Why You Should Ditch Fast Fashion For Slow Fashion

In the past, fashion companies would release their new collections at a slower pace throughout the year, specifically split into four seasons: fall, winter, spring, and summer. The Good Trade explains that after working months to produce the latest season’s collection, designers and brands would give high society first, exclusive access to it. It wasn’t until the 1960s that a glimpse of what would later be recognized as a fast fashion fad was introduced. This phenomenon was known as paper clothing, a form of clothing made with a paper-like fabric meant to be disposable. Fast fashion ramped up and reached a “point of no return” beginning in the 2000s. Today, many fast production brands introduce what The Good Trade described as 52 “micro-seasons” per year, essentially equating to one new collection a week.

Fast fashion is known to be made with low quality fabrics, low wage workers, and at rapid rates to keep up with the cycles of new trends and fads. When something is produced by a higher end brand and then popularized by celebrities or influencers, fast fashion brands replicate the garments in lower quality fabrics to make it an affordable price for consumers. A survey conducted by the Fashion Retail Academy found that 73% of shoppers between 18 and 24 years old and 68% of shoppers between 25 and 34 years old believe influencers are part of the reason for the rise of disposable or fast fashion