It is no secret that fast fashion is horrible ethically and environmentally. The average American throws away 80 pounds of textiles per year, which is ridiculous. This happens because trends come in and out of style so quickly, companies like Forever 21, H&M, and others produce clothes as fast as they can, as cheaply as they can, leaving quality out of the equation. They strive to make trends more affordable to the average consumer with reckless disregard of the people who make their clothes and the environment where many of the garments, when they are no longer trendy, are simply tossed away. Contrarywise, when you buy clothes that are constructed better and not simply made for the sake of trends, they tend to last longer so you end up buying fewer clothes, which creates less waste. This is just one of the reasons you should start buying higher quality clothing.
Another reason is the quality of the clothes themselves is higher. They are well constructed and they don’t fall apart after a few times wearing it. They are well fitting and tend to be more comfortable than cheap, scratchy clothes. They are simply made to last longer and be worth the money that you pay for them. Additionally, it just makes you appear more elegant and more put together.
Buying higher quality clothes also reduces the feeling of impulse buying. Yes, quality clothes can be more expensive than fast fashion, but this means that you will put more thought into whether you need a 21st pair of jeans, or if the jeans you already have are fine. They also pay for themselves. If you buy a trendy pair of jeans for $30 and only wear them 5 times before they begin to fray or become dingy, you are essentially paying $6 every time you wear those jeans, whereas when you purchase a $120 pair of jeans and get 50 wears out of them before they become unwearable, you are paying $2.4 for each wear of those jeans, which is not only cheaper, but more cost efficient when you factor in the reduced impulse purchasing.
You also develop more confidence when wearing higher quality clothes. Knowing that your clothes are made well and that they are your style at the same time changes your attitude. You walk with your head held higher because you can feel the difference in quality.
Lastly, the ability to resale clothes is better and you can get more money for them. Let’s face it, our style grows and changes the same way that we do, but when it does, instead of throwing those clothes out, you can resell them on sites such as eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, or Depop and make some of the money back that you spent on them.
Now I know that you’re probably saying that you can’t afford to purchase quality clothing, but I’m not telling you to go out and by every designer garment you see. If you know that you need a new pair of jeans, wait, save your money, and invest in a new pair. Slowly build up a quality wardrobe, it isn’t a race. As you notice you need more of a certain type of garment, put some money aside to save up for that garment. I will leave you with one tip on trying to buy more expensive clothes: buy them offseason. If you notice in March that you need a new crew neck sweater, buy it in early Spring when designers and brands are trying to clear out their winter garments to make room for the new Spring garments.