Latest news with #MargaretBishop
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Experts reveal concerning issue plaguing popular fashion brands: 'A race to the bottom'
While fast fashion is doing numbers for the apparel industry, the quality of the products churned out to consumers is not up to par. Vogue refers to fast fashion as quickly produced clothing trends sold at cheap prices. However, since the products are manufactured rapidly, the end product isn't always satisfying and usually not long-lasting. According to NBC News, experts revealed that fabric accounts for 60% of a garment's total production. When retailers need to save money, quality fabrics are often the first thing to go. Experts believe the decline of quality clothing escalated following the pandemic as retailers tried to recover from poor sales and disorganized supply chains. Margaret Bishop, a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, said the current state of the fashion industry has prompted "a race to the bottom," per NBC News. Despite the less-than-stellar quality, fast fashion appeals to consumers because of the low cost. While overall consumer prices have risen 26% over the last five years, apparel prices have only gone up just 6%. Demand for fast-fashion apparel has spiked in recent years, with the top three global fast-fashion retailers nearly tripling their U.S. market share. Unfortunately, fast fashion is taking a huge toll on the environment. According to Business Insider, the fashion industry produces about 10% of global carbon pollution. It's also the second-largest consumer industry of water. For context, about 700 gallons of water are needed to produce one cotton shirt. Fast fashion also contributes to overflowing landfills. reports that the average American generates 82 pounds of textile waste each year. Slow fashion is an appropriately named movement in reaction to fast fashion, as explained. The goal is to convince companies to stop excessive production and advocate for sustainable fashion practices. Consumers can save hundreds of dollars a year by investing in high-quality clothes rather than fast fashion. Consider shopping at thrift stores or check out resale platforms like ThredUp for apparel that costs less and will last longer. What should the government do about the fast fashion industry? Set strict regulations Incentivize sustainable options Use both regulations and incentives Nothing Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. There are also precautions consumers should take when searching for sustainable clothing. For example, keep an eye out for greenwashing. Certain corporations advertise misleading claims about sustainability while still causing harm to the environment. It's a good idea to research the company or brand prior to making a purchase to confirm the claims are true. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New policy could lead to increased prices on popular websites: 'They're going to have to cut back'
The Trump administration's 10% tariff on goods made in China is sending ripple effects through the fast-fashion industry. Fast-fashion fans are worried that their favorite brands, such as Shein and Temu, will raise their low prices, making their shopping habits less affordable. As The Guardian reported, the new tariff eliminates a trade loophole that allowed fast-fashion companies to ship packages of less than $800 duty-free to the U.S. As a result, economists anticipate price hikes in the near future. Meanwhile, fashionistas have been scrambling to get in their last Shein and Temu orders before items become pricier. On the surface, a hard hit to the fast-fashion industry could be perceived as good news for fair-wage labor, shoppers' long-term clothing investments, and environmental sustainability. However, industry experts doubt that Americans' love of fast fashion will truly decline because of the tariffs. "If anything, I think these tariffs will strengthen fast fashion's hold on customers," Margaret Bishop, from New York's Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology, told the Guardian. "If everything costs more, particularly food, transportation and housing, they're going to have to cut back somewhere." Others are concerned that huge corporations like Shein and Temu will find ways to adapt and still thrive in the fast-fashion economy while smaller businesses suffer. Meanwhile, the tariffs could entice big fast-fashion brands to cut more corners as a way to save money — possibly at the expense of garment workers and the environment. As fast-fashion companies continue to create clothing that rapidly deteriorates and ends up in landfills, it's more important than ever to embrace shopping alternatives that don't contribute to growing mounds of textile waste or put people's health at risk. What should be done to make home solar panels cheaper? More tax incentives Lower installation costs Better loan options They're cheap enough already Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. As an individual, you can break up with fast fashion by deleting brand apps from your phone and focusing your wardrobe on high-quality items designed to last. You can actually save money in the long run by shopping at thrift stores. Meanwhile, you can make money off your old clothes and give them a second chance at life before they go into the trash. In response to a Yahoo News Facebook post about the fast-fashion tariff, one shopper commented, "At least maybe it will keep me from buying stuff from Temu that I really don't need." Someone else wrote, "Shouldn't buy from Shein anyway. They steal designs, and the quality is awful. Find better brands instead of this garbage." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
NBC News
09-02-2025
- Business
- NBC News
New clothes feel cheap? They really don't make them like they used to
You're not imagining it: Well-made clothing is harder to come by. The U.S. fashion industry is having a hard time maintaining quality standards amid stiff competition from overseas rivals and supply-chain shakeups. Twenty-seven percent of textile and apparel professionals reported that ensuring consistent quality was 'difficult' or 'very difficult' over the past year, up from 23% in 2024, according to a recent survey the product auditing firm QIMA provided to NBC News. 'There has been a significant reduction in the quality of the fabric for a number of the major brands and retailers,' said Margaret Bishop, a textile development and marketing professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She said the decline intensified during the recovery from the pandemic, when apparel makers scrambled to untangle disrupted supply chains and contended with weak sales during global lockdowns. The corner-cutting is partly a tradeoff on price — a bet that the fashion industry has placed on inflation-weary shoppers' willingness to accept lower-quality garments that don't break the bank. Since 2019, consumer prices overall have risen 26%, food is up 30% and cars are up 25%, but apparel prices have inched just 6% higher. There has been a significant reduction in the quality of the fabric for a number of the major brands and retailers. Margaret Bishop, Fashion Institute of Technology Clothing retailers 'know if they raise the price, they lose consumers,' said Sheng Lu, a professor of fashion and apparel studies at the University of Delaware. While a basic wardrobe of clothing and shoes is essential, households typically approach such purchases as discretionary — nice-to-haves, at least relative to keeping their cars filled with gas and their fridges stocked with milk and eggs. And over the past year, consumers have repeatedly proved to be laser-focused on value, chasing deals and discounts wherever they can find them. When it comes to garments and footwear, Americans often find the best prices among sellers overseas, including the China-linked e-commerce giants Shein and Temu. The ultracheap foreign retailers have given domestic rivals such a run for their money that they drew a crackdown from the Biden administration, and the Trump administration's new China tariffs could crimp them further. China is already the largest exporter of apparel to the United States, and QIMA's factory inspections found the failure rate, or share of textile and apparel products with too many defects for market, rose to 13.7% last year from 12.7% in 2023. As many apparel brands move more production out of China to reduce their labor costs and exposure to tariffs, they're gravitating toward countries with even higher failure rates: India's is 21.2%, Cambodia's is 16.6%, and Indonesia's is 14.2%. 'Someone who's running this factory maybe doesn't have three decades of experience' in many of the emerging garment production markets, said Joseph Ng, CEO of Shift Fashion Group, a consultancy that works with manufacturers. 'It takes a long time to get a large enough workforce to the point where they know what to do exactly.' Those issues are compounded when workers are pushed to generate quantity over quality, he added. The silver lining is that overall global quality levels have remained relatively flat in recent years, QIMA said, and failure rates in several key manufacturing countries improved noticeably last year. Nevertheless, the environment spurred 'a race to the bottom,' Bishop said, at a time when labor and raw materials costs were rising rapidly. Demand for both domestic and foreign fast-fashion brands' low-cost apparel has surged. From 2020 to 2024, the top three global fast-fashion retailers — Shein (based in China), Zara (Spain) and H&M (Sweden) — nearly tripled their U.S. market share, according to data from Euromonitor. Many other domestic fashion brands have struggled to compete, resorting to promotions to prop up sales and cost-cutting to offset the impact on their profit margins. Fabric accounts for 60% of a garment's total production cost, Lu estimated, with labor typically clocking in around 30% and trim — zippers, buttons or decorative details — making up the rest. So when retailers look to save money, fabric is one of the first components to get downgraded. Quality can vary widely even within a single brand's clothing line, depending on where each of its items is made, Ng said. Large retailers 'use buying houses that will actually produce in different regions, producing different products,' he said. That's one reason a brand might simultaneously produce high-quality, well-fitting T-shirts and shoddy jeans with haphazard stitching. The biggest misconception when it comes to fashion is that luxury goods and high-end goods mean quality. Joseph Ng, CEO of Shift Fashion Group Julia Hughes, president of the U.S. Fashion Industry Association, acknowledged anecdotal reports of quality concerns in a statement but said that 'for our members — well-known brands and retailers — they maintain the same or better quality requirements today.' For shoppers looking for the best bang for their buck, it can make for a frustrating experience. To identify well-made clothing, Bishop recommends taking the time to examine each garment closely in person. Stitching and fabric are two key indicators of overall quality, she said, adding that heavier fabrics tend to be more durable than lightweight ones. Bishop also suggests holding garments up to the light to check for small holes or uneven yarn tension. Stitches should be tight, with ideally eight stitches per inch. Avoid garments with loosely sewn buttons and fabrics that lose their shape after they're stretched, she advised. 'There's a myth that if something's made from synthetic, it's bad, it's cheap,' Bishop said. Nylon is very durable, for example, and polyester is great at wicking sweat. Ng said: 'It's really about the right application. When it comes to athletic wear, you don't want cotton leggings.' He also cautioned that steep prices don't necessarily signify better craftsmanship. 'The biggest misconception when it comes to fashion is that luxury goods and high-end goods mean quality,' Ng said. He added that 'there is a movement starting to happen where consumers want higher-quality clothing.' Consumers are increasingly valuing repairability, durability and quality, Euromonitor's market research has found, a trend that coincides with growing interest in secondhand clothing. The more shoppers are turned off by poorly made, low-cost garments, the more brands have an opportunity to differentiate themselves on 'quality and service,' said Marguerite LeRolland, an apparel and footwear industry manager at Euromonitor. That, in turn, can help 'justify higher prices and fewer promotions,' she said.
