The Pros and Cons of Two Trending Fashion Concepts
Written by McKenna Bailey
If you’ve ever fallen down an Internet rabbit hole, then you’ve probably ran into the trending fashion concepts of “fast fashion” and/or “thrifting.” However, if you haven’t heard of these popular trends then here is the lowdown.
“Fast fashion” is a term used by clothing retailers to describe fashion designs and items that move quickly from the catwalk to stores at cheaper prices.
“Thrifting” is the act of visiting second-hand shops, vintage clothing stores, garage sales, or charitable organization clothing stores in the hopes of finding cheap and trendy clothing.
So why are these methods, of staying in fashion while still being affordable, so trendy? One possible reason is because people are more environmentally and economically aware, says Devin Heitt, an online reporter on the Oudaily website.
Environmental awareness comes with thrifting only while economic awareness comes with thrifting and fast fashion. The best way to save money is by saving our planet also.
According to Oudaily, besides the fact that fast fashion shopping and thrifting is also a popular pastime among friends, it’s also a big hit among the Youtuber gurus.
Famous YouTube stars like Emma Chamberlain or other YouTuber’s whose channels are devoted to thrifting and fast fashion hauls like Carrie Dayton and Alexa Sunshine83 have spread far and wide across the platform and into the eyes of the viewers.
With the heavy influence that YouTuber’s and social media influencers have on their audience, it’s no wonder, fast fashion and thrifting are a big hit.
Before you decide which fashion method is best for you, or which method you will use, let’s examine the pros and cons of each, and you can decide for yourself.
According to the online news and lifestyle website The Good Trade , with fast fashion, anyone can support small and local retail business’ by purchasing fast fashion items from them. You will also find the item you are looking for faster using fast fashion over thrifting.
The fast fashion products may also be in better condition than if you were to find a used product in a thrift shop. However, The Good Trade says most retailers produce fast fashion at low cost, which makes the products low quality.
There are also ethical and economic reasons to consider when buying fast fashion. According to research done by the Rubicon group, a business dedicated to analyzing data, 11 million tons of fast fashion clothing is thrown out every year in America.
The Rubicon also stated in their findings that certain popular brands that carry fast fashion have harmful dyes, toxins, or synthetic fabrics that can affect the water supply in country where the fashion products were produced.
According to the Odyssey, an online news and community lifestyle website, the benefits of thrifting include saving the environment because buying clothes from a thrifting shop prevents those clothes from going to a landfill.
Sometimes, the clothes will even cheaper at thrifting shops than at retailers. Unless you buy thrifted clothes from a huge second-hand business, you will be helping most non-profit organizations and charities.
Some of the disadvantages of thrifting include the long time it takes to sort through the many, often unorganized, clothing items. Often the clothes have no warranty and no return policy, says the Odyssey.
The worlds of fast fashion and thrifting are both equally fun and exciting! So what will you choose, if you decide to thrift or fast fashion shop at all?