Warning Signs of a Fast Fashion Store

Brand Philosophy

If the brand's focus is on affordability and trendiness, likely, they aren't making their products with sustainable materials. Brands like Shein bombard their users with messages of sales and low prices with no explanation of how these products are so cheap.

Other brands that focus more on sustainability will have messages of how they create their products, where they get their materials, and how they are working to limit their footprint.

Rapid production

Does the website upload hundreds of new products daily? This is a huge red flag! This means the brand is producing a mass amount of products with no guarantee of them selling.

Greenwashing

Does the brand claim to use eco-friendly practices including materials but doesn't explain how? Red flag! Many companies have turned to claiming that they are eco-friendly but have little to no backing for the claim. The most common claim is saying they are eco-neutral, meaning they offset their carbon output.

Video from https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx7VRNvPrme/

Price of clothing

Is the clothing unbelievably cheap? Huge red flag! While the low prices are certainly appealing, the true cost of the prices is the environment and human rights. Companies can make products this cheap by using poor quality materials that break quickly and are full of microplastics. They also achieve low prices by paying their workers unfairly for the amount of work they do.

Trend replication

Does the website always have the latest microtrends in stock and ready to go? Red flag! This is likely a sign that the company can create hundreds of products in a short time span which sounds good in theory, but likely includes overworking laborers and not following eco-friendly production procedures.

Photos from Pexel

Be wary about the sites you browse and take notice of their red flags before buying. While low prices for trendy clothing seem like a win, it is a huge loss to our world.