Fashion is likened to a chameleon constantly changing colors and exhibiting flexibility. With today's youth being fond of fashion, the predominant trend in clothing choices is notably characterized by speed, simplicity, and trendiness. It is challenging for many young people to opt for fashion items that have a "timeless" and durable quality, promoting sustainability. What makes young people so inclined to favor fast fashion choices?
1. What is fast fashion?
Fast fashion is a convenient and quick approach to clothing that aligns with seasonal fashion trends. Fast fashion outfits are primarily inspired by runway collections, incorporating color schemes and design elements.
2. Is fast fashion a form of "stealing" ideas?
Many people often wonder whether sourcing ideas from runway collections for fast fashion is a form of "copying" or not. The answer is NO.
2.1. The roots of fast fashion
In reality, fast fashion remains a term exclusive to fashion enthusiasts who create a distinct style alongside sustainable fashion. In the 1990s, clothing shopping became a normal entertainment habit, no longer seen as a luxury item as it once was. Gradually, clothing diversified into various types, materials, and prices, including low, medium, and high-cost items. Consequently, over time, many fashion brands emerged, including the advent of fast fashion as we know it today.
2.2. Fast fashion follows seasonal trends
Observing the fashion industry over time, it's easy to notice that each season brings forth design collections to set trends for fashion enthusiasts who are passionate about exploring and investing in fashion. Riding the wave of fashion trends, fast fashion brands introduce designs inspired by runway fashion, catering to those with a lower economic threshold for fashion compared to those who prefer luxury fashion designs
Designs in fast fashion are often basic and easy to wear, yet they manage to keep up with prominent fashion trends at the time of their release. Therefore, fast fashion is also referred to as seasonal or trend-driven fashion.
3. What contributes to the success of fast fashion?
The success of fast fashion today is attributed to its reasonable pricing, suitability for all age groups, convenience, and the ability to stay on-trend.
3.1. Affordable pricing in fast fashion
In the current landscape of fast fashion, the predominant market segment targeted is undoubtedly the youth demographic. Recognizing the shopping psychology of customers, many brands have employed marketing strategies such as product displays and flash sales to attract this demographic.
Normally, price of fast fashion is reasonable - Source: Internet
Well-known fast fashion brands like Shein, Zara, and H&M garner significant popularity among the youth whenever they release new products. The pricing is kept reasonably moderate, making the clothing both fashionable and affordable, meeting the fashion needs while aligning with the spending habits of the younger generation.
3.2. Fast fashion designs suitable for various age groups
Fast fashion primarily focuses on basic designs, without overly intricate and unique features seen in runway collections. Many people opt for fast fashion brands like Zara, H&M, or Shein due to the convenience and quickness of their designs, which still manage to create a distinct beauty when worn, catering to a wide range of age groups.
3.3. Fast fashion captures trend preferences
One of the strong points of fast fashion lies in its ability to exceptionally grasp the market trends. Successfully understanding and capturing trends, creating timely designs that ensure both aesthetic appeal and affordability, is a precise psychological strategy employed by fast fashion.
4. Fast fashion as a warning
Despite the widespread popularity of fast fashion among today's youth, the massive scale of the fast fashion industry has inadvertently caused significant environmental issues. Over 60% of landfills worldwide consist mainly of clothing items, and the waste generated by fast fashion amounts to hundreds of thousands of tons. It takes an average of 30 years for this waste to decompose entirely.
The sheer volume of fast fashion waste is largely due to its seasonal nature, with many brands discarding large quantities of fashion samples. This contributes significantly to the alarming state of the environment we face today.
However, the fast fashion also effects negatively to enviroment - Source: Internet
4.2. Fast fashion leads to wasteful spending
In the pursuit of staying trendy and keeping up with fashion trends, many young people are willing to spend significant amounts of money to "chase the seasons." The race to keep up with fashion trends results in considerable financial waste, as most fast fashion items are only suitable for a short period and often become outdated after the season ends.
Conclusion
Fast fashion is not inherently bad, but favoring fast fashion and completely overlooking sustainable fashion can have significant repercussions on environmental, financial, and shopping demand factors. As the current shopping preferences of the younger generation lean towards speed, aesthetics, affordability, brand, and trend conformity, it is crucial to carefully select versatile fashion styles that ensure long-term sustainability.
