With the rise of social media influencers on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, we have seen a rapid increase in the popularity of fast fashion brands. An influencer's job is to advertise their sponsor's products, and what influencers promote and wear often dictates many people's fashion choices. As our fashion icons have become increasingly commercialized and tied to brand deals, people have begun to favour online fast fashion brands; this owes to the fact that they keep up with fast-moving trend cycles for cheap, allowing people to purchase exactly what they see their favourite influencers wearing. However, it is important to be conscious of your shopping habits and support slow fashion in order to help protect the environment and avoid unethical corporations. Read on to learn more about micro-trends, fast fashion, and ways you can avoid fast fashion!

What is Fast Fashion?

Fast fashion is a method of fashion production and retail that has a main focus on rapidly mass-producing clothing. Some examples of fast fashion brands include Shein, Fashion Nova, and Zara - just to name a few. Fast fashion brands can design, manufacture, and sell products in an instant and have almost endless amounts of products available for sale at a time. There have been many accounts of these companies using stolen designs, as they aim to market trendy pieces. Such brands almost always source their products unethically, using child or forced labour and underpaying their factory workers. The fast fashion industry also has a horrific impact on the environment, and it emits 10% of all global carbon emissions. It is estimated that 85% of their fabric goes to waste. Since clothing made in fast fashion is so cheap, it is easy to get caught up in consumerism and buy more than you need. This is a leading factor in the rise in consumer waste.

The acceleration of trend cycles & rise of micro-trends

Prior to the surge of social media influencers, fashion was mainly inspired by other media. For example, we would look to models, celebrity streetwear, magazines, and costumes in films or TV shows to set fashion trends. Our exposure to the fashion world was much more limited, so trend cycles were much slower. Nowadays, the accessibility of platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube make it possible for almost anyone to reach a wide audience and become a trendsetter. Why, then, are the lifespans of trends becoming so short lived? The accessibility of social media allows new trends to become extremely popular very swiftly; however, because we constantly see these trendy pieces all over the internet, they become overdone and boring within a short amount of time. It is also very easy for creators to state their opinions on trends and to dictate when certain trends are in style or when trends have died. Fashion trends these days can last less than a week - and this is extremely harmful to our environment, as consumerism and waste increase alongside the rise of micro-trends.

How can you avoid feeding into fast fashion corporations?

1. Shop from sustainable small businesses

A great way to avoid fast fashion is by buying from sustainable clothing stores and supporting small businesses. Another benefit of doing so is that these stores' products are sometimes hand-made and often of exceptional quality.

2. Thrift

Sustainably sourced products can sometimes be a little bit pricey, so if you want to save money while still being environmentally friendly, you can visit a second-hand thrift store or consignment shop. Most thrift stores donate to charity, so you are supporting a cause by shopping there. There are also multiple options for buying second-hand clothing online if you prefer the convenience of online shopping.

3. Share clothing (Consider taking part in YHS's clothing exchanges!)

Sharing clothing is a great way to minimize your carbon footprint. You can get hand-me-downs from siblings or relatives, trade clothes with your friends, or even go to organized clothing exchanges. It can also be a fun way to diversity your style, as you get to receive clothing that you otherwise may not have picked out yourself. Many of us often forget that one of the most environmentally conscious ways to live is to just reduce consumption, and sharing clothes is a great way to do that.

4. Think before you buy

It is important to consider how much wear you will get out of a piece of clothing before you purchase it. Especially with the constant and sometimes terrorizing influence of social media, you should think about whether you are buying something because you were told it was trendy, or because it is something you will actually wear. By being conscious of your reasoning behind purchases and only buying the items you will wear, you can minimize your consumption, and ensure that you get good use out of your clothing. When you are shopping, it is generally a good idea to shop for basics rather than hyper-trendy statement pieces. Flashy garments are much harder to style, so you won't get as much wear out of them; they also go out of style very quickly, especially in today's digital world where trends only last weeks. Basics, on the other hand, are more timeless and will last much longer.