What in the Brandy Hellville Is Fast Fashion?

Our moms warned us about being fast....

Apr 19, 2024

As we’ve discussed, the Gen Z trend machine is endless and we can’t help but wonder about the impact is of this trend life.

In our last podcast ep “Welcome to the TikTok Rizz Party,” Deanna mentioned she watched the Brandy Hellville & the Cult of Fast Fashion documentary on Max, and there was a deep dive on the industry of fast fashion and where all of the abandoned trends end up. We both wanted to blame fast fashion for everything — but when we pushed one another to really define it, we knew we had to throw on our “we look smart glasses” and get to work. 👓

What Is Fast Fashion?

Our moms warned us about being fast and cheap — apparently someone forgot to tell fashion!

The desire to be trendy and to keep up with ever-changing social media fads has given rise to the empire of fast fashion. Shoppers want the most convenient and cost-effective way to get trends now. Often a brand serving up fast fashion is creating “dupes” of more expensive designer looks. These items are focused on cheap and chic, but don’t tend to have the longest shelf-life in terms of style or quality.

Early fast fashion brands include Zara and H&M, but now there are handfuls of e-retailers that don’t have brick and mortar stores like Shein, Temu and ASOS.

Why Is Fast Fashion Bad?

Brandy Hellville took a look at the teen dream fast fashion chain Brandy Melville. While there were plenty of terrible things happening on the corporate business side like racism, anti-semitism and the exploitation and sexualization of teen girls — it ALSO shines a light on the fast fashion industry.

It shows us the negative impact these clothes are having on the environment and human rights, citing that stores like Brandy Melville promote fast consumption and disposal of goods. In a Time review of the doc, Cady Lang writes:

“The documentary makes the case that the exploitation of Brandy Melville's store employees parallels the exploitation of those who produce their clothes; the cheap and fast production of their trendy clothing is made possible by the work of Chinese immigrants at their factory in Prato, Italy, a city known for its textile production for many fashion brands—and cases of sweatshop exploitation in its many factories. Likewise, the documentary also sheds light on the human cost of fast fashion by looking to the landfills in Ghana, where textile waste from the west is polluting its bodies of water, something that's increased rapidly since fast fashion became the dominant clothing model.”

There are a lot of downsides to cheap and chic. Synthetic fibers are faster and easier to produce en masse but they are not environmentally friendly to produce and create toxic waste. In addition, the creation of these fabrics uses tons of water.

Once you own these fabrics and you wash them, they release microplastics from polyester and nylon into the water. TIP: Look for fabrics made with 20% polyester or less.

And, where do all of these clothes go once you are done with them? The waste is an incredible problem that the United States literally ships oversees.

Are There Brands You Can Trust?

Sadly, there is no such thing as sustainable fast fashion —but there are plenty of brands that are making good quality clothes and try to do it as ethically as possible. Look for brands that share transparency about their practices, use more natural materials, and encourage reselling or recycling their products.

The re/make Report - Fashion Accountability Report 2024

You’ve decided you want to make better shopping choices but don’t know where to start. Which brands are including sustainability in their DNA and which brands have said f*ck it - I do what I want? The re/make report is an annual report that reviews a brand’s sustainability impact examining everything from supply chain to environmental impact.

Taking an intersectional approach to the human rights, environmental, economic, and political issues embedded in fashion supply chains, Remake’s Fashion Accountability Report measures and informs progress where it matters. It provides a roadmap for all industry stakeholders to take action and advocate for a more equitable and resilient global apparel production system. - re/make

EVERLANE is smoking everyone out of the water.

Deanna here! I was looking for a quality shoe and a stylist pal pointed me towards EVERLANE. Their shoes are hand crafted in a small 26 person factory in Florence, Italy. I’m two pair of loafers in and very pleased. I have The Lug Loafer and The Modern Loafer, a classic investment shoe that will be with me for years. P.S. They run great sales!

Emily here! Wow, was I surprised to see H&M sitting pretty near the top! That was my go-to callout fast fashion brand! But, I’m very happy to learn they are making good moves! Also, love seeing Ralph Lauren up there — the kids took away their “preppy” identity by just straight up changing the definition of preppy on all of us, and Ralph Lauren seems to be taking it like a champ, getting mean and green. We like it.

We were surprised to see SKIMS at a 0 in fashion accountability. SKIMS was founded in 2018. It feels reckless and disappointing for a modern brand, with such high visibility to not infuse sustainability into the DNA — AT ALL.

You’re tied with Fashion Nova babe.

In our dive into sustainability we found a few happy surprises —

JCREW has a resale shop powered by thredUP.

A collection of J.Crew hand-me-downs sent in by our community of
customers, available on our resale site in partnership with thredUP.

Seeing the hand-me-downs on bust mannequins gives the garment an extra layer of glamour. These prices are giving deal honey!

If you have gotten to this point in the post and said to yourself — I’m hearing this, I’m seeing this but if you think you are taking my AMAZON away from me you got another thing coming sweet tits.

We see you and we raise you an — Amazon Aware

Amazon Aware! Say wut? What is that? Is it real? Could it be?

We are going to let Amazon explain themselves:

Q: Why did you create Amazon Aware?

A: Customers want to shop more consciously; we want to make that easier. Amazon Aware is a line of everyday essentials across apparel, home, beauty and more - all with third-party certifications featured in our Climate Pledge Friendly program.

Q: How are Amazon Aware products certified?

A: Amazon Aware products feature certifications that are part of Amazon's Climate Pledge Friendly program. Certifications are chosen by product type - for example, for our apparel products, we selected certifications such as Global Recycled Standard

Summer is around the corner and we need a lil’ t-shirt refresh. These Amazon Aware Perfect Short Sleeves are very cute and fairly reasonable. May give them a whirl!

What More Can You Do?

Secondhand is perhaps the most environmentally sound option! So head to your favorite thrift and enjoy feeling superior to the rest of us!
Look for fabrics made from organic cotton and lyocell — and not just a small percentage.
Buy clothes you want to own for awhile & treat them well.
Opt for clothing rental services like Rent the Runway or Nuuly for items you know you might not wear forever.

Hit us up in the comments to let us know your favorite tips! We appreciate YOU.

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