A Fast Fashion Story: Ethical Issues, High Demand, and Outsized Influence in the US Apparel Market

Photo illustration by Elizabeth Ciano // Stacker // Getty Images

A Fast Fashion Story: Ethical Issues, High Demand, and Outsized Influence in the US Apparel Market

Person holding shopping bags over clothing waste dump.

It’s no secret that fast fashion imports from international brands like H&M, Zara and Shein have come to dominate Americans’ wardrobes. The United States imported more than $24 billion in apparel by 2023, and consumer demand shows no signs of slowing.

Fast fashion gained prominence in the early 1990s, although the concept had been around since the 1970s. Until about half a century ago, most Americans bought US-made textiles and clothing from A. Since the Industrial Revolution, Americans enjoyed a wide availability of mass-produced textiles, but only during two cycles: spring/summer and fall/winter. traditional seasons of new fashion releases.

Later, as trade relations between China and the United States warmed in the 1970s, demand for luxury Chinese clothing, such as embroidered silks, soared. Combined with the relatively new technology of container shipping, which allowed companies to ship large quantities at low cost, savvy business owners realized a new possibility: importing cheaply made clothing to others countries and sell them at a profit.

But it wasn’t until the early 1990s, when Zara’s first brick-and-mortar store took off in the US, that fast fashion gained ground. The fast fashion business model depends on quick and cheap production cycles that allow retailers to turn out batches of clothing while styles are still at their peak. That means consumers can pick up clothing inspired by the hottest runway trends, known as “dupes,” for a fraction of the haute couture price.

Over the following decades, as more international brands came to the United States and e-commerce took off, clothing production sped up even more, making fast fashion even faster. Today, it’s hard to avoid buying clothes made outside of the United States—gone are the days of waiting for seasonal clothing collections. Brands like Zara and Forever 21 now produce around 52 micro-seasons each year. Social media has continued to accelerate trend cycles, increasing demand for the latest and greatest looks.

However, the affordability of fast fashion comes at a cost. The RealReal analyzed data from the International Trade Administration to explore how apparel imports have changed over the past 20 years, and what that means for both people and the planet.

The data shows imports both in US dollars and in quantity, with a specific focus on clothing rather than accessories and shoes. Quantity values ​​are in square meter equivalents and do not represent individual items imported into the US

Photo illustration by Elizabeth Ciano // Stacker // Getty Images

The growth of fast fashion fueled environmental problems

Women making clothes in Bangladesh.

The meteoric rise of fast fashion is evident in retail giants like Shein and Uniqlo, which saw revenue growth of more than 20% between 2022 and 2023 alone. But as the industry grows, so has the human and environmental toll.

Many fast fashion companies increase profit margins by reducing labor costs and maintaining inhumane standards. A 2024 report by Public Eye, a Swiss consumer awareness group, found that employees at Shein’s factories worked an average of 75 hours per week.

Moreover, these grueling work practices sometimes have deadly consequences. In 2012, more than 100 workers died in a garment factory fire in Dhaka, Bangladesh, due to a lack of adequate health and safety measures, including emergency exits.

Between carbon emissions and excess waste, the industry also wreaks havoc on the environment. In 2018 alone, more than 11 million tons of textile waste ended up in landfills. The “throwaway culture” surrounding fast fashion items often ends up in the trash after the trend goes out of style. Rampant environmental racism also means that clothing waste and other forms of pollution disproportionately affect individuals in black and Hispanic communities, something advocates have been raising the flag for decades.

Fast fashion also accounts for 10% of annual emissions worldwide, according to a March 2023 report by the United Nations Environment Programme. That’s more than the aviation and shipping industries combined.

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Asia is home to the main producers of clothing

Clustered bar chart showing 7 countries accounting for more than 75% of apparel imports. Most of the leaders are in Asia, as the continent has become a leader in garment manufacturing. China’s share of US apparel imports grew from 27% in 2005 to 36% in 2023. Vietnam grew from 4% to 16%.

As an industry, the main producers of fast fashion are located in countries with cheap labor and a heavy economic dependence on exported products. Today, only a small handful of nations produce the vast majority of clothing worn by Americans, and these nations, in turn, expect a certain amount of consumer demand.

In 2005, 14 countries produced more than 75% of the clothing imported into the US; less than 20 years later, however, only seven countries do the same, with China, Vietnam and Bangladesh topping the list. Meanwhile, North American countries such as Mexico, which provided nearly 8% of apparel imports in 2005, have lagged behind.

As a result, garment exports have become economic mainstays in certain countries. McKinsey reported that the ready-made garment sector accounted for 84% of Bangladesh’s exports as of 2021, meaning a market shock could severely impact the country’s economy. And since some nations, including France, have banned fast fashion advertising or limited its circulation to thwart its environmental and social impacts, changes in the industry may come sooner than expected.

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Vulnerable to an unstable supply chain

Line chart showing apparel imports falling in 2023. U.S. apparel imports fell to near-pandemic levels as economic factors reduced what Americans spend on clothing.

Countries that supply fast fashion brands are not the only ones in a precarious position. In the United States, the outsourcing of the vast majority of the apparel market has left the nation heavily dependent on a few nations to produce the garments most Americans wear. As a result, economic and political problems can easily disrupt the production and availability of clothing.

In 2023, for example, apparel imports fell to lows not seen since the pandemic as trade tensions emerged between China, the world’s No. 1 apparel supplier, and the U.S. Plus, factors economic conditions at home, including rising inflation, saw purchasing power decline.

Given these damaging consequences, the end of fast fashion may not be a matter of if, but when. As consumers become aware of the invisible costs of buying cheap clothes, many have already ditched fast fashion, and some are calling on others to do the same. This includes celebrities like Chappell Roan, who spoke out against H&M in September 2024.

But consumers have become accustomed to cheap, fashionable and easily accessible clothing. And for shoppers who can’t spend hundreds of dollars on high-end dresses, brands like Shein that offer near-identical dupes can be hard to resist. As of June 2024, a typical Shein dress costs less than $30. When that dupe inevitably wears out, shoppers can simply buy a new one to fit the next trend.

Time will tell if fast fashion loosens its grip on the US apparel industry. Although fast fashion companies like Shein and H&M claim to have implemented more environmentally friendly policies, such as using artificial intelligence to reduce clothing waste, many customers remain skeptical. Legislatures like the rulings seen in France could further transform the industry.

In the meantime, help break the cycle of consumption and waste by approaching clothing shopping with care, buying from sustainable brands whenever possible, and reducing clothing waste by donating or recycling. A 2022 report by the Berlin-based think tank Hot or Cool Institute recommends that those living in high-income G-20 countries take measures to make clothes last and limit purchases to just five items per year to give support for the prevention of global warming.

Better yet, buy only the amount of clothing you really need, rather than the amount you want.

Story editing by Alizah Salario. Additional edition by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn.

This story originally appeared on The RealReal and was produced and
distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.