The term fast fashion is applied to businesses that quickly produce and replace clothes they sell to match the speed of trends coming and going. Clothes that fit this description often have a range of teenage to young adult consumers who want to stay ahead of trends.
According to a study in 2024, the fast fashion industry has a compound annual growth rate, or CAGR, of 15.6% while the apparel market as a whole only has a CAGR of 7.4% over the last year.
“I’ve noticed my family members look at clothes they like, but are upset with the price, so they settle on a cheaper, lower quality version from a fast fashion site simply because it’s a lower price,” said Alexis Sherrets, 11.
Fast fashion causes increased competition for materials, labour and energy sources and the more limited these resources are, the higher cost for the producers. Overlap between clothing brands using these resources raises pricing for the industry as a whole. Substituting fast fashion for shopping local or better quality brands, is not only better for the environment and for the community, it’s better for the economy.
“I think that it’s really important to actually get quality clothes that you know will last longer. If it lasts you a long time, you don’t have to go and keep on buying,” said Mia Marzano, 11.
Certain brands in this category are commonly used because they have low pricing like Shein or Aliexpress. While these may seem like a good option because of their affordable prices, by choosing to buy into this practice people feed into inflated prices they aimed to avoid in the first place.
“If you can, support local businesses that aren’t like Temu, Shein, or Zara because they provide clothes without the consequence of hurting the environment or economy,” Sherrets said.
The downside for consumers is that the quality of the clothes fits the low price. This isn’t typically a problem for the target consumers though and it actually keeps them coming back and replacing it and consistently buying more.
“Sometimes you hit the jackpot, but other times it’s just really cheap crap. There’s just a lot of things that look nice on there that are not nice,” said Addison Drown, 11.
However, other brands maintain the same low quality, but practice borderline outrageous up-selling. Expensive fast fashion brands take advantage of the average young person’s desperation for whatever is in demand. With high-priced fast fashion companies taking over the fashion world, buying clothes in a similar price range that will be sustainable for years is a much better option.
“When people shop local, they say that 80 cents per dollar stays within the community,” said Sherry Puttkammer, business owner of the Dotted Pig. “Small businesses can actually offer you more unique items.”
Buying locally is a great substitute. This option allows for trendy, but unique looks without letting countless businesses go bankrupt to fast fashion competitors. Investing in more costly, but quality clothing is another solution, as they will last a long time. If pieces get boring, they can be reworked or restyled.
“We, as small businesses, try to support our community and local charities, rather than nationwide charities and nationwide organizations. When you support small, you’re going to keep those small businesses alive and in your community,” Puttkammer said.
