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On the most basic level, fast fashion is quickly producedtrendssold at low price points.
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What is fast fashion?
There isnt a set price, product offering, or even seasonal cadence that makes a fast fashion brand.
Rather, its a way of manufacturing, marketing, and selling clothing that gives a brand that title.
In the late 1800s, collections were produced in two seasons: Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer.
Why is fast fashion controversial?
The impact of fast fashion on the environment is a layered issue.
According toBusiness of Fashions2023 report, Oil-based polyester accounts for about 50 percent of fiber production.
What is not sustainable then is the system of buying for short-term use and then tossing.
And, when its poor quality, it starts peeling off microfibers.
Polyester doesnt biodegrade and sits in landfills and water systems, shedding microfibers over time.
These microfibers end up in the water systems.
Fast fashion is made to fit into current trends.
Couple that with the fact that its made as cheaply as possible; its often looked at as disposable.
In 2018, theEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that landfills received 11.3 million tons of MSW textiles.
Whats more is that the donation system in the United States and the United Kingdom is imperfect.
This is simply because fast fashion positions garments as disposable.
Fast fashion is not affordable simply because the materials are cheap.
Pay isnt the only problem, though.
The fashion supply chain is complex, with systems that include subcontracting to work factories around the globe.
In 2013, a Bangladesh garment factory,Rana Plaza,collapsed killing 1,134 people.
As a result the Bangladesh Accord was created to prevent this in the future.
What are the solutions to fast fashion?
In the United States,the Fabric Actseeks to make the piece-rate illegal across the country.
Other solutions to the fast fashion boom involve shifting consumer mindset towardsustainability trendsand slow fashion.
The expansion of second-hand fashion and upcycling is another promising solution to overproduction of fast fashion.
Arecent ThredUpreport highlighted that the global secondhand market is expected to grow to $350 Billion by 2028.
