Vestiaire Collective challenges fast fashion by calculating “price per wear”

In relation to the number of uses, a fast fashion item is said to cost more than the corresponding item purchased from Vestiaire Collective, a French high-end resale specialist. The estimate is based on the relationship between the purchase price and the number of uses, calculated by Vestiaire Collective after a survey carried out in France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The environmental impact analysis company Vaayu has studied some 250,000 retail transactions and interviewed 13,400 consumers, comparing the data with existing scientific literature. Vestiaire Collective, which at the end of 2023 decided to exclude fast fashion from its site and bases its message on the fight against textile waste, has taken advantage of data to develop a more rational than emotional argument to promote its high-end fashion range and deluxe.

According to Vestiaire Collective, it is three times cheaper to buy one of their coats than to buy a corresponding fast fashion item. Although the purchase price of the former is higher, its number of uses is four times greater than that of the latter. A coat purchased from Vestiaire Collective has a per-wear price of 1.62 euros, compared to 4.83 euros for a fast fashion coat.

Similarly, a dress purchased from Vestiaire Collective will cost 1.47 euros per wear, compared to 5.60 euros for a fast fashion dress. And the price per use of a bag purchased from Vestiaire Collective is 1.88 euros, compared to 8.51 euros for a corresponding item from a fast fashion brand.

“People make the mistake of thinking that fast fashion is affordable,” said Dounia Wone, chief impact officer at Vestiaire Collective. “Buying a cheap fast fashion item is a false economy. In the end, you will constantly buy replacements. We promote circularity because it is not only good for consumers' wallets, but it is also a way to protect our planet. Used luxury items have better long-term value and last longer,” she added.

However, the study found that this argument has limits. On average, a pair of shoes purchased from Vestiaire Collective is worn 86 times, compared to 66 for a fast fashion pair. The difference is even smaller when it comes to T-shirts: one purchased from Vestiaire Collective is worn on average 69 times, compared to 52 times for a fast fashion T-shirt.

Vestiaire Collective has also turned to the “price per wear” concept for its new advertising campaign, titled 'Swap This for That', which features images comparing various used items from top brands to their fast fashion counterparts. The latter are clearly of inferior quality, and have a higher price per use.

In France, the campaign is very timely, as a consultation is underway on the introduction of climate impact labels, which will soon be mandatory for clothing. The labels will include an “ecological score”, and the sector is currently questioning that the French Government has paid less attention to the parameter of physical durability, that is, resistance to wear and tear, to calculate the ecological score, in favor of non-physical ones. durability, which is based on other criteria, including the type of fabrics used.