How we consume clothes, much like fashion, has changed greatly over the years. Traditionally brands designed for four seasons, creating 4 shopping periods. Now, fast fashion brands are constantly designing and producing new clothes, with one article describing it as 52 micro-seasons.
When I hear the term fast fashion, I first think of the brand Shein. Shein is a fast fashion brand and it perfectly epitomises the description of one. They sell cheap, often poor quality, copies of other brands and they are saturated with concerns about the treatment of their workers. You can see below some examples of that, with much cheaper versions of some Zara shoes and some identical knockoffs of Zara clothes.
The company started in 2012 and has skyrocketed with an estimated $10 billion in revenue in 2020. The quality of the clothes seems to vary but generally, they seem to be poorly made with low-quality materials and will likely only last one season. With trends changing so often, you can understand why people want to purchase their ‘trend specific’ clothing at a lower price as they are likely to only wear it for a few months, and that seems to be the root of the issue.
There has been controversy around the criticism of the brand too, with comments that some people cannot afford more expensive clothes and that it is unfair to demonise them for buying from them. I would argue that the issue with the brand is not people buying essentials at a low price, but people completing large purchases with the intention to only use the clothes a few times. It feeds throw-away culture and allows people to buy things that they can justify only wearing once as they only cost a few pounds.
I understand the pressure to wear what’s in fashion, and I truly believe social media plays a part in that, especially for younger, more impressionable people. Like many things I think the best solution is a culture shift, we need to change what we view as ‘cool’ and move away from ever-changing styles in favor of quality pieces that are versatile. I have noticed a move to more sustainable trends on social media, with ‘influencers’ talking about capsule wardrobes, adaptable basics, and sustainable brands. Buying from charity shops and vintage sales is cool and trendy and most of my social group do seem to be conscious of trying to shop sustainably.
By Rotation is a fashion rental app, you can post your clothes for others to rent and rent yourself. You can hire everything from ski suits to handbags to ballgowns, helping reduce waste and save users money. You can see below that it looks almost like a social media site, allowing people to flick through items, see others wearing them and talk to the renters.
The app is great for occasions such as weddings, where you might need a dress that you wouldn’t wear on any other occasion, and you don’t want to spend hundreds of pounds for one night or contribute to fast fashion. The majority of the items on the app seem to be higher-end brands, and you pay per day, so it is more focused on people hiring for events than everyday wear.
I think it’s a great concept, and I am planning to use it for future events, I hate buying clothes that I know I will only wear once, maybe twice, so this seems like a logical alternative.
The business was only launched in October 2019, and won the ‘Ones to Watch’ award at the Drapers Sustainable Fashion Awards in 2020. The business is purely based on users renting out clothes, with the company not owning any inventory themselves. They have a partnership with a clothes cleaning company that provides a more eco-friendly alternative to dry cleaning.
By Rotation is allowing their user's fashion to be fast, but still, be sustainable. You can wear the item only once without guilt, as many other people will be wearing it in the future. I think this concept of a ‘community wardrobe’ is a great idea, it's implementing it on a larger scale that is the issue.
The contrast between these two companies is great, I hope that more companies like By Rotation begin to appear and hopefully, companies like Shein won’t be long-lasting. It is a complicated issue, but looking at the two ends of the spectrum is a good place to start.
Information from:
By Rotation - https://byrotation.com/sustainability
The Good Trade - https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/what-is-fast-fashion
Rather Be Shopping - https://www.rather-be-shopping.com/blog/is-shein-legit/#:~:text=Yes%2C%20Shein%20is%20a%20legitimate,billion%20in%20revenue%20in%202020.
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