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.