There’s definitely no lack of choices when it comes to fashion. In fact, it’s safe to say that there are too many choices. On the one hand, it makes shopping fun and exciting – there’s so much to see and so much to close from.
But on the other hand, it’s downright overwhelming and frustrating – what should you choose? But perhaps the bigger question to ask is if the fashion industry is oversaturated. And from the looks of it, it’s safe to say it’s bursting at the seams.
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Too many trends in the fashion industry?
Trends seem to be an essential part of the fashion industry. The great irony is that trends, in and of themselves, are anything but essential.
Instead, trends are pieces that are in today, out tomorrow. And because of their fleeting nature, trends really do look outdated within a couple months. Compared to a classic bag or trench coat, you can do without most trends and just stick to classic pieces.
Nonetheless, trends have become something essential for many fashion-forward ladies. But why is that?
If you want to be in vogue, wear trends
Even though classic pieces never go out of style, we don’t always value timeless style. Instead, most of us are trying to look current and fashionable by wearing the season’s freshest pickings.
Since the fashion industry knows that most of us can’t afford to drop a couple grand on a pair of Gucci loafers every 3 months, fast fashion comes to the rescue. Thanks to fast fashion, consumers can get their hands on high-end fashion dupes at a fraction of the original price.
And while that might seem like a kind and benevolent thing for the fashion industry to do, it’s really not helping anyone. And here are eight reasons why.
Fashion is inexpensive
You’re probably scratching your head – why is it a bad thing if fashion is inexpensive? There’s nothing wrong with a bargain and saving money. That’s smart. But the problem with so much of the fashion industry – and fast fashion, in particular – is that the clothing is incredibly cheap.
And this means we can easily buy what we want, when we want it and never place much value on it. This, in turn, leads to overflowing wardrobes – the kind we stand in front of and complain, “I have nothing to wear!”
Fashion is low quality
No one can deny the high value of a Hermes Birkin Bag. Each one is handcrafted by a single artisan, using signature stitching and high-quality leather. Some might argue that paying thousands of dollars for one item is a bit exorbitant.
But these bags grow in value and also have an incredibly high resell value, too – making them a smart investment.
When it comes to fast fashion pieces, the quality is pretty poor. And sadly, that doesn’t seem to bother most people. After all, if you don’t invest a lot of money into an item, it doesn’t really matter if you toss it or replace it.
Fashion is wasteful
Another problem with being able to buy and replace fashion items ad nauseam is that it adds to a growing amount of unwanted clothing. In fact, one survey reported that most Americans will get rid of 81 pounds of clothing in one year.
Just do the math and it doesn’t take long to realize how many billions of pounds of clothing are sitting in garbage dumps today.
Fashion harms the planet
The fashion industry is very good at churning out cheap pieces, but it the price is actually pretty high: the health and well being of both the planet and its inhabitants.
The denim industry, for example, pollutes water supplies with dangerous chemicals and toxins.
Cotton is a high-demand plant because of the material it provides. However, it’s also one of the most heavily treated crops and this contributes to environmental concerns, too.
On top of all of this, all the accumulated waste from unwanted fashion items only adds to the pollution problem.
Fashion harms people
It’s hard to imagine suffering and misfortune when you walk into your favorite store or go online. But behind fast fashion pieces, there are usually seriously mistreated workers and laborers.
Working conditions are dire and even children are forced to work in dangerous settings, all while making a meager earning.
Fashion isn’t original
In the world of fashion, we talk about the “Spring season” or “Fall/Winter season”, but the truth is fashion moves through many more seasons than that. In fact, fast fashion mega houses like Zara put new pieces into their stores every two weeks.
And they’re not the only ones who race through time in an effort to keep their racks packed with the latest trends.
And while their speed is impressive, their creativity and artistry aren’t. In fact, independent artists have alleged that Zara copies design on a regular basis. But perhaps “copies” is too forgiving a word.
You could argue that Zara and other big brands essential steal creativity in order to stay relevant – and at a very quick pace, too.
Fashion prevents you from enjoying what you do have
It’s hard to appreciate the items you already have. This isn’t because the fashion industry keeps churning out new pieces, but because you’re supposed to want everything that keeps coming out. You see and hear about it in online fashion hauls and you see celebrities flaunting the latest trends. So, you inevitably feel left out.
Just think about it: it’s the middle of 2018, and the 2019 style trends and forecasts are already sweeping in like a hurricane, ready to wash away everything we once loved and replace it with something else.
And instead of enjoying what you have, you look away from your closet and look straight at other brands to see what you should buy next. In short, fashion breeds discontentment and very little gratitude.
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Fashion prevents you from developing your own personal style
Trends can be fun, but often times, we just buy them because we’re supposed to – otherwise, we look outdated. But in this mad race to keep up with the Jones’s, we can lose ourselves, our identity and our personal style pretty quickly.
Instead of asking yourself if you actually like a trend, you just succumb and follow the crowd. This might be another reason why we look at our closets, overflowing with fashion pieces, and think to ourselves, “I have nothing to wear.”
Is the fashion industry oversaturated? It certainly seems so. But what do you think?
