We all love shopping. And in an age when we need it now, can you really afford to stop and think about whether fast fashion is really worth the low price?
Fast fashion is cheap and widely available; even I will argue that this one is more of a pro than a con. After all, we love getting great deals on stylish things. One of the greatest feelings in the world for me is walking out of Forever 21 with $60 less in my bank account, but four new things in my closet. (I admit it, I'm frugal). Cheap must equal good, right?
Often, after only wearing an item from a fast fashion chain a few times, it breaks somehow. Cheap usual means not that well made, and it sometimes shows in the clothes from such stores. Sometimes, though, an item can be well worn and loved and never fall apart. It's just the luck of the draw, I suppose.
Another downside of having clothing so readily available? Other people are bound to have the same piece as you, so there's nothing unique about it. But even this has and upside: it gives you the opportunity to be even more creative with your clothing, and make it unique to you!
So what's so bad about fast fashion anyway? I mean, sure, it's cheap quality and not really unique, but that's really not so bad, is it?
Have you ever thought about where your clothes come from? And no, I don't mean your local mall. Who made your clothes? Fast fashion chains are notorious for being “Made in China,” which can mean unfair labor practices. And I'm not claiming that non-fast fashion stores have fair labor practices, either, because can we really be sure that $200 dress wasn't made by an underpaid worker in some third-world country?
So what is there to do? If you care about the quality of your clothing, you can buy vintage (it hasn't fallen apart yet, chances are it won't. Because clothes were just made better back in the fifties). If you care about unfair labor practices, you can buy secondhand. One of my favorite ways to spend a day is driving around, hitting up thrift stores. You can also shop independent local designers, though this can be costly.
Alternately, if you don't care about any of that, you can continue shopping fast fashion. But hopefully, once in a while you'll think about where it came from.
Of course, you could always do both, fast and "slow" fashion. Makes for a little variety. :)
ReplyDeleteI vote for supporting "slow" fashion and local manufacturing whenever possible!
ReplyDeleteGood topic. I'd love to see you answer some of your own questions, though. What is your alternative to fast consumerism?
ReplyDeleteI try to wear locally and independently designed and produced items when I can, but I can't afford to do it all the time. Fast fashion lets me mix high and low in an affordable way.
ReplyDeleteMy problem with fast fashion is usually the less-than-stellar quality and workmanship. I'm not young and taut anymore, and I need good, solid fabric, forgiving cuts, and nontwisty seams if something is going to look good on me.
ReplyDeleteI guess what I've been doing lately is monitoring fast fashion trends for looks that will flatter me and have some staying power -- then I'll buy a very few similar items that have made it into lines of somewhat better quality.
I suppose places like Ann Taylor or lines like Banana Republic Monogram are still fast mall fashion, although there's more attention to tailoring and luxe materials. I wonder if factory workers are treated better if they're working with better materials and slower techniques?
Loved your Links a la Mode on IFB
ReplyDeleteLove your blog , lets become fashionable blogger friends , lets follow each other.
Maybe you'll be interested in the FENDI GIVEAWAY I'm having on my blog.
http://www.thedollsfactory.com/2010/09/fendi-giveaway.html
I agree...I don't even need to walk into Forever 21 anymore. I'm too disappointed in their clothing and I'd rather buy pieces that can stay in my closet!
ReplyDeleteJessu@
http://kireinano.blogspot.com
Every piece I have ever purchased at H&M has held itself well, but at XXI its a different story. Most of those purchases wore down within 3 to 6 months, and if I go into one of their stores now....well everything just looks like it's made so quickly and cheaply.
ReplyDeleteThe other downside of fast-fashion is that sure you're spending 60 bucks on 4 tops instead of one, but odds are those 4 tops you buy are too trendy to carry you on to the next couple of years. It is an investment to buy a nice 60 dollar blouse that is classic enough to be worn in a variety of ways for many years to come.
It's such a back & forth battle because their are certain trends each season that I do like to pick up on, and to find those pieces at a good price at Zara & H&M make them worthwhile purchases for me as long as the material & workmanship do have some quality.
For me it’s all about balancing my shopping experience and taking good care of every purchase regardless of where I got it so when it is no longer on trend it can be donated to someone in need.
ReplyDeletexx
MarielsCastle
You offer second-hand shopping as an alternative to this. Well at one point or another, it was made, and more than likely under the same (perhaps even worse) working conditions. Although those companies may no longer be around, you are still contributing to the idea of the same practices. It's like buying items made in Germany under the Nazis. Of course this is now, then was then; but you are still consuming Nazi artifacts. We as a whole are fucked, because almost everything comes from a source that would make us rather look the other way.
ReplyDeleteDeal with it.
Cheers. :]
You offer second-hand shopping as an alternative to this. Well at one point or another, it was made, and more than likely under the same (perhaps even worse) working conditions. Although those companies may no longer be around, you are still contributing to the idea of the same practices. It's like buying items made in Germany under the Nazis. Of course this is now, then was then; but you are still consuming Nazi artifacts. We as a whole are fucked, because almost everything comes from a source that would make us rather look the other way.
ReplyDeleteDeal with it.
Cheers. :]
I agree...I don't even need to walk into Forever 21 anymore. I'm too disappointed in their clothing and I'd rather buy pieces that can stay in my closet!
ReplyDeleteJessu@
http://kireinano.blogspot.com
My problem with fast fashion is usually the less-than-stellar quality and workmanship. I'm not young and taut anymore, and I need good, solid fabric, forgiving cuts, and nontwisty seams if something is going to look good on me.
ReplyDeleteI guess what I've been doing lately is monitoring fast fashion trends for looks that will flatter me and have some staying power -- then I'll buy a very few similar items that have made it into lines of somewhat better quality.
I suppose places like Ann Taylor or lines like Banana Republic Monogram are still fast mall fashion, although there's more attention to tailoring and luxe materials. I wonder if factory workers are treated better if they're working with better materials and slower techniques?
Loved your Links a la Mode on IFB
ReplyDeleteLove your blog , lets become fashionable blogger friends , lets follow each other.
Maybe you'll be interested in the FENDI GIVEAWAY I'm having on my blog.
http://www.thedollsfactory.com/2010/09/fendi-giveaway.html