Very cheap fashion ..but the price is high

IT was their ability to rapidly interpret catwalk looks and sell them at rock-bottom prices that made them essential fashion destinations.

But now there appears to be a backlash against so-called "fast fashion".

Last month, the BBC Panorama undercover investigation programme Primark On The Rack exposed child labour, with young Indian children working long hours for little pay in foul conditions to finish off our high street clothes.

The programme resulted in demonstrations and condemnation, and according to fashion buyer Sarah Murray, of Thistle Street store Jane Davidson, our appetite for pile 'em high and sell 'em cheap clothing is waning.

"There has definitely been a shift and I think the media awareness surrounding the way these clothes are made has helped a great deal," she says. "It's no longer fashionable now to buy unethical clothes.

"A couple of years back it was almost cool to reveal just how little your outfit really cost when someone commented on how great you looked, but actually it's not cool – especially when you realise that a child working in horrific conditions made it.

"So there is most definitely a backlash. That's not to say everyone is going to rush out and buy designer, but people are becoming more conscientious and discerning. Let's face it, you can't make clothes for that money unless you do that."

Edinburgh fashion stylist Laura Wilton agrees. She says: "It's kind of come full circle. It became more about the greedy consumption of cheap, easily discardable clothes than fashion.

"Now, it seems, more and more people are opting to be socially responsible with their fashion."

But this doesn't mean foregoing the latest trends in favour of morphing into some tree-hugging eco-warrior; nor does it mean turning our backs on affordable fashion – particularly during these difficult economic times.

Edinburgh fashion designer Holly Campbell, of Totty Rocks, thinks it's about loving – not merely wanting – an item.

She says: "People should covet something and love it, rather than throw it out after one season."

Clothes are so disposable now – as disposable as a ready-made meal. You can just throw it in the bin when you're bored with it."

She adds: "Overproduction started it. The minimum amount for ordering things from China is so enormous that it drives the price down. Every shop is overstocked and things cost less. Consumers get used to paying less, they feel cheated otherwise, so shops keep it low.

"It's too easy to go into one of these stores and buy a pair of shoes for 12. We need to think twice about buying cheap stuff because really it's not that cheap. Spend a little more on something that has more thought put into it and is better crafted, and you'll get more use from it."

Emily Walters, a 25-year-old from the New Town, is one such buyer who is saying goodbye to fast fashion.

The interactive media designer says: "Sometimes the cheap purchase can be a quick fix to satisfy the urge to shop till you drop, but there's nothing more satisfying than investing in a quality piece of clothing you know will last longer than one wash.

I don't think many people would buy fast fashion if they knew that it was made using cheap labour or exploitation."

Rachel Farer, business manager of Scotland's biggest Fairtrade outlet, One World Shop, agrees.

"The fashion industry is rife with bad practice which needs to be cleaned up," she says.

"I'm very concerned about the cheap clothing and the production conditions. Having returned from India, it was shocking to see what really goes on. There were children as young as nine working to produce clothes that are sold in big UK supermarkets. Everybody is after a bargain and if people knew what went on, they wouldn't want it so much."

That's precisely why 31-year-old Rachel Winders, a recruitment consultant from Portobello, is stopping her cheap chic love affair.

"It's just not worth it when you realise how you come to acquire these goods," she says. "I'd prefer to pay more and have peace of mind."

Most of us can't afford to splurge on specially crafted designer goods, so how can we stay high street and know the difference between clothes that have been made in a sweatshop and those which have not? "First of all, think about it," says stylist Laura. "If it's so cheap that it's too good to be true, then there's a reason for it.

"It's unlikely a 3 pair of jeans is going to be ethically made, so look carefully at certain supermarkets and fast fashion shops and think before you buy."

Fashion buyer Sarah agrees. "You just have to look into the policies of the stores – where they produce their clothes and how they are produced.

"How often do they check up on their suppliers? Also, look at the labour that is put into the clothes. I mix designer with high street, but I am careful.

"I really like Marks & Spencer as they are one of the most conscientious. The more I read about them, the more I find out about their intolerance of bad practices."

Of all the big brands, M&S appears to be one of the most committed to improving conditions.

Krishnan Hundal, head of garment manufacturing technology at M&S, said recently: "There is a price for clothing below which we will not go" and that "we 100 per cent do not sub-contract".

He added: "We buy one-third of all the organic cotton that is produced in the world.

"We have 25 dedicated members of staff whose job it is to audit factories in Bangladesh, Morocco and China. We pay all our workers at least the minimum wage, but more often well above the minimum."

Last week, Tesco was accused of using slave labour after an investigation revealed an Indian textile factory the UK company sources goods from pays staff just 16p an hour. Tesco refuted the claim, saying: "We insist on high standards and go to great lengths to ensure our suppliers meet them."

H&M, People Tree, Next, Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Accessorize are just some of the other high street stores for those consumers with a conscience.

Meanwhile, Harvey Nichols is pioneering ethical high-fashion with a range of designers including Stella McCartney, producing ethical clothes.

"Global guilt is changing things," says Kevin Stewart of Harvey Nichols.

"I would choose simple basics from H&M or Marks & Spencer and mix it with those designer items that I've scrimped and saved for.

"Quality lasts so much longer than throwaway fashion and it looks better. If you work it out in terms of price per wear, quality is actually cheaper. In terms of socially responsible fashion, however, the tide is turning."