What Is Fast Fashion?

Fashion has constantly evolved over time, and one of the most rapidly growing segments is fast fashion. This lesson will further explore what fast fashion is, the history behind it, and its environmental impact. 

What is Fast Fashion?

Fast fashion is more than just a specific brand, product, or style. Rather, it describes the manufacturing, marketing, and selling of clothing in an accelerated timeline compared to traditional fashion brands. Today, fast fashion brands keep up with the newest trends on social media and beyond by rapidly producing new clothing at low and competitive prices. This often comes at the expense of environmental damage and unfair labor practices.

In the U.S. alone, the fast fashion industry was worth $41.15 billion in the year 2023 and is anticipated to reach $59.85 billion by 2030. Consumers are increasingly shopping through fast fashion outlets as well, with around 40 percent of US consumers and 26 percent of UK consumers shopping at fast fashion giants Shein or Temu in 2023.

History of Fast Fashion

Prior to the 1990s, much of fashion and clothing were produced in two seasons: Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer. However, starting in the 1990s and moving into the 21st century, low-cost fashion emerged as a growing trend as consumers yearned for affordability. Soon, brands sought to bring products to stores as fast as they could, and they were helped by the rise of cheaper materials and more efficient production processes. 

From 2000 to 2014, clothing production doubled, with brands flooding stores and websites with new merchandise. Now, instead of the traditional two seasons of clothing, many large fast fashion companies produce clothing through 52 “micro-seasons” a year. As social media trends continue to propel consumer choices, fast fashion continues to grow and benefit. 

Drawbacks of Fast Fashion

Despite the growing popularity and business of fast fashion, the industry has drawbacks that have led to more scrutiny from consumers and governments. Many fast fashion consumers throw out their clothing after a few uses. Consumers have been found to purchase 60% more clothing than they did 15 years ago, but each item is kept only half as long. 

Americans throw out more than 34 billion tons of used textiles per year, and for every five garments produced, three end up in a landfill or are incinerated yearly. Additionally, the production of fast fashion uses immense amounts of water and resources, as we will discover more later, but for now, know that the segment accounts for about 10% of all global annual CO2 emissions, as much as the entire European Union emits.