Is Amazon Clothing Fast Fashion?

When we think of fast fashion, we typically picture popular brands like Zara and H&M, or ultra-fast fashion companies such as Shein. But big mega brands like Amazon, Target, and Walmart sell fast fashion too.

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Amazon, the world's largest retailer operates several of its own in-house fashion brands. You won't find these brands on typical fast fashion lists online, but a closer look reveals they possess all the hallmarks of fast fashion brands.

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Here are some of the Amazon brands that we examined:

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Mae
Goodthreads
Core 10
Lark & Ro
Daily Ritual

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And all of them had these common traits:

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Cheap and Convenient

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Innerwear for $20, a pack of three T-shirts for $15, and a new pair of jeans under $30—these are typical prices you'd find on any fast fashion brand's website. Amazon's own brands offer the same competitive pricing. And of course, they can be delivered quickly. If you're a Prime member, you might even receive them the next day.

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Plastic Material

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Most of these brands use fabrics such as polyamide, nylon, polyester, viscose, and elastane. These synthetic materials derive from fossil fuels. When you wash these fabrics, they release microfibers into the ecosystem, contributing to microplastic pollution. Many negative reviews of these products also highlight the cheap quality of the materials and how they wear out after just a few washes.

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Also read: 45 Popular Fast Fashion Brands to Avoid

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Lack of Transparency

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We found no information about material sourcing or manufacturing factories for any of the products. Most products list their country of origin as China, India or Bangladesh, regions notorious for poor worker welfare. Some products lack even this basic information, simply stating "imported" as their origin. It's not hard to guess where these clothes are likely imported from.

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No Certifications

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We found very few products with the Climate Pledge Friendly badge. Even those that had it only displayed a single sustainability certificate. This lack of environmental credentials is another characteristic that aligns these brands with fast fashion.

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Here are some curated resources for you to transition to more sustainable alternatives:

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