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A viral tweet has sparked a fierce online discussion about how clothing quality has declined over the years, with 2014 shirts lasting much longer than current similar options that are falling apart at the seams.
‘Fuck fast fashion, but the clothes I bought in 2014 at Urban Outfitters have lasted 8 times longer than their “sustainable” slow fashion brand,’ US-based X (formerly Twitter) user. Arianawho calls himself @virtualjew, wrote in a now-viral thread.
Arianna later tweeted, “Most of my American Apparel clothes don’t fit me anymore because (because) they were tight, but just (thanks) to UO for lasting all these… years,” before continuing, “There should be a separate review site where you are only allowed to review products after you have owned them for 5-10 years.’
The tweet was favorited more than 42,000 times, as commenters agreed that their newer items did not last as long as clothing purchased in the early and mid-2000s.
American X user Arianna’s (pictured) viral tweet has sparked a fierce discussion online about how fast fashion has ruined the quality of clothing over the years.
“Fuck fast fashion, but the clothes I bought in 2014 at Urban Outfitters have lasted 8 times longer than their ‘sustainable’ slow fashion brand,” she wrote. Pictured on the left are Urban Outfitters t-shirts and on the right, another fast fashion brand, American Apparel.
One commenter, who tweets as Sustainable Girl, explained: “Well, in the past, there were no ‘trends’ that changed at the speed of light.”
One commenter joked, “Me in my 2011 American Apparel skater dress,” while another tweeted, “My 2007 American Eagle pieces are still in rotation.” What were they making them out of? Do all the seams hang straight after all these years? They are all stiff cotton-like garments.
Another notable brand from the mid-aughts? Band t-shirts from pop punk haven Hot Topic, with one person noting, “I have Hot Topic band t-shirts from high school in better condition than the t-shirts I bought less than a year ago.” What happened?! (I know, it was a pursuit of profit).’
Another commenter clarified: ‘There is actually a very good reason for this! Typically, places like Urban Outfitters like to use synthetic fibers (aka plastic), which can last much longer than natural fibers, which is (probably) what slow brands use.
“The downside is that they don’t break down, so if you’re the type of person who will wear the same clothes for 10+ years, synthetic pieces will work better for you, but if you like to follow trends, choose natural fibers, as They will break down.Fabric choice is more nuanced than many people realize.
“Unfortunately, most clothing is polyester/plastic now,” another fashion fan tweeted, suggesting Quince for durable organic cotton clothing.
One person expressed the opinion that some sustainable brands are not durable, explaining: “I have never bought sustainable products because I can’t afford them, but I have heard that they don’t last.” “I think clothes that you can wear for a long time are much more sustainable than clothes that become rags.”
Other commenters took issue with the material the products are made of, with one tweeting: “I bought vegan leather boots and they started peeling off after a few months.” I got angry and bought hard leather combat boots to replace them. These will last a lifetime.’
On
Another agreed: “Funny but true, in some ways sustainability has been warped by capitalism.”
Many people simply focused on how well their old clothes lasted, tweeting, “I still wear almost all the clothes I bought in 2013. I think a lot of things were built better back then: quality fabrics, good stitching, good fit.” They were built more to use than to look at.
One commenter joked: “Fast fashion will disintegrate after two wears or it will outlive you and your children.”
So why don’t clothes last more than one trend cycle? FEMAIL spoke to fast fashion and sustainable clothing experts to find out.
Brooklyn-based author and professor Elizabeth Clinewho wrote The Conscious Closet and is an expert in fast fashion and sustainability, told FEMAIL: “One of the main reasons quality has changed is that prices and consumer habits have changed.”
“Because clothing is so cheap and consumers don’t keep it for as long, there is simply less need to create long-lasting products,” Elizabeth explained.
“Consumers are willing to trade some aspects of quality rather than fashion and affordability.”
People complained that their old shirts and dresses from Urban Outfitters (left, Monica Irani in 2004) and American Apparel (right) lasted longer than current brands.
Elizabeth added that multiple factors led to more expensive but lower quality products, including the fact that “Very cheap polyester and other synthetic materials are much more popular and ubiquitous than they were a decade or two ago, and the quality of these materials is much better than in previous years.’
The era of buying things so they last is practically behind us.
According to Isabel, ‘Cheap synthetics that imitate luxury materials pushed quality natural fabrics like cashmere, leather, wool and 100 percent cotton into a more luxury niche.
There’s a reason why it’s hard to find affordable cotton and cashmere. “Clothing manufacturers know they can charge more for these better, mostly natural materials than they used to because they are harder to come by and most consumers can simply use synthetic imitations,” Elizabeth advised.
However, the fashion sustainability expert does believe that fast fashion today is of higher quality, although not as durable.
Now, Elizabeth thinks “the materials feel better and perform better, the seam is straighter, the dyes hold their color longer, and the fit is better.”
Elizabeth explained that the reason garments seem to fall apart is because brands often skip the final steps, like lining a garment or tailoring an item to perfection, because they know that “most consumers buy clothes to wear for a long time.” some seasons and brands and retailers would rather sell more clothes than make us wear things until they wear out.’
“The era of buying things so they last is practically behind us,” Elizabeth warned.
Today, clothing is only meant to survive the trend cycle and will not last as long because it is made from synthetic fabrics and is not perfectly tailored or lined.
While some people on X complained that sustainable brands don’t last as long, these brands are ultimately better for fashion’s long-term environmental impact.
“Many brands that market themselves as sustainable have dramatically changed the production process they use to make new materials,” Elizabeth said.
“Overall, they use less water, they use safer chemicals, they create less waste, they use fibers that regenerate instead of depleting the earth, they support ethical working conditions, and if they don’t do these things, they shouldn’t do it.” promote themselves as green,” Elizabeth said.
But that doesn’t mean all products are perfect. “Some of them are startups and quality or adaptation issues are sometimes simply growth issues,” Elizabeth clarified.
Retailers have focused on fast delivery and cheap production.
Dr. Jay Yooassociate professor at Baylor University in Texas who researches consumer perspectives, told DailyMail.com: “In general, we see more and more consumers purchasing clothing as if the clothing were disposable.”
“Relative to income, people spend less money on clothing, while they buy more items,” Dr. Yoo revealed.
Because they buy more for less, Dr. Yoo explained, “fast fashion retailers produce lower quality clothing and sell it to consumers.”
According to Dr. Yoo, published in the Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, fast fashion “looks good on mannequins, but it doesn’t last after a few washes.”
Retailers are now focusing more on “fast delivery and cheap production” than on craftsmanship, the associate professor said.
And because trends are changing so quickly, Dr. Yoo said that “consumers would like to buy more clothes at an affordable price.”