Five.
That’s the number of new clothing items we should each buy in a year in order to reduce our fashion consumption's impact to a sustainable level. Just five (excluding second-hand).

To many, that might sound extreme, impossible even. In a world where new styles drop weekly and shopping is done in a click, buying only five new pieces a year feels less like a goal and more like a restriction. But why is that? Why is buying less necessarily a negative thing? We would not be clothes-less nor have to show up to work naked. What it implies though is drastic change in our consumption habits and an even deeper change on how and why we make purchase choices. But you'll see that this does not have to mean give up the fun of fashion.

To change the way we consume, we have to understand why we consume the way we do.

In this article, we’ll explore how psychological drivers influence our fashion choices. Nowadays, the industry has mastered and uses consumption patterns to dominate the market by rewarding speed, novelty and abundance. Although this does not mean that it is the only consumption model that can bring satisfaction to consumers. Other models like Slow fashion might actually bring more to the table in the form of long lasting satisfaction and alignment with oneself.

Consumption choices and psychological mechanisms at work

Every time we buy something, especially something we don’t strictly need, we internally ask ourselves two questions. The first one asks if this purchase is worth it, the second how it'll make you feel: “Is this gonna make me happy?”.

These reflect two core psychological mechanism playing a role in our consumption: hedonism and utilitarianism.

Hedonism is the pursuit of pleasure and limitation of suffering. Applied to fashion choices, it's about the pleasure or "happiness" we get from a purchase which plays an important role in adopting one behaviour or the other. Fast Fashion taps into this instinct with precision offering the joy of novelty, the feeling of abundance and affordability and the satisfaction of getting a good deal.

Utilitarianism, asks us to act rationally to maximise value, usefulness, and efficiency. In the context of fast fashion it is a bit tricky, because we need to explain our impulsive buying to ourselves. Yet once again fast fashion provides a lot of ways to rationalise the purchase: endless choice, low prices, and bulk buying.

These two mechanisms together help us justify the way we consume and explains why fast fashion is thriving despite the undeniable impact on the environment, workers and even their consumers' own health, both physical and mental (see articles on health impacts and fast fashion addiction). The emotional satisfaction of buying something new is reinforced by practical reasoning: price, convenience, or supposed need. Additionally, fast fashion provides a low-risk financially, making it easier to indulge and then rationalise.

This is why the often portrayed irrationality of fast fashion consumers doesn't explain the reality of this model well. On the contrary, they are engaging in a psychologically logical process that balances short-term gratification with rationality. But this process is reactive and centered on the purchase itself, and is often followed by dissatisfaction in the following use phase.

The negative psychological effects of consumption patterns.

Fast Fashion consumption has its reasons to be so popular, but it does not mean it's all positive for the buyer. While the purchase may feel good in the moment, satisfaction is often short-lived. The very abundance that excites us can quickly overwhelm us. Items may be worn once, never at all, or quickly deteriorate. At this point, buyer’s remorse sets in.

Research into consumer remorse shows that people frequently experience internal conflict post-purchase. Comments like, "I'm satisfied at first, but then I don't know why I shop there," or "It's cheap, but it makes you buy so much waste," reveal the presence of cognitive dissonance — the mental discomfort of holding two contradictory beliefs: enjoying fashion while knowing its negative impact.

To ease this dissonance, people draw on hedonic ("It felt good") and utilitarian ("It was on sale") reasoning to rationalise the choice. But the discomfort often lingers, prompting either more impulsive purchases or guilt-fueled abstention.

Despite the dopamine rush of a good deal, many Fast Fashion consumers report disappointment soon after purchase. Items lose appeal quickly, don’t fit well, or feel cheap after a few wears. More importantly, the emotional high or happiness of the purchase doesn't translate into sustained satisfaction.

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A System That Reinforces Desire

Although this isn't only a matter of individual psychology. Despite what many brands and producers like to suggest, Fast Fashion didn’t just emerge naturally from consumer demand. It was built and scaled into systems designed to shape and reinforce our inclinations.

Fashion is deeply social. Our clothing choices are rarely just about comfort or function; they communicate identity, belonging and status. Fast Fashion leans into this social dimension, offering novelty that brings new chances for validation.

Online, consumption becomes content. Compliments, likes, and shares reward creators and gives them a now often envied position as influencers. The more you buy, the more visible and valued you seem. In this aspect, overconsumption is not just allowed, it’s admired.

In real life too, especially among younger people, showing up in new clothes will often trigger compliments and validation by the group, creating a feeling of belonging. The experience of shopping itself is also part of the social life, often done with friends. There is a whole sub-culture to fast fashion: following and replicating online trends, shopping centres afternoons and socialising. The shopping trip is the star of the show, more than the clothes themselves. Trying on ten things and buying five is part of the pleasure, even if most of it ends up unworn. It’s about feeling part of something. The experience is the product.

Fast Fashion brands know this. This isn’t just a production model. It’s a business model selling a lifestyle. It’s powered by marketing and psychology. They carefully curated the abundance: trends, catchy displays, online banners and adds, influencers paid to promote their products and the fantasied lifestyle around it, fabricated sales. We're made to feel almost anxious to miss something and be excluded of this cool, exclusive club. The FOMO (fear of missing out) is at the heart of their strategy. While they still manage to make it feel like freedom, it is actually very structured. We’re encouraged to value the act of buying more than the thing itself. And it’s working.

Through all of this, we have been sold the idea that fashion can only be fun in this way. But what if that’s not true? What if we could enjoy fashion differently. With less adrenaline, yes, but also less guilt? What if there’s a kind of joy that lasts longer? And maybe along the way a rediscovery of what fashion really is about?

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Slow and Sustainable Fashion: the alternative shopping experience

Indeed, some would argue that this fast fashion culture is quite far from what fashion is supposed to be. Fashion is supposed to be about enjoying the clothes, the materials, play with colours, shapes and looks, not about buying. We might have lost the plot along the way, overwhelmed by this constant stimulation and nudges to buy more.

Slow Fashion doesn’t eliminate hedonism (aka the pleasure of engaging with fashion); it redefines it. The pleasure here does not come from volume or abundance, it comes from focusing on the clothes, the craftsmanship, all in alignment with personal values. Slow fashion shoppers find satisfaction in finding "the right piece". One that fits well, feels good, and reflects ethical choices.

Here, utilitarianism is also central. Items are chosen for quality, durability, and versatility. They are worn often, repaired when needed, and treasured over time. Instead of the spike of gratification and folllowing remorse, there is a longer lasting feeling of fulfillment. Wearing a Slow Fashion item and style it in different ways triggers pride, comfort, and a renewed sense of creativity. This too, satisfies emotional needs, but in a more enduring way.

In slow and sustainable fashion, the social experience is also quite different and can even be richer. Engaging with fashion in a circular way will lead people to not only be consumers but users or even creatives. You might learn new skills like sewing, thrifting, repairing, upcycling, styling... All of which can be done with friends or lead to meeting new people with similar interests. This is another sub-culture that focuses on taking care of the clothes but also get creative and resourceful, which is something that can be applied to other aspects of our lives. This also creates a feeling of belonging but in a more meaningful way and should make you feel pretty good about yourself.

In short

If we summarise:

Fast Fashion revolves around the shopping experience, putting the consumer in a vicious circle of buying trendy, low quality items to get a renewed positive feeling. This type of consumption creates a lot of waste and although it providesa hit of serotonin by allowing us to buy often and in bulk, it eventually gives way to a bigger buyers remorse dilemma and need to justify the purchase, as well as lower long term satisfaction.

On the other hand Slow/sustainable fashion focuses on buying fewer items but with a clearer purpose and reason to buy it. The added quality and usefulness makes it easier to justify the purchase. Although the high positive emotions don't come as often, they are complemented by the long term satisfaction of wearing the clothes over and over. We replace the vicious circle into a virtuous one that pushes the user towards a more circular model that wants to keep the clothes in use and make the most out of them.

We've identified two very different consumption behaviours here. The difference, being in the impact of both on the environment, the ethics of its production and ultimately the impact on consumers themselves. The fast fashion framework is understandable but has its limits and brings out more negative impacts than positive ones. In this context, slow fashion is a way of redirecting consumption behaviours towards a more virtuous engagement with fashion.

Once again this is not about stopping everything at once and become this "perfect consumer" (whatever that means). It is about understanding the mechanism at play and try to be more mindful next time we engage with fashion. This is a journey and it can be a very fun and satisfying one.

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