What are Fast Fashion hauls and why are they dangerous for you and the planet?

There are a million videos of Fast Fashion hauls doing the rounds on Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok. Fast Fashion haul videos are those where young influencers show off their latest clothing purchase and give reviews about them to their millions of followers. Titled “Fashion Street Haul”, “Bought all this under Rs. 500 only”, and “Must Haves: Shopping Haul from Zara”, these videos create a desire among the viewers to buy the displayed products to look cool. These videos are mostly targeted toward the Gen Z to whom these influencers have a good reach.

But what is so wrong with this? Influencers are creating content for their followers, the sellers are getting cheap marketing and the customers can buy clothes at cheap prices. So if this is a win-win for all, then why are they dangerous?

But why are they dangerous?

FOMO

Fear of Missing out (FOMO) is one of the most powerful emotions that makes people do things that they wouldn’t have otherwise done. Viewers feel compelled to buy the products that the influencers proudly showcase. It is difficult to resist and the young generation especially feels the need to buy these clothes to fit in. Many youngsters even undertake hauls of their own and put them up on social media to show off. This puts further pressure on their peers to undertake such hauls and creates a feedback loop.

Mindless Consumerism

The main problem of hauls is not the purchasing of Fast Fashion but the promotion of mindless consumption. It normalizes shopping in large quantities. Many purchased clothes are not even worn and are discarded. It normalizes a use-and-throw culture. Never mind the impact on the planet, this excess shopping puts pressure on youngsters’ bank balances as well.

The sad part is that despite there being more environmental awareness in Gen-Z, they continue to be the biggest consumers of these hauls. This shows how deep-rooted consumerism has become in our societies.

Glorify Fast Fashion

Fast Fashion has a huge negative environmental footprint. From production to manufacturing to disposal our clothes harm the planet. Fast fashion companies have been accused of low-quality clothing and poor treatment of workers among other things.

Check out our blog on Fast Fashion - How it negatively impacts the environment? to know more.

What can we do about Hauls? 

Influencers depend on the likes, comments, and engagement to understand if they should continue making that content. If as social media users, we start to disengage from such content and give negative comments or downvotes, it will provide a signal to the influencer and other social media users.

Start following more sustainability influencers. You will find out that sustainable fashion is not just better for the environment but also your pocket. Sustainable fashion doesn’t just involve buying new garments but also includes aspects like lower consumption, repairing, borrowing from friends and family, and thrifting. 

You can follow our Instagram page for tips on sustainable fashion and can visit our website to check out our range of Sustainable Clothing.