Abstract: Fast fashion is the practice of using low-quality and badly-sourced fabrics to create trendy garments which can only be used for a short duration of time before being thrown away without being reused. Popular clothing companies such as Zara and Forever 21 are among the largest users of fast fashion. With devastating impacts on the environment, fast fashion practices have destroyed the natural world creating large amounts of waste. The clothes are thrown away at a quick rate due to their short shelf life and their inability to maintain longevity in the world of fashion trends. The waste is never repurposed and is instead sent to large landfills or “donated” to third-world countries, which in turn destroys their local clothing industry. However, a recent solution that has surfaced is the practice of producing clothing in an commercially and environmentally sustainable manner. Slow fashion offers an alternative to fast fashion to minimize significant damages to the environment while exploring new design frameworks to deter the problems caused by the fast fashion trend. In slow fashion, all fabrics and materials for creating clothes are ethically sourced, and are specifically designed with lasting aesthetic principles in mind. Proponents of this fashion practice include Patagonia who prize transparency and quality products in their branding. The purpose of this study is to review the current literature drawing on various scholarly studies, including research from the Journal of Cleaner Production, New Perspectives Quarterly, and The International Journal of Consumer Studies. The literature presented discusses slow fashion marketing strategies identifying 5 categories that determine the preference for slow fashion including Equity, Authenticity, Functionality, Localism, and Exclusivity. Clothing libraries are another sustainable practice recommended by proponents of slow fashion, which promotes donating one’s unused or unneeded clothes into the clothing library for someone else to borrow and wear. Information about sustainable fabrics are limited but one article highlights utilizing water-based products and chemicals from plants such as eucalyptus and wood pulp which grow quickly and have low requirements for water and pesticides. Plant and water-based inks take the extracts from plants to print in an environmentally-friendly manner, and is also biodegradable if chosen to be discarded. A key element in sustainable fashion is reframing the design process to include considerations of the environmental impact of the design and the materials used, while realizing the growing consciousness of the consumers in the brand. Companies must analyze the supply chain of their garments, and effectively assess the impact of these manufacturers on the local economy as well as its environmental impact. Lastly, when a final product is produced, companies survey users to find any discomforts or qualms with the garment, so it can be revised or edited. To lengthen the lifespan of clothes, strategies such as ‘narrowing’ aids businesses to efficiently find and use resources, reducing toxic waste left over from production in the long run. This method saves businesses from spending additional expenses while protecting the environment from needless damage that come from extracting and expelling resources. ‘Slowing’ is relation to the resource loop is to improve the quality and durability of products. Whether or not slow fashion is feasible in such a fast-paced market remains to be seen. However, slow fashion has its merits and is beginning to pick up traction among both designers and consumers.
Keywords: Fast fashion, slow fashion, environmental damage, sustainable fashion.
Title: Fast Fashion at Environmental Costs and Slow Fashion Alternatives
Author: Elliot Yu
International Journal of Management and Commerce Innovations
ISSN 2348-7585 (Online)
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