People find it hard to wait for a whole season of new clothes to hit the stores. That is why they turn to fast fashion brands like Shein, Romwe, Boohoo and more.
These brands remake runway trends for a fraction of the cost. They also encourage a throwaway culture and exploit labor rights.
Forever 21 is one of the largest fast fashion brands that offers a massive collection of apparels and accessories at extremely low prices. It is known for their trendsetting collections and has a huge customer base across the world. However, the brand is a regular in controversies and faces different accusations like using cheap labour and copyright violations.
This brand’s clothing is usually produced in the UK where the garment workers are paid a very low wage. They also work in unhealthy conditions and are not protected under the law. It’s not just the garment workers who are exploited, even store cleaners and stockers have been reported to be working under poor conditions for the brand.
The brand is a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, but it doesn’t share much information about its production methods or factories with the public. They also don’t have any clear targets to reduce their carbon footprint.
Another major concern is their use of toxic fabrics and the fact that they don’t sign the Bangladesh Accord, which guarantees worker safety in the garment industry. They also don’t promote responsible sourcing and have been accused of stealing designs from small independent designers.
The brand was founded by Sophia Amoruso and started off as a cool vintage resale shop, but through her greed and horrible ethics, the company has managed to grow into a gigantic fast fashion giant. They have a huge collection of trendy outfits, but are notorious for their ill-treatment of garment workers. The brand is not transparent about its supply chain and often puts their clothes on sale, which means that they are selling them at fast fashion prices.
The American lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret is a huge company that earns billions in revenue every year. Under founder Wexner’s leadership, the retailer established reliable berths in American malls, amped up its direct-mail business, and launched a televised fashion show intended to frame its “Angel” models as the arbiters of gleeful, cheeky fantasy.
Unfortunately, the company’s success did not come without cost. Despite boasting a “fair trade” supply chain, Victoria’s Secret has been accused of exploitation and sexual harassment towards its models. The brand has also been exposed for using formaldehyde-containing fabrics and employing child labor in its factories.
>>>Read more: How To Use A Needle Threader?
In addition to these scandals, the company has not been transparent about its supply chain and is known to use chemicals with a high toxicological risk. Moreover, they have not demonstrated any significant progress in the reduction of textile waste or water pollution.
Other brands in the top 10 worst fast fashion brands to avoid include Nasty Gal, which sells clothes to a younger generation of consumers that leans heavily toward pop culture. The company uses influencer collaborations to drive sales and doesn’t disclose any information about its environmental policies. Lastly, the company does not pay living wages to its employees and has been criticized for using sweatshop labor.
Another infamous fast fashion brand is H&M, which claims to be environmentally friendly but has a history of exploiting its workers and using toxic chemicals in production. They are a frequent target for formaldehyde lawsuits and have been exposed for using LA sweatshop labor and hiring children. Furthermore, they don’t maintain transparency in their supply chain and have not committed to lowering their CO2 emissions. These companies are examples of what is known as greenwashing, where companies make sustainable claims to trick consumers into believing they are ethical.
As one of the biggest clothing retailers in the world, Primark is no stranger to controversy. Besides releasing thousands of new designs each week and enticing young fashionistas into over-consumption, the company is also accused of using sweatshops to make its clothes and employing child labor. In addition, it has been criticized for copying designer clothes worn by celebrities and recreating them in their own stores at a fraction of the price.
In 2019, this brand was named as one of the least sustainable brands and has been linked to modern slavery at its suppliers. Despite this, they continue to produce cheap clothes and promote a throwaway culture. They also don’t appear to care about paying their workers a living wage or have clear environmental policies.
More information: Does Polyester Shrink?
H&M is another fast fashion giant that is drowning in an ocean of profits made by exploiting people and destroying the planet. Their factories are regularly accused of using sweatshop labor and relying on cheap, toxic chemicals to produce their products. They are also responsible for creating an enormous amount of textile waste, water, air and soil pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
The company is owned by Amancio Ortega, who is currently the 6th richest person in the world. Despite this, the brand is still very much a part of the fast fashion industry and they don’t have any plans to stop producing so many clothes at such a high rate. Their factories are reported to be running in poor, slave-like conditions and they do not make any effort to reduce their carbon footprint.
This US-based brand is a favorite of younger generations because of its affordable prices. However, their fashion is not as trendy as other brands and they are often linked to shady business practices. Whether it is stealing other people’s designs or paying their employees less than minimum wages, Urban Outfitters has no place in the modern fashion industry.
Fashion Nova is one of the biggest and fastest growing fast fashion brands focusing on trendy and super-hot garments for women. The brand owes its meteoric rise to social media and Instagram Influencers, and as a result, it has built up a dedicated clientele of Gen Z who buy impulsively from this online retailer and then regret it later because the clothing doesn’t fit them. In addition, the brand uses the worst sort of materials, promotes a ‘throw away’ culture and is a major source of carbon emissions.
The brand uses cheap synthetic fabrics like polyester, acrylic and nylon that are non-biodegradable and release toxic microplastics into water bodies when laundered. It also uses textile dyes that pollute water bodies. On the other hand, even a 'natural' fabric like cotton has its issues as it needs heavy pesticides which are physically harmful to farmers and requires huge amounts of water to be produced.
Besides using low-quality synthetic fabrics, the company also uses animal products and byproducts like down, leather and fur that support exploitation and cruelty. Furthermore, its factories are often found to be operating in sweatshops where workers work over 100 hours a week and aren’t paid a living wage.
While the brand has recently started a sustainable shoe collection, it still makes clothes that aren’t ethical or eco-friendly. The brand’s clothing is sourced from countries like China where there are serious human rights violations. Furthermore, the brand has a poor record when it comes to paying taxes. It has been accused of evading tax payments worth a hundred million pounds. The brand has been making improvements like reducing its emissions and using more sustainable fabrics but it still needs to do much more.
Despite the rise of the “no-brainer” clothing brand, Boohoo is not doing enough to tackle its environmental and social impact. The UK retailer’s founder, Mahmud Kamani, has a rags to riches story that was profiled in the tabloids. However, it’s unclear whether this wealth has made him see the world in a different light.
While the company does have a small collection of organic cotton, it also releases countless pieces every year that are cheap and disposable. This contributes to the UK’s throwaway culture and non-biodegradable waste. The company also doesn’t disclose the names of its suppliers or reveal if they pay a living wage.
Additionally, the company doesn’t minimize textile waste in its manufacturing processes or promote sustainability initiatives to employees or customers. It also hasn’t set a science-based target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its operations or supply chain. And, while the company states that it’s reducing its use of chemicals that are hazardous to workers, it still uses lots of toxic materials.
Finally, it’s not clear if the company has a robust human rights program. In the past, workers have complained about being pressured to work during the pandemic and about having to wear uniforms with offensive slogans such as “no white niggers”.
Despite these issues, Boohoo is one of the best fashion brands for young women. They have tapped into a generation’s preference for on-trend clothes with affordable prices and social acceptance. They have reinvested a significant amount of their sales revenue back into the business and acquired other high street retailers to increase their market share. This expansion strategy shows that they have the money to grow quickly and aren’t afraid of making bold moves.
