Why Do People Still Buy Fast Fashion?

Source: Siglo Nuevo

Make no mistake, most people are aware that the fashion industry is far from perfect.

For those already embracing slow fashion principles, it's inconceivable to consume otherwise...

But lots of people we know and love still continue to feed the evil fast fashion monster.

Does this then make them bad people?


There a plethora of reasons why people buy fast fashion, but here's our top four.

What We'll Cover

Lack of education - How not knowing enough about fast fashion leads to inaction

Convenience - fast fashion is everywhere and it's never been easier to buy 

Can't Afford To - Fast fashion is very cheap, and not all of us are in a position to afford the extra cost

Fear of Judgement - friends, family, social media and influencer culture

1. Lack of Education

Now, we don't mean formal education like school or university; we mean a lack of education on the issues pertaining to fast fashion.

It's our belief that everyone has an 'education threshold' for fast fashion.

Once we learn enough about the evils of fast fashion, we feel compelled to act in a more conscious way.

When you read things like:
• 87% of female garment workers in Pakistan are paid below a minimum wage
• How the fashion industry is responsible for around 10% of the world's carbon emissions, or
• That there are 260 million child labourers

How can you not want to shop more consciously after reading that?

Unfortunately, not everyone is exposed to this information, meaning they don't feel the need to change their fast fashion ways.

Knowledge is power, and we must empower our friends and family with facts on why they should make ethical changes.

Source: Glam Corner

2. Convenience

Go to any shopping centre or shop online, and you'll see fast fashion is EVERYWHERE.

Most people know the brands and their respective size, meaning they don't need to try them on in store or they can order online with peace of mind.

That's not the case with slow fashion.

There are few ethical fashion brands at your local shopping centre, if any at all. 

A fast fashion purchase is exactly that; fast.

Alternatively, slow fashion shopping requires research, assessing if you'll wear it 30+ times, analysing the material, etc. These things take time and you rarely make impulse purchases whilst being a slow fashion connoisseur.

At the end of the day, we humans tend to be lazy and go for the easy option... and fast fashion is definitely the easy option as you typically only consider style, price and size.

We wanted to rectify this at Stride by creating a convenient marketplace for conscious consumers to shop all their favourite ethical and Australian labels. To make things even easier, we offer free shipping & returns so that the barrier of convenience is rectified!

3. Can't Afford To

Say what you want about fast fashion, but arguably its biggest drawcard is that it's cheap.

Worryingly cheap.

We are all in different financial positions and it is unfair to expect everyone to be able to afford the extra costs associated with ethical & sustainable fashion.

We can't enforce our own privileged financial positions on those who are struggling to pay rent or afford their groceries; everyone is different.

To these people, we recommend op shopping.

Not only is it even cheaper than fast fashion, but it's great for our environment too as you are extending the life of the garment (and saving it from being dumped into landfill).

You can find some hidden gems, save money and help our planet all at the same time... now that's a great combo!

For op shopping inspiration, check out Bonnie from Opsessed on Instagram or her website.


4. Fear of Judgement

Most slow fashion enthusiasts were once guilty of shopping fast fashion... and that's completely fine.

It's how most of our friends and family shop, it's what we see on social media, and it's what we see the world's celebrities wearing.

It's the norm.

And a lot of people feel anxious about challenging the status quo due to the fear of judgement or criticism.

It can be tough to say no to the shopping spree with your friends at Zara on the weekend, or not getting sucked in to doing a shopping haul with ASOS's latest bargains... you're only human.

Not many people know about the slow fashion movement and it's hard to out-train habits that we've learned for years and habits that have been perpetuated by influencer culture.

Your friends may want to change morally, but they are scared of being judged if they go against the grain.

Let them know that you support them and help them make small changes in becoming a more conscious consumer.

Here are 5 tips to help your friends dump fast fashion!


There's more than four reasons why good people don't embrace fast fashion, but these were the top factors that we've encountered.

If one doesn't know enough about the destruction of fast fashion, loves the convenience of shopping any brand, cannot afford the added costs of fairly made clothes, or is worried about the backlash of making sustainable changes, then we can't expect them to change.

We can help our friends and family match what they believe with what they buy via education & support.

Not by ridicule and putting undue pressure on them.

The decision to embrace slow fashion must come from them so that they make wise choices all the time, regardless if you see them.

What factor would you add to the list?

And if you want to shop over 75 Australian labels that are committed ethical and sustainable fashion, then click here now!

We offer free shipping & returns on all Australian orders so that you can vote with your wallet for the world you desire 😇


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