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I still remember my first H&M t-shirt.
I was 12, living in Nigeria, dreaming of those cool, faraway H&M stores I saw on American TV, where the weekend ritual for teenagers was casual shopping.
That shirt? It felt like Gucci to me.
I didn’t care that it was secondhand—owning something from a brand I’d only heard about a thousand times was already a big deal.
Fast forward a few years, I found myself in Turkey, with a slightly larger budget but still counting coins.
I could now afford H&M, but only the discounted items that hardly did justice to their brand name. Those cheap ballet flats were my lesson in ‘you get what you pay for.’ Low price, low quality, and high discomfort.
By the time I was earning enough to afford full-price H&M, I was already deep into the world of secondhand.
I realized that I could get higher quality clothes for much less money, and suddenly H&M seemed overpriced. I was getting lots of compliments, and people thought I was splurging, but my secret was the thrift shop.
So, when I hear H&M called ‘affordable,’ I laugh.
Affordable, huh? Depends on who you ask.
That’s why the debate around banning fast fashion is complex.
Are we looking down on poor people who depend on ‘fast fashion’ to clothe themselves?
Is it classist to denounce what was once, and is still, out of reach for young girls in Nigeria and call for it to be banned?
Today in 5 minutes you’ll learn :
- Why do people buy fast fashion?
- So are you being classist?
- What can you do?
Why Do People Buy ‘Fast Fashion’?
It’s conveniently everywhere!
Have a look at your wardrobe, see how many ‘fast fashion’ brands you can count.
These brands have mastered the art of being at the right place at the right time.
They understand that we have busy schedules and never-ending to-do lists, so they make it super easy to pick up a trendy piece from the high street or order online with just one click.
Affordability
Fast fashion is affordable for many living in the Global North. (Northern America and Europe, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.) I’ll write more about this later.
The Desire to Fit In
For teenagers and young adults especially, fashion is a form of social currency, and being on trend can be their only way of fitting in.
They also don’t have as much disposable income, so the idea of getting more for less is appealing.
What’s worse, social media has unfortunately put all of this social pressure and trend chasing on steroids.
That’s why the paradox of Gen Z still exists—while they are more concerned with sustainability and the ethical implications of their purchases, their buying habits still heavily lean towards fast fashion.
The Marketing Genius of Fast Fashion
Fast fashion brands are not just selling clothes; they’re selling a compelling idea—the idea that you can be whoever you want to be, today, without waiting for a fatter wallet.
They are also more inclusive in their marketing, working with models of different weights, body shapes, and skin colours—making people feel seen and heard.
I don’t know about you, but if someone made me feel that way, I’d easily be convinced to buy what I don’t need.
Misconceptions Around Sustainability
Sustainable fashion is being annoyingly marketed as ‘sustainable fashion brands’ —often wrapped in jargon and a price tag that’s out of reach for many.
This disconnect makes it all too easy to stick with the familiar territory of fast fashion.
One thing’s for sure, the narrative around sustainable fashion needs to be more inclusive—speaking a language that resonates with everyone, not just those who can afford to pay for ‘new sustainable’ clothes.
So Are You Being Classist?
If you read the 2 previous letters in this series, you should already have an idea why there are calls to ban fast fashion.
Fast fashion is appealing on the surface, but it comes with a hidden cost:
It’s the environment, vulnerable workers, and communities who have to deal with mountains of unwanted clothes in their backyards that are, unfortunately, subsidizing the system so we can keep getting those cheap, trendy clothes.
Many of them live in the Global south with lower incomes, high levels of poverty, high population growth rates, inadequate housing, limited educational opportunities, and deficient health systems.
Ironically, poverty is the main reason why people in the Global north feel banning fast fashion would be classist.
But what does it mean to be poor?
If you are buying clothes multiple times a month, are you really poor?
And if we all bought fast fashion like a truly poor person would the fast fashion system still exist?
When you look at who is buying the most fast fashion you’ll find that poor is a very relative term.
Poverty isn’t only about lacking financial resources; it’s also about lacking the power to make choices that don’t compromise one’s health, environment, and dignity.
Fast fashion contributes to a horrifying form of poverty where peoples’ choices are limited by exploitation and environmental neglect.
At its core, the push to ban fast fashion is about protecting both people and the planet by :
- Recognizing the dignity of workers in the global south and ensuring they are paid fairly and work in safe conditions.
- Minimizing waste, reducing pollution, and conserving resources to protect our planet for future generations.
- Educating and empowering people to make ethical fashion choices that reflect their values and contribute to a more just and sustainable world.
Banning fast fashion seems classist if you focus on only those living in the Global North—most of whom are actually classified as upper middle to high income according to the world bank.
If we shifted our focus to genuinely poor people, you would see why it makes sense to stop only thinking about ourselves and fight for a much fairer world.
The truly poor in this equation are not only those exploited in the garment industry but also our children, who will inherit a planet burdened by our choices.
What Can You Do?
Whatever side of the debate you’re on, there’s one thing we can all agree on.
Everyone deserves to look and feel amazing without breaking the bank or harming our people and planet.
What a fast fashion ban will look like and how much of an impact it will have on both the fashion industry and economies that depend on this exploitative system is a much longer debate.
Meanwhile the challenge is clear: how do we move towards a fashion industry that is inclusive, ‘affordable’ , and respects both the planet and its people?
I don’t know all the answers but I’m sure that focusing on mindfully reusing what we already have is one of them.
Secondhand for the Win!
It’s budget-friendly, eco-friendly, and, frankly, just plain fun.
And if you live in the Global North, there are more and more online platforms that make secondhand shopping affordable and accessible.
Think secondhand first, next time you want to buy something that you really need.
It’s not only about going to a charity/thrift shop to get some clothes.
It’s also about:
stealingborrowing clothes from your family and friends.- Renting clothes for special occasions.
- Organizing a clothing swap with friends.
See which one of these you can start doing more of.
It takes a while to change our habits, so every little step counts.
P.S.
I’m currently working on a comprehensive secondhand shopping guide that should hopefully make buying secondhand easier for you.
I will, of course, share it with you as soon as it is complete.
But meanwhile, you can catch up on my previous secondhand newsletters if you haven’t.
Second-hand Clothes : The Good, The bad, And The Ugly.
How To Crack The Second-Hand Code Like A Pro.
Got a problem you would like me to write about?
Hit reply to let me know 🙃
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See you next week!
-Yosi.
