by Rise of Fast Fashion
The fast fashion industry has dramatically changed the way we shop for clothing over the past few decades. Where fashion cycles used to last for entire seasons, major brands now introduce new collections every few weeks to keep up with constantly changing trends. This high turnover allows consumers to purchase inexpensive clothes that are always on-trend but often of poor quality and short lifespan.
Shortened Production Cycles
To pump out new styles at lighting speed, Fast Fashion companies have heavily optimized their supply chains. Production cycles that previously took 6 months have been reduced to as little as 3-4 weeks from design to store shelves. This would not be possible without leveraging a globalized network of vendors and liberal trade policies that allow for offshoring of manufacturing to low-cost countries. Factory owners in places like Bangladesh, India and China now work around the clock to process large volumes of orders on tight deadlines.
Reliance on Disposable Fashion
Constantly churning out temporary trends at low prices has made fast fashion inherently disposable. The low-quality fabrics and novice designs are meant more for aesthetics than durability. Consumers now view clothes as consumable items that will be worn a few times before discarding rather than durable pieces to last through multiple seasons. Many items, especially during sale periods, are priced cheaper than their actual production costs. This gives the perception of ‘value’ to customers while ensuring higher returns for retailers.
Environmental Damage from Overconsumption
The business model of fast fashion has fueled overconsumption of clothing on a global scale. With 60-80 billion garments produced annually compared to 50 billion a few decades ago, fabrics, dyes, plastics and other resources required for production have increased massively. This over-extraction threatens the sustainability of natural fiber sources like cotton. Post-production, billions of pounds of textile waste end up in landfills annually since most clothes are not recycled. Non-biodegradable synthetic fabrics release micro-plastics into the environment during washing.
Growing Carbon Footprint
Beyond resource usage at the production stage, transportation has a significant climate impact due to longer supply chains. Raw materials are shipped from across the world to centralized manufacturing hubs before garments are flown to retail locations globally. Staggering energy is consumed during each stage of transport. The short lifespan of clothes also means that more fabrics need to be produced to satisfy demand. This high turnover has led the fashion industry to surpass oil in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public Source, Desk Research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
About Author - Ravina Pandya
Ravina Pandya,a content writer, has a strong foothold in the market research industry. She specializes in writing well-researched articles from different industries, including food and beverages, information and technology, healthcare, chemicals and materials, etc. With an MBA in E-commerce, she has expertise in SEO-optimized content that resonates with industry professionals. LinkedIn Profile
