Fast Fashion

How can you be wearing that thing? You’ve soooo behind the times.

Fast fashion is just that: fashion that moves quickly. Fast fashion goes from designers' brains to runways to mass production of those trends in cheap materials to consumers. Then BAM...the cycle happens again, pushing “old” trends out and new trends “in.”

Think H&M, Zara, Forever 21, and UNIQLO. Their entire inventories turn over in a jiffy when new styles hit the catwalks.

The pros: fast fashion makes high-end fashion accessible to everyday consumers (well, ones in more economically developed countries, anyway) and boosts the economy by encouraging consumer spending. The cons: many fast fashion critics find it wasteful, point out the side effects of pollution and working conditions of the factories in less economically developed countries and areas, and think it makes some consumers feel obligated to spend more on poor quality clothing for a not-so-good reason.

Fast fashion: a great equalizer, or a great waste? Both? Either way, there’s no doubt fast fashion has had an impact on the economy, consumers, workers, and the world...and at a booming pace.