macy's, J. C. Penney, and Kohl's in the U.S. have all taken a page from the fast-fashion book. For their in-house and proprietary brands, they've shortened design and production times to better compete in the market.
Here's a closer look at some of the leaders in fast fashion.
Zara
Spanish retail chain Zara, the flagship brand of textile giant Inditex, is all but synonymous with fast fashion, serving as an exemplar of how to cut the time between design, production, and delivery. Zara's designers can sketch a garment—the company sells men's, women's, and children's clothing—and have the finished piece appear on store racks in as little as four weeks. It can modify existing items in as little as two weeks.
Its secret to this rapid turnover is its ownership of a relatively short supply chain. Over half its factories are closely located to its corporate headquarters in A Coruña, Spain—including countries like Portugal, Turkey, and Morocco.
Its fast turnaround time aids another key Zara strategy: to stuff the stores with more goods, offering the consumer an unparalleled amount of choice. It produces 11,000-plus pieces annually, vs. an industry average of 2,000 to 4,000 pieces.
In 2021, Zara's annual net sales (including those of Zara Home) were €19.6 billion. As of mid-2022, it has 1,947 stores across the globe, as well as a strong online operation.
H&M
Founded in 1947, Sweden-based H&M Group (short for Hennes & Mauritz) is one of the oldest fast-fashion companies. As of 2022, H&M Group operates in 74 countries with over 4,000 stores under its various brands, which, along with H&M, include the slightly more upscale COS and the youth-oriented Monki.
H&M Group functions like a department store, selling not only clothing for men, women, and children but cosmetics and home furnishings. It is more strictly a retailer: It does not own any factories but instead relies on about 600 independent suppliers for its garments. However, these suppliers are overseen by 16 H&M production offices, using state-of-the-art IT systems to track inventory and communicate with corporate HQ. The factories are based all around Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Part of has also been not to offer just knockoffs but original creations via its much-ballyhooed designer collaborations with elite labels like Alexander Wang and Giambattista Vali. In early 2021, for example, it launched a collection designed by Simone Rocha.
H&M's annual net sales in 2021 came to SEK 199 billion (about $18.9 billion).
The traditional clothing-industry model operates seasonally, with the fall fashion week displaying styles for the upcoming spring/summer and the spring fashion week showcasing looks for the following fall/winter; in addition, there are often pre-fall and pre-spring or resort collections too. In contrast to these four seasons, fast-fashion labels produce about 52 “micro-seasons” a year—or one new “collection” a week of clothes meant to be worn immediately instead of months later.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Fast Fashion
The Advantages of Fast Fashion
- Profitable for manufacturers and retailers: The constant introduction of new products encourages customers to frequent stores more often, which means they end up making more purchases. The retailer does not replenish its stock—instead, it replaces items that sell out with new items. Accordingly, consumers know to purchase an item they like when they see it, no matter the price because it's not likely to be available for long. And because the clothing is cheap (and cheaply made), it's easy to get people back into stores or online to make fresh purchases.
- Quick to consumers: As for advantages for the consumer, fast fashion has enabled people to get the clothes they want when they want them. Also, it's made clothing more affordable—and not just any clothing, but innovative, imaginative, stylish clothing.
- Makes clothes affordable: Even those of modest means can constantly buy smart new clothes, indulge in fun or impractical items, and wear something different every day.
- Democratizes fashion: No longer is the latest look, being "well-dressed," or having a large wardrobe the province of the rich and famous. Everyone can look good.
The Disadvantages of Fast Fashion
- Cheap materials and poor workmanship: Because the clothing is made overseas, fast fashion is also seen as contributing to a decline in the U.S. garment industry, where labor laws and workplace regulations are stronger, and wages are better. If a consumer buys multiple fast fashion garments, cheap as they are, it eventually costs them more than buying a few pricier ones that last longer.
- Encourages a “throw-away” consumer mentality: That's why it's also called disposable fashion. Many fast fashionistas in their teens and early twenties—the age group the industry targets—admit they only wear their purchases once or twice.
- Bad for the environment: Critics contend that fast fashion contributes to pollution, waste, and planned obsolescence due to its cheap materials and manufacturing methods. The poorly made garments don't age well, but they can't be recycled because they're predominantly (over 60%) made of synthetics. So when they're discarded, they molder in landfills for years.
- Associated with exploitative, abusive labor practices: Manufacturers are generally based in developing countries—and some have been none too stringent in overseeing their sub-contractors nor transparent about their supply chain. That's led to critics charging that fast fashion is built on bad working conditions, poor pay, and other abusive, exploitative practices.
- Intellectual property theft: Some designers allege that their designs have been illegally duplicated and mass-produced by fast fashion companies.
Pros
Profitable for manufacturers and retailers
Offers fast, efficient delivery
Makes clothes affordable
Democratizes style and fashion
Cons
Uses cheap materials, poor workmanship
Encourages "throwaway" consumer mentality
Bad for the environment
Associated with exploitative, abusive labor practices
Impact on the Environment and Workers
It's argued in some circles that fast fashion is wasteful and harmful to the environment. When accounting for quality of workmanship, materials, cheap labor, rapid turnaround, and low stock for quick sales on the newest fashion items, it's easy to observe that waste can occur.
However, the environmental impact is much more severe than a cursory look at the industry reveals. Here's a quick look at some figures:
- The industry uses 93 billion cubic meters of water per year.
- It takes 3,781 liters of water to make one pair of jeans.
- Of all the wastewater in the world, 20% is from textile dying and is highly toxic—many countries where clothes are made have reduced or no regulations for wastewater disposal.
- Microplastic fibers used in clothing make their way to the ocean, amounting to about 500,000 tons—close to 50 billion plastic bottles.
- Fashion emits more than 10% of global carbon emissions.
Economic Impact
The apparel industry, in general, has been growing by as much as 8% annually (aside from the blip of the 2020 pandemic year)—and fast fashion leads the apparel industry. It's estimated to grow nearly 7% to $39.84 billion in 2025.
However, the industry growth is unlikely to be felt by the fast fashion manufacturing industry workers—profits are not returned to the local economies for the work being done. Instead, revenues are recognized in the countries the companies are headquartered in, leaving these local economies to stagnate while others enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Worker Impact
Fast fashion companies employ thousands in their offices, stores, and factories, making millions in profits yearly. Unfortunately, workers are underpaid, work long hours, and are exposed to harmful chemicals used in the process.
Fast Fashion vs. Slow Fashion
If fast fashion is getting garments to consumers as quickly as possible, regardless of the impact on workers and the environment, slow fashion is the exact opposite.
Slow fashion—a concept first introduced in 2008 by fashion and sustainability consultant Kate Fletcher—uses environmentally-friendly processes and materials through "mindful manufacturing," focusing on quality rather than quantity. Mindful manufacturing, an idea championed by 3d printing company Stratasys, is the concept of developing more efficient production, sound chemical and solid waste disposal practices, reusable materials, and recycled packaging.
How to Avoid Fast Fashion
It's difficult to avoid products manfactured by companies that practice fast fashion completely; however, it's not impossible. One of the issues is consumerism and price; many people cannot afford the actual products fast fashion imitates but are still obsessed with the latest fashions.
Apart from resisting the urges of consumerism, there are some steps you can take to reduce the impact of your purchases:
Investigate the brands you like and see if they use sustainable processes and fair labor practices. You can buy your clothes at secondhand stores, which helps to reduce the amount of garment waste and extends their usage.
Additionally, speaking up and advocating against fast fashion and consumerism is one of the best ways to ensure awareness spreads. Most people are unaware of fast fashion's social and environmental impact—only with everyone doing their part to raise awareness will accountability be forced onto the companies making these products.
What Is Fast Fashion and Why Is it Important?
Fast fashion is getting garments that imitate new styles to market as quickly as possible, regardless of the impact on the environment and people's health.
What Are Fast Fashion Examples?
Some examples of companies in fast fashion are Stradivarius, Victoria's Secret, Urban Outfitters, Guess, Forever 21, and many other popular brands.
Who Benefits From Fast Fashion?
Consumers who enjoy the latest fashion with the convenience of low prices benefit, but the primary beneficiaries are investors, owners, and other stakeholders who profit from the practice.
The Bottom Line
"The benefits of fast fashion are clear: more consumer spending, more profits, and the consumer satisfactionof being able to participate in a trend almost immediately after they see it in magazines or on their favorite celebrities," stated a 2020 article on the GlobalEdge, a Michigan State University business reference site."However, fast fashion creates a host of issues that make itmore problematic than it is beneficial… This industry contributes toclimate change,pesticide pollution, andenormous amounts of waste." The exploitation of and danger to workers, promulgated by the need for speed and cost efficiencies, is fast fashion's whole raison d'être.
The debate around fast fashion, alternatives, and how to proceed will continue as long as people are willing to buy high styles at low prices and ignore the issues the practice creates.
FAQs
The Disadvantages of Fast Fashion
Cheap materials and poor workmanship: Because the clothing is made overseas, fast fashion is also seen as contributing to a decline in the U.S. garment industry, where labor laws and workplace regulations are stronger, and wages are better.
What is fast fashion How does it contribute to the working conditions in the factories? ›
Consumers buy inexpensive, fashionable clothing for a small fraction of the cost of high-end goods. Clothes manufacturers have been able to build this business model by relying on cheap labour in developing nations, where workers are exploited and underpaid and often work in inhumane conditions.
What are 3 impacts that fast fashion has on the environment? ›
Plastic fibres are polluting the oceans, the wastewater, toxic dyes, and the exploitation of underpaid workers. Fast fashion is big business, and while the environmental costs are rising, experts say there is another way: a circular economy for textiles.
What is fast fashion and why is it a problem? ›
Fast fashion describes cheap, stylish, mass-produced clothes that have a huge impact on the environment. These garments appeal to shoppers because they are affordable and trendy.
How is fast fashion manufactured? ›
Fast fashion garments are mass-produced in large manufacturing plants across the globe by the millions, made of cheap fabrics and are, in most cases, poorly constructed. Fabrics such as polyester, mixed blends and oil-based synthetics, have been bleached, dyed, printed on, and doused in chemical baths.
What are 3 problems with fast fashion? ›
Fast fashion has had a significant impact on the environment because problems like greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution (i.e., dumping untreated dyes and chemicals into water), problems with waste management (i.e., burying or burning of large amounts of discarded clothing) have all increased as a result of the ...
Where does fast fashion affect the most? ›
The very large majority of fast fashion production takes place in overseas countries with poor labor laws and human rights protections. Many farmers and garment factory workers live in low-income countries, where labor is shockingly cheap.
What are the issues with the supply chain in fast fashion? ›
The environmental impact of the fast fashion industry. Fast fashion is responsible for approximately half of the fashion industry's emissions. This sub-sector is especially harmful due to its fragmented supply chains, use of synthetic materials, and consistent overproduction.
How does fast fashion exploit its workers? ›
Though fast fashion brands produce cheap clothing, their business model comes at a high cost, which the environment and employees are forced to pay. Simply put, fast fashion presents an ethical dilemma concerning the injustice garment workers must face as a result of poor wages.
How does the fast fashion industry exploit workers? ›
The work is extremely dangerous, as workers are at risk of chemical burns, injury from machinery, exposure to harmful acids and chemicals, drowning and even being boiled alive. Companies rely on countries with less developed labour laws and animal welfare regulations in order to produce these goods.
The environmental impact of this behaviour is significant: the clothing and textile industry is depleting non-renewable resources, emitting huge quantities of greenhouses gases and using massive quantities of energy, chemicals and water.
What are the four major factors that affect fashion? ›
1) The four major environmental factors that influence on fashion are:
- Market segmentation by demographics, psychographics, geographics and. behavior.
- Economic development and well being of a country/society.
- Sociological characteristics of class structure.
- Psychological attitudes of consumers.
Fashion production makes up 10% of humanity's carbon emissions, dries up water sources, and pollutes rivers and streams. What's more, 85% of all textiles go to the dump each year (UNECE, 2018), and washing some types of clothes sends significant amount of microplastics into the ocean.
Why is fast fashion unethical? ›
Fast fashion doesn't pay workers a living wage
In Colombian mines, Bangladeshi factories, or Vietnam textile mills, labor standards are so low that even though apparel is the largest employer of women globally, less than 2% of these women earn a living wage, according to The Huffington Post.
What is the biggest problem in the fashion industry? ›
Supply chain bottlenecks
Combined, these issues push up the cost of manufacturing and distribution, impacting the profitability of many apparel brands. According to McKinsey, 15% of industry leaders fear margins & profitability will pose one of the greatest threats to the fashion industry in 2023.
What is fast fashion examples? ›
For example, cotton and Polyester are two popular fast-fashion materials in the U.S. Polyester is a derivative of oil, and cotton requires huge amounts of water and pesticide for production. In addition, dyeing those clothes contributes to releasing and increasing pollutants in the food chain.
Why we shouldn t support fast fashion? ›
Fast fashion has an enormous environmental footprint for both its production and disposal. Clothing production requires a considerable amount of energy and resources, while it depends on toxic fabric dyes and other chemicals that contaminate fresh water. Fashion produces a tenth of the world's carbon emissions.
Where is fast fashion manufactured? ›
Most fast fashion clothes exporters are from developing countries across Asia, such as India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Cambodia, etc. Developing countries' economy relies on fast fashion consumption as most of their export earnings profit from ready-made clothes.
What is causing the fast fashion industry? ›
People used to buy durable and high-quality clothing before the industrial revolution. Globalization and the transfer of clothing production in overseas countries, where labor costs are very low, make fast fashion expand rapidly.
How many fast fashion items are manufactured every year? ›
The number of garments produced annually has doubled since 2000 and exceeded 100 billion for the first time in 2014 and an estimated 92 million tons of textile waste is created annually from the fashion industry.
Large amounts of resources are being extracted and clothes sent to landfills due to fast fashion. And more than USD 500 billion is lost each year due to a lack of reuse and recycling, as reported by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017).
How does fast fashion affect consumers? ›
Fast fashion comprises cheaply and rapidly mass-produced clothes that aim to keep up with ever-changing fashion trends on the high street. Its business model enables consumers to buy a higher volume of clothes due to their low-cost and for demand to be fed through rapidly changing fashion lines and ranges.
What are the negative impacts of fast fashion in supply chain management? ›
Issues that revolve around fast-fashion supply chains also include major labor issues and violations. The fashion industry, often, overwork, underpay and put their employees in horrible work conditions. Among that, other integral parts of the fashion supply chain include slavery, prison labor, and child labor.
What are the 3 main factors that contribute to supply chain disruptions? ›
5 Primary Causes of Supply Chain Disruptions
- 1). Inefficient response to technology trends. ...
- 2). Natural or environmental occurrences. ...
- 3). Inaccurate planning and forecasting. ...
- 4). Shifts in governmental regulations. ...
- 5). Fluctuations in transport costs.
What Can Fashion Brands do to be More Sustainable?
- Be transparent about their supply chains.
- Partner with sustainable branding partners.
- Ensure their packaging is eco-friendly.
- Switch to a renewable energy provider.
- Implement a recycling strategy.
- Design new ranges less frequently.
- Create fashion that lasts.
If the consumers lower their demand, it might lead to job cuts. It will lead to the downfall of entire ecosystem mentioned above. It subsequently creates a domino effect to other industries. At this point, the industry is too big to fail.
What do you think are the cons of fast fashion industries? ›
The disadvantages of fast fashion include –
not paying fair living wages to workers, poor working conditions, child labor, environmental destruction from hazardous chemicals, plastic-derived materials, and increasing amounts of water pollution and textile waste.
Why do fast fashion brands outsource production? ›
With large companies, this often occurs in locations outside of the country, in places where there are lower working wages so the cost of making the products is cheaper.
How damaging is the fashion industry? ›
The fashion industry accounts for between 5% and 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The global fashion industry is generating a lot of greenhouse gases due to the energy used during its production, manufacturing, and transportation of the million garments purchased each year.
How social media affects fashion industry? ›
Fast fashion brands partner with social media companies to create and target ads to users. Social media platforms collect data on users and sell that data to other companies to help them target their advertisem*nts to the most profitable and vulnerable audience.
The fashion industry is the second largest polluter of water globally, produces more carbon emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined, and harms worker health with toxic chemicals.
What are the pros and cons of sustainable fashion? ›
Advantages & disadvantages of sustainable fashion
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|
| Durable and comfortable to wear | Quality seals are still confusing |
| Resource-saving and environmentally friendly | The look is often unfamiliar |
| Does not harm our health | Few stores currently have sustainable clothing sections |
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The issue of fast fashion can be traced back to the unethical business practices of corporations and companies. The preceding reason as to why companies are primarily responsible for fast fashion is because not every consumer can avoid it. Many consumers cannot afford to buy ethically produced fashion.
What do you think is lacking the most in fashion retailers brands today? ›
Lack of Value Proposition, Authenticity & Credibility
Because the fashion industry is incredibly competitive, brands need to differentiate their products from their competitors by offering a clear value proposition.
Is fashion the most unethical industry? ›
The fashion industry is one of the most polluting, unethical, and least sustainable industries on the planet. It's not just the profligate use of carbon, water and the resulting pollution, but the treatment of people that often goes hand-in-hand with cheap production in developing countries.
What are 2 effects of fast fashion? ›
The Dark Side of Fast Fashion
It dries up water sources and pollutes rivers and streams, while 85% of all textiles go to dumps each year. Even washing clothes releases 500 000 tons of microfibres into the ocean each year, the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles.
Is Walmart considered fast fashion? ›
Its parent company, Walmart, is also a fast fashion brand.
George is a clothing sub-brand of supermarket giant ASDA, owned by US supermarket chain Walmart (owned by the white American Walton family, who are worth $200 billion).
How much waste does fast fashion produce? ›
Of the 100 billion garments produced each year, 92 million tonnes end up in landfills. To put things in perspective, this means that the equivalent of a rubbish truck full of clothes ends up on landfill sites every second.
How has fast fashion changed the fashion industry? ›
The pressure to reduce costs and speed up production time means environmental corners are more likely to be cut. Fast fashion's negative impact includes its use of cheap, toxic textile dyes—making the fashion industry the one of the largest polluters of clean water globally, right up there with agriculture.
How fast does fast fashion produce? ›
Nowadays, fast fashion brands produce about 52 “micro-seasons” a year—or one new “collection” a week.
Fast fashion is produced in the form of a global-supply-chain, meaning that the manufacturing of clothing occurs in developing countries where wages are cheap despite the fact that they are sold to consumers in the developed world.
What is the most successful fast fashion brand? ›
over 450 million items per year and 500 new designs each week. This fast turnover is the reason why it's recognized as one of the largest retailers in fast fashion.
How many people are exploited by fast fashion? ›
The fast fashion industry employs approximately 75 million factory workers worldwide. Of those workers it is estimated that less than 2% of them make a living wage.
How big is the issue of fast fashion? ›
4 According to the report, an estimated $500 billion is lost annually because of clothing that's hardly worn or not recycled.
How does the fast fashion industry affect the economy? ›
Fast fashion brands and retailers are pushing for lower production costs to increase their profit margins and meet customer demand. Meanwhile, manufacturers keep wages low and working conditions unsafe. This led to the deadliest clothing manufacturing accident in history.
How polluting is the fashion industry? ›
Fashion production makes up 10% of humanity's carbon emissions, dries up water sources, and pollutes rivers and streams. What's more, 85% of all textiles go to the dump each year (UNECE, 2018), and washing some types of clothes sends significant amount of microplastics into the ocean.
What would happen if fast fashion stopped? ›
Ditching fashion would lift a huge burden off our planet. We'd save water (used in crop-growing and dyeing processes) and carbon dioxide emissions (from the industry's energy use). And we'd also prevent pollution from the fertilisers and pesticides used in cotton farming, and hazardous chemicals used in dyes.
What is the impact of fast fashion on society as a result of consumerism? ›
Landfill: Consumerism fuels a throwaway mentality in society as we are in constant pursuit of something new to buy. This is a particular problem within the fashion industry; cheap fast fashion and constantly evolving trends results in regularly buying new and barely worn items ending up in landfill.
Why should we not support fast fashion? ›
The pressure to reduce costs and speed up production time means environmental corners are more likely to be cut. Fast fashion's negative impact includes its use of cheap, toxic textile dyes—making the fashion industry the one of the largest polluters of clean water globally, right up there with agriculture.
What are some solutions to fast fashion? ›
What can I do instead of buying fast fashion?
- Buy second-hand.
- Organize a clothing swap.
- Rent clothesGo shopping in your own closet.
- Shop local.
- Invest in timeless pieces.
- Change your habits.
- Look for sustainable materials.
- Opt for ethically made clothing.
not paying fair living wages to workers, poor working conditions, child labor, environmental destruction from hazardous chemicals, plastic-derived materials, and increasing amounts of water pollution and textile waste. The fashion industry is known to be destructive to the environment, and there are many problems.
What is toxic fast fashion and how does it impact the environment? ›
Textile dyes are the world's second-largest polluter of water, while pesticides, widely used in cotton cultivation, contaminate soil and groundwater. With inadequate environmental safeguards, these chemicals can leak into waterways and pose massive health risks to farmers and workers, and their communities.
How does fast fashion lead to overconsumption? ›
Synthetic materials have changed the fashion industry into one which prioritises increased profits and consumption at the expense of the environment and human health. The effects of overconsumption and reliance on synthetic fibres has long lasting environmental and social impacts worldwide.
What impact has a fast fashion strategy on fashion companies supply chain management? ›
2.2 Supply Chain management
Shorter product life cycles, high levels of impulse buying and high volatility of consumer demand have made it impossible not to change the strategies for the supply chains. Consumers' desire for constantly new and varying products make the product life cycles short.
