Fast Fashion

The term "fast fashion" refers to the mass-market retail practice of quickly translating high-fashion design trends into low-priced garments, often taking new styles from design to shelf in a matter of weeks to capitalize on microtrends. Well-known fast fashion companies like Shein, Zara, and H&M keep prices as low as possible for consumers using a variety of tactics, such as manufacturing products in countries with low minimum wages and little labor law enforcement, as well as opting for cheap synthetic fabrics rather than more expensive natural fibers.

The fast fashion industry began to materialize in the 1990s, when changes in trade regulations made it possible for developing countries to compete in the increasingly global apparel and textile industry. These nations could produce clothing faster and cheaper than the US could, given their comparatively limited labor and environmental regulations. Combined with the simultaneous rise of the internet, these conditions allowed mass-produced clothing to be sold for low prices and achieve global distribution.

While fast fashion companies have been praised for offering a wide range of sizes and making trendy clothing more affordable for low-income households, critics primarily point to the industry's penchant for poor pay and working conditions, including sweatshops, as well as its negative environmental impacts.