If you woke up tomorrow with a billion dollars in your bank account, how would you spend it? Would you pay off your student loans? Book a lavish vacation? Buy a Birkin? For some Gen Zers, the answer looks less glitz and glam and more like… Shein. Fast fashion has become so embedded in Gen Z culture that even those with the means to shop elsewhere actively seek out the likes of Shein and Zara to build their wardrobes.
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— Petty Slimane (@LilAioli) August 5, 2024
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Fast fashion hubs — which mass-produce high-fashion designs at low prices — aren’t just a way to acquire clothing quickly and inexpensively. They also capitalize on the current vogue for microtrends, becoming a place where consumers can actualize their TikTok For You Pages and Pinterest boards in real life. Due to the rapid rate at which fast fashion brands update their inventory, the latest trend can go from design to garment to cart in as little as 10 days; Shein drops as many as 10,000 new items on their site daily.
Microtrends, those fleeting “-cores” du jour, have maintained continued relevance among Gen Z largely for providing a sense of community and a comforting level of homogeneity. The desire to label and categorize every style and “aesthetic” spawns vacuous monikers like “Ladies Who Lunch” and “Office Siren,” which cycle out when a new “aesthetic” hits the FYP. Having these fashion formulas to aspire to, especially when they’re mirrored by the Bella Hadids of the world, creates enough momentum for fast fashion brands, that generally abide by the “test and repeat” model, to confidently jump on a trend.
But Gen Z’s obsession with microtrends and fast fashion begs the question: how does the so-called “sustainability generation” rationalize the environmental implications of their purchasing preferences? Shein alone is responsible for 6.3 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, a direct result of the overproduction created by fast fashion’s rapid trend cycle.
“Gen Z has grown up in an attention economy where the trend cycle works at lightning speed and the fashion industry has turned to quantity over quality,” says writer Eve Upton-Clark, who covers Gen Z for Business Insider and The Telegraph. “It is now easier and quicker than ever to purchase a new item online, get that dopamine hit and move on to the next it-item, creating a toxic fast fashion cycle which can be tricky to remove yourself from.”
In a survey of 80 Gen Zers (whose names have been changed to collect candid responses), 60% noted that staying on top of trends is important when buying clothes. “I like keeping up with trends because it makes me feel good! But I add my own iteration to each of them,” explains Sally, a 27-year-old creative based in New York.
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The power of social media influence — whether through creators or friends — remains potent for Gen Z. “I feel like even if I’m not actively trying to keep up with trends, it seeps into my mind when shopping anyway,” says strategist Maureen, 24. “Like, I’m really into baggy jeans right now, but am I actually? Or have I just been influenced?”
70% of those interviewed said that TikTok and Pinterest at least somewhat influence their purchasing decisions. Constant access to influencers selling a lifestyle (whether explicitly or not) will do that to you. And when a popular creator is espousing a product or a microtrend, who doesn’t want to get in on the action?
“When you are bombarded with creators and influencers selling you the next look, it can be hard to turn away and develop a sense of personal style,” Upton-Clark notes. “By buying into microtrends, whether that be a viral clothing item or a new ‘aesthetic,’ it allows Gen Z to cash in on whatever’s trending online and claim some of this cultural currency for themselves.”
Underlying Gen Z’s predilection for microtrends is the question of sustainability. Is keeping up with trends a higher priority than environmental concerns? Gen Z shoppers feel less culpability, perhaps, because of the breadth of people around them modeling the same behavior. Speaking to the disconnect between Gen Z’s supposed concern for sustainability and actual consumer habits, Rowan, 27, who works in advertising says, “People think ‘everyone else is [buying fast fashion],’ and they feel the pressure of keeping up with trends, as well as this ‘out of sight out of mind’ selective morality.”
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“Not all [Gen Zers] will have the money to spend on sustainable brands or high-quality items that last,” Upton-Clark says. “I think this sometimes creates a dissonance that allows Gen Z to say they care about sustainability, but in their minds absolves them from having to put their money where their mouth is.”
The aspiration of sustainability, for many, seems to be just that. “I think people really do want to live sustainably, but the reality is that price is always restrictive. It’s easier to just keep buying fast fashion even if you would prefer to be more conscious with your choices,” reflects Tommy, a 31-year-old working in Gen Z marketing. “Fast fashion also lets you experiment with new styles at a cheap price point, so you don’t blow a bag on something you only wear once or twice and ditch. So for young people still figuring out their style, it makes sense that they would shop fast fashion.”
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Gen Z’s penchant for fast fashion likely boils down to one thing: accessibility. Of trends, price and of course, the accessibility of buying clothes without having to step outside. Maybe these habits will change as Gen Z ages and their aspirations of sustainability become more fully realized, but for now, the link between fast fashion and Gen Z holds strong.
