Introduction
For centuries fashion has been a key component in the reflection of society and culture. Fashion is used as a form of communication, influence, and expression of self-identity. The way we dress provides society with insight into an individual's self-image, personality and social status; It also provides enhanced self-esteem. The rise of social media has connected people, especially Gen Z, and fashion in a way that has never been done before. It has allowed trends to be shared the second they begin causing the industry to change. Fashion brands can mimic catwalk or celebrity culture clothing and produce them for all to keep up with the latest trends.
Fast fashion is the mass production of trendy clothing at a cheap cost to meet consumer demand. This allows consumers to purchase the newest styles (during peak popularity) at a low price. Once the trend is over those trendy pieces of clothing can be discarded, which creates a consumption cycle. Fast fashion enables toxic materialism that negatively impacts the environment, textile workers and consumers themselves. Popular fast fashion brands include Shein, Zara, H&M, GAP, Forever 21, etc. (Astoul, 2024). Business strategies and newer marketing tactics feed off the consumer-driven cycle that allows fast-fashion to continue thriving and furthering the damage it has created in the world.
Table 1.1 Fast-fashion brand SHEIN popularity
Slow fashion is an ethical and sustainable approach to purchasing fashion. It entails purchasing less but good quality items that can be worn in multiple ways for multiple occasions. Clothing is made from better materials and the production of them helps reduce the amount of waste produced and landfill contributions, as well as help textile workers (Nori Press). There is a common belief that high quality clothing items are expensive and unattainable, although it is not true. Another belief is that shopping slow/ sustainable means having very little clothing, but it simply attains shopping brands that are ethical and shopping for staple, non-trendy pieces for long-lasting wear. Popular sustainable brands include Reformation, Stella McCartney, Allbirds, Patagonia, etc.
The research question being asked is what the psychological impacts of fast fashion are, which will be determined by identifying if there is a correlation between fast fashion consumption and individual mental health and if so, what is the nature of that correlation. The purpose of this study is to help consumers shift to a sustainable and more impactful way of shopping. A survey conducted to determine the material habits, self-esteem, anxiety of Gen Z women to determine the impacts.
The significance in understanding and determining if there is a correlation between fast fashion consumption and individual mental health is huge; it has a chance to change the way society consumes fashion for a healthier planet and healthier people. There is little research on the implications of fast-fashion on consumers, as it is a relatively new phenomenon. The aim of this question is to educate society and create an interest in further exploring the negativity of it.
In this proposal, literature review will be conducted to determine themes and present findings that can help bring to light implications of materialism on mental health. This will also assist in creating a survey, so that validity and reliability are ensured for accurate results. The expected results will be explained in detail so their significance and limitations may be explored.
Literature Review
Compulsive buying is a response to tension, anxiety, depression or boredom. “Compulsive consumers generally report that, when they start buying, they are unable to control their behavior (Pacheco, 2021).” The act itself rather than the goods alleviate the negative state of mind; however, it is only temporary. The compulsive act of buying leads to time and money wasted, even when cannot be afforded, resulting in problems at work, trouble in interpersonal relationships and feelings of guilt, shame, anxiety and depression. Compulsive buying is a toxic cycle that consumers use to ease their troubles, but it just leads them back to them. According to medical screening compulsive buying compulsive buying behavior seems to start in late adolescence or early adulthood, and complete disorder can take several years to develop (Pacheco, 2021).
Contingent self-esteem is defined as “feelings about oneself that result from or are dependent upon matching some standard of excellence or living up to some interpersonal or intra-psychic expectations (Pacheco, 2021).” It is affected by external or self-imposed standards and causes people with it to judge their self-esteem in terms of physical attractiveness, social status, job-performance or compliance with other standards. Some studies show that compulsive buying, and high levels of contingent self-esteem result in more compulsive buying behavior. This is heightened during stressful times.
Fast fashion enables poor working conditions and unethical treatment of workers for the mass production of cheap trendy clothing. People are beginning to question and look into how these companies are able to conduct business. As more research is being done, the horror stories of workers' treatment have risen (especially for women). Stories include development of bladder infections because of lack of bathroom breaks, denied maternity leave, and forced work in awful conditions for long hours and low pay. With the low wages given, oftentimes women must bring their daughters as young as 10 to help feed their families (Denton, 2023). Additionally, the workers are exposed to harmful chemicals linked to cancers and respiratory issues. However, consumers seem unaffected by the burdens of this industry. Public criticism can spur change, but society is far too invested in consumerism and the social aspect it can give them. Influencer marketing has become the top choice of brands, they post fashion hauls glamorizing trend-based consumerism, furthering the advancement of the fast fashion model. With fashion being coined the “cultural construction of the embodied identity” consumers expressing who they are and what they want to be, fast fashion is allowing that to change more than it should (Denton, 2023).
Regulatory actions and taxation will likely be the most effective solutions to bring about considerable change because most company sustainable programs do not follow proper reuse channels (Denton, 2023). Consumers strengthen the negative impacts of this industry, so implementing “nudges” to consumers should aid their shift in purchasing behaviors. Placing sustainable clothing options at the front of stores, advertising, and social media campaigns will encourage them to think differently. Currently, regulations in countries with fast fashion labor are not feasible since they thrive off the manufacturing. However, specific countries have begun introducing legislation to combat issues. In 2022, the FABRIC Act was proposed to help protect workers.
Fashion consumption establishes a sense of cultural and social validation, and depending on the status symbol of an item a consumer can associate themselves to a particular social class. A study conducted showed that more compulsive buying behaviors tend to show signs of lower self-esteem, thus utilizing money to enhance it (Bardey, 2022). Minimalism is a philosophy, lifestyle, mind-set, or any other form of creative articulation, characterized by simplicity and reducing. The capsule wardrobe phenomenon is defined as, limited clothing pieces that focus on quality, longevity, and minimal or classic design (Bardey, 2022). Minimalism leads to less decision fatigue and higher life satisfaction and esteem. Decision fatigue “is dependent on mental activities involving the transfer of energy” (Bardey, 2022), and individuals only hold a certain amount of mental energy for self-control and willpower. Avoiding temptations that require self-control can avoid ego depletion and maintain willpower. In a study, shoppers were asked to solve a simple math equation, the findings were that those who made the most decisions shopping gave up the quickest.
Researchers in another study concluded that materialists may experience less life satisfaction with their lives due to lack of gratitude, it also showed that it minimized feelings of enjoyment. When material goods do not reach the expectations of materialists, they often experience a decline in positive mood, emotions, and self-esteem.
Fast fashion is plague-like; extremely high rates of clothing production are expected in limited time, and it comes at the expense of the environment and workers. The textile industry contributes to 1.2 billion tons of CO2 equivalent a year. “Less than 1% of materials used to produce clothing is recycled within the clothing industry, with around 13% recycled for use in other areas. Also, it is estimated that 20 new garments are manufactured per person each year, and we are buying 60% more than in 2000” (Webster, 2023). This is because the industry relies on short product life cycles, high volatility, low predictability, and high impulse buying.
Fast fashion is a consumer-driven process. Businesses are capitalizing on fast production and turnover rates by making low-quality and low-priced products that consumers rely on them for. Rapid growth, especially in adolescents and college students is normalizing “unnatural and problematic behavior and attitudes between the consumer and their spending habits” (Webster, 2023). Business strategies have created a cycle of consistent consumer behaviors and attitudes that have allowed this process to keep going. It is mainly due to fast fashion being heavily socially related, however, there are more negative impacts than positive. Consumers are worried about how their clothing portrays them in terms of wealth and social status. The early 2000s pop culture played a role in forming new fashion trends that could be followed at high rates, and since then with mass communication it has become bigger than ever. Consumer behavior and business manipulation in the industry has allowed it to grow to this length, because at the end of the day “one cannot expect businesses to suddenly change their practices because it is seen as unethical, as they have already gained success using these strategies” (Webster, 2023).
Table 1.2: Apparel Industry Carbon Emissions
Affect is a bio-neurological response to an experience. Mark’s affective analysis was demonstrated in two studies that prove that fashion evokes a bodily experience (Van Tienhoven, 2021). The first study was conducted with the researchers in an exhibition; they selected a blue dress created by a fashion designer in the Netherlands, who regularly creates designs for the royal family. Their bodies reacted physically when viewing the creative dress. One of them experienced a slight tingle at the “nape of the neck”, while the other a sensation in the stomach; both wanted to hold their breath. The second study used a research participant that was a 44-year-old man who had an interest in fashion but no formal knowledge of it. Within five minutes of walking around the men’s department store there was bodily experience happening due to the clothing. He was presented with t-shirt and based on his observations of the aesthetic, sizing, and quality he felt uncomfortable. The participant stated: “I felt some kind of heaviness, like my heart was sinking. And some sort of desperation. I remember thinking “Why is this even made”” (Van Tienhoven, et. al.2021). Although affect does not produce the same results for people and can be tricky to express in words for participants, the results show that different types of fashion evoke a body experience that is processed into emotion.
Studies have suggested that retail therapy induces impulsive buying, as people who often spend money to compensate for stress tend to buy fashion products. This tendency is called mood regulation, and with online shopping so accessible, and easy with no obstacles, it has risen. The SOAR model (stimulus, organism, response) explains the process of what affects consumers mood and behaviors (Son, et. al.2021). Online shopping is a process of searching, collecting information, and dividing items to find what they need exactly. When they complete online shopping, it gives them a sense of pride for that accomplishment.
Research Objectives
The objective of this research is to determine if there is a correlation between fast fashion consumption and individual mental health, and if so what that correlation is. The purpose of identifying the relationship is to turn consumers to a sustainable and more impactful way of shopping. In doing so, identity formation and emotional responses triggered by fast fashion will be explored to capture the relevant information that will provide reliability in conducting research for this topic. Understanding the brands they shop, their consumption habits, perception of self-esteem and identity. This will help paint a proper picture for correct analysis of data and evaluation to determine if and what the correlation is between fast-fashion and individual mental health.
When conducting the literature review it was found that during stressful events people tend to purchase beyond their needs in order to distract or alleviate themselves from those consuming thoughts. Fast-fashion has picked up speed and a greater audience in the past years with the rise in social media. There is research on clothing being used as a form of expression and as a form of increasing self-esteem. However, there is very little research on the connection between fast-fashion and mental health. By closing the gap society can understand how consumption of trendy, cheap clothing can affect them and others.
Research Methods
Mixed methods research will be used for studying the psychological impacts of fast fashion. This will provide the necessary data for understanding the constructs: material habits, self-esteem, anxiety. They will be understood through the exploration of identity formation and emotional responses triggered by fashion. A survey using qualitative and quantitative questions will be distributed through email, as that will easily obtain our respondents.
Purposive sampling will be the method used for selecting participants. There will be 300 participants in the survey. Purposive sampling is necessary for picking respondents that have the same characteristics: Gen Z women that are fast-fashion or slow fashion consumers. They will consist of different economic and social backgrounds. 150 of the respondents will be fast-fashion consumers and the other 150 are slow-fashion consumers. Before the survey begins classification questions will be asked about them to understand the consumer without crossing an ethical boundary. Questions include age, occupation, range of income they reside with and ethnicity.
An online survey will be distributed through email to gather data on fast-fashion and slow-fashion consumers. It will consist of multiple choice, open-ended and scale questions. There will be a mix of qualitative and quantitative for detailed responses on the psychological impacts of fast-fashion. The constructs that will be measured are material habits, self-esteem, self-identity, and overall mental health. The scale questions will be used for understanding self-esteem and anxiety levels. Due to the sensitive nature of mental health, a survey was deemed the most effective approach. It will allow respondents to feel comfortable and safe so they can provide honest and confident responses. Online surveys have no time restraints; therefore the respondent will not feel rushed, this will allow them to gather their thoughts for in-depth accurate responses.
To ensure ethical guidelines are followed and no vulnerable groups are targeted, there will be a series of informational statements and questions asked before the survey is begun to obtain consent. Information will be provided about what the survey is about, what it will look into (consumer habits and mental health), and if respondents are comfortable with continuing on with the survey. Autonomy is of great importance for the respondents, so information will be provided about how their personal information will not be shared. Furthermore, to ensure participation rates are high an incentive will be given to those that complete it. A $25 Visa gift card will be rewarded to those that complete it; however, respondents have the ability to stop the survey whenever they choose to. Respondents will not be pressed to complete it, as force completion may provide unreliable response and contaminate the data.
Validity and reliability are key elements that ensure data collection is valid. To fully understand the implications of fast fashion on self-esteem, mental health, and sense of identity the survey will capture the process the respondents go through when shopping to determine the full effects of it. By knowing if they are fast fashion or slow fashion consumers, comparison of the two can determine a difference in the short term and long term effects on mental health. Cronbach’s alpha will be used to measure internal validity. To ensure reliability, there will be an equal number of respondents from each consumption, because that will allow for consistent and accurate determination of the differences in mental health implications.
Survey Questions
Purchasing Behaviors
1. "How often do you purchase fast fashion items?"
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Often
Always
2. "What factors influence your decision to purchase fast fashion items? (Select all that apply)"
Price
Trendiness
Availability
Peer influence
Other (please specify)
3. “What are your favorite brands to shop?” (open-ended response)
Attitudes Towards Sustainability
1. “To what extent do you consider the environmental and social impacts of your fashion purchases?”
Not at all
Slightly
Moderately
Very much
Completely
“How important is sustainability to you when purchasing clothing?”
Not important
1. Slightly important
2. Moderately important
3. Very important
4. Extremely important
Perceptions of Quality and Disposability
1. “How do you perceive the quality of fast fashion items compared to more expensive clothing brands?”
1. Much lower quality
2. Somewhat lower quality
3. About the same
4. Somewhat higher quality
5. Much higher quality
2. “How likely are you to dispose of fast fashion items within a year of purchase?”
1. Very unlikely
2. Unlikely
3. Neutral
4. Likely
5. Very likely
Emotional Effects
1. “Do you feel guilt or regret after purchasing fast fashion items?”
1. Never
2. Rarely
3. Sometimes
4. Often
5. Always
2. “Does purchasing fast fashion items affect your self-esteem or how you perceive yourself?”
1. Negatively affects
2. No effect
3. Positively affects
3. “In the long-term are you satisfied with the clothing you have purchased?”
Yes
No
4. Describe anxiety levels (open-ended)
5. Do fashion influencers affect your view or consumption of that brand? (open-ended)
Influence of Fast Fashion on Consumer Choices
1. "Has awareness of the impacts of fast fashion influenced your purchasing decisions?"
1. Yes
2. No
2. If yes, "In what ways has your behavior changed? (open-ended response)"
Data analysis will be conducted using SPSS and NVivo software since there will be a large amount of data. SPSS will assist in organizing and assessing the quantitative data. This tool will help in determining if there is a correlation between fast-fashion consumption and mental health, and what that correlation is. NVivo software will categorize the qualitative data. It will determine themes, evaluate data and discover underlying themes. Analysis using these tools will ensure data is correctly evaluated as well as protected. Names and private information will be coded so that autonomy is preserved.
Expected Results
The expected findings of this research are that there is a correlation between fast-fashion consumption and mental-health. Current studies show that high compulsive and impulsive buying relates to low self-esteem. It is used as a coping mechanism to high levels of stress or negative life events. There are so many brands and options of fast-fashion items that consumers develop decision fatigue which gives them concentration and decision issues that infiltrate their everyday lives. When self-esteem becomes dependent on external factors, shopping is a temporary form of relief. Trends are constantly coming and going, and there will always be people with better clothing items; consumers may feel better after purchasing, but it does not help in the long term. Anxiety, negative self-perception, and diseases such as heavy compulsive buying can arise or worsen.
As more research is conducted on the environmental impact, the more society discovers the harm fast-fashion causes. Discarded outdated clothing is filling landfills at rapid speed, and with the immense amount of garbage the world already has, people are slowly beginning to turn to sustainable ways such as thrifting (purchase of used clothing) . Research has also brought to light the horrors of fast-fashion production. Textile workers are forced to work in gruesome conditions for incredibly long hours and little pay. Children have also been forced into the assistance of fast-fashion. Both of these issues are causing consumers to have negative feelings of fast-fashion. Knowing that their consumption is coming from unethical ways does not sit well with some consumers, as they do not feel good about themselves for contributing to this cycle.
The outcome of fast-fashion consumption correlating with mental health proves to consumers that keeping up with trends helps their mental health decline. Mass production for mass consumption is an unhealthy cycle that has continued to grow for far too long. Gen Z and society have seen a drastic increase in declined individual mental health, and this is not helping them. These outcomes can help society boost their self-esteem, identity and overall mental health with sustainable consumption. Being a slow fashion consumer allows for quality pieces to be purchased that satisfy the consumer without hurting the environment.
Significance, Implications & Limitations
Fast-fashion has changed the fashion industry and making consumers aware of the psychological impacts of fast-fashion aims to bring to light the toxic cycle that fast-fashion has created. In doing so consumers can shop sustainably and be content with themselves and what they have. Social media and marketing tactics such as influencer marketing have consumers hooked to rapidly changing trends that can be bought at cheap prices. It is a fairly new business model, therefore not much studies have been conducted on the psychological impact of fast-fashion on consumers. Conducting research on this topic will educate consumers and shift their consumption habits to a more sustainable way. This will bring more joy and self-esteem to consumers, so that they do not feel the need to support mass production that harms the environment, workers, and themselves.
If enough consumers are aware of the individual negativity fast-fashion poses, change can be made. Policies can be implemented that require fashion brands to meet production and ethical guidelines. In doing so, these brands will be forced to shift their manufacturing process to a sustainable way, therefore consumers will shop sustainably. The environment and textile workers will get the recognition and help necessary to undo the horrors that they have created.
The limitations that are beyond control are consumers ignoring the findings from the research. It is no secret that fast-fashion is toxic. Trends come and go, and the ability for these fast-fashion brands to create popular clothing for such cheap prices has caused landfills to be filled with outdated items. The cheap costs also come from unethical working conditions and pay for workers. More and more information come out about these negative impacts, yet this consumer-driven cycle has continued to rise. It is possible that the expected findings show that fast-fashion has a negative relationship with mental health and consumers continue to shop fast-fashion.
Table 1.3: Fast Fashion Forecasted Market
References
Astoul, Eva. “A List of the Worst Fast Fashion Brands to Avoid & Why (2024).” Sustainably Chic, Sustainably Chic, 3 Jan. 2024, www.sustainably-chic.com/blog/fast-fashion-brands-to-avoid.
“How to Shop for Sustainable Fashion.” Nori Press, nori.co/a/blog/why-slow-fashion-means-buy-less-but-better-quality#:~:text=shop%20for%20clothing%3F-,Slow%20fashion%20is%20all%20about%20buying%20less%2C%20but%20better%20quality,waste%20produced%20and%20landfill%20contributions. Accessed 1 May 2024.
Pacheco, Daniel Costa, et al. “‘cannot stop buying’—integrative review on compulsive buying.” Perspectives and Trends in Education and Technology, 17 Nov. 2021, pp. 551–560, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-5063-5_46.
Denton, Allison. “The Cost of Looking Good: How Fashion and Trend-Based Consumerism Impact the Economy, Law, and Environment.” Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, vol. 30, no. 2, June 2023. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsbig&AN=edsbig.A780289062&site=eds-live&scope=site.
Bardey, Aurore, et al. “Finding Yourself in Your Wardrobe: An Exploratory Study of Lived Experiences with a Capsule Wardrobe.” International Journal of Market Research, vol. 64, no. 1, Jan. 2022, pp. 113–31. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.libdata.lib.ua.edu/10.1177/1470785321993743.
Webster, Grace. “Too Fast of Fashion: A Literature Review on the Destructive Social and Environmental Impacts of Fast Fashion.” Perspectives (University of New Hampshire), vol. 15, no. 1, Jan. 2023, pp. 107–21. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sih&AN=164405481&site=eds-live&scope=site.
Van Tienhoven, Maaike A., and Anneke Smelik. “The Affect of Fashion: An Exploration of Affective Method.” Critical Studies in Fashion & Beauty, vol. 12, no. 2, Dec. 2021, pp. 163–83. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.libdata.lib.ua.edu/10.1386/csfb_00026_1.
Son, Heejung, and Jihyun Lee. “Does Online Shopping Make People Feel Better? The Therapeutic Effect of Online Shopping on Korean Female Consumers’ Mood, Self-Esteem, and Self-Efficacy : Based on the Context of Fashion Product Shopping.” Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, vol. 31, no. 4, Sept. 2021, pp. 580–97. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.libdata.lib.ua.edu/10.1080/21639159.2020.1808821