Fast fashion definition: "inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends."
Fast fashion isn't necessarily a new issue as it has stretched back decades and got its name in the 1990's. But due to the recent surge in social media and everything being digital, it has become a much larger issue. Social media apps like TikTok or Instagram play major roles when it comes to marketing new fashion trends and what everyone should be buying. Due to the constant demand for clothes that match the newest fashion trend, it takes a toll on the environment around us.
Social media has always been very influential when it comes to what's trending and what's in style. But ever since the rise of TikTok, about 39% of Gen Z consumers have been influenced by the TikTok trends and microtrends on the app, which is more than any other app, such as Instagram. It's so often that we see a new microtrend appear that everyone is into for a bit, then some new one appears, and suddenly everyone's bored with the old trend and switches to the next thing very quickly. "TikTok gave rise to even shorter trend cycles. Micro-trends are nearly synonymous with TikTok and the fashion and beauty trends you discover on the app. When an aesthetic goes viral—it gets buzzy (near instantly), becomes omnipresent, and then vanishes into thin air as the next shiny trend ascends to supremacy" (aquent.com). We see this with trends like clean girl aesthetic, party girl aesthetic, or even trying to replicate different decades and years. An example of this is at the beginning of the year, mainly young people who were not teenagers during 2016, trying to recreate trends and outfits from that year. Companies notice these trends and quickly try to sell and market items or clothing that match whatever trend aesthetic is currently happening.
The reasons fast fashion is not good is due to the harm it has on the environment. "The environmental impact of fast fashion is undeniable, with the industry now responsible for 10% of the global annual carbon footprint, which is more than the emissions from all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Beyond carbon emissions, fast fashion consumes vast amounts of natural resources, using 141 billion cubic meters of water annually and contributing to 35% of microplastics polluting our oceans" (uniformmarket.com ). The industry is only getting bigger and bigger. It's estimated to reach $291.1 billion by 2032. The water resources are being dried up, and rivers and streams are being polluted by this industry. About 85% of the clothes end up being thrown in the dump. The majority of the clothes made by fast fashion companies use synthetic fibers because they are cheaper to produce. But synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic take hundreds of years to biodegrade. About 35% of all microplastics found in the ocean came from synthetic fabrics. The main fast fashion companies are listed in the picture below.
Photo from uniformmarket.com
What can we do to help reduce all this waste? I would personally start by limiting how often you are on social media. Being on social media platforms such as TikTok makes you very susceptible to being influenced into buying things you don't actually really need or will end up throwing out in 3 months. I would then start buying second-hand clothing from places like the thrift stores instead. Buy clothes that you know will be durable, and you'll want to wear for years. With that, don't throw your clothes out, but instead donate them! "Consumers have a tremendous amount of power, and by choosing more circular options, they can send a signal to those with the influence and means to make the fashion industry more sustainable,” (Tonda, unep.org).
Overall, fast fashion has been surging more and more over the years. Especially with the constant trend cycles going as fast as they are going. It's causing so much unnecessary waste in the environment. We are the only ones that can fix this, though! Stop buying into fast fashion and buy reliable, durable, and long-lasting clothes!
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LINKS
Maiti Rashmila (2026) “The Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion, Explained” https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrimental-effect-on-the-environment/
Cardona Nancy (2025) “Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion Statistics” https://www.uniformmarket.com/statistics/fast-fashion-statistics
Wijngaarden Melissa (2025)” Fast Fashion: TikTok Made You Buy It (& Trapped You in a Cycle)” https://www.projectcece.com/blog/757/tiktok-and-fast-fashion-overconsumption/
Aquent (2025) "TikTok’s sizable effect on the fashion and beauty industries." https://aquent.com/blog/tiktoks-sizable-effect-on-the-fashion-and-beauty-industries
UNEP "Five ways to reduce waste in the fashion industry" https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/five-ways-reduce-waste-fashion-industry
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