What is Fast Fashion?
On the other side of sustainable fashion is fast fashion. The term refers to cheap clothing that is mass-produced in response to the latest trends. Fast fashion replicates recent catwalk or celebrity culture styles and produces them at a low cost.
The goal of fast fashion is to get the newest trends on the market as quickly as possible, so that they are available to shoppers while they are still current and popular.
Factors Common to Fast Fashion Brands
Examples you might see in a fast fashion brand include:
- A limited quantity of particular garments, encouraging shoppers to buy immediately as they know it could soon be out of stock
- Use of low-quality materials like polyester
- Short turnaround time between when a trend is seen on a catwalk to when it appears in the store
- Thousands of styles
How Can We Shop More Sustainably?
Invest in Clothes for All Seasons
Buy items that you know will work all year round. Don't spend all your money on a whole new summer wardrobe each year if you live in a chilly country like the UK, when you'll barely get to wear it! Try pieces that could be worn anytime, such as jeans, t-shirts and light jackets that can be worn year-round.
Buy Second Hand
Instead of buying new all the time, take a look around charity shops and purchase something second-hand instead. You can also donate your own unwanted clothes, rather than just leaving them hanging in the wardrobe, which will help others to be more sustainable too.
Choose Quality Over Quantity
Buy quality pieces from sustainable companies rather than cheaper alternatives from fast fashion brands. Although it'll likely cost more money to begin with, it will also last longer, saving you money overall. Buying a few high-quality items that will last for years is much better for the environment (and cheaper in the long-term) than buying tons of cheaper non-eco-friendly clothes.
Repair Your Current Clothing
Try to avoid throwing clothes away unnecessarily. If something rips, try and repair it yourself, or find a professional to do it. There are apps that can connect users to local tailors who can repair and alter clothing. Although giving your clothes away to charity is a great way to be more sustainable, it doesn’t always mean they end up in someone else’s wardrobe, and can sometimes just end up in the landfill.
Study at Fashion at the Fashion Retail Academy
If sustainable fashion is something you’re passionate about, and you want to make a difference in the industry, why not take the first step and enrol onto one of our fashion courses? We offer a variety of options including Level 2, 3 and 4 courses as well as undergraduate and apprenticeship courses.
Study BA (Hons) Fashion Business, and you'll get the chance to explore the commercial and ethical factors that can impact brands, as well as develop leadership qualities in order to start your own fashion business.
Our Level 4 Garment Technology course will allow you to study the entire lifecycle of a clothing product, from its initial development through to production. You will get hands-on practical experience that'll help to improve your creative abilities.
If you think a role in fashion is right for you, take the first step and study with the Fashion Retail Academy. If you have any questions about the courses on offer, send us an email at info@fra.ac.uk.