For most people, buying branded clothes seems like a huge expense that they could avoid. After all, with so many fast fashion brands around such as GAP, Uniqlo and H&M, it’s hard for many people to justify paying three to four times the price for a shirt. But the reality is that these businesses are still functioning and it’s not just because of the brand name.

There are actually many reasons why someone should consider spending more on branded clothes. In this post, we’re going to explain why branded clothes are worth the money and why you should consider adding them to your wardrobe.

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Fast fashion isn’t as good as you might think

One of the big reasons why a lot of people avoid branded clothing is because fast fashion exists. If you can pay less to get more clothes then why would you bother spending more on a single clothing item? Fast fashion brands not only sell a ridiculous amount of styles and types of clothes, but they also sell things like shirts and underwear in large value-oriented packs. You can potentially save a lot of money buying from fast fashion stores, but is the value proposal really that good?

Here are some of the biggest issues with fast fashion that might not be obvious at the start:

• The materials used aren’t good quality. One of the reasons why fast fashion is so cheap is because the materials are sub-par, often leading to extremely flimsy clothes that can fall apart after a couple of washes or stains easily. These clothes are essentially made to be disposed of after wearing them a couple of times and these companies know it. That’s why they offer really cheap clothing items but also a “premium” version that is more expensive and nearly reaching the levels of typical branded clothes.
• Not all fast fashion is ethical. While many fast fashion brands are starting to commit to more ethical practices, it’s currently causing an environmental crisis and is yet another reason why fast fashion can offer clothes for such a low price. Fast fashion has single-handedly turned clothes into disposable items, creating a large amount of waste and also engaging in questionable manufacturing activities. If you want to be kinder to the planet, avoid unethical fast fashion and consider investing in clothes that will actually last you a while.
• Fast fashion can end up costing you more money. With the disposable nature of fast fashion, it’s easy to spend more on it than regular branded clothing. This is because you’ll end up replacing a lot of your fast fashion pieces without really noticing it. You’ll get a hole in a shirt or a tear in your jeans, and you’ll just replace it without thinking because it’s inexpensive. Sadly, this not only wastes money but also creates clothing waste.

These are just three of the biggest reasons why you should avoid fast fashion. There are many other reasons to consider as well, but they’re usually dependent on the brand itself. In general, you’ll want to try and avoid fast fashion because it’s not a good source for clothing and there are much better deals out there, especially if you consider high-quality branded pieces.

Overcoming fashion FOMO

Like with many things in life, fashion does come with a fear of missing out, especially if you like to follow the latest fashion trends and collections. This is especially true if you follow fashion influencers on social media or even read fashion magazines. If you feel like you’re going to be missing out on something in the fashion world, then it’s probably not worth following. When you start avoiding fast fashion and following more fashion trends, it’s very easy to start falling into a habit of wanting to own the latest clothes.

If you love fashion and want to explore your creative side then it’s a good idea to try and avoid the fear of missing out. You can do this by only following the brands that you love and only buying clothes when you really need to. Don’t make it a pastime to constantly browse for new clothes and make sure you don’t get pulled in during every sales period. Wear the clothes you have, be proud of your selections, and mix it up to create new and unique outfits.

It’s also a good idea to try and get rid of some of your clothes, especially if you don’t wear them. You’ll want to try and sell them on websites like eBay or Depop if possible, but you can also hand them down to other family members or even donate them.

Alternatives to fast fashion and why you should spend a bit more on clothes

The alternative to fast fashion is to simply buy good reliable clothing from well-known brands. There are plenty of brands that you can rely on without spending too much money. Even high-end brands such as Giorgio Armani offer cheaper clothes that are built with reliability and value in mind. This is why the Emporio Armani for men brand exists. This is the second brand of the Armani family and focuses on ready-to-wear pieces. Whereas Giorgio Armani is a high-end label, Emporio Armani is much more practical and features high-quality pieces that are a far cry from fast fashion.

This isn’t the only brand to offer a more affordable version of their clothing and styles either. You can do a lot of browsing around and you’ll find well-known brand names and recognizable logos everywhere you look. By simply browsing online retailers or taking a look in more reputable stores, you’ll find that you can greatly expand your style lineup and create lots of unique and interesting outfits with durable clothes.

How to save money on fashion but still look amazing

Fashion is subjective, but there are still plenty of ways to look great on a budget. For example, if you don’t mind exploring older fashion trends, you can always try to look for past season collections and sales. For most people, it doesn’t even matter if the clothing they buy isn’t the current season because it still looks amazing and there’s nobody that only wears recently-released clothing.

You can also save a huge amount of money by waiting for sales and deals. Even high-end fashion brands are known for lowering prices on a regular basis to get rid of older stock to make way for new collections. If you keep up with the fashion industry and when new collections arrive, you can save some serious money while still looking your best.

Why not consider thrifting?

There’s also the option of buying from thrift stores. This takes a little more courage as you usually won’t find pieces that coordinate well unless you really search. It’s also difficult to mix in these eccentric pieces that you can find in thrift stores. However, if you find something that you love, it’s easy to fit it into your favourite outfits. The goal here is to browse many different stores to pick up unique pieces that can either act as a statement or complement your existing style choices.

The key to thrifting is really to visit often as it’s become extremely popular to shop at these stores to find unique and interesting clothing items. They’re usually so cheap that they don’t hold stock for very long, so we suggest making regular trips to a local thrift store if possible!