Fast fashion is a topic which we like to discuss because it has such a major impact that is not really talked about a lot in the mainstream media. We have talked about fast fashion and the impact it has before. Today we would like to be more specific and talk about how fast fashion makes you spend more money for less.
1. Quality
Let’s first talk about the quality fast fashion offers. More often than not, their clothes are made with the cheapest quality fabric to compensate for the cheap price tag.
Which is why you would often find your fast fashion clothes become “worn out” sooner. Whether the color fades or transfers, the cloth becomes crumpled and oddly shaped, or the fabric feels different when touched overtime.
2. Cost Per Wear
Because the fabric is easily worn out, chances are you won’t really wear it that much. Because you don’t want to look shabby. Therefore you might end up putting the clothes on the back of your closet and never bring it out again.
Now, let’s say you spent 16$ on the outfit and you could only wear it once or twice because after washing it, it turns into a weird mess.
That means the cost per wear for that outfit is around 8-16$. In the long term, it’s significantly more expensive in comparison to a 100$ high quality shirt you could wear over and over again for years. In addition, you’ll just add more clutter into your house.
3. Season / Trends
Fast fashion highly relies on seasons and trends to keep the production going. In a year, they could switch out the seasons several time, making the clothes you purchased last month a “last season” outfit today.
For the vast majority of people who don’t want to miss out on being “in season” they would just by new clothes as new trends and seasons arrive. This make you buy more and more each time. In the end, you end up spending more money for more less quality items which you would only wear once or twice.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the fast fashion industry is highly reliant on making you spend more on less. As a smart consumer, you need to be aware of this. At the end of the day make your own ethical choice on whether you still want to support fast fashion or not. Though after reading the reasons above, you should already know the true cost of fast fashion.
