China Consumers Association: 30% of "Fast Fashion" Clothing Fails Standards, Brands like ZARA Listed

Core Tip: The China Consumers Association released the comparative test results of 70 "fast fashion" adult clothing items this morning, finding that less than 70% of the samples fully met the standards. Familiar brands to consumers such as b+ab, MANGO, ZARA, GUESS, and Hotwind were listed on the blacklist. The China Consumers Association announced the substandard results this morning, with brands like ZARA making the list.
Fabric fiber content inconsistent with labeling, rough workmanship, easy fading... While "fast fashion" clothing continues to expand its market, it cannot hide the embarrassment of falling into a "quality scandal." The China Consumers Association released the comparative test results of 70 "fast fashion" adult clothing items this morning, finding that less than 70% of the samples fully met the standards. Familiar brands such as b+ab, MANGO, ZARA, GUESS, and Hotwind were listed on the blacklist. Some brands even showed excessive formaldehyde and pH values, and wearing such clothes can induce illnesses and harm health. It is reported that the China Consumers Association has sent letters to notify the relevant companies about the results of this comparative test.

Imported goods do not equal "high-end and classy"

Nowadays, "fast fashion" is no longer unfamiliar to domestic consumers. The astonishing speed of product turnover and affordable prices have gradually expanded its market share. However, due to the pursuit of speed and other reasons, quality control among fast fashion brands is inconsistent, with frequent quality issues.

To help consumers understand the true quality of "fast fashion" clothing products, personnel from the China Consumers Association recently purchased 70 "fast fashion" adult clothing items in the Beijing and Shanghai markets as ordinary consumers and entrusted the China Commercial Federation Consumer Goods Quality and Safety Supervision and Inspection Center (Beijing) to conduct comparative tests.

Overall, 45 items fully met the standards (including enterprise-declared standards), accounting for 64% of all comparative test samples.

The comparative test confirmed that the overall quality of current "fast fashion" clothing remains low.

Some of these tested samples were produced domestically, while others were produced overseas in places like Hong Kong and Turkey. However, the China Consumers Association pointed out that comparing the pass rates of products made domestically and abroad shows that the quality of clothing produced in China is comparable to that produced overseas. Therefore, from the factory perspective, Chinese clothing companies are not inferior to foreign manufacturers in terms of production quality.

In fact, Chinese consumers flock to "fast fashion" products largely because of their "imported" identity, combined with the effective promotion by fast fashion brands, which gives the brands a "high-end, elegant, and classy" aura, causing consumers to lower their guard regarding product quality.

This morning, Ms. Xu, Public Relations and Communications Director of ZARA, told our reporter that they are currently contacting the China Consumers Association to verify the information. If it is confirmed to be a product quality issue, they will notify all stores nationwide to accept unconditional returns from consumers.

Fabric composition deducted and swapped

Fiber content is one of the main criteria consumers use to choose clothing and is also an important indicator of wearing comfort. Currently, some fast fashion clothing sold in the market is directly imported from abroad, while some are produced domestically under OEM. To pursue profits, some companies do not test or label fiber content according to production input ratios. Additionally, fast fashion garments often consist of multiple fabrics, which inevitably leads to incorrect fiber content labeling. Problematic products in this test include b+ab and MANGO; some explicitly state they contain cotton, but testing found none at all.

Excessive pH value damages skin

Formaldehyde content and pH value relate to personal health. Formaldehyde mainly functions to make clothing wrinkle-resistant, shrink-resistant, and enhance color brightness. If manufacturers use cheap additives containing formaldehyde, the clothing will gradually release free formaldehyde during wear and use, which can enter the body through the respiratory tract, eyes, and skin—the body's largest organ—inducing illnesses. Excessive pH value in clothing may damage the skin's natural barrier, causing a burning sensation, bacterial growth, and easy skin diseases.

In this comparative test, MARKS&SPENCER pants (item number 8230) produced by Marks & Spencer (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. had a formaldehyde content ≤75mg/kg, but the measured value reached 91; pants produced by Zara Commercial (Beijing) Co., Ltd. and Hotwind Investment Co., Ltd. under the Hotwind brand both failed the pH value test. The standard value should be 4.0~7.5, but the measured values were 8.3 and 9.2 respectively.

Color fading is the most frequent problem

Color fastness failing standards directly affects textile quality and normal wear. For example, washing with other clothes can easily cause color transfer. Bright colors are often a characteristic of "fast fashion" brands. Due to the short dyeing time, issues like fading, staining, and color bleeding at seams become prominent. This is the most common quality problem in "fast fashion" products. Problematic items include GUESS women's woven clothing, Promod jackets, ZARA pants, MARKS&SPENCER pants, and TOMMY HILFIGER men's pants.

Glossary

What is "fast fashion"?

Fast fashion, as a clothing category, is characterized by rapid new product launches, affordable prices, and closely following fashion trends, with many styles and small quantities per style.

Currently, fast fashion characterized by "fast, fierce, and accurate" is rapidly rising. "Fast" refers to the extremely quick arrival of new products in stores, with window displays changing twice a week. "Fierce" refers to intense competition among brands, and consumers purchase fast fashion clothing at a speed comparable to brand competition. "Accurate" means designers can predict near-term fashion trends and design various trendy clothes in a short time.

"Fast fashion" is deeply loved by young consumers, with a gradually expanding market share. Representative brands include H&M, ZARA, C&A, Uniqlo, Me&City, and others.

Fast fashion only pursues speed, not quality

"Although these clothes are not expensive, the workmanship and fabric are really disappointing; they fall apart after washing." Some consumers frankly admit that fast fashion products are okay for casual wear but lack attention to detail.

In recent years, some fast fashion brands such as H&M, MANGO, VEROMODA, etc., have repeatedly been exposed for product quality issues. Some down jackets have insufficient down content, some have poor color fastness, and some fabric composition labels do not match actual tests.

Zhang Dezhi, director of the Consumer Guidance Department of the China Consumers Association, analyzed that "speed" is the characteristic of fast fashion. Facing increasing market demand, some fast fashion clothing brands, in pursuit of speed, have shortened production and sales cycles, resulting in unstable quality and lapses in monitoring. In addition, fast fashion brands pay special attention to processing costs. They often produce batches and select several Chinese OEM factories to compete on price, with the lowest bidder winning. Frequent changes of fabric suppliers make the quality of fast fashion even more unstable.

Besides, bright colors are often a feature of "fast fashion" brands. During fabric dyeing, due to the short time, issues such as color fastness, pH value, and formaldehyde content often become apparent. A clothing testing expert once revealed to the media that clothing testing generally takes 3 to 5 days. If the clothing fails, re-testing requires 7 to 10 days. For "fast fashion" companies, a one-day delay may cause products to miss the shelf, so quality inspectors often "turn a blind eye."

Standardize raw materials and increase testing

"Fast fashion must not only be 'fast' and 'fashionable' but also ensure quality," said Li Yuanguang, deputy secretary-general of the China Consumers Association. "Affordable" does not mean "cheap." While ensuring the quality of finished clothing products, brands should standardize raw material procurement to guarantee quality from the source. The 'fast' in fast fashion is a double-edged sword. While pursuing speed, it is easy to relax control over the supply chain, so a stable supplier system must be established.

Moreover, quality, the core factor measuring a product's cost-effectiveness, is becoming increasingly important. In practice, adding testing steps will inevitably extend the product's time to market, but the result is a significant increase in consumer satisfaction with product quality. For fast fashion brands, it is better to view speed in two parts: in design, the faster the better, as forward-looking trend designs can allow more time for production and logistics; but in quality control, testing procedures should be strictly followed. Because only fashion with guaranteed quality can withstand market tests and gain consumer recognition.