Let’s talk about fast fashion. We love to wear it. But sometimes, there are complications. The fabric is a little less reliable than we’d hope; there’s more tear than wear, the clothes never arrive, or they arrive months later. Fast fashion offers cute clothes for low prices. But, at what cost?
“Fast fashion” describes clothing brands specializing in fast production of the latest trends and fast delivery, but maybe the “fast” part is the problem? A lot of these companies’ timelines do not allow for wash or wear tests. These facilities also might not be the cleanest or nicest to their employees — a big reason behind the TikTok videos of girls with rashes and bug bites on their skin from these clothing pieces.
Fast fashion brands move so fast that errors and discrepancies are more likely to happen, and complaints aren’t likely to be addressed or fixed. Just think about all of the complaints that companies like Shein, Zara, Boohoo, and Pretty Little Thing must be getting.
Some fast fashion brands are more reliable and trustworthy than others, but that does not make up for some bigger issues. One of those bigger issues being labor. Many of the factories that produce clothing for these companies are made up of overworked and underpaid workers.
In fact, an article from DW.com states that these factories are staffed primarily by impoverished women that toil for little pay and have few rights, largely so clothing manufacturers in Europe and the U.S. can keep costs low. In most instances, you get what you pay for, and that seems to ring true for these products.
So, does this mean we stop buying “fast fashion?” That’s a personal choice. I can’t tell you what’s right, but I can only inform you of the bad rep fast fashion has to make your own informed decision. I, myself, really enjoy buying clothes from Pretty Little Thing and have bought from Shein multiple times. Most times, it’s hit or miss. Reading about these things and hearing others’ complaints does make me reconsider supporting some of these brands.
However, instead of faulting people who buy from these clothes, we should push the companies and manufacturers to pay their workers adequately, place more care into the making and delivery of their products, and enforce quality over quantity. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to appeal to a large audience and their ever-changing tastes, but it should be done the right way. And based on the complaints all over the internet, it isn’t.
P.S. If you do buy from these places, please wash the clothes before wearing them! (Trust me.)