New clothes ARE kinda garbage these days, from low quality synthetic fabrics…to zippers that are a problem from the very first wear…to lack of detail and poor fit. And the low quality and short lifespan of this clothing is creating an environmental and ethical crisis for the planet and its people.

Just about every garment produced by fast fashion brands starts as a great design….that is “too expensive” to make in order to meet pricing and profitability targets. So the team chips away at it until the math starts to math. And often you’re left with something that only slightly resembles the original design.

Last year I released a three part series of the podcast about why new clothes are kinda garbage these days.

Among other things in that series, we discuss:

★ What is planned obsolescence and how does it impact cars, phones, electronics…and clothing?

★ The process of clothing creation, from design to sample to finished product.

★ The changes buyers make to hit the profitability targets set by company leadership.

★ How fabric is a big part of the formula (and why so many garments are synthetic now).

★ How overproduction is impacting product quality.

★ How the illusion of free shipping is widening economic inequality AND driving down the quality of the things we buy.

★ How the nonstop parade of DEALZ DEALZ DEALZ is also responsible for a sharp decrease in clothing quality

★ And how/why brands will continue to make terrible clothes as long as we are still buying them.

See? I told you it is a lot to break down! You can start the series with episode 187.

One thing remains consistent in the fashion industry…

Sales + profitability must increase every year.

Each year, buyers are given targets that they must achieve in order to keep their jobs.
These targets includes sales plans and margin targets (profitability) that are higher than the previous year.
These margin targets dictate the target cost for anything that buying/design/production makes. The higher the margin, the lower the cost of the product.
These increased targets sort of “build up” over a span of a 10-15 years. Over time, clothing must become either MORE expensive for the customer or LESS expensive to make.
But raising prices for customers is a risky idea in the era of fast fashion, when most brands have raced their way to to the bottom. Instead, the clothing must be cheaper to make.
The expenses of running a big retailer/brand have changed a lot in the fast fashion/ecommerce era. And they have had a major impact on the way these businesses budget.
To cover these costs, buyers are given much higher margin targets. Roughly 30% higher than the beginning of my career.
That means that customers are receiving a 30% lower quality product than they were in say, 2008.
It didn’t happen overnight. It was incremental over the last 15 years…the margin targets were just a tiny bit higher each year. We almost didn’t feel it. And then 15 years later, it’s like, “whoa, we do things completely differently now.” And the quality of the clothing is completely different, even with more “premium” brands.

Special interlude: what about tariffs?

First things first: No, tariffs are not going to bring apparel production back to the US any time soon. Building the production infrastructure for that would take at least a decade.

Brands have three options:

take a hit in profitability due to the tariffs (very unlikely when shareholders are involved),
increase prices for customers (possible, but then again, we are addicted to cheap clothes)
decrease the cost of producing that clothing.
In this post, we will be exploring how corporate teams cut costs to produce garments, resulting in low quality and worse conditions for workers. Tariffs will result in an even more extreme version of this process: clothes get more garbage-y, and workers suffer more.

It always starts with swapping the fabric/yarn…

This is going to surprise all of you sewists and knitters, but the fabric/yarn is always the most expensive part of a garment in the mass fashion/fast fashion realm. It SHOULD be the labor and skill required to create these garments, but that’s just a testament to the worker exploitation in the fashion industry.
Swapping the fabric is imperative. Changing to cheaper fabric can get the style 75% of the way to the target cost. In many cases it is a polyester blend. It’s no wonder that 65-70% of new clothing is synthetic.
Synthetic fabric technology has gotten really good. It’s so hard to spot because it can have different kinds of textures, drapes, and washes that disguise it. And customers rarely reject it. That’s the thing: retailers would stop using so much polyester if people stopped buying it. After all, they are in the business of making money.
The team might swap the fabric 2,3,4 times until they find one that works with the design, meets the price target, and also doesn’t have a high duty (tariff) rate. It also can’t be too flammable or not take the dye color well.
If it’s an item that kinda has to be a natural fiber (like t-shirts), they might try to add a little bit of poly to bring the price down.
If that’s not an option, they will use a thinner fabric.
If it’s a sweater, the team will swap to an open, loose knit so that it uses less yarn and weighs less.

Yes, the fabric used in today’s clothing is not as good as it was before fast fashion.

Next, it’s time to cut the cost of trims.

We’re talking about buttons, zippers, snaps, and hooks. All the functional pieces of a garment. Most of these save only a few cents, but fashion is a pennies game. Every cent matters when you are trying to hit your sales target. In an industry that that makes 150 billion garments every year, even one penny can generate $1.5 billion in profit.
Zippers can often have the biggest impact, with a swap from a nice YKK metal zipper into a no-name, semi plastic zipper saving $1-2. Sometimes more if it’s a huge zipper. Or maybe the zipper might be dropped altogether in favor of an elastic waist or smocking.
Snaps and buttons will be swapped into less expensive versions, too. Or removed altogether! Even shifting from functional buttons with buttonholes to merely decorative buttons makes a difference.

And then the details start disappearing.

At this point in the process, the garment probably still closely resembles the original (especially if you take off your glasses). But that will change in this step, when the team is trying everything it can to hit the target price.
Pockets will disappear first. In fact, production probably already assumed that would happen and has revised costing based on that.
The lining will be removed (or swapped to something cheaper or shortened). This is why linings are so shoddy these days.
Maxi skirts become minis. Long sleeves become short sleeves. Tops are turned into crops.
Embellishment will be minimized.
I can’t help but think this part of the process actually creates fashion trends. If you are only offered crop tops, you’ll start to think that longer shirts are no longer cool. Would you feel differently if you knew these were the only option just because they are cheaper?

But wait…there’s more…

Sizes are dropped. It might mean swapping from numbered sizes to S-XL. Or skipping the largest and smallest sizes. Options like “tall” and “petite” are off the table. Less sizes = lower cost.
Fittings and samples are skipped because they cost money (and time). So nothing is “exactly right” when it goes into production.
Production pushes over and over again on the factory to come down on pricing. The factory will revisit their costs. They know if they don’t give in, the order won’t happen. So they might decide to cut their staff or pay them less. Or subcontract to another factory that pays even less. Maybe that factory will subcontract to an even cheaper factory that uses forced labor or child labor. These low costs and high profit targets have a human cost.

Another interlude: what about Shein + Temu?

SHEIN, Temu, AliExpress, and any brand that was dropshipping from China, have been offering artificially low prices that are not possible without a combination of low quality, human exploitation, and duty free shipping.

These companies were already cutting the cost to produce clothing just like every other brand because they wanted to undercut everyone else. And they were boosted by the “de minimis” loophole, which allowed packages worth less than $800 to ship into the United States. Basically SHEIN would have never become a big player without de minimis.

Now that loophole has been closed, so customers will have to pay duties on their orders. SHEIN may raise prices and pay the duties for customers…but they will also be cutting quality and paying garment workers less to make the math work.

What YOU can do:

Support legislation like the Fashion Act, which will (finally) regulate this largely unregulated industry. Learn more at thefashionact.org
Contact your elected representatives to tell them that you want legislation that will regulate the fashion industry and protect both workers and customers.
Buy less new clothing. Revisit the clothes you already own. Use care and repair to extend the life of what you already own. Shop secondhand when possible. And when you do buy something, do your homework: read product details and check out the care/content labels.
Tell brands that you are sick of being ripped off by low quality/poorly fitting clothing.
Share why new clothes are kinda garbage with your friends and family. Get them to join the slow fashion movement!

Want to Support Amanda's Work on Clotheshorse?

If you want to share your opinion/additional thoughts on the subjects we cover in each episode, feel free to email, whether it’s a typed out message or an audio recording: [email protected]

Clotheshorse is brought to you with support from the following sustainable small businesses:

Slow Fashion Academy is a size-inclusive sewing and patternmaking studio based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded by designer and fashion professor Ruby Gertz. Ruby just launched CLO3D for Custom Fit: a 12-week beginner-friendly online course in virtual patternmaking with CLO3D software. Instead of making sample after sample, you can now customize avatars that match your real body measurements and fit-test garments virtually—before cutting into a single piece of fabric. You can also work from your pre-existing paper or PDF patterns!

This course is designed to get you over the initial hump to working confidently in the program. It includes 300+ bite-size video lessons spaced out over 12 weeks, weekly live Q&A calls for accountability, a custom body scan to use as a you-sized virtual dress form, and a super supportive community of like-minded designers that are all learning together in a cohort. Perfect for indie patternmakers, emerging designers, or anyone who wants to design clothes that actually fit their one-of-a-kind body.

Learn more about the course, as well as our in-person sewing and patternmaking workshops at www.slowfashion.academy.

Deco Denim is a startup based out of San Francisco, selling clothing and accessories that are sustainable, gender fluid, size inclusive and high quality–made to last for years to come. Deco Denim is trying to change the way you think about buying clothes. Founder Sarah Mattes wants to empower people to ask important questions like, “Where was this made? Was this garment made ethically? Is this fabric made of plastic? Can this garment be upcycled and if not, can it be recycled?” Signup at decodenim.com to receive $20 off your first purchase. They promise not to spam you and send out no more than 3 emails a month, with 2 of them surrounding education or a personal note from the Founder. Find them on Instagram as @deco.denim.

Selina Sanders, a social impact brand that specializes in up-cycled clothing, using only reclaimed, vintage or thrifted materials: from tea towels, linens, blankets and quilts. Sustainably crafted in Los Angeles, each piece is designed to last in one’s closet for generations to come. Maximum Style; Minimal Carbon Footprint.

Republica Unicornia Yarns: Hand-Dyed Yarn and notions for the color-obsessed. Made with love and some swearing in fabulous Atlanta, Georgia by Head Yarn Wench Kathleen. Get ready for rainbows with a side of Giving A Damn! Republica Unicornia is all about making your own magic using small-batch, responsibly sourced, hand-dyed yarns and thoughtfully made notions. Slow fashion all the way down and discover the joy of creating your very own beautiful hand knit, crocheted, or woven pieces. Find us on Instagram @republica_unicornia_yarns and at www.republicaunicornia.com.

Cute Little Ruin is an online shop dedicated to providing quality vintage and secondhand clothing, vinyl, and home items in a wide range of styles and price points. If it’s ethical and legal, we try to find a new home for it! Vintage style with progressive values. Find us on Instagram at @CuteLittleRuin.