I think we can all agree fast fashion is bad. It’s bad for the environment, workers, and even consumers. And while many people are trying to turn away from fast fashion, this isn’t always easy. Because fast fashion is sneaky—it comes in many brands and styles.
That’s why we’ve put together a quick list to help you better identify if a brand is fast fashion. Most fast fashion brands will have all five points. But it’s also safe to say that if a brand has four out of five points, it’s probably also a fast fashion brand.
Here are 5 easy ways to identify if a brand is fast fashion:
1.Fast Fashion Is Low Priced
“If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.” Keep this phrase in mind next time you’re shopping. When buying new, fast fashion is often the cheapest option. And while this might seem great for your wallet, here’s why it’s bad for you overall.
Fast fashion is low-priced because it is made with cheap, low-quality fabrics and materials. On top of that, these companies overwork and underpay employees to keep costs low. So if you find yourself browsing a brand’s stock and wondering how everything is so low-cost, it’s probably a fast fashion brand.
2. Low-Quality Fabric & Materials
We mentioned it already, but one of the biggest ways to tell if a brand is fast fashion is to assess the materials used in most of their clothing. Look out for cheaper fabrics like polyester and nylon. In general, if you touch a fabric and it feels crunchy, rough, or uncomfortable, it’s probably fast fashion.
This rule is often truer for online brands like Shein and Amazon Basics. These brands prey on the fact that you cannot feel the low quality of their fabrics while ordering online. But don’t be afraid to read customer reviews and even research the fabrics of a particular item before ordering anything.
3. Fast Fashion Is Trendy
Fast fashion is just that, fast. These companies can produce and distribute large quantities of clothing very quickly. That’s why their goal isn’t to make something that you’ll love and wear 100 times. Their goal is to make something that’s trendy enough for you to wear once or twice, only to replace it with the next trendy item a month later.
So think of the latest fashion trends. What brands always seem to have clothes available for those trends? Those brands are probably fast fashion.
4. High Quantity Of New Styles
On top of chasing trends, fast fashion often has a more-is-more strategy when it comes to stock. Because how do you get people to buy more? You give them more to pick from. And no one has more or bigger inventories than fast fashion brands.
And while it might be easy to turn towards online giants like Shein and Amazon, let’s not forget that brands like Old Navy and Forever 21 usually sell in large warehouse-like stores with constantly rotating stock.
5. Fast Fashion Never Admits It’s Fast Fashion
Ethical brands will always tell you where they source their materials and who makes their products. So if you’re ever curious about a brand’s fast fashion status, don’t be afraid to read their website. Because most fast fashion brands won’t admit they’re fast fashion, but they can’t pretend to be sustainable either.
If a brand says they’re committed to sustainability, make sure you read how they are making that commitment happen. Because a lot of brands use words like “green” and “sustainability” as buzzwords, but don’t have action steps listed for how they carry that commitment through. Meaning there probably isn’t any commitment.