Fast fashion brands make us believe we need more clothes, but the mad rush to keep buying has a big cost.
We are purchasing and using products at an unsustainable pace. The earth and our wallets cannot replenish resources quickly enough to keep up with the sheer level of consumption. The fashion industry, in particular, is a major contributor to the problem, demanding oil and natural resources, and manipulating us to buy items we don't need. The ultra-cheap price tags associated with fast-fashion clothes mean people can spread their dollars further and buy more. Since 2000, people have been purchasing 60% more clothing yet, thanks to the shoddy quality and constantly evolving styles, keeping their garments for half as long.
The United States is the number one consumer of the planet’s resources.
A small percentage (7%) of the world's entire population is liable for 50% of the total carbon emissions causing climate change. The United States represents 4% of the world's population, yet we produce 12% of the massive amount of global trash each year. These statistics demonstrate the imbalance in the global retail markets, a system that thrives on a wealthy few who overindulge. No matter how you spin it, the United States is the number one consumer of the planet's resources. The issue is not a matter of the number of people; in fact, the population growth rate in wealthy countries is generally lower than in poorer countries. A small fraction of the global population has the largest environmental footprint.
What are the factors behind these increased levels of consumerism? And more importantly, what are the consequences? We (and the planet) are starting to burn out.
Ever-evolving "seasons"
The fashion industry used to exist in two distinct seasons. Major fashion houses released collections for the spring/summer season and a corresponding one for fall/winter. High-end retailers began introducing small subsets such as pre-fall and resort seasons, but there was still a reasonable rhythm to the pace at which their garments hit the runways and catalogs. Young consumers are veering away from seasonality. There's nothing wrong with wearing heavy boots with a chic summer dress or sporting a floral, pastel outfit in fall that was once designed for spring. But fast-fashion retailers have dismantled the seasonal structure entirely.
Big fast-fashion brands have created 50-100 “micro-seasons” aimed at manipulating people to buy more.
Fashion retailer ASOS reports that it introduces 5,000 new items weekly to its website. Experts estimate that ASOS and other big fast-fashion brands have created 50-100 "micro-seasons" aimed at manipulating people to buy more. There's literally a new "season" every week! Consumer taste and eagerness to stay in style mean Americans often toss items even if the actual article of clothing is still in good shape. Data shows that American households throw away 50 pounds worth of clothing annually and then spend almost $2,000 to replace it.
Ease of consumerism
Shopping apps and convenience tools like one-click purchasing have completely changed the shopping game. Over 2 billion people use the internet to shop, and 75% of Gen Z is making purchasing decisions via a smartphone. At-home personal assistants like Amazon's Alexa make purchasing items comically easy. There's a whole genre of stories posted online that describe children and even animals accidentally ordering items via home shopping assistants. Voice shopping (a modern way of simply using your voice to shop online) is expected to generate 40 billion dollars this year.
75% of Gen Z is making purchasing decisions via a smartphone.
Younger generations are particularly attracted to BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) apps that allow for more immediate purchases and delayed payments through installment plans. BNPL companies witnessed 215% growth in 2021. Fashion brands are eager to implement impulsive buying tools so that their shoppers don't have time to reconsider the financial or environmental impacts. Websites and apps are rigorously designed to manipulate us. Nearly 60% of the major fashion brands' positive sustainability claims are purposefully misleading. Brands want to distract you from what you actually need and entice you to consider buying more.
The social toll
All of this spending is not good for us. It's causing people to work more hours to pay off bigger debts. The fast-fashion industry contributes to our "throw-away" mentality, urging the consumer to constantly seek out what's new rather than value what they already have. The fashion industry exploits our insecurities about fitting in, and in response, Americans spend more than $150 every month on clothing. Generation Z has experienced a sharp increase in personal loan debt, especially since the pandemic.
Members of Generation Z have the lowest financial literacy rate compared with other age groups.
These facts illustrate real societal issues such as increased violence, social anxiety, and declining mental health. You've no doubt heard about Black Friday shopping sprees that have led to actual fights. While Gen Z is searching for deals, they're also accumulating more credit card debt than millennials did at that age — at the same time, members of Generation Z have the lowest financial literacy rate compared with other age groups, a fact that retailers are more than happy to take advantage of. Shopping is linked to our mood, and humans get a rush when they make a purchase. In truth, retailers completely disregard the well-being of their consumers for the sake of profit.
Americans are buying more stuff than ever before, and it's affecting global supply chains and our social well-being. People are conditioned to shop to emulate a social standing they want to achieve, delineating a class structure and further feeding economic inequalities. We've been trained to keep buying stuff, even though American middle-class income has been stagnant for decades. How much longer can we last? Landfills across the U.S. are expected to fill in the next 15 years. By 2050, access to safe drinking water and energy will be limited for at least half of the global population. Big-name fast fashion brands are under fire for social justice and environmental issues, and some have even declared bankruptcy (re: Forever 21). There will be a tipping point, and the cracks in the foundation are starting to show.
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