Why Mindless Consumption Hurts More Than Fast Fashion Alone

For many, sustainability begins and ends with fast fashion - factories, supply chains, carbon footprints. We’ve seen the exposés: rivers dyed neon, $2 tops that cost the planet more than we can imagine. And yes, fast fashion deserves scrutiny. But that’s not the only anti-hero in this story.

The quieter, often more damaging reality lies after production: the decision fatigue, emotional consumption, and silent overwhelm of getting dressed. That’s the part no one talks about.

Let’s be honest - most of us have stood in front of bursting wardrobes feeling like we have nothing to wear. Not because we lack clothes, but because none of them feel right, and we probably don’t know why. That gap between owning and knowing creates a ripple: impulse buys before weddings or interviews, panic carts during midnight scrolls, multiple sizes “just in case.” Some get returned. Many don’t. And very few get worn often enough to matter. That stress is expensive; not just for your wallet, but for the planet.

In India, 25 - 40% of online fashion purchases are returned, often due to sizing confusion, lack of styling guidance, or impulse buys that don’t feel right. And what happens next? Over 1 million tonnes of textile waste end up in Indian landfills every year - much of it unworn or barely used. Because it’s often cheaper to destroy items than to clean, inspect, and restock them. Reverse logistics can cost up to 66% of a product’s original price. So, what we call “free returns” actually comes at a staggering environmental and economic cost.

Now, let this sink in: we’re generating waste not just from what we consume - but from what we try to consume. 

India: A Growing Market, a Growing Blind Spot

India is one of the world’s fastest-growing fashion markets - with rising incomes, a mobile-first audience, and a deep appetite for brands. Global players are taking notice. From luxury giants to fast fashion titans, India is no longer an afterthought; it’s a key market for expansion. Flagship stores, localised influencer campaigns, even trend experiments - it’s all being tested here.

But while global brands flood the market with big budgets and bigger inventories, homegrown sustainable labels and their stories struggle to be seen. Indian slow fashion brands face systemic barriers: limited influencer access, low digital discoverability, and marketing budgets that pale in comparison. As a result, many don’t scale. Many don’t survive.

And so the Indian woman is caught between noise and nuance; between fast that’s in her face and slow that’s hard to find. She scrolls through hundreds of options, is forced to shop in the dark, return or regret. But can you really blame her? All she’s left to do is guess what fits, flatters, or feels like her - without any tools or guidance. All while idolising perfection on red carpets or influencer reels, often leading to a quiet erosion of self-confidence, body comfort, and decision clarity.

The Industry’s Quietest Hypocrisy

Here’s the deeper hypocrisy: the fashion industry thrives not just on demand but on disorientation. Weekly drops. Inconsistent sizing. FOMO marketing. Aesthetic overload. It creates a system where we’re always chasing but never arriving.

Strange, right?

And this kind of mindless consumption doesn’t get solved by brands printing fabric compositions or calling themselves “conscious” - it just adds to confusion that often gets mistaken for whether consumers care enough. And confusion has increasingly become a feature - not a bug of the current system.

What if we started with clarity instead?

Sustainability doesn’t begin in factories. It begins with how a consumer sees themselves. When they know what works for them, their shape, their energy, their lives - they stop buying on impulse and start choosing with intention.

But that kind of clarity needs more than advice. It needs space to figure things out without judgment. And tools that aren’t reserved for the rich, the privileged, or the already polished. Because for too long, access to personal style has been treated like a luxury, and when style becomes a luxury, so does agency.

And that’s the real issue. Most women aren’t lacking taste. They’re just shut out of systems that help them choose better for themselves. Until we fix that, we’re not talking about sustainable fashion. We’re just talking around it.

Authored by Pooja Lalwani, Founder & CEO of Slayrobe, an intelligent styling and confidence platform for women.