Many articles of clothing that can be categorized as fast fashion are, in fact, longer lasting than their more expensive counterparts. So to blame the fast fashion industry for rampant waste is a bit unfair. A number of fast fashion products demonstrate significantly better value for money than other brands - especially when compared to designer brands.

So the inescapable conclusion is: people throw away clothes because they grow tired of them, not because they’re worn out. In fact, hardly anyone wears clothes to the point of wearing them out. Much of the clothing thrown away has nothing wrong with it. It has no holes in it; it's still functional. So the problem lies more with wearers than it does with the clothing producers themselves.

To automatically equate a price tag with quality is a mistake. Some of the longest-lasting clothes come from fast fashion retailers. While cheap fashion or fast fashion does raise legitimate questions about labor standards, expensive brands are notorious for unethical practices, too. It's a safe assumption that the people being paid to make those clothes are getting very little and likely working in hazardous conditions.

Burberry burnt unsold merchandise last year. Products of higher-end brands were made alongside cheaper ones in the Rana Plaza factory that collapsed in Bangladesh.