How Fast Fashion Affects the Product
Lifecycle of JeansEthan BrownTiffany RamroopDr. Susana Velez - Faculty Sponsor
What is Fast Fashion? Short production & distribution lead times Highly fashionable (“trendy”) product design
Motivation Consumer-driven phenomenon Sustainability “Moderately-priced brands, [are] getting rocked by the fast fashion trend. Stars
like H&M, Zara and Forever 21 are responding to the latest fashion trends at warp speed, leaving older brands like [Aeropostale,] Banana Republic and American Eagle in the dust.” (Egan, 2016).
Research Question
Is there a quantitative connection that can support hypotheses regarding how fast fashion has a higher environmental impact than traditional fashion?
What is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?
Research Methods
Preliminary Survey - Sample Scope - UWG students under the age of 35 Sample (n=83)
Focus on Correlation Gender: Male 41% Female 59%
Preliminary Results
Why do People Buy New Jeans
Purchase Frequency
“Why do you not buy brands with a low impact?”
6%
35%58%
Cost Not InterestedDidn't Know it Existed
Almost Significant Findings Almost significant trend for FF vs Price (r=0.16, p=0.13)
Strong correlation between Price & Forever21 (r = 0.24, p=.03) Moderate correlation between Price & Owning Rue21 (r=0.19,
p=0.08) Almost significant trend for FF vs Buying Used Jeans (r=0.16,
p=0.13)
Significant Findings “Owning Fast Fashion Brands” and “Lack of Knowledge about
Environmental Impact” (r=0.21, p=0.07) “Frequency of purchases” &“Owning Fast Fashion Brands” (r=0.31,
p=0.005) “Total # of jeans owned” &“Owning Fast Fashion brands” (r=0.30,
p= 0.006)
LEVI’S® 501® JEAN LIFECYCLE IMPACT
Non - Findings Buying new jeans due to damage of old jeans and fast fashion
(r=-0.08, p=0.48) Washing vs. Frequency of Purchase (r=0.10, p=0.28) . Gender & Frequency of washing jeans (r=0.07, p=0.55)
Recommendations
Consumer Recommendations Impact of process alterations vs.
change in consumer behavior Buying Less or Used Washing Less (with cold water) and Air
Drying Donating Instead of “Throwing in the
Trash”
LEVI’S® 501® JEAN LIFECYCLE IMPACT
Producer Recommendations Use sustainably grown cotton, hemp, bamboo, and other fiber
crops Recycling polymers and cotton fibers Use of polymers created from plant-based materials Create awareness of low-environmental impact products.
Limitations Future Research
Work attire regulations affects on purchasing jeans
Brand availability to consumers depending on size
Geolocation’s effects on brands purchased due to consumer tastes and availability
Fast Fashion effect on jeans versus its effect on other articles of clothing
Age reach of Fast Fashion (should we lower our target group?)
How long is product life & what happens at end of life?
What is the impact of cost on the decision process of buying brands with low environmental impact?
ReferencesCachon, G.P. & Swinney, R. 2011. The Value of Fast Fashion: Quick Response, Enhanced Design, and Strategic
Consumer Behavior. Management Science, 57:4: 778 - 795
Claudio, L. 2007. Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry. Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry. Environmental Health Perspectives, 115 (9): pg. A448
Egan, M. 2016. The Clock is Ticking on Aeropostale; Aeropostale is dying -- a victim of fast fashion and fickle teen tastes. CNN Money. Retrieved March 17, 2016 http://money.cnn.com/2016/03/18/investing/aeropostale-dying-fast-fashion/index.html
Hackett, T. 2015. A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Denim Jeans and a Cotton T-shirt: The Production of Fast Fashion Essential Items from Cradle to Gate. University of Kentucky, 115 pp.
ISO 14040:2006 Environmental management -- Life cycle assessment -- Principles and framework, 2006-07-01. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland. Retrieved March 17, 2016 http://www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_detail?csnumber=37456
LeviStrauss&Co. 2015. The Life Cycle of a Jean - Understanding the environmental impact of a pair of Levi's 501 jeans. Retrieved March 17, 2016 http://levistrauss.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Full-LCA-Results-Deck-FINAL.pdf
Van Oers, L. & Guinée, J. 2016. The Abiotic Depletion Potential: Background, Updates, and Future. Resources, 5:(16): 12 pp.