During the pandemic, up-and-coming content creator Angie Wang was struck by the increasing speed of fashion trend cycles.
The 28-year-old IT portfolio analyst had already started creating content after seeing influencers like Lauren Giraldowhose most recent viral fame came with his “12,3,30” Treadmill workouts. Content creation, Wang says, has allowed her to tap into her creative side, and it doesn't hurt that she can make as much money as she does, or even more, from her online posts about fashion and beauty.
But those short-lived trend cycles meant Wang needed to quickly up her game, so she turned to fast-fashion brands like Shein. “The first time I ordered something, it was just some T-shirts and jeans, and they came really quickly,” Wang said — invaluable to the fast and furious social media ecosphere.
Lianne Calvo, another fashionista, has a different take on finding something new for her wardrobe: Instead of turning to fast fashion, she prefers to buy secondhand clothes. When asked about the quality of used clothing, the 19-year-old UCLA junior pointed to her shirt and smiled.
“I’m actually wearing my mom’s shirt,” Calvo said. “She wore it when she was younger than me. I feel like the clothes I have from her closet look impeccable.”
Fast fashion — items that go from concept to in-store in a matter of weeks — is one of the great paradoxes of retail, especially among younger consumers. Consider this: the Instagram hashtag #sheinhaul (where users post about their big purchases at Shein) is surging to over a million posts. videoAn influencer compares stock photos of clothes she ordered from Shein with images of herself wearing her purchases, attracting almost 90,000 likes.
Ashley Sanchez, left, and Joscelin Flores are among the first group of shoppers on opening day of a Shein pop-up store inside a Forever 21 in Ontario last year.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
On the other hand, a search for “fast fashion” on YouTube brings up video essays by Gen Z creators with thousands (and sometimes millions) of views, each lamenting fast fashion. effects on the environment and Exploitation of workers.
In a 31 minute video pieceYouTube personality Jordan Theresa describes how styles that were popular during COVID-19 lockdowns are now being labeled as outdated, and explains how trend cycles moving at such a high speed make consumers want to buy more clothes. She specifically referenced the negative comments the internet gave after seeing the costumes from the 2022 film “Not Okay,” as many felt her outfits belonged in 2020.
“The internet was very critical of these outfits,” she said in the video. “Twitter was very furious, saying that the outfits looked ugly.”
So far, protests against fast fashion have not dented its popularity. Can anything stop this giant?
Zara, a Spanish chain of stores that opened in 1975, is often described as the first fast fashion retailer, but the market has since expanded to include online-only companies such as Shein or Temu. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Shein has seen its market share decline more than double In the United States.
Magali Delmas, a professor of management at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and the Anderson School of Management, points out that this growing success is associated with increased globalization, cheap labor and low costs.
Most people, he says, probably won’t change their consumption habits unless there’s a benefit to them; “they don’t want to make any sacrifices for the environment or sustainability.”
Delmas points to legislation as a potential solution to the bad practices associated with fast fashion. Such laws could require companies to disclose their carbon footprint or ensure that consumers or businesses pay a tax when they buy or produce unsustainable items. In the California Legislature, SB 707 would require clothing producers to submit plans to the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery. describing their strategies for the “safe and proper collection, transportation, repair, sorting, recycling, and management of clothing.” At the time of writing, the bill was headed to the governor’s desk.
Kim Krempien, co-owner of Other Lives Studio, uses a variety of sewing techniques to mend worn-out jeans inside Venia Studio in the Arts District.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Some consumers aren’t waiting for legislation to pass to explore the possibility of shopping sustainably. Rachel Kinnard, a Los Angeles-based educator and clothing designer, said her fall 2023 class on sustainable fashion at Chapman University already had all students enrolled and engaged.
Kinnard included immersive lessons in her curriculum, such as a clothing swap, a sewing workshop and a visit to the downtown Garment Worker Center, a support group that supports garment industry employees. She said her students found activities like the clothing swap exciting, particularly because it allowed them to have fun with their friends without spending money.
“The most sustainable thing you can do is not buy things,” Kinnard said.
Mindy Luo, a 21-year-old senior at UCLA, is the president of RefineLA, a campus organization focused on sustainable fashion.
“Most of the time, if you work with what you have, you’ll probably realize you have a lot of nice things you didn’t think about before,” Luo said.
Luo said that through her work at RefineLA, she aims to help her peers find outlets for self-expression through secondhand fashion, especially since secondhand pieces sometimes have an individuality that ready-to-wear clothing lacks.
“You’re missing out on a lot if you’re not participating in this new culture of secondhand shopping,” she said.
Luo first heard about ethical concerns around fast fashion in high school through a video on Teen Vogue’s YouTube channel. She quickly became passionate about the topic, and when she started at UCLA, she sought out a community of creatives who also wanted to be ethical consumers.
Mik Yu, who has a side job selling clothes, hunts for bargains at the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena on Sunday, July 9, 2023. She goes thrift shopping, as she calls it, every weekend.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
RefineLA has undertaken a variety of initiatives, including magazines and flea markets, where Luo now sources most of her clothing. Calvo, the club’s co-vice president, said most items at the flea markets sell for less than $10. For some of the flea markets, RefineLA has collaborated with online resale platforms like Depop and Poshmark — efforts that typically involve the company providing a budget for RefineLA members to purchase secondhand items in exchange for brand privileges. Poshmark also sponsored the team’s fashion show on campus in March.
UCLA students are not alone in their effort to make more sustainable purchases. At schools across the country, from the University of Texas to Swarthmore CollegeGen Zers are coming together to make a difference.
Of course, an important factor for young consumers is price, and sometimes prices at Shein or Temu are unbeatable even by second-hand retailers.
Wang, the Philadelphia-based content creator, says she has become more aware of the concerns surrounding fast fashion and is trying to limit her consumption. But she still sees it as a useful resource in some circumstances and believes the clothing she has purchased from fast fashion giants is comparable in quality to that of more expensive brands at a fraction of the cost.
“If you buy a reasonable amount of stuff, or things that you're going to keep for a long time, I think it should be perfectly fine, because there are a lot of other brands that aren't fast fashion but cost ten times more,” Wang said.
Even Calvo allows himself to buy something new from time to time, the latest being a new pair of shoes from Nordstrom.
“I wouldn’t mind buying a pair of shoes secondhand or from a thrift store,” Calvo said. “Obviously, it’s a lot of cleaning. But if I see a nice pair outside, [of a thrift store]“I would definitely treat myself.”
(Michael Blackshire/Los Angeles Times)
Others are finding innovative ways to attract consumers with secondhand clothing outside of thrift stores. Mia Parra, a recent UCLA graduate and owner of Market 10:42, a flea market based in Southern California, hosts events with many vendors selling vintage pieces. As part of the vendor application process, prospective vendors must agree not to sell any fast fashion pieces, even if they are sourced secondhand.
Parra connects with colleagues and potential customers on Instagram. His @1042flea account has more than 37,000 followers and uses bright, eye-catching color palettes to grab attention. At some flea markets, he hosts nearly 100 vendors.
In her course at Chapman, Kinnard also made use of social media, asking her students to create short videos for their final project. One student took the opportunity to describe the history and utility of clothing swaps, which she first encountered in class. But Kinnard is realistic about shopping habits, saying, “Sustainable fashion has never been more mainstream.”
