Daisy Hill in History on 28 November, 2023.
Does it feel like every time you go shopping for new clothes, the quality feels terrible? Unsurprisingly, this is because the quality of much of our clothing today is terrible; many clothes manufactured today are not designed to last, but to fall apart after a few wears so we can buy more. But how did we get to this point?
Artificial fibres were first developed in the mid 19th century, but their use in modern textile manufacturing did not occur until the 1940s. Nylon was the first commercially available synthetic fibre, developed by the company DuPont in the United States. Interestingly, the company made the decision not to trademark the name nylon, as it hoped to encourage consumers to think of nylon as a generic pre-existing material. The introduction of nylon into the women’s hosiery market in May 1940 was an immediate success.In 1946, 40,000 people lined up outside a store in Pittsburgh to compete for 13,000 pairs of nylon stockings.
Chemical companies continued to develop synthetic materials throughout the 1940s and 50s, by which time synthetic fibres had made their way into the Parisian fashion houses – from Chanel to Dior. In 1965, synthetic fibres made up 63% of the world’s production of textiles. Despite this,the quality of clothing in general still remained high – at least higher than it is today. In the 1970s, 95% of clothing bought in the US was manufactured in the US. However, in the mid-70s, companies began to shift their production overseas to exploit cheaper labour and materials, so they could invest more in advertisem*nt. As a result, the industry saw a shift to quantity over quality; manufacturers could keep prices lower through the low wages given to garment workers in poorer countries to meet the growing demand of consumers for clothing. This is evidenced by the fact that in the 1970s, the average household in the US would spend around 10% of its annual income on clothing, averaging around 25 pieces per person. Today, the figure sits at 3.5% whereas the average number of garments owned per person is 70. Here, we can see that costs have decreased whilst quantity has increased.
The term ‘fast fashion’ was coined by the New York Times in the 1990s, describing Zara’s goal of getting a design to a store in only two weeks.And it is with the rise of fast fashion that the quality of clothing has rapidly decreased. Why? Because fast fashion means that our clothes have a very short lifespan. To ensure good quality of clothing requires a ‘control mechanism between every step in the production process’ – which, of course, takes time. With the acceleration of the trend cycle in recent years, the most important aspect of production for clothing manufacturers is the speed at which a garment can be produced,rather than in quality control. A recent experiment demonstrates this decline in quality over the last 30 years, through testingLevi’sjeans, whose slogan states (ironically) that ‘Quality never goes out of style’. Two pairs of Levi’s jeans were put to the test – a pair manufactured between 1985 and 2000, and a pair manufactured between 2017 and 2018.The experiment found that the older jeans were stronger and wore less quickly than the newer ones, even through the fabric was much older.
In recent history, it is arguable that the pandemic also pushed the trend cycle even further, with the development of the microtrend. The increase in the popularity of TikTok over the course of the pandemic facilitated the development of microtrends. From cow print to swirl print, sweater vests to parachute pants and a new style of boot made popular every week: TikTok has altered the way in which we shop and consume. Trends last for a few months, in some cases a few weeks, and are left looking dated extremely quickly. Why do people feel so compelled to buy clothes seen on TikTok? Carolyn Mair in her book The Psychology of Fashion argues that when viewers see a content creator experiencing joy buying and wearing new clothing, they are more likely to desire the same experience, thus buying the same clothes. We are constantly connected to the internet, and so are constantly aware of changing trends which before would have taken a longer time to filter through – through magazines, television and film. Thus, the pace of fashion production has increased further to meet this ever changing and evolving demand. Many of our clothes today are made of extremely poor quality synthetic materials which cannot last more than a couple of washes or wears – and are not designed to. This therefore creates horrific amounts of textile waste, which ends up in the Global South, destroying local environments. According to Greenpeace, enough textiles to fill a rubbish truck get sent to landfill or burned every second.
In the aftermath of the Black Friday weekend, it is clear that the rate of production is not slowing down – we are ploughing through the earth’s resources at an alarming rate, 1.7 times faster than the resources can regenerate. In order to buy our clothes for the future, we need to return to the quality of the past.
Image: Kgbo on Wikimedia Commons
FAQs
Mass production and synthetic materials are so pervasive it's increasingly difficult to buy well-made clothes, no matter how much you are willing to spend. “Fast fashion has normalised cheaper methods and fabrics,” says host of the Wardrobe Crisis podcast, Clare Press.
Why is the quality of everything decreasing? ›
In order to keep up, many companies have to prioritize making things in the fastest and least expensive way possible. To do that they cut corners with materials and labor. In turn, quality suffers, which leaves consumers with a lot of crappy things. The story with technology is a little different.
How does discarded clothing affect the environment? ›
During the decomposition process, textiles generate greenhouse methane gas and leach toxic chemicals and dyes into the groundwater and our soil.
What is the main problem with the way clothing is made now? ›
The endless creation of new clothes comes with a heavy environmental price. Every year the sector requires 93 billion cubic meters of water, which is enough to meet the consumption needs of five million people, and is responsible for around 20% of industrial water pollution as a result of textile treatment and dyeing.
How can you tell if clothing is bad quality? ›
Stitching & Seams
Loose threads, uneven seams, or visible gaps could indicate poor craftsmanship. Reinforced seams, such as flat-felled or French seams, are a sign of higher quality as they prevent fraying and increase the garment's longevity.
Why is it so hard to find quality clothes? ›
You can blame it on the marketing strategy that US textile, fashion industry and any kind of business has : people will pay so it's “what the market will bear”Instead of wanting to provide goods and service to the public that are good quality at a REASONABLE cost, they wanted as much money to put into their pockets ...
Is quality of life in us decreasing? ›
The United States declined "both in absolute terms and relative to its wealthy, world-power peers," ranking just 28th in social progress, according to the index, which measures quality of life in areas such as personal safety; health and wellness; environmental quality; personal freedom and choice; and inclusiveness.
What happens if quality is poor? ›
The most common are lost customers, lower productivity, and increased costs. In some cases, poor quality can also lead to product liability claims. In some cases, poor quality can also lead to legal action against the manufacturer or supplier.
Why has the quality of produce gone down? ›
Producing more and more food, using fertilizers, herbicides and “other-cides”, has depleted the soil of its nutrients and as a consequence depleted the foods grown in that soil as well.
Why are sweaters garbage now? ›
Sometimes, plant-derived fibers such as cotton or linen were blended in. Now, according to Imran Islam, a textile-science professor and knit expert at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, the overwhelming majority of yarn used in mass-market knitwear is blended with some type of plastic.
Giving your clothing new life instead of throwing it away can have a huge impact on your personal carbon footprint and on the overall health of our Earth.
Are cheap clothes bad for the environment? ›
Unfortunately, the demand for cheap and fast fashion leads to an array of environmental problems. From high energy consumption, excessive water use, toxic chemical discharge, to waste generation, fast fashion's environmental and carbon footprint is significant.
Why clothing waste has become a problem? ›
The fashion and clothing industry generates massive amounts of waste — and emits pollution in the process. Producing just one cotton t-shirt requires more than 700 gallons of water and releases the same greenhouse gas emissions as driving a car for about 10 miles.
What is fast fashion anyway? ›
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.
Which stores are fast fashion? ›
Fast Fashion Brands to Avoid
- Zara. Let's start with one of the leading brands in the fast fashion industry. ...
- H&M. H&M is one of the world's most recognizable fast fashion brands, and it comes second only to Zara in terms of revenue, sales, and global market share. ...
- Forever 21. ...
- Primark. ...
- Topshop. ...
- ASOS. ...
- Mango. ...
- Uniqlo.
In addition to degrading in landfills or being incinerated, fast fashion clothing has also become a notorious source of microplastics in marine environments as the cheap, plastic-based materials shed fibers that make their way to the oceans.
Why is the fashion industry declining? ›
The decline of the fashion industry can be attributed to several factors, including changes in consumer behavior, the rise of e-commerce, sustainability concerns, and increased competition. One of the main reasons for the decline of the fashion industry is the change in consumer behavior.
Why has clothing changed? ›
As values and society change, fashion changes. As people change and evolve their identities, their own fashion choices change. Even as people age, fashion evolves because of a shift in identity that comes along with the human experience of aging.
Why are sweaters junk now? ›
The most obvious indication of these changes is printed on a garment's fiber-content tag. Knits used to be made entirely from natural fibers.... Now... the overwhelming majority of yarn used in mass-market knitwear is blended with some type of plastic. Knits made with synthetic fiber are cheaper to produce.
