The Gen Z dilemma: eco-conscious but addicted to fast fashion
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One of the most-read articles on FashionUnited in October was about unauthorised Shein outlets -- pop-up shops that pretend to be by the Chinese internet giant but are simply riding on the brand's popularity.
Pop-up shops opened in Dutch cities such as Arnhem, Utrecht and Rotterdam, offering clothes at extremely low prices. These shops have been met with resistance due to Shein's reputation as a company known for its ultra-fast fashion model and associated human rights and environmental violations.
Despite the criticism though, many consumers continue to be attracted by the low prices, as the Dutch newspaper NRC pointed out in a report on 23rd October.
On the one hand, there is constant talk of corporate responsibility in terms of sustainable fashion and circularity but on the other, there is the popularity of ultra-fast fashion giants such as Shein and Temu.
A clear paradox. Consumers want to make more sustainable choices, but still reach for new, cheap and trendy clothing.
A subject recently broached in the article ‘‘We Know by Now That Cheap Fashion Isn’t Sustainable—So Why Do We Keep Buying It?” on Linkedin.
This contrast seems to be greatest among Generation Z, the young people born between 1995 and 2012 and currently between 12 and 29 years old. A significant group in the UK, which according to demographic estimates comprises close to 13 million people or almost 19 percent of the total population; in the United states, this figure is about 69 million people or one fourth of the population.
Sustainable thinking does not always lead to sustainable buying
Generation Z deeply cares about social and environmental issues and is known for its activism and concern for the environment in regards to climate change, social justice and sustainability.
But these values are not always reflected in their buying behaviour: in practice, many of these consumers still continue to choose fast fashion as a study by second-hand clothing platform ThredUp showed in August 2022.
This is the well-known ‘intention-behaviour gap’: the difference between what consumers want to do (in this case, buy more sustainably) and what they actually do.
The appeal of cheap fashion for Generation Z
Young people are under pressure to look fashionable, especially given the dynamic nature of online platforms - think ‘outfit of the day’ on Instagram or TikTok trends.
Shein and Temu in particular are capitalising on this desire to look fashionable without spending a lot of money, enticing consumers with misleading advertising, marketing campaigns and discounts.
It is therefore not surprising that these Chinese companies are particularly attractive to younger consumers - Shein is currently one of the most popular fashion companies in the world.
Though I am a millennial myself (from 1988), I know, for example, that my 14-year-old niece sometimes shops at Shein. I also know a group of friends who shop there regularly. I asked them via Whatsapp why they buy from the Chinese clothing giant. It is obviously not a representative survey, but they said the main reasons for buying from Shein are the low prices, convenience and a wide range.
”‘Cheap,’ one of them replied. ‘Then I can use it for a year and buy something new again. As I type this, it sounds pretty bad actually,” followed by a smiley-emoticon laugh.
”I shop there when I need a nice summer dress quickly or something for a party,” wrote another friend.
“I buy everything there,” said a third. “I don't have to shop at different shops anymore because you have everything there. Kind of like Zalando but hip.”
In the previously mentioned ThredUp study, 72 percent of college students said they had purchased fast fashion in the year prior to the survey. More than 2 in 5 said they bought clothes for events where they were likely to wear them only once. 50 percent of students said they checked fast fashion ‘hauls’ on social media weekly, and 40 percent browsed fast fashion websites daily.
The fashion industry is making it difficult for consumers to build a more sustainable wardrobe, one could argue.
The industry's current emphasis on ongoing trends and promoting ‘new’ encourages consumers to buy new clothes regularly.
Fast fashion dominates the market through low prices and attractive, trendy items, while sustainable fashion is less accessible and usually more expensive.
Read more about it in the article recently published on Linkedin:: “We Know by Now That Cheap Fashion Isn’t Sustainable—So Why Do We Keep Buying It?”
The good news: Awareness of negative impact on environment reduces purchase intention
Now for the good news. A recent case study on Gen Z, fast fashion and Shein by Zimand-Sheiner and Lissitsa (2024) shows that after reading negative information about Shein's environmental impact, participants developed a more negative attitude towards the company and felt ‘betrayed’, which reduced purchase intention. Put more simply, young people are less likely to buy clothes from Shein if they know how badly the brand operates.
This suggests that transparency and making reliable information about the impact of fast fashion available are crucial to helping young people make more conscious choices.
What is the state of that awareness?
Dutch fashion professional and lecturer Ellen Haeser sees a growing social awareness around sustainable fashion, also among fashion students, she says when asked. “We have to be patient, though, because progress comes in small steps.”
Recently, Haeser asked her students if they would be willing to cut their wardrobe by half if the rest of the wardrobe consisted of quality, good pieces to wear for years. Only two out of 20 students said yes. The rest feared a lack of variety in outfits and that it would be boring.
During roundtable discussions at the last edition of Dutch Design Week, the same question was asked and the same answers given, Haeser says. “For some fashion professionals, this was an eye-opener, that a big difference exists in terms of awareness in the sustainability bubble and outside it,” Haeser says.
In short, transparency and education certainly matter.
But awareness alone is not enough. Things only really change when we make structural changes to our consumption habits. In other words, awareness must be converted into lasting behavioural change.
The tension between fast fashion and sustainability, consumption and responsibility, will remain a major issue within the industry for years to come.
Conclusion: fashion is always subject to paradoxes
Incidentally, contradictions are inherent in the fashion industry and are an essential part of its dynamics. Both in terms of aesthetics and consumer behaviour.
Besides ‘sustainability versus fast fashion’ and ‘trendy versus timeless’, one can think of ‘individuality versus conformity’ and ‘creativity versus commerce’ or ‘minimalism versus excess’.
Fashion is always on the move and reflects broader social trends. These contradictions make fashion not only complex but also fascinating.
It is up to us as consumers, designers and brands to critically reflect on our role in this system and strive for a better, more sustainable and responsible fashion industry.
Sources:
-FashionUnited archive and in particular the articles on the Dutch ‘Shein’ outlets by Caitlyn Terra from October 2024 and the article „ThredUp debuts resources to support Gen Z hooked on fast fashion’“ by Jackie Mallon of 16th August 2022.
- NRC article “Fast fashion shops are too attractive to ignore because of the low prices: ‘I saw the word ‘discount’ and went in’ by Marit Willemsen of 23rd October 2024 [in Dutch].
-ThredUP 2022 Gen Z Fast Fashion Report, complete study, available in the TredUp newsroom. Source: GlobalData 2022 Consumer survey of 1989 Gen Z participants in the US (16-25 years old) in June-July 2022.
-Zimand-Sheiner, D., & Lissitsa, S. (2024). Generation Z - factors predicting decline in purchase intentions after receiving negative environmental information: Fast fashion brand SHEIN as a case study. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 81, 103999. This study is based on an online survey of Generation Z consumers born between 1995 and 2003. The original sample consisted of 849 respondents, 607 of whom completed the survey, according to the website.
-Written contribution by fashion expert and lecturer Ellen Haeser, end of October 2024.
-Parts of this article text were created with an AI tool and then edited.
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This article was originally published on FashionUnited.nl. Parts of the article were translated using an AI language tool. Edited by Simone Preuss.