Fast fashion

History

Before the 19th century, fashion was a laborious, time-consuming process that required sourcing raw materials like wool, cotton, or leather, weaving the natural fibers into fabric, and then fashioning the fabric into functional garments. However, the Industrial Revolution changed the world of fashion by introducing new technology like the sewing machine and textile machines.

As a result, clothes became cheaper and easier to make and buy. Localized dressmaking businesses emerged, catering to members of the middle class, and employing workroom employees along with garment workers, who worked from home for meager wages. These dress shops were early prototypes of the so-called 'sweatshops' that would become the foundation for twenty-first-century clothing production.

Fast fashion originated with utility clothing and tailors who sold mass-produced affordable suits for men. In the 1960s, companies including Inditex and Chelsea Girl attained commercial acumen, but the brand Biba endured as a fast fashion icon.

Before the popularization of the fast fashion model, the fashion industry traditionally operated on a four-season cycle, with designers working months in advance to anticipate customer preferences. However, this approach underwent a significant transformation in the 1960s and 1970s, as the younger generations began to create new trends. During this period there was still a clear distinction between luxury goods and High Street fashion.

Fast fashion grew during the late 20th century as the clothing industry adopted cheaper manufacturing techniques including more efficient supply chains, new quick response manufacturing methods, increased usage of low-cost labor from Asia, and cheaper petroleum-based synthetic fibers.

Fast fashion particularly came to the fore during the vogue for "Boho-chic" in the mid-2000s.

In 2013, the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh, the deadliest garment-related accident in world history, brought more attention to the safety impact of the fast fashion industry.

In the 2010s and 2020s, fast fashion trends spread quicker via social media services such as Instagram and TikTok. This has led to an increase in the speed of production and trend cycles and a further decrease in quality of garments, some of which are encouraged to be worn only a few times before they are disposed of. This phenomenon has been dubbed ultra-fast fashion.. Many of the companies with a high social media presence, such as Shein, Fashion Nova, and PrettyLittleThing, promote ultra-fast fashion.

Environmental impact

The high-volume and rapid-turnover model of fast fashion encourages consumers to purchase more clothes and replace them more frequently. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, consumers are buying approximately 60% more clothing than in the past while keeping garments for about half as long. The organization also reports that the equivalent of one truckload of discarded textiles is landfilled or incinerated every second.

Environmental pressures occur throughout the textile supply chain, from fibre production and dyeing to manufacturing, transportation, use and disposal. A scientific review published in 2020 estimated that the fashion industry produces more than 92 million tonnes of waste and consumes approximately 79 trillion litres of water annually. The review identified water consumption, chemical pollution, carbon emissions and textile waste as major environmental impacts associated with the industry.

The extensive use of synthetic fibres creates an additional source of pollution. Synthetic garments release microplastic fibres during their production, wearing, washing and disposal. The European Environment Agency estimates that between 200,000 and 500,000 tonnes of microplastics from textiles enter the global marine environment each year. Fast-fashion garments are associated with particularly high releases because synthetic fabrics tend to shed more fibres during their first washes, while these garments are generally used for shorter periods and often wear out quickly.

Researchers have argued that reducing these environmental impacts requires lower production volumes, more sustainable practices throughout the supply chain and longer garment lifespans. Reuse, improved textile collection and recycling can reduce waste, although these measures do not entirely prevent the release of microplastics from synthetic clothing.

Legal and regulatory issues

Many fast fashion brands have faced legal and regulatory issues due to the exploitation of labour including poor pay and working conditions, including the use of sweatshops. In response, many brands audit supplier factories to ensure fair working conditions that are in compliance with local laws.

Many fast fashion brands have faced legal and regulatory issues since they produce clothing using non-biodegradable petroleum-based synthetic fibers and microplastics as well as dangerous goods including PFAS, endocrine disruptors, and carcinogens. They have been accused of greenwashing, hiding their true impact on carbon emissions and plastic pollution. Shein was fined €1m in Italy for misleading environmental claims about products. In response, some brands, such as H&M, have banned the use of PFAS and/or have purchased carbon offsets and credits and promoted textile recycling.

Fast fashion brands have been sued for copying designs that may violate intellectual property laws. In many lawsuits, fast fashion brands have been accused of copying designs, sometimes creating exact replicas, of major brands such as Ralph Lauren Corporation. Shein is considered to be the most frequent infringer; over 100 intellectual property-related lawsuits have been filed against Shein since 2017. Most such copyright lawsuits are settled confidentially. From 2019 to 2024, Shein paid $1.4 million to independent artists in settlements.

Legal restrictions

In June 2026, the French government enacted landmark legislation intended to regulate the fast fashion industry. The law–which took effect in September 2026–primarily targets "ultra-fast fashion" retailers that produce clothing at an "exceptionally" high volume with little incentive for repairability in comparison to a garment's cost. It places a levy on each article of clothing which must be paid to the producer responsibility organization Refashion, which will begin at €0.25–€12.00 per-article, and increase annually over the next four years to €2–€20 by 2030. The law also requires that ultra-fast fashion retailers place public interest messages and disclaimers regarding the environmental and social impacts of fast fashion (including its production and shipment, and encouraging consumers to explore sustainable options) on all sale listings, and makes them ineligible for tax credits on donating unsold goods, Effective 1 January 2027, the law will also ban all advertising of ultra-fast fashion, including influencer marketing.

French trade minister Serge Papin stated that the law is intended primarily to target retailers such as AliExpress, Shein, and Temu. China's Ministry of Commerce demanded that the law be pulled, arguing that it was a discriminatory trade restriction, and warning that it will "take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises." French officials stated that they were willing to speak with China about the law and encouraged going through the World Trade Organisation, stating that "our Parliament is sovereign and has had its say. It has passed this law and we will fully respect its decision. This kind of threat, this challenge to a state's sovereign position, is coercion, economic retaliation. But for now, it remains a threat." The bill had also faced criticism from French lawmakers, including EELV MP Charles Fournier, for being "watered-down" through the legislative process to not target French and European companies such as H&M, Kiabi, and Zara.

In September 2026, Bristol became the first city in the United Kingdom to ban advertising on fast fashion, with Bristol City Council imposing sweeping bans on advertising for polluting industries on Council-owned billboards and bus shelters.