Fast-Fashion Facts

It’s great to have a passion for fashion, but we can’t stress the importance of becoming an educated consumer. We all must go beneath the surface and face the ugly truths about the impacts of our shopping choices. The below fast-fashion facts may make you shop more carefully for new garments in the future.

The average American consumer only wears a piece of clothing seven times before throwing it away.
A staggering 7 million tons of materials and textiles end up in landfills each year because, let’s face it, clothing manufacturers are producing an overabundance of apparel to keep up with the ever-changing fashion trends, they’re producing clothing cheaply (so it’s not meant to last) and they’re getting by with using irresponsible and unsustainable practices. Unfortunately, it is up to we the consumers to change our spending habits and choices to create the kind of change we need to alter these numbers. Through thrift shopping and extending the lifespan of our garments, we can shift into a better way of thinking and shopping, which can reduce pollution and pressure big clothing manufacturers to create more sustainable ways in which to produce and sell clothes. Below are just some of the interesting fast-fashion facts that should make anyone think before they shop.

Nylon fabric takes 30 to 40 years to decompose. Lycra and polyester take 500 or more years to decompose.
Synthetic fiber compounds are created using fossil-fuel-derived resources, including petroleum-based chemicals and petrochemicals. Synthetic fabric has become more popular than natural fibers (like cotton) because they’re often more stretchy, more waterproof, more stain-resistant, lower the cost of production and increase profit. Using them however, comes at a price. Synthetic fibers can take over 500 years to decompose and that’s a troubling thought when there’s over 5 trillion microplastics already in the ocean (200,000-500,000 tons of it coming from textiles). These microplastics harm ecosystems, animals and people. It’s up to us to reuse the clothing we purchase that’s made of synthetics or made with synthetics, as well as to donate unwanted synthetic garments to thrift stores so they can keep being recycled and reused.

Fast Fashion brands typically release 52 micro-seasons every year, instead of just 4 (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter).
Do the math. That’s a staggering 1 micro-season or “collection” a week. Not too long ago, brands would stick to launching 1 collection per season with a focus on quality over quantity. These days, they’re pumping out an excessive amount of cheaply made, new clothing, to keep up with trends, to keep their customer’s attention and to ensure they always have more than enough product to sell. This means there’s an overabundance of poorly made clothing that isn’t made to have a long lifespan, which in turn, means more waste and more pollution. Consumers are thankfully becoming more aware of Fast-Fashion and are turning to Slow-Fashion brands and thrift shopping as a result.

Garment workers often work 14 to 16 hours a day, 7 days a week and 93% of brands surveyed by the Fashion Checker aren’t paying garment workers a living wage.
Big Fast-Fashion clothing companies have one goal: to make as much money as possible. This means cutting costs and corners everywhere they can. It’s why they use cheaper materials and cheap overseas labor to manufacture their garments and products. This allows them to pay their workers between a half and a fifth of the living wage of what it takes to meet their basic necessities. When working conditions improve in one country, companies move to others that allow them to continue to take advantage of cheap labor. This is why we often hear the term “slave labor” used in regards to clothing manufacturing. 80% of garment workers are women and they are most often paid less than their male counterparts. It’s sad to think that at this stage of humanity, this kind of cruelty is allowed, especially by U.S. companies. Once again, it’s up to us as consumers to no longer fund companies that use these practices with our hard earned money. We must instead invest in companies that are using ethical practices and pay people fairly.

Over 674 billion U.S. dollars is spent on advertising each year.
Big Fast-Fashion clothing companies will cut costs in every way they can to produce clothing more cheaply, but not when it comes to advertising and marketing to influence shoppers to buy their products. It’s all psychology and because they know we the consumers see their brands for what they show us (their fancy commercials, billboards, magazine and online ads, their websites, beautiful models and edited photography…the list goes on), but if we put all of that to the side and took a trip to the sources of where our clothing is produced, we would most likely be horrified. They’ve done a magnificent job at selling us the latest and greatest, but it’s time we rewire our brains to recognize that, like lab rats, we’ve been conditioned to consume thoughtlessly.

Ask yourself this:
How was it made, where was it sourced and is this good for me and the planet? By getting educated and waking up to the truths we’ve covered in this post, we hope more and more people choose to think before they make their purchases when it comes to clothing and really, everything else (from the medicine we take to the food we eat). Big companies will only continue to use unethical practices as long as we the consumers fund them with our money to do so. It takes the greater majority of us to change our behaviors in order for them to change theirs.

Change your ways:
Unfollow Fast-Fashion brand accounts and those who are promoting hauls and Fast-Fashion brands.
Follow sustainable brands, thrift companies/apps and content creators who inspire you to shop sustainably.
Shop at thrift stores, on thrift apps and from creative online upcyclers.
Purchase clothes that you believe you’ll constantly wear and donate or sell the clothes you’re no longer wearing (don’t throw out garments that can continue to be worn).

Gratefully, we’re already seeing change in the fashion industry, as people become more educated. More and more people are choosing thrifting over Fast-Fashion, emerging brands that are focused on responsible manufacturing practices are being born and Fast-Fashion brands are being put in the spotlight for their negligence and inhumanity. We believe this is just the beginning of the awakening and we’re so excited to see and be part of this great change.

Other Quirky Fashion Facts:

People who lived in the Middle Ages would often pay their taxes with clothing or material.
In the mid-nineteenth century, manufactures were able to make garments without fittings and the mass production of clothing began.
Before 1850, people hand-stitched their own clothing. Clothing was seen as essential rather than fashionable among the poor.
In 1853, the first pair of Levi’s jeans sold for $6 worth of gold dust.
Women weren’t allowed to wear shorts in public until after World War II (when fabric wasn’t as readily available during the war).
Over 2 billion t-shirts are sold every year.
By 2023 the global fashion industry was valued at $1.7 trillion and the U.S. fashion industry was valued at $343 billion.

Thank you for reading! We appreciate you! – Fishtoes

Fast-Fashion Facts

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