Fast Fashion and the Herd: We Want to Be Black Sheep
Fast fashion and herd mentality are inextricably linked. The search for a unique identity in this landscape has created aesthetics– highly specific types of personal style that are simultaneously very unique and not unique at all. These aesthetics tie wearers to a sort of “in-group”, coming in and out with rapidity and so personalized that they cannot be repurposed. From cottagecore (think French peasant minus the diphtheria), to y2k (think garish tiny tops and your dad’s jeans), to clean girls (think pastel matte claw clips and oversized blazers), our university is rife with ever-evolving trends.
It would be folly to say this isn’t about following the crowd, how people have revolving doors on these trends that they drop like a hot potato when it isn’t trendy anymore. It’s worsened by the ease and affordability of buying into these trends, especially when online retailers like FashionNova and Shein allow such behavior to manifest. With a plethora of cheap labor, cheap materials, and rapid fashion cycles, these companies are able to turn out clothing that is in service to all trends and all forthcoming trends.
Because people see other people all wearing the same things very quickly, many feel obligated to keep up– finding it especially easy to do so when a Shein top is five dollars and some pants are ten dollars. This, coupled with trends favoring particularly unique pieces with bold patterns that don’t stand the test of time, creates an environment where fast and throwaway culture runs rampant.
Moreover, for many, keeping up is the name of the game, and those who do so find it necessary to utilize fast fashion outlets. It makes sense to not feel outdated and uncool if what that means is buying ten cheap tops instead of one ethically made top. And because it is so normalized to buy from such outlets in such large volumes, many don’t feel bad about doing so. It is logical to be cool when it’s accessible and celebrated. Moreover, where gen z values individualism and uniqueness as core parts of our identity, the easiest way to assume that identity is through the clothes we wear. By constantly having different pieces that we can replace, we always look different.
Nevertheless, we should not be engaging in fast fashion. It’s awful from a climate change and human rights perspective, and hopefully the herd will come to that conclusion soon enough.