Fast fashion has expanded rapidly in the past decade, leading to a drop in overall spending on clothing. Americans allocated 3.5 percent of their budget for apparel in 2010, compared to 5.1 percent in 1996, according to data from the consumer expenditure survey. During the same time frame, the total number of clothing items purchased soared 400 percent. Despite spending less, consumers are getting more for their money.
At first glance, spending less and buying more seems like a win for consumers. But the cost of cheap apparel quickly adds up. Americans generate 21 billion pounds of textile waste per year, throwing away 85 percent of the items they purchased. With an average annual shopping budget of $1,700, that amounts to $1,445 worth of clothing that needs to be replaced each year.