It’s a bold statement, but it definitely is true: capitalism destroyed the fashion industry. Whether you like it or not, this is not how we are supposed to consume clothing. We have no right to consume mindlessly at the expense of the only Planet we can live on.
Capitalism’s impact on especially the European fashion industry since the 1980s has been profound in its destructiveness. Capitalism has affected the way we produce clothing, how we behave and think as consumers, and how our environment evolves. In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s evolving in the wrong direction.
Many scientists have openly admitted that it’s already too late to turn this ship around. But then there are those, like me, who believe that there is still a sliver of hope out there! And if we wish to have any chance of maintaining our existence, we must acknowledge where we need to do better.
That’s why I’m here! In this article I will prove to you how capitalism is 100% responsible for the plight of the true fashion industry and the climate crisis that just keeps getting worse by the minute.
NOTE that these points don’t just apply to the fashion industry, but to all kinds of consumerism.
How Capitalism Destroyed the Fashion Industry
It’s obvious that we can’t keep on going as we have done:
- doing shopping hauls of clothes just to showcase them on social media
- buying cheap junk just because it’s ridiculously cheap
- having our wardrobes full of clothing with price tags still attached
- wearing a garment once and then tossing it
In case you are ready to admit that capitalism destroyed the fashion industry, and want to do better for yourself and the planet, it’s time to reshift your mindset towards shopping. We can, and should, all contribute to a better future. As the famous slogan goes, every little helps!
And if you are not yet ready to give up on your in fact poisonous Shein and Temu hauls, please at least consider these 11 points:
1. The fast fashion business model is a road to ruin
The rise of fast fashion giants (like Zara and H&M) has led to the mass production of inexpensive clothing. Inexpensive often also means very poor quality.
Mainly because this business model prioritizes speed and cost over quality. And not just quality, it also leads to a decline in craftsmanship and redirects the focus on disposable fashion.
But fashion is not disposable! Every garment you buy will stay on this planet. This obviously contributes to environmental degradation due to increased waste and pollution from production processes. And this is just the beginning of how capitalism destroyed the fashion industry.
2. Capitalism doesn’t recognize human or workers’ rights
Minimizing costs means that something has to yield, right? This has led to many European fashion companies moving their production to countries with cheaper labour. These countries also conveniently don’t often have labour laws aimed to protect workers’ rights.
So, the way capitalism destroyed the fashion industry goes a lot deeper than just poor quality clothing. This shift has also impacted people making your clothes.
Fast fashion business model is based on maintaining poor working conditions and exploitation in factories abroad. This also means completely undermining local European industries and artisans. Talk about disrespect!
The impact that is most clear in all of this is the fact that we no longer understand how clothes are made. If you ask your grandparents, they should have some sort of an idea of how much resources it takes to make a simple T-shirt.
But us younger generations… We are completely disconnected from the production process and its ethical implications. On purpose! It’s also known as brainwashing, which is the base of capitalism.
More on the topic: 40 Simple Everyday Tips to Fight Capitalism
3. Trends = we all look the same
If you don’t care about the state of the environment or the rights of the people who make your clothes, how about you yourself?
Capitalism’s drive for profit has led to a focus on trends and mass appeal, reducing the diversity and uniqueness of fashion. In practice this means that if you blindly follow trends, you’re part of the grey mass. While for some this is totally fine, even preferred, lack of individual styles is a loss for us all.
This has also meant that traditional and regional styles have been overshadowed by global trends, which has led to a loss of cultural identity in fashion. This has diminished the variety of fashion available and pressured designers to conform to mainstream trends.
For me, that sounds like an absolute nightmare. It’s also so wrong on so many levels. I’ve always made sure I don’t dress according to trends but according to what I like. Has that made me stick out like a fly in the milk? Absolutely. That’s the whole point!
4. Climate change is accelerating
The capitalistic emphasis on fast production and low costs has led to extremely unsustainable practices, such as the use of harmful dyes and synthetic fabrics. These result in large carbon footprints from global supply chains, which contribute greatly to the climate crisis.
Capitalism destroyed the fashion industry and made it one of the biggest contributors to environmental damage, including pollution, waste, and resource depletion. All of this affects our natural ecosystems and contributes to climate change.
It’s not nice to hear it, but by shopping fast fashion you are also contributing to climate change. You are also supporting criminal business operations, even if they’re abroad. At this stage it’s no different from supporting human trafficking.
5. Quality and durability are nonexistent
Adding everything up so far makes it clear that fast fashion’s focus on affordability has led to lower quality materials and construction.
Basically this means that clothing items are designed to be short-lived. The point of this is to encourage a cycle of frequent purchasing and discarding of clothes. Which is extremely damaging to our environment and in the long run also to our mental health.
When the overall durability of fashion products has dropped, it has led to greater consumption, which leads to waste piling up. Capitalism destroyed the fashion industry and next it will destroy this planet.
More about this topic: Quality Over Quantity: The Future of Fashion in 2025
6. Capitalism forces luxury brands to downgrade
The things that set luxury brands apart from most fashion/clothing brands is the fact that they are owned by the designers. They produce quality over quantity, which is reflected in their pricing. And the quality and detailing on, for example, luxury bags is truly phenomenal.
But here’s the kicker: once a luxury brand goes public, it loses the luxury. Because when it goes public, the business model changes from quality to quantity.
The brand is no longer owned by the designer(s) but by stakeholders. And they don’t give a toss about the products, they just want to get paid more.
The latest proof of luxury brands lowering themselves to the level of fast fashion brands came from Dior. Thanks to the fact that capitalism destroyed the fashion industry, Dior was suddenly reguired to produce 5000 bags in no time whatsoever.
Now, with actual artisans and proper craftsmanship this is impossible. So, Dior hired a factory in Italy, that did not comply by any labour laws, so produce bags for a mere 53€ per bag.
Those bags were then to be sold for over 4000€. Now, why would anyone pay that much for a fast fashion bag?
7. Intellectual property issues
If you’re an artist sharing your work online, you’re probably already familiar with this extremely unfair phenomena. The competitive nature of capitalism has increased instances of design plagiarism and intellectual property theft.
Original designers and smaller brands often find their designs copied by larger corporations without proper credit or compensation, undermining creativity and innovation.
There are plenty of examples of Shein stealing Western designers’ works and using them for its own gains. The designers, who did all the work, are left to lick their wounds.
8. Brand value is declining fast
When capitalism destroyed the fashion industry, it wasn’t enough to just degrade the quality of our clothes. It went even further by making the role of brands obsolete.
Intense competition and the proliferation of cheap brands have saturated the market with numerous products and labels.
- The saturation has diluted brand value as a whole and reduced consumer loyalty.
- This makes it near impossible for new or niche brands to establish themselves.
- And for established brands it means that maintaining their market position gets a lot harder without constant innovation or heavy discounting.
That has led to certain luxury brands attempting to cut costs by moving their production from Europe to Asia. This obviously devalues the brand itself. Why would you pay thousands of €£$ for a leather bag that was manufactured in a fast fashion factory? There’s no craftsmanship or artistry of any sort involved in that.
9. Shift in consumer culture
Capitalism has promoted a culture of over-consumption and instant gratification in fashion. We’ve been brainwashed to think that cheap clothes are our right, not a privilege. This, of course, is NOT true!
The cultural shift happened because we have been encouraged to frequently buy new items rather than invest in timeless pieces. This has led to a throwaway culture, where clothing is discarded after minimal use, which increases environmental waste.
So, basically we consumers are partly to blame for the fact that consumerism destroyed the fashion industry.
10. We are losing traditional craftsmanship
The capitalistic emphasis on mass production has diminished the role of traditional craftsmanship and artisanal skills. These skills are no longer passed down generations because they have become obsolete. This is a massive issue for all of us, even though only few of us seem to understand the implications.
Many traditional techniques and local crafts have already been lost or significantly diminished. This leads to a decline in the quality and uniqueness of fashion products available in the market.
11. Economic inequality and social impact
The disparity between high-end luxury fashion and fast fashion has widened economic inequality within the fashion industry. If you think that the fact that consumerism destroyed the fashion industry doesn’t affect you, think again.
The widening of the ‘wealth gap’ has created a divide where a small group of people enjoys high-quality, expensive fashion, while the majority relies on affordable, mass-produced bad quality items. This has social implications, including class distinctions based on clothing.
There was a time when being poor didn’t mean that you would have to look as such. But with this development that’s exactly what we are now coming to: if you shop cheap, you look cheap. Now, is that a bad thing as such, that’s a conversation for another day.
Final Thoughts
While capitalism has enabled the growth and democratization of fashion, it has also driven the industry towards practices that compromise quality, sustainability, and ethical standards.
The push for profitability and efficiency often comes at the expense of the environment, traditional practices, and equitable labour standards. But it also comes at the expense of our individual style and our ability to express ourselves.
Even though capitalism destroyed the fashion industry, it doesn’t mean that there wouldn’t be a way back. We already know that a lot of the ultra fast fashion that comes from China is covered in toxic chemicals, which makes it dangerous for us to wear.
So, if we are able to make a reverse culture shift towards shopping better for our own sakes as much as the environment’s, maybe clothing production will see a swing backwards. The more clothing factories are re-established in Europe, the more their prices will come down.
That way we could re-establish high quality clothing, save traditional craftsmanship and boost European brands, which all constitute towards each of us being able to dress better and express ourselves more freely without harming anyone. Wouldn’t that be just brilliant? ♥
Follow me on Instagram and use #styleoutlandish to showcase your style! I’m always on the lookout for outfit inspiration. Get to know me better by listening to my podcast, Random Rambles. If you wish to work with me, check out my services here!
