Courtesy of Teen Vogue

elcome to the new roaring ‘20s where the cost of living is through the roof and economists warn that a recession is on the horizon. The economic landscape is bleak, but the digital marketplace is thriving. According to Statista, over half of 18 to 24-year-olds on social media in the United States used a social network to shop in 2021. Understandably, there is an irresistible escapism that comes from curating your closet that even a recession can’t halt.

Fashion is firmly in its #recessioncore era where the maximalist trends of the pandemic have become more muted out of financial necessity. The minimal aesthetic is showing its face everywhere from clean makeup to the runway, where Bottega Veneta’s Spring/Summer 2023 runway showed the likes of Kate Moss walking in jeans and a flannel. While the elite practice stealth wealth with expensive staples, the average shopper has fast fashion at their fingertips.

The allure of fast fashion makes sense in times of economic hardship. People still want to dress up, feel good and express their creativity. The cost-of-living crisis means that people’s lifestyles have to change to meet rent and grocery bills. Taking control of your appearance in the midst of change can become a coping mechanism. The most common case for sticking with fast fashion is the cost. For many young people, finding affordable dupes allows shoppers to indulge in retail therapy on a tight budget.

From the resale site Depop, seller Ariella McCall used to be a fast fashion fiend but now thinks that buying cheap ends up being more expensive. “I would argue that fast fashion costs more in the long run. Fast fashion is often made with cheaper, low-quality materials and creates a cycle of constantly having to buy more,” she told Teen Vogue. “That cheaper cute dress may seem like more bang for your buck in the moment, but it isn’t long before it begins to wear down.”

Minimalist influencer Christina Mychas agrees. As a self-proclaimed emotional spender who previously faced $120,000 of student debt, she learned to budget her shopping basket. “If you did an actual spending analysis to see how much you’re spending per year on clothing, and then compare that to what you’re actually wearing in your wardrobe, you may be in a position to re-evaluate what you can afford to buy,” she told Teen Vogue. However, Christina knows the importance of not feeling guilty for wanting affordable things, saying, “you can without a doubt participate in slow fashion even if you buy fast fashion. Do what you can. No one is expecting perfection. I think it discourages people from even trying.”

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Similar to spending habits, fast fashion is also unsustainable for the environment, but there may be a more mindful way to shop less expensive brands, if you can’t cut back entirely. Andrea Cheong, author of the book, “Why Don’t I Have Anything to Wear?,” believes that shaming fast fashion consumers is “unkind and unproductive.” She used to be a fashion influencer who overcame overconsumption by creating the ‘Mindful Monday Method’ to shop smarter, save money and encourage others to do the same. “I would suggest prioritizing natural fibers and no synthetic blends. At least then it’s more comfortable to wear and you might be able to get more cost per wear out of it!,” Andrea recommends. “Should it ever end up in recycling or landfill due to planned obsolescence, it will leave less of an impact than if it were made of plastics.”

Fashion is in a toxic relationship with the oil industry thanks to plastics like polyester, which make up over half of the textiles produced. As a result, the fashion industry’s use of these fibers accounts for 1.35% of the world’s oil consumption which sounds reasonable until you learn that is more than Spain’s annual oil consumption according to a 2022 report by Changing Markets Foundation, an organization dedicated to accelerating “solutions to sustainability challenges.” Plastic pollution impacts you in ways you might not realize. When you wash synthetic clothing, they shed microplastics that never disappear. Instead, they contaminate oceans, and even end up in our food chain. Although materials like cotton can require high water consumption and chemicals such as pesticides to produce, opting for natural fibers will reduce the carbon footprint of your closet, since natural fibers don’t originate from fossil fuels.

In March 2023, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that “the climate crisis has passed the point of no return – even though we had plenty of warning.” And it’s clear that the fashion industry still hasn’t caught the memo. Second only to aviation, fashion is the world’s largest industrial polluter and is responsible for an estimated 10% of global pollution according to a 2020 report.

Fast fashion’s overproduction can also lead to overconsumption. In the last 15 years, clothing production has doubled while our utilization of clothing has dropped. Some shoppers throw out pieces after just seven to ten wears according to the Ellen McArthur Foundation, a charity focused on establishing a circular economy.

On the bright side, we have more power than we think. Enter the circular economy, which means giving your wardrobe a new lease of life once you’re done with it through upcycling, recycling, repairing or giving your pieces a second home.

The popularity of thrifting suggests that people are searching for cost-friendly alternatives to fast fashion. Luxury second hand retailer The RealReal told Teen Vogue that since their start in 2011, buying vintage has officially lost its stigma and gone mainstream. “With many brands raising their prices and a potential recession looming, more and more consumers are making shopping decisions based on value – with 66% saying they shop resale primarily to get a good deal,” said the company’s Senior Fashion Lead, Noelle Sciacca.

If thrifting isn’t your thing, “you can be creative by hosting a clothing swap among you and your friends,” suggested Depop seller Ariella. But the resale market is a bargain hunter’s paradise that “allows buyers to find unique pieces that fit a particular trend but aren’t the same [replicas] that others are wearing from a fast fashion brand,” a spokesperson from resale platform Poshmark told Teen Vogue. “We’re seeing consumers leaning towards having a unique and sustainable wardrobe with the price tag of a fast fashion item.”

Fast fashion brands are catching on to the fact that vintage is trending. In 2022, Kourtney Kardashian controversially became Boohoo’s sustainability ambassador and reality TV show Love Island, previously critiqued for featuring fast fashion, partnered with eBay to dress contestants.

It is encouraging to see fast fashion brands adapt to our eco-conscious tastes but beware of greenwashing. Appearing ethical is different from practicing it. “Our hope is that fast fashion brands aren’t using re-sale as a green band-aid but as an opportunity to look more closely at their business models and transition to more circular practices at scale, whilst addressing overproduction,” Depop’s Head of DEI & Sustainability Justine Portiere told Teen Vogue.

The labor that fuels fast fashion is also a cause for concern. It’s estimated that out of the 75 million garment workers worldwide, only 2% make a living wage, with the majority of workers being women.

Standing for the rights of marginalized groups like children, women, and people living under poverty in your own country, while sustaining their exploitation abroad in the name of style is easy to overlook when you’re far removed from it. Finding and supporting smaller brands who can trace production down to the sourcing and seamstress is a more mindful way to treat yourself. Plus, the fairer price tag will make you consume less.

“Fast fashion has really distorted our idea of how much a garment should cost. If you’re spending $1,000 a year on 100 items of clothing you forgot you even owned, maybe you can take that as an opportunity to explore buying higher quality, possibly more expensive pieces that you wear a lot and cherish,” said minimalist influencer Mychas.

The easiest way to fix a fast fashion habit is pretty simple: purchase less and shop your own closet first. “The default for many of us when we feel bored with our wardrobes is to go out and buy new clothes. It teaches us that the solution to that problem is to spend money, perpetuating that bored-buy cycle, rather than encouraging creativity and learning to style pieces we already own,” she added. “Treat your own closet as a boutique you can shop from then consider filling in the gaps later.” Whichever method resonates most, there are ways to shop that are kinder to humanity and your pocket.