Categories: Fashion

8 Fashion Brands To Stop Supporting And Why

Since it’s almost the new year, it’s time we start recognizing that some of our go to fast fashion brands shouldn’t be supported anymore for multiple reasons and need to be held accountable. Here are 8 Fashion Brands To Stop Supporting And Why.

Although cheap price tags on trendy designs might be appealing to some shoppers who are on a budget, that inexpensive cost comes at another price. Throughout the past few years, several popular fast fashion brands have become under the spotlight for numerous reasons aside from just that they are fast fashion. Everyone essentially knows that fast fashion is bad for the environment, but there’s other factors that go into why some brands shouldn’t be supported. Pursuing a degree in fashion myself has opened up my eyes to the unethical practices that some of our favorite brands have failed to stop doing. In this article you’ll find out why the included fashion companies fall under brands to stop supporting.

1. Victoria’s Secret

I guess it’s no secret anymore that the popular lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret is included in our brands to stop supporting. Growing up, I have memories of myself watching the VS fashion show, admiring the model’s beauty, but wondering why every model looked the exact same. VS has failed to showcase diversity throughout their models, as seen in their “Perfect Body” campaign. They have always been a brand to cater towards a certain type of customer who they wanted to wear their products. Not to mention this brand has also faced backlash regarding toxic culture, including sexual assault allegations from models by executives and disrespectful comments made about transgender and plus sized women.

2. Shein

Shein is an obvious pick for brands to stop supporting for multiple reasons, yet customers are too blinded by the cheap prices to think otherwise. If you have wondered how you can possibly get a shirt for as low as $2.99, well that is because it promotes the idea that fashion is simple disposable. The brand outsources labor to factories, and many shoppers question that there has to be a catch as to why they can sell their products at such low prices. The brand is simply horrible for the environment because it just encourages customers to buy in big bulk due to the low cost, even though that usually means the quality is also subpar.

3. Abercrombie & Fitch

Abercrombie & Fitch has always been a questionable brand to support for many reasons. In the early 2000’s when the brand was at its prime, it has been said that they did not sell any sizes above a large, as they “didn’t want larger people shopping in the store,” according to past CEO Mike Jeffries. The brand made it clear that their target customer was very men and women who were very in shape, as one could see with the shirtless images of men with six packs plastered on their walls and shopping bags. Since facing many controversies, Abercrombie has made an attempt to rebrand, however this seems a little forced and not very sincere to some shoppers.

4. H&M

H&M has been called out numerous times for making clothing with insensitive sayings on it, such as these kid’s sweatshirts that were sold in 2018. They faced a lot of backlash after these sweatshirts were shown all over social media, forcing them to remove them from their website and make a public apology. Aside from this, the brand has also been accused of greenwashing and promoting unethical child labor. They have tried to rebrand in recent years, but from time to time still find themselves being caught in scandals that they can’t seem to escape from.

5. Brandy Melville

The popular phrase “one size fits all” used by the brand Brandy Melville speaks for itself as to why it is one of the brands to stop supporting. Brandy makes their clothing products in just one size option, that surely does not fit all body types. They have been called out in the past for being fat-phobic, which goes against many brands who nowadays are advocating for body inclusivity. The brand specializes in simple and trendy basics that you can easily find at other stores who are more ethical and catered to every body type.

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6. Aéropostale

Aéropostale was once a popular place to shop at for some when growing up, but it no longer has the glory it once had. They have had a huge decline in sales in recent years, and have a very poor environment rating. The brand has also been super secretive about sharing information about their final stage of production or how much they pay their workers. The brand was never necessarily considered cheap, but have recently been seen to lower their prices in order to keep the brand alive.

7. Primark

If you haven’t heard of the store Primark, it is originally an Irish retailer which has expanded to other parts of the world. Primark is another brand that offers very inexpensive prices on men’s, women’s, and kid’s fashion, home decor, makeup, and more. Their products are said to be below average quality and horrible for the environment. There hasn’t been much evidence to explain that workers are paid fairly, which makes the company a questionable place to shop at.

8. Forever 21

Forever 21 has received a lot of backlash as to why it is one of the fashion brands to stop supporting. Between employing young children to produce their clothing and unethical cotton use, the brand is clearly not the best option for buying clothing. They also have faced criticism due to selling clothing with insensitive messages and cultural appropriation. Below is a men’s shirt that was sold at the brand, causing them to be accused of justifying sexual assault with the phrase “Don’t say maybe if you want to say no.” I’m not sure why this was considered a good product to sell, as many shoppers commented how it perpetuates rape culture.