The Current State of Fashion Consumption in 2022

It is nearing the end of 2022, crazily enough. I’ve been on my slow fashion journey since the end of 2017, and over the years I’ve changed my fashion shopping habits, observed how the consumption of fashion has evolved, and what the future of fashion holds. 

Since switching to shopping fashion in a more sustainable and ethical manner, I am much more selective in what I purchase. I’ve moved beyond the initial cost of the item and focussed more on whether I can create multiple outfits with a particular piece, whether the item is the one I truly want, and whether the item is made with high quality fabrics, details, and construction. 

However, my journey towards slow fashion has by no means been perfect. When I first discovered the concept of thrifting, I went pretty wild. My appetite for cheap bargains still existed from my fast fashion era, and it has taken the past few years to realise that even if something is secondhand, it does not necessarily make it a sustainable purchase. The most sustainable item in your wardrobe is the one you already have. 

When you look at the overall fashion industry however, the consumption of fashion shows no slowing down. Although consumers now have greater interest and concern in the transparency and ethics of where their clothes are made, Australians are still consuming fashion at a rapid pace and are amongst the world’s highest consumers. According to a 2022 report by the Australian Fashion Council, Australians now buy an average of 56 items per year, the equivalent of 14.8 kilograms.

Strongly propelled by the fast fashion industry, this statistic is set to grow even more. For example SHEIN has hundreds of new arrivals on their website every day, with up to 600,000 total items on their site at any one given time.

Due to the obscene volume of clothing being produced by the fast fashion industry, thrift stores have been flooded with the likes of Boohoo, SHEIN, Fashion Nova, Meshki, Princess Polly, Pretty Little Thing. There have been several times where I have lost interest in thrifting due to having to sift through so much fast fashion. 

As consumers, we are well aware that fast fashion labels have unsustainable practices and appalling conditions for their workers, and we simply cannot turn a blind eye anymore. Yet, many fashion consumers are not deterred by this and continue to shop fast fashion, but why?

Part of this is because we can distance ourselves from the issue, given that the majority of clothing is manufactured in third-world countries with poor working conditions. 

However, fashion has a big accessibility and inclusion issue, especially when it comes to inclusive sizing and the cost of first-hand ethical and sustainable clothing. Fast fashion does make clothing more accessible to plus-size people and people who need affordable clothing. 

It is not that consumers do not want to make a difference, but rather their behavioural change is now made difficult by the misleading greenwashing strategies employed by fast fashion labels. Of course, with the huge resources available to these labels, they are able to recycle fabrics (polyester primarily) and label it as ‘sustainable’ and ‘conscious’. To the general consumer, these seem like a much more-eco friendly option. However, the market is absolutely flooded with polyester to recycle because there is so damn much of it on our planet.

It is easier for these labels to use recycled fabrics and change the perception of their sustainability efforts. But slow fashion is more than just recycled fabrics, it is also treating your workers fairly, and with the little to no change of this in the fast fashion industry, consumers need to take a strong stand against these labels. 

Those of us who are driven to change the industry by taking a stand as consumers will well know the consequences of this fashion cycle if it is to continue with no change. But for those who are not conscious consumers, this realisation bears little as a deterrent to shift their consumer behaviour. Low-low prices and a high turnover of new trends and clothing are still very strong forces in attracting the general fashion consumer. 

Being in the slow fashion sphere however, still shines great hope on a collective of consumers and labels striving to revolutionise and transform the current state of the fashion industry.