Gen Z is being faced with a new age paradox. They’ve built a reputation as the most eco-friendly generation, yet they buy cheap, disposable clothing more than any other consumer group.
So why is Gen Z overlooking damning information about fashion’s biggest offenders, blowing past their sustainable intentions, and continuing to shop fast fashion at such an alarming rate? It’s simple: Fast fashion is addicting. While faced with incriminating data points that prove every stage of its lifecycle causes devastation to our planet, fast fashion has few regulations, thus enabling behemoths like Shein to become so popular it has more U.S. app downloads than Amazon.
If fast fashion continues to go unchecked, targeting younger generations of consumers, it will become the next Big Tobacco. While it may not kill its customers, it’s harmful just the same, often encouraging unethical labor practices—and wreaking havoc on our planet.
Social, Fiscal Pressures Drive Fast-Fashion Growth
Our research shows that half of college students watch fast-fashion hauls on social media on a weekly basis. Between the revolving door of trends on social media and the staggering volume of products some of today’s brands are pumping out, fashion trends are now daily instead of seasonal. Yesterday’s Coastal Grandmother is today’s Barbiecore.
Fast fashion preys on people’s worst instincts for a short-term buzz, enabling shoppers to continuously consume in an attempt to catch up with the never-ending, passing fads of social media and celebrity culture. Unfortunately for Gen Z, the instant gratification of finding a trendy piece on one of these sites often counteracts the long-term environmental consequences of overconsumption.
In addition, our own research has found that 65% of Gen Z consumers say they shop fast fashion because it saves them money. This generation is no older than 25, making price point a key concern driving their purchasing decisions. But apparel that comes at a cheap price often comes at a steep cost to the environment. Some 70% of fashion’s greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to upstream activities like new clothing production.
Fast Fashion’s Similarities to the Tobacco Industry
If this sounds reminiscent of Big Tobacco, that’s because it is. At its height, the U.S. tobacco industry used tactics similar to those currently employed by fast-fashion brands to hook consumers and make it challenging to quit.
Prior to major regulations, the tobacco industry focused its marketing efforts on young adults and embedded its products into the media, using film and television to market its products as cool and sexy. Look no further than the classic example of Joe Camel, the “smooth character” cartoon that became an enticing figure to young male smokers. The character was created to build early loyalty in young consumers by feeding on their desire to fit in and be cool, all while glossing over the deadly health effects of tobacco.
Tobacco companies also used low prices as a key marketing tactic geared toward young consumers. In 1960, the average cost of a pack of cigarettes was $0.26—the equivalent of $1.49 today. Today, you can find items on Shein as low as $1.50. There are dresses for $3, sweaters for $5, and jeans for $8. With new products dropping on the site daily—if not hourly—it’s nearly impossible for consumers to resist shopping for the latest trends at cheap prices despite the growing information around its destructive impact on the environment.
Fast Fashion Should Come With a Warning Label
Major restrictions have been placed on tobacco companies’ ability to advertise over the last few decades, and the Food and Drug Administration now requires health warning statements on popular tobacco products. Presenting information about the long-term risks of smoking has weakened Big Tobacco’s influence on young adults. It was only after these regulations were enforced that the percentage of youth smokers in the U.S. dropped from 68% in 1965 to 9% in 2017.
It is imperative that we take a cue from the effectiveness of government regulation on Big Tobacco and apply it to fast fashion before it’s too late. At our current rate, the fashion industry is on track to consume 26% of the world’s carbon budget by 2050.
While the fashion industry has started pushing for regulation requiring greater transparency from retailers through environmental disclosures, we also need to more clearly surface the implications of purchasing these harmful products for consumers. It’s time for fast fashion to come with a warning label so that younger generations understand how detrimental it is to the planet and can make more informed choices about the apparel they buy.
Big Tobacco did serious damage before the government effectively stepped in to mitigate its impact. We have a golden opportunity to avoid making the same mistake with fashion. Which path will we choose?
James Reinhart is the CEO of thredUP.
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