Have you ever shopped in Zara or H&M? 
At some points in our lives, we probably all did and still do. It is fast, convenient, inexpensive and full of trendy choices from underwear to faux fur coats, accessories and everything in between for any weather, any occasion, sex, age or mood! An incredible selection of colours, textures, patterns, designs, stylish shop surroundings, accessible navigation apps, and all in all joyful atmosphere mesmerises, captures, and engages us in a never-ending desire to buy something new. I am here not to judge or order to stop. For many years, I was one of these brands’ biggest fans, who could not endure the weekend without looking around or indulging myself with the latest trendy items. I still love these brands and buy from them, but now I do it differently, more responsibly. I believe every phenomenon has two sides of the story: the bright side and the shadier ones. It is equally important to know them both to make unbiased decisions.
The Bright Side
Fast fashion is a designing, producing, and advertising strategy that focuses on manufacturing large quantities of clothing in a short amount of time. For example, Zara can design, produce and allocate new lines into their shops within a month! Fast fashion designers create new trendy pieces inspired by runway shows promptly and at an affordable price. Zara follows a scarce supply strategy; rapidly changing fashion lines allow it to produce limited stock. So, we all can look and feel good without breaking the bank. Zara and H&M are the best known, European leading fast fashion brands. There are countless benefits that fast fashion brings to our lives. Shopping is fun; shopping can be like therapy after a bad day or a reward after the great one; shopping is a great bonding activity and conversation topic. Our beloved stores are usually located in very well accessible locations and super easy to order online and return without a blink system, making it convenient, effortless, and very trustworthy after many years of service.
Another significant point is the indisputable economic benefits that fast fashion brings. Fast fashion is intended to boost traffic to stores and online, enhance sales and increase revenue. Global textile and apparel industry-valued 1.5 trillion USD in 2020 with a 6.6% annual growth rate and has more than a 300million employees. It is expected that by 2025 fashion industry reaches about 2.25 trillion USD with undisputed leaders China, United States and Japan.
Key Takeaways
- Fast fashion lines constantly renew/ not monotonous
- Trendy and affordable
- Shopping is a great therapy/ brain releases dopamine or “feel-good” hormone
- Easy to order online and return
- Fast fashion boosts the economy and employs a large number of employees across the industry
In Part II of the advantages & disadvantages of a fast-fashion post, I will discuss the dark side and available alternatives. Stay healthy, happy and see you soon!
Simona, you do know how to make someone wait impatiently for your next post! Bright side is obvious to us, but the dark side – I am sure there is more to it than what we know. Looking forward to read the next one and discover alternatives.
Thank you so much, Sofia, for reading and your kind words!
Dear Simona
You have picked a nice topic! Cant wait to hear more of it, especially with the people becoming more and more conscious about fast fashion and its consequences. The “fun” for us comes at a high price for others, but I am sure you will cover that in your next post 🙂
Thank you for such a nice comment, yes definitely in part II within few days 🙂
Great topic Simona! Fast fashion definitely has a lot of advantages and we all fall for the marketing and the need to be trendy consumers. As a fashion designer myself I am pretty sure I know where the “dark side” of this post will go and it is for sure not the best side of the Fashion Industry however, a reality. I am very curious to read your next post!
Amazing post. Everyone should read this article. All your posts are also really good. Keep it up.
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