Victorian Fast Fashion? The Truth about the History of Disposable Clothing

The term Fast Fashion is all over the news lately, but what exactly does it mean and how far back can we trace it? The history may surprise you! Generally, fast fashion is thought to be clothing that is made rapidly, cheaply, and trendy in style. It's meant to be design, produced, and sold at incredible speeds and the result is usually that it is also worn and tossed just as quickly. The quality and style are unable to stand the test of time. So it seems like it must be a modern issue, doesn't it?

Most articles give a passing reference to the 1800s as an era where clothing was still made custom and was deeply treasured, as most people had so little. Instead, the rise of concept of fast fashion is credited to the post-WWII rise in production and the term itself supposedly only started in use in 1990. But with the massive global economy quickly moving around the world by the 18th century and the industrial revolution in full swing as of the 19th century, the opportunity for fast, trendy styles was already there. And it wasn't ignored.

In reality the idea that fast fashion as a term wasn't invented until 1990 is an easy myth to debunk. The phrase is in regular use by the 1970s, coinciding with the birth of major clothing brands who found their success using the idea of fast fashion as a business concept. As for the origins of its practice, it goes far further back than the mid 20th century. With mass production in full swing in the Western world 200 years ago, there was plenty of opportunity to make anything they could cheaper and cheaper. But in order to sell the cheapest goods to more than just those who could afford nothing more, they had to be stylish. So stylish that their disintegration only a few months in wouldn't matter. Nor would the concerns over sweatshops and ethics. It was a society where being even a few months out of fashion was painfully obvious, but the quality of your clothing was harder to see.

Expensive silks prints were replicated in cotton, light weight textiles were weighted to seem luxurious, aniline dyes gave the illusion of rich natural colors, and short cuts were taken to expedite the process the whole way. The potential risk to workers and to wearers was well known early in the Victorian era. Poisonous chemicals and damaging adulterations led to numerous articles warning the public. The term sweatshop was popularized by the end of the century and the working conditions of those in the fashion industry had long been a concern in media. But still people chose to buy the most novel goods they could lay their hands on.

In reality, the modern invention of slow fashion is just that- modern. It's not a return to the past. Fashion may have been able to keep up with alterations and repairs for a short time, but it was never intended to last for very long. What we are returning to, however, is a VERY old concept of knowing how your clothing is produced. Knowing where it's made, what it is made from, and how it was created is something we lost touch with centuries ago as trade routes extended further and further. So perhaps modern fashion can find inspiration in the past- it will just have to go back quite a ways to not end up with fast fashion again.

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00:00 Introduction
02:42 What is Fast Fashion?
03:39 18th c Novelties
06:07 Speed of Steam
10:55 Cheap Labor
13:58 Disposable Fashion
16:53 Brand Craze
21:11 Ethical Concerns
23:05 Slow Future

[rburns]

Yet another great episode of Nicole Explains Things I Want to Know But Don't Care to Research Myself

[linr]

It's also become so hard to find fabric that's actually appropriate for garment sewing, at least in-store. All the big fabric stores in my area have moved to mostly decoration and costume stuff. Completely different from what they were like in the 80s/90s, where not that many people sewed their own clothes but it was still very viable and somewhat commonplace. A lot of crafts stores closed during the recession too. It reduced the options one might have had outside cheap disposable clothing a lot.
Something that could be mentioned in the debates re: accessibility of good quality clothing too is that it isn't just about physical/financial access. Try walking into a luxury shop as a poor person who's saved enough to invest in something durable? Half the time you'll be subtly driven out.
And then there's the Expensive Fast Fashion shops where everything still falls apart in two months but at least you paid a lot for the bragging rights of a style that's aimed at making you look a certain

[kimberlyperrotis]

When I began my career in the 1980s, most clothing was still well-made of natural fibers, with breathable rayon linings. Now, I find it impossible to find a blazer made of wool with even a rayon lining. I hate the dominance of polyester, I just can’t tolerate fabrics like that.

[megancarbonetto]

I actually think a more descriptive term for what is happening with fashion today is disposable fashion. It’s not just about the speed at which fashions and garments are produced now, it is the way that clothing items are now so often produced to be almost single use products.

[Chibihugs]

It is crazy to think we have honesty had fast fashion for over a 100 years. It is astounding and a bit terrifying how much wasted fabric and clothes there are now.

I would like to point out that fast fashion items are not necessarily cheap. Many of the brands while they use poor quality materials and cheap labour, don't sell their items cheaply. On the contrary, they sell them at 10 times its original value (or even more) because they're trendy and it's the brand "you want to wear right now". Many of the brands don't charge you for the item itself but for the item being "what xyz celebrity wears", or "Instagram ready", or simply "trendy this week".

[Werevampiwolf]

The paper dresses thing reminded me of a family story lol. My aunt got a paper dress (this would have been in the late 60s) and the first day she wore it happened to be one of the few days of the year that it rains. My grandma had to go to her school and bring her another dress because the paper one kinda...dissolved.

[pagodrink]

I highly recommend the video "Why No One Wins the Fast Fashion Debate" by Broey Deschanel, where she mainly talks about how people justify to themselves to keep buying fast fashion. People in bad faith will argue that poor people need clothing, which yes, I'm from a poor family so I know, but there's a difference between a poor person buying a pair of pants and wearing them til' they wear out and a middle class/upper class person buying a huge Shein haul.

So the fact that you mention it at the beginning that you are mainly talking about people buying things for the trend sake is very important, since sadly, a lot of young people missunderstand the critics against fast fashion. Because while it's true that there is no ethical consumption under capitalism (copypasta), that doesn't mean that you have to choose the worst option.

[kaypgirl]

The 2005-2007 timeline is telling. That's around the time of the t-shirt layering trend, and shirts from fast fashion brands started getting thinner. I had a t-shirt from Old Navy that was noticably thicker from the early 2000s I wore for at least 10 yrs, maybe closer to 15, until the hems were worn out, because the shirts they were selling were so much thinner.

[elewysoffinchingefeld]

I only hope that manufacturers of appliances can follow the lead of slow fashion and build things that will last more than 10 years. My parents had a freezer that lasted more than 50 years, but my fridge died after 12 years. Same with the washer & dryer (which we repaired three times before having to replace). We replaced our dishwasher twice and our 2nd microwave is on its way out. We're going broke having to replace a major appliance every other year.

[MrsMeowMeowWoof]

I work in retail/donated goods management for a large non for profit thrift store and the sheer amount of clothing recieved via donation is mind blowing. Like much of it is unsellable bc it's tok worn but just the sheer amount of clothing being cycled through is alarming at best.

[laulutar]

There's also another issue related to accessibility of slow fashion, in addition to price: sizing. As a plus sized person, I've seen SO many slow fashion brands that hit my style and price needs, but NOT my size needs.

[danielpearl]

My first experience with what I call "disposable fashion" was in the late 1960s when I went to a Paraphernalia store to see Betsey Johnson's designs. There were organdy shirts with a drop shoulder yoke called "squaw shirts". The seam allowances were raw! Fraying!! These were produced to be worn a few times and replaced by the next new concept. Maybe the owner wouldn't need to wash or iron even once during her brief but glorious displays.

[mothwood]

one good quote from the Stitchess on fast/slow fashion is 'the most sustainable garment is the one already in your closet'
(also i love your outfit in this video)

[maryjohnson]

I didn’t know until college that people still make clothing, even for fast fashion. I honestly thought robots would be doing most if not all of it by now. That really changed the way I look at my clothes

[sarahmoser]

I’ve listened to a number of podcasts discussing fast fashion and they always refer to it as a strictly recent problem from the 80s/90s. I REALLY enjoyed this deeper dive into the history of how it came to be. I also appreciate that you argue that the solutions will have to be creative and nuanced since we are quite literally forging new ways of doing things without being able to go back to the old. As usual, 🙌🏻!

[nurmaybooba]

For many years I collected books on Etiquette. All of the very best books had several chapters on Dress and Grooming. All the chapters talked about having one classic cut coat and dress and using accessories to update to the fashion trends of the times. It was better they said to wear a well cut outfit out of good quality material than the cheap frocks not meant to last the season. The books dates were early1920s & 1930s... since I began collecting as a teen they greatly influenced me ....this "historybounding" in nothing new...with this episode I see where that attitude was developed. Pick a color- a Navy, Grey, or Brown and then all the blouses and scarves hats gloves can be had for less money to add that appearance of trendy.

[danyf.]

Totally agree with the last remarks. I am guilty of owning more fast fashion than I like to admit but, in my defense, I usually buy pretty basic styles and manage to keep good care of my clothes, so that I can wear them for at least 4, 5 years even if cheap. For shoes, the good ones I have are second hand and I will wear them for many years too. In the end being more conscious in our consumer habits is important. And on top of this, I don't care if I don't own the latest and most fashionable stuff, I agree with someone who said that trends are for the anxious🙂

[IceNixie]

This makes a lot of sense. I'm always surprised when you or Abby are dating something and you have SUCH specificity "this has to be 1892, because x" when I'm wearing the same things I wore 20 years ago (literally, some of my shirts are from high school) and while there are certain items that exist for a moment, general fashion changes slowly in modern times.

[lenabreijer]

It is extremely telling that it is mostly women's fashion that fast fashion. Because women, especially young women, need to market themselves as with it and exciting in order to obtain status and "win" a upwardly mobile man. This concept continues even in modern work life where women are not in the marriage market. A woman can not wear the same outfit twice or even too frequently or she loses status. However even then what you wear is important, if you are in management you can't be too trendy or look like the clerical staff or again you lose status. Men on the other hand can go through their entire career while owning 3 suits and a closet full of shirts. Those suits can even be identical. Oh and those shirts? They cost significantly less then a woman's blouse.
So in order to reduce fast fashion you have to change society.