Fast fashion is a segment of the fashion industry that massively produces clothes from low-quality materials and uses cheap labor. Thus, brands save on costs and set low prices that force consumers to purchase goods. Existing fast fashion brands create clothes similar to the “trends of the season,” presented in famous fashion houses, and sell them at affordable prices. Therefore, when entering a store, people see something exceptional and think that they are behind the trends, which means that they need to buy something. These products do not live long: they deteriorate or go out of fashion, so consumers need to buy new ones continually.
Attractive prices are achieved by production in countries where costs are lowest. For such plants, production schedules and orders from companies are more important than the safety and rights of their workers. In addition, vibrant colors and prints are attractive features of fashionable clothes, but many are achieved using toxic chemicals. They pollute clean water and can be dangerous to those who wear this clothing. Another diverse element is polyester, due to which nature is contaminated with microplastic. Admittedly, all these factors are significant arguments against fast fashion.
Although people like to save money, with the growth of the fast fashion phenomenon, they expect clothes to cost almost nothing. Fast fashion distorts a sense of value and, when buying cheap things, people are ready to buy something new if the old goes bad. However, the money that buyers save on such clothes has real consequences, so it is essential to consider the actual cost. Thus, it is worthwhile to be more careful when choosing clothing stores and buying a quality product, not chasing a low price.