Time to forget Fads?
- rowenaphillips
- Feb 27, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 28, 2022
For the sake of our planet, is it time to wave goodbye to fad trends? Has sustainability ever been considered with fads?
Within fashion, trends rotate frequently and often have a lifespan before the trend is old news. Trends can be simple as a particular colour, fabric, or pattern. Some trends stay in fashion for many years, while some stay in fashion for a matter of months.
Many of these modern-day trends are influenced by trends in past decades. Trends recirculate after 20 years, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter. 20 years is the typical rule in fashion industry.
Ugg Boots, 2000s vs 2022
Ugg boots, an iconic item in the early noughties … are back? This trend was insanely popular in the 2000s, and for the past 15 years, they haven’t quite been the main feature in magazines and on Instagram's explore page. Comfortable? Yes, but not a popular trend. Fast forward to 2022, Ugg boots are back in fashion thanks to influencers and celebrities. This is an example how trends recirculate in fashion, and will Ugg boots be here in 2023? Who knows.
“Fad is a style, activity, or interest that is very popular for a short period of time”.
2020 Tie Die Fad Trend
Fads are the same concept as fashion trends but are fast paced and short lived. Often seen as a novelty trend, fads can be a fun way to spice up your wardrobe. A popular fad trend was tie-die in 2020. Made popular by the covid-19 lockdown in Spring 2020, tie die was a way for people to be creative and was soon adopted by fashion brands. It was fun while it lasted, but the trend didn’t make it to 2021. While the tie-die trend was popular in the 60s and 80s, the modern day tie-die trend didn’t stick around for long.
Peace Sign Fad 2010s
But fad trends maybe fun and exciting, but what pressure are we putting on the environment for a short-lived moment. Remember the peace sign t-shirts and accessories. A staple wardrobe item for months in the 2010s, but what happened to them? The trend died down and the items lingered in backs of drawers and on the floor of wardrobes. These items were most likely binned or taken to charity shops, but what is the likelihood these clothes were worn again. Would you buy a peace sign t-shirt in 2022?
Fast fashion is an increasing problem in modern day society. The fashion industry emits 10% of global carbon emissions, making it one of the biggest polluting industries after agriculture and fuel industries.
Fast fashion brands are encouraging the concept of fads, with 52 micro collections released every year instead of the typical 2 collections per year. No matter the interest in fashion, a new collection every single week is not only extremely environmentally damaging but highly unnecessary.
As fad trends are very fast paced, this means the whole production must be a quick process to keep up with demand. Fads are novelty items that have a lifespan of a few months, so consumers choose fast fashion to feel involved with the trend. Fast fashion is not only a high pollutant, but an unethical way of producing clothing. Cheap clothes aligns with cheap manufacture and low wages. Approximately 85% of garment workers do not earn minimum wage and are paid between 2-6 cents (usd) per item. With fast fashion comes pollution too– one example is that 22,000 litres of toxic waste are dumped into rivers in Bangladesh every day. With all this pollution and unethical manufacture comes items of clothing that are worn a couple of times for fun and abandoned for the next trend a month later. The pieces of clothing that follow quick trends are thrown away, adding to more landfills. On average, an item of clothing is worn seven times before being thrown away. All of that, for it to be worn 7 times.
So, it’s time to rethink fad trends. Is it really worth the pollution and unethical practises to be worn for such little time? Why not stick to long term trends and find fun in styling your clothing staples.
Comments