Fast fashion: is the quality of high street clothing getting worse?

Odd sizing, synthetic fabrics, loose hems: the quality of high street fashion seems to have taken a hit in the past few years.

Just recently, I had to return a pair of jeans that arrived with a broken zip, recycle a pair of shoes after the heels wore through, and mend a button on a relatively new jacket.

It wasn't always like this. I have some items in my wardrobe bought almost 15 years ago from Topshop's former Oxford Street flagship store, as well as St Michael M&S shirts and vintage sportswear I've found in near-perfect condition from charity shops over the years.

So what's happened to the quality of high street fashion, and how can you find well-made clothes? We asked the experts.

Has the quality of clothing declined?

Over half of Which? members believe the quality of high street clothes has become worse in recent years, according to our survey* of 574 people who have purchased a plain white t-shirt in the past 10 years. 

Our members told us they've noticed more poorly finished designs and low-quality fabrics on the high street.

'I love white t-shirts, but when you try to buy them now, they're frequently a polyester mix. If they are cotton, they often don't look or feel right and can be quite thin,' one participant said.

‘Nobody puts darts in blouses any more, so larger tops gape at the armholes or are baggy around the tummy area,’ another told us. 

• Find out more: how to keep your clothes looking good for longer

The downgrading of materials

Polyester, which is a synthetic material derived from oil, is the most widely used fibre globally, overtaking cotton in 2002. Cheap and versatile to produce, it's every fast fashion retailer's bread and butter.

But it comes with hidden costs: not only will your polyester dress likely end up bobbling and losing quality after a few washes, it also sheds harmful microplastics, produces pollution and doesn't biodegrade once disposed of.

Despite this, around half of the major fashion brands (11 of 23) that responded to the Changing Markets Foundation survey in 2024 said they'd increased their use of fossil fuel-based fabrics (mainly polyester).

'The widespread downgrading of materials – including reduced fabric density and substitution with cheaper fibres – has led to garments that deteriorate far faster than in previous decades; I've observed this not only among ultra-fast online players but also across mid-tier high street brands,' Charlene Gallery, Reader in Digital Fashion Innovation at The University of Manchester, told us.

The quality of denim also seems to have declined.

In 2021, we tested 20 pairs of jeans in our lab, exploring how strong the denim was, the resilience of the seams, and how they would stack up to the abrasion caused by everyday movement and their appearance after washing. Some jeans shrunk or changed colour after just one wash.

The downgrading of materials could also have an impact on upcycling clothes.

Dr Claudia Henninger, Reader in Fashion Marketing Management at The University of Manchester, told us: 'I've spoken with designers who say it's increasingly difficult to find secondhand garments that can be used for upcycling purposes. Denim, for example, used to be thick and durable. But if you look on the high street now, it's thinner and often contains more elastane and stretched materials.'

• Find out more: Made to last? Popular jeans put to the test

‘Super-fast fashion has devalued clothing’

The popularity of super-fast fashion brands, like Shein, Boohoo and PrettyLittleThing, has had a significant impact on the high street, according to experts.

These online stores offer a non-stop conveyor belt of new stock, listed at pocket-money prices. Grab yourself a dress for £1, a pair of jeans for £4, or fill your basket during one of PrettyLittleThing's 99% off sales.

‘Retailers are under enormous pressure from ultra-fast fashion retailers,’ Dr Sass Brown, Course Leader in Sustainable Fashion at Kingston University, told us. 

‘One of the main problems stems from the devaluing of clothing. When a top costs you as little as a cappuccino, you use it and discard it with as little concern as you have for the cappuccino.

'Super-fast fashion has changed people’s understanding of what clothing is worth, and main high street brands have to compete with that in some way, shape or form.’

• Find out more: 10 simple ways to be more sustainable 

How much would you pay for a white t-shirt?

Shein and Boohoo might be marketed towards teens and young adults, but with the rising cost of living, the search for low prices isn't specific to this demographic.

When Which? asked its members how much they'd be willing to spend on a plain white t-shirt, a summer wardrobe staple, the majority of respondents (28%) said they'd only pay between £5 and £10 – prices that wouldn't be hard to find on a super-fast fashion site.

It's easy to see how quality might drop as a result of tighter purse strings. 'Consumer and market price points dictate everything; how much retailers can pay for production, what sort of materials they can afford, as well as the design and the quality of the manufacturer,' Sass explained.

One Which? member had a similar reflection:  ‘We seem to live in a throwaway culture. I’m over 60 and come from a background of not having much as a child and therefore cared for my belongings. This seems a rare commodity nowadays. Caring for and maintaining clothing occurs less today and high street clothes, by and large, reflect this in their quality.'

• Find out more: charity shops on the rise - tips for secondhand shopping

Faster trends, faster fashion

The rise of 'micro-trends' has accelerated the pace of fast fashion. Micro-trends are short-lived fashion aesthetics (from 'granny core' to 'mob wife') that often go viral on TikTok or Instagram before quickly fading away – but not before fast fashion retailers have capitalised on them.

'Brands like Zara were once seen as disruptors for their ability to shorten the traditional lead time between design, production and retail – yet Shein has pushed this even further,' Charlene told us. 'Super fast-fashion brands can now identify emerging trends on TikTok and bring in a new product line in as little as three days.'

This rapid production timeline is seen as a 'new benchmark for efficiency in the fashion industry,' Charlene added. 'It's also intensified the industry's race to the bottom, where the focus is increasingly on churning out and selling as much as possible, as quickly as possible.'

Mid-tier high street brands might not produce or even want to produce at Shein's pace, but Charlene has noticed a shift across the board: 'The industry at large has moved towards a speed-first model where relevance is measured in days rather than seasons.'

And faster production, of course, has an impact on sustainability, quality and ethics.

• Find out more: how to shop sustainably 

Expert tips for buying quality and ethical fashion

If you're looking to ditch fast fashion and find higher-quality, more ethical clothes, here are some expert tips.

Shop secondhand: Browsing charity shops and secondhand apps (like Vinted, Depop and eBay) for brands that prioritise quality is a great way to shop ethically and find long-lasting items. Visiting charity shops has the added bonus of being able to feel fabrics and assess sizing before buying.

Look at product descriptions (and avoid polyester!): It's well worth taking the time to look at what items are made of before buying them. Try to avoid synthetic materials and opt for natural fibres instead, which are likely to last longer and can be recycled. And if you want even more information about how your garment was made, online retailer Everlane provides a breakdown of how much the materials, hardware, labour, duties and transport cost for each item on their site (just scroll down to the very bottom of the product listing page).

Avoid promotional deals: Don't be lured in by sale prices for items you don't need. As Nicola Mansfield, Senior Lecturer at Westminster University, says: 'Promotional deals lead to people buying items that they don't wear because they weren’t items the customer intended to buy in the first place. Overproduction from retailers leads to overconsumption, and we end up buying more than we want or need.’

Buy less: Ultimately, changing our shopping habits to buy less and repair what we do have is the most sustainable way to approach fashion. ‘Vivienne Westwood’s saying of “buy less, choose well, make it last” is actually really important because consumption is at the root of the problem,' Sass told us. 'If we bought less and held onto things for longer, if we took better care and mended garments instead of discarding them, it would have an enormous impact.’

Look for organic fair trade items: And if you are looking to replace that plain white t-shirt ahead of the warmer months, Sass shares her advice for finding a quality, ethical option: 'I'd choose a 100% cotton tee, not a poly or lycra mix. I’d also look for organic cotton or fair trade cotton. Organic fair trade cotton is the gold standard because fair trade is about treating and paying people fairly, and organic is the elimination of chemicals.‘

• Find out more: green brands – how sustainable are they?

*The results are based on an online survey of 1,119 members of the Which? Connect panel conducted in April 2025.