As cost-of-living pressures intensify, Australians are tightening their belts, but experts warn buying cheaper alternatives often comes at a high price.
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The rise of fast fashion over the past decade has seen an influx of high-end looks at affordable prices as popular brands flood the market, but mass-produced designs may be harming the environment.
Each year, Australians purchase on average 27kg of new clothing and discard about 23kg to landfill, according to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
In Victoria alone, each person creates about 28kg of textile waste per year, and across all states roughly 95 per cent of clothes sent to landfill could have been reused or recycled.
Made mostly of polyester and cotton, fast fashion and its supply chain produces up to eight per cent of global carbon emissions, according to the United Nations environment program.
The ABS estimates Australians spent $38.5 billion on clothing and footwear in 2021.
The Australian launch of new global brands in the past decade has forever changed the retail landscape, according to Kellie Hush, until recently Australian Fashion Council acting chief executive.
"It was very exciting when Zara, H&M and Topshop all arrived but unfortunately, it trained the consumer to think that fashion was disposable," says the influential co-founder of dress sharing platform The Volte.
More generally, she believes fast fashion has caused "a massive issue globally from all areas, including from human trafficking to textile waste, to pollution - everything".
"We all need to be re-educated," she said.
Critics agree there are significant ethical issues, with fast fashion identified as a major contributor to modern slavery.
Many brands manufacture their clothing in countries that offer cheap labour to boost profits.
In Bangladesh, where some Australian clothes are made, the minimum wage equates to 62 cents an hour, or $129 a month. This represents 40 per cent of a living wage, according to Oxfam Australia.
As consumers become aware of unethical business practices, more brands are embracing sustainability.
Buying behaviour has shifted in recent years, branding expert Nicole Reaney of InsideOut PR said.
"As more businesses embrace the issue through sustainable strategies, others are pressured to do the same.
"Businesses that do not adapt potentially face image, reputation and customer impacts."
While this pressure has resulted in some brands offering sustainable solutions, others have resorted to questionable tactics.
Consumer watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, is on high alert for greenwashing - where businesses falsely promote environmental or green credentials.
"This type of misleading conduct is prohibited under the Australian Consumer Law and we will take appropriate enforcement action where we see it," an ACCC spokesman said.
While it may be difficult for consumers to immediately identify greenwashers, experts say there are ways to make a difference.
Clean Up Australia chairwoman Pip Kiernan urges consumers to follow the three Rs of fashion - reduce, reuse and recycle - and make more conscious and ethical choices.
"This can be as simple as choosing timeless pieces for longevity, avoiding fast fashion and shopping for pre-loved clothing wherever possible," she said.
Melbourne fashion designer Courtney Holm launched sustainable fashion brand A.BCH in 2017 after identifying a gap in the market.
"At the time, there weren't really any labels focused on circularity or garments for a circular economy," she said.
"So that's really where it all started. I was also just very passionate about finding a way to reduce waste.
"That's what really hit me was the amount of waste the industry generates and why I was so interested in this idea of circularity for clothes."
The City of Melbourne says sustainability remains a key focus for Melbourne Fashion Week.
"We're proudly championing sustainability by shining a spotlight on incredible designers and brands ... using sustainable, ethical practices and embracing the circular economy," acting Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece said.
Australian Associated Press
