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Why do we continue to buy fast fashion and make unsustainable consumption choices even when we know better?

Fast fashion and growing consumption are depleting natural resources and negatively impacting the world around us. Yet we keep shopping. Why? We asked Ilia Gugenishvili, university lecturer in international marketing at Åbo Akademi University.

In recent years, I have had an opportunity to work on several sustainability projects at Åbo Akademi University. In some of them, we found that knowledge, both objective and subjective, plays an important role in driving sustainable behavior. Yet this does not mean that we make unsustainable choices, especially in fashion consumption, simply because we lack knowledge. So, the question is: Why do we keep buying what we know we should not?

The human mind is complex, and our fashion choices, just like any choice, are shaped by multiple factors at once. These factors interact with one another and influence what and why we buy, often without our full awareness. There are so many factors that I will not be able to address them all here. But we can discuss some of them.

The past two decades have felt like a chain of disruptions: the 2008 financial crisis, the eurozone recession, the COVID-19 pandemic with its social and economic fallout, and now wars that destabilize entire regions. For Europeans, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine brought insecurity close to home and drove up the cost of living even more. In such times, when long-term goals such as home ownership or financial security seem unattainable, buying something new, especially something cheap yet stylish, offers a brief sense of agency, comfort, and stability. That small rush of dopamine from a purchase can feel like progress, a momentary escape from uncertainty.

But earlier generations also faced instability. Why did they not overconsume? There are many reasons. Part of the answer lies in broader cultural shifts. In an interview with Big Think, marketing scholar Americus Reed II from the University of Pennsylvania explains, people once drew belonging and identity from traditional institutions such as churches or local communities. As those networks weakened, brands stepped in to fill the emotional void. They became modern anchors of meaning and identity. And identity is something that fashion brands understand very well.

We display what we own to friends, family, colleagues, and other followers; And they display theirs to us. This constant projection of consumption, as part of the identity-expression, has normalized the overconsumption.

We all hold a sense of identity and often express it through the things we buy and own. Over time, we form emotional bonds with certain brands until they become part of who we are. As Reed notes, this connection can grow so strong that criticism of a brand feels like a personal attack. Moreover, this self-expression now happens on social media, where identity is performed in public and is also validated by the public. We display what we own to friends, family, colleagues, and other followers; And they display theirs to us. This constant projection of consumption, as part of the identity-expression, has normalized the overconsumption. Fast fashion accelerates this cycle further by releasing new collections every few weeks, ensuring that there is always something newer, sleeker, and more desirable than what hangs in our closets.

This constant rush to release new products has led many to question whether fast fashion brands are engaging in planned obsolescence. But as some economists argue, brands do not need to manipulate us or design products that self-destruct. Most of us care about sustainability, but we also crave affordability and novelty. So fast fashion brands produce low-quality products, because they are cheaper, and cheap is something we as consumers want. So, if there is any kind of obsolescence in place, I would say it is a psychological one. We, for various reasons, tire quickly of what we own, not always because it fails, but because we crave the next small thrill of something new.

Still, the future is not entirely bleak. Many consumers, especially younger ones, are beginning to reject the fatigue of constant trend-chasing. They are rediscovering the pleasure of second hand, repaired, and well-crafted pieces. The same trend is visible in interior design. We restarted appreciating objects that feel personal, aged, and imperfect. In an era of artificial perfection, we seem to long for the authenticity that such items deliver. Yet personal change alone will not suffice. Overconsumption is sustained by systems far larger than any individual. Shifting mindsets is part of the solution, but lasting progress will require structural reforms, stronger regulation, and policies.