By noting the growth of rental and resale in the fashion market, Ms. Chang shows awareness of moves by shoppers toward slow fashion (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ijcs.12127). Rental and resale may not fit well into the business model of most clothing retailers, but other slow fashion techniques might: Fair trade manufacturing practices so the welfare of workers is respected. Local origins for the raw materials, the production, and/or the supply so that a good portion of the item’s retail purchase price will sustain the quality of life near where the purchaser lives. Backstories for the items so that the lore surrounding the product or service is preserved. Collection of used items for distribution to charities.
4
The Forever 21 customer base has aged out and their younger siblings, cousins, and friends are "wearing out" their hand-me-downs. Unfortunately I spoiled my godchildren with quality clothing so that even they were turned off as I followed them into such "disposable" clothing stores in the malls. Last week's article about the environmental impact of this "disposable" clothing should make us want quality rather than quality. Quality clothes can be passed on to others (family, friends, and others in need) with a modicum of care and respect. Disposable clothes end up in the landfills.
16
I am not a mall shopper, indeed, I’ve never been to a mall as I am a Native New Yorker, Manhattan born and bred.
I am also not “Forever 21,” I am in my 50’s (though told I look like I’m in my 40’s).
I shop at Forever 21, either in Union Square, or lately online, because it’s easier. Disposable clothing is not always an accurate description of Forever 21’s merchandise. If you have a discerning eye for fashion, you can find some cheap pieces (especially bags and jackets), that will “pass” as higher end. Trust me, I mix their stuff with things from Anthropologie, Free People and other stores. ( Note: I do not buy designer clothing, to me, that’s the biggest waste.) The secret with less expensive clothing is too not “wear the hell out of it,” because of course, it’s not finely made.
I come from a fashionista family who buy chichi only. They are uptown people, I’m a downtown “girl.” But I’m not fashionably out of place if I’m forced into their crowd.
Ironically, just today, I received a package from Forever 21 and was thrilled to see how the faux leather jacket I chose looked as good as one six times the price. Style is also how you carry yourself and accessorize.
All that to say mostly this: I’ll miss you Forever 21. (I doubt they’ll actually be able to continue their online presence.)
12
" fast, disposable fashion"... well, good riddance. Regardless of the aesthetic merits. however moderate those may be, it's about time that the American consumer stop buying this "disposable" garbage from innumerable retailers. So often now, even in supposedly higher end clothing stores, the merchandise is charitably called shoddy, made of cheap fabric that can't abide one or two cleanings, cheaply sewn, and of erratic fit. It used to be, for example, that medium meant medium, or a 30" waist was the same measurement at any store. No longer. It is frustrating in the extreme, and makes the buying of many clothing items online nearly impossible as trying it on is truly a necessity.
16
What about refitting the malls into multi-purpose housing?
30
After reading the comments, I’m baffled at some of the opinions about the company itself and the quality of the clothing (clearly some people have never shopped F21 but don’t like the business model, the company name or the religion of the owners so the entire company must be bad)
My one vice is clothes. I buy from the low end (F21, H&M) to higher end (Anthropologie) & have had subscriptions to StitchFix. Some of my favorite pieces are from Forever21. Jackets especially-my fav jean jacket, double breasted French blue crop, khaki trench coat & black hooded swing coat. Their boho peasant tops are some of the prettiest, even prettier than Anthropologie. Their pajama sets are adorable & cozy. Hair accessories, shoes and kitchen items are as good as any out there.
Like all clothing retailers, there are good items and bad, poor workmanship and shoddy fabrics. But if that’s what you’re finding or buying at F21, that’s on you. Some classic items I’ll keep for the rest of my life, they’re that good.
With regard to sustainability, if you’re throwing out clothes and not donating or reselling, again, that’s on you. I mostly resell on eBay but have used Poshmark & ThredUp as well. Anything else, goes in the donation box for resale at the animal shelter thrift store. (I take very good care of my clothes)
Personally, this 60 year old clothes aficionado who lives in a very rural area with only a Target & Kohl’s, will continue to shop online at Forever21 as long as they are in business.
8
@Angela3950 First of all Angela, you strike me as a very good example on how most should shop and use clothes. Especially, the recycling by way of reselling or donation. The environmental aim is get as much use out of clothes and avoiding the pre-mature discarding into the waste stream. The mfg of clothes is hard on the environment, and the increasing reliance on synthetic compounds has greatly changed how these items degrade when discarded. In a sentence, your handling of clothes is not problem. The trouble is with how clothes are quickly discarded by the bulk of the population, and how unrelenting marketing goads people into unthinkingly speeding up the that cycle.
11
@phc-on-the-lake
You are so right and I completely get it! Many in my age group haven’t grasped the urgency for reuse, repair & recycling, clothes or anything else. I have a friend with 47 pairs of black pants and continues to buy tho she doesn’t discard them either.
I’m pretty selective with my purchases, am a vigilant declutterer/recycler/no-waste type. Not perfect, but trying.
Side note: I used to work with a lot of 20 somethings who wouldn’t even recycle an aluminum can with recycling bins steps away. Some people don’t care and maybe, never will.
8
Angela,
Please see my post ( just a bit before yours) - seems we’re shopping twins. I get it.
3
Good riddance! This is a win for the environment!
13
Try to have some class. Stop buying crappy, cheap clothes! You don't need 25 pairs of jeans, and 50 t-shirts! This is bad for the economy, terrible for the environment, criminal in its treatment of the humans who labor for them, and makes customers complicit in the wrongdoing. I'm glad to see this criminal enterprise gone. Good riddance. More should follow, quickly.
20
I find it offensive and hypocritical that a company quoting the bible has a record of abusing its employees.
13
Like the church doesn’t abuse anyone...
17
...and helping to destroy the planet in the process!
6
Cheesy, unattractive, overpriced stuff in messy, jammed-up stores--that's why Forever 21 went under.
10
Lesson learned: Don’t build your business on the loyalty of youth.
9
Good riddance. Have had multiple friends have their designs stolen from this company that creates nothing but clothing waste.
7
The cultist religious element which creeps into their retail philosophy is a turn off despite their cheap prices. Keeps many people away.
5
Poorly made, environmentally terrible, exploitative of workers. Does anybody dare say that F21's clothing is/was really, really ugly? Good riddance.
5
The name itself always turned me off. "Forever 21?" Seems like the owners sought to--hint, hint--suggest that anyone older was over the hill and not a desired customer. Sort of like Lulu Lemon initially refusing to sell anything over a size 6 or 8, because its clothing didn't look good on larger folks. Lulu Lemon caved in and it's still going. Maybe "Forever 21" should change its name to "Forever 35." Oh, and sell better clothing.
8
Not being in their demographic, I bought a blouse there once. It certainly was cheaply made and trendy for that time. I gave it to Goodwill after a few wears and never went into their stores again. There was no point.
Wondering what lessons the elder Changs have taught their daughters as they built a business based on throwaway clothing and the clogging up of landfills. Can they learn sustainability? Probably not.
14
@curious
But they could learn what NOT to do!
2
I don't know if I'd be proud of the fact that my company is at the top of the list for fast-fashion companies. It's terrible for the environment, workers are treated terribly, and no one wants cheap clothes you can only wear once. Switching from fast-fashion to high quality pieces has been one of the best decisions I've ever made. Glad to see others doing the same.
16
The NYT article slightly touches this issue, which is greatly apparent if you've been a shopper of F21 (as I have been) for a decade+. As F21 expanded its global footprint, it equally expanded its output on merchandise. More clothes, more accessories, more sizes, more seasons each year -- there were so much new inventory pouring each week in the stores and online.
Each outfit lost any quality of being in the stores when squeezed with all the new designs, and offerings - you couldn't tell one pair of jeans from another. This weight of excess inventory grew so much until walking in a store or browsing online became a dizzying experience - racks of clutter and disarray.
This was an unsustainable level of gross consumerism I'm quite happy to see pulled back.
20
The mall near my home has a Forever 21 and an H&M. I rarely see people shopping in those stores, during the day at least... maybe weekends or after school? I've wandered in and tried on a couple items, but discovered that everything is so poorly made and cheap looking, I'd be embarrassed to wear them in public, not to mention, unsuitable for anyone over 30, which I am.
Over the years, I've collected a well made core wardrobe suitable for my lifestyle, adding in a few new versatile pieces periodically. Sometimes I find items in resale shops. Recently, I found and added an Eileen Fisher outfit in unworn condition, originally over $400, for only $35 at an upscale charity shop.
Fast fashion is environmentally harmful and money wasted on so many levels, it's hard to feel bad about a shake out.
15
This past month, I was in both The Netherlands and Scotland. The most popular shops by far were thrift and vintage stores. The prices are excellent. My grandparents, having lived through the Great Depression, taught me that “ use it up, make it do, wear it out”, was the best way.
Let’s learn a lesson and save Mother Earth.
13
@Ellen
That's the old pioneer saying:
Use it up
Wear it out
Make it do
Or do without
5
@Ellen
I agree with your sentiments, although I always question the phrase "save Mother Earth." The earth will be fine, as it has been for 5 billion years. The concern is whether we're making our specie's short stay on the planet even shorter (same concern for other animals and plants). Have a good day!
2
@john
Excellent point..I guess it should be “Save Mother Earth enough so that plants, animals, and people will be able to still live on it”.
1
Cheap clothes meant to be landfill next season, trinkets trimmed with fur of digs, cats, rabbits skinned alive in China, rampant unsustainable growth - maybe this is a business model that should finally go away.
15
More details jobs lost. We are going to need a UBI as this trend continues. I believe we’ve crossed over 90,000 job losses over the past few years. Unfortunately consumerism is how jobs are created buying second hand while environmentally sound means globally massive job losses.
4
@Location01
A lot of people are now working in charity stores, and bright young people are making new things out of old.
1
Love this, thank you for writing this piece. Absolutely crazy how they didn't pay rent and expanded from 7 to 47 countries in less than 7 years!!!
5
I remember begging my parents to take me across the mountain to the "good" mall, the one with the Hot Topic and Forever 21 and Rue 21. I so desperately wanted something I could afford that was tight fitting and borderline against school dress code. How else was I going to feel confident in high school? Thankfully I've matured a bit and only shop that kind of thing for the one night a month I go out with girlfriends. The rest of my wardrobe consists of conservative secondhand purchases for work. I still don't wear a bra, though.
11
Maybe people want more than the overpriced disposable thin rags that they sell and it has nothing to do with mall locations.
27
Forever 21 is one of the companies that had used (maybe still does) sweatshop labor in the US, Los Angeles, to be specific. A LA Times story broke about this back in August, 2017. They deserve bankruptcy for treating humans as disposable.
67
I’m glad that they’re going to file for bankruptcy, as one of America’s 20 year olds who didn’t grow up with all of the luxury of shopping at malls all the time, I endorsed F21. However, their environmental impact and their impact on the people making their clothes is gross. I shop secondhand now, one commentator mentioned how it was, “F21 or Walmart” but no it isn’t, secondhand is a perfectly good option. Also, you keep clothes out of a landfill this way.
61
Most young 20's and under I know are shopping at thrifts for vintage well made clothing. These decisions are made for economic, environmental, and style reasons. They don't like to be marketed to.
41
When I was young, this wasn’t fast fashion, it was the first affordable fashion that didn’t make me look like my grandmother. Say what you will about the quality, but as someone working 30 hours a week while attending university and making my own tortillas for meals because they only required and 80c bag of flour and water, a $5 shirt wasn’t “a choice,” it was the only choice. And yes I wore those clothes til there were holes but was thankful to have them, Walmart was the only other option and they had their own problems. I’m not sure what percent of forever 21 customers were like me, but so may of these articles about fast fashion seem to contain implicit assumptions about what people can and cannot afford. Now, I have a choice and buy quality and sustainably, but not sure what other options I would have had at the time, when forever 21 was a godsend.
76
@GoodBetterBest Not buying your argument that fast fashion are a necessity for the poor.
I was in the same spot in Europe (quite a while ago). Yet second hand stores, Good Will equivalent, and other similar stores were already excellent choices in a more formal society.
8
@Juin not saying it’s a necessity, rather that we need to shift the way we talk about it and think of better solutions. Referring to people as “the poor” case in point. And if “they” should buy second hand clothes, so should we all.
7
@GoodBetterBest
I grew up in the 1940 and 1950 era. I wore hand me down clothes from my first cousin, who was two years older, and some party dresses made by my me aunt. But I did get new shoes, and also Easter hats.
2
“...old people wanted to be 21 again, and young people wanted to be 21 forever.” Talk about a losing marketing strategy from the get-go. Not loving being called old.
49
@JF
While we’re at it, why does AARP put 50 year old on their magazine covers. I won’t subscribe.
2
I was at a large mall at Dallas a few weeks ago at like 2PM on a Thursday and it was Black Friday crowded. You could barely walk. Lines of 45 minutes at Chick-fil-A.
Our local mall in my midsized city (120,000) is generally not empty I guess? There's a handful of people there off peak hours. Saturdays the stores all have shoppers. It exists and I assume profitably.
The mall in the stop over town in Southern Oklahama that we used to get lunch at while driving to OKC is dead. Last time we went we didn't see another person other then a teenager working the glow golf desk. Tumbleweeds could have tumbled through.
Having lived all over the US, malls are a barometer of how well a city is doing. The 'middle class' needs to be in a place to support a mall, it may not line up with the data that gets reported but my lived experience is that by and large people want their local mall to stay in business -- the issue is that in shrinking towns the money isn't there.
I know it's cliche to repeat this but, life time city dwellers, take a weekend and drive to nowheresville. Visit a dead mall. See for yourself how real the hollowing out of anywhere that isn't a city is.
27
@Eli Us city dwellers know it , that's why we vote Democratic. Tell them that maybe if they voted in their own interests there would still be a middle class with money to spend in malls
51
Thank you!
1
There is a quiet sub-story here, as seen in the phrase, "it’s another death knell for the malls they’re in that have already lost a Sears, Macy’s, Penney’s, and are struggling with footsteps diminishing every day" and that is the collapse of the working/middle classes. These stores all catered to them.
How much of this is also due to the fact that so many people simply have less disposable income as the poor/middle class grow poorer?
94
@Haapi
A friend of mine has a fascinating job renting space in malls. She says they are being re- purposed into mix used such as non- profit offices, daycares, senior housing. The middle open spaces- community gardens, etc.
9
Forever 21's customers are middlemen between the store and the landfill.
I hope younger consumers begin to shop more ethically and eschew clothing made in sweatshops that pollute the environment.
78
About ten years ago, after finishing college, I came home with what amounted to a garbage bag worth of clothing from Forever 21. It was deeply appealing to be able to drop in on a Saturday before a party and have new outfits to show off for cheap. We thought nothing of it.
Joke was on me when it came to needing clothing for real world interviews. I had nothing but dated, poorly made, inappropriate rags that had no place to go but the bin. Replacing all of it for work attire became the most costly mistake I made, personally and environmentally. All fast fashion should go bankrupt.
115
When I go to malls (not often), I would occasionally drop into a Forever21, and I'm in my 60's. I'd look for the types of things that were inexpensive and I could wear around the house, but probably not outdoors.
Today's younger generation, many with debts, are buying less and have less storage room. They may still live at home with their parents in the houses with mega closets, but young people on their own live in smaller apartments or homes with smaller closets, because that's all they can afford. They want things that last.
My 20-something shops at inexpensive resale stores occasionally (Salvation Army, Goodwill), a habit she actually learned from me. There is better quality on items made long ago, fashions come back, the planet has less and less room for trash, and it costs less than even Forever21.
I'm sorry to see the mall and retail businesses suffering because when I was young, that's where we'd go to meet up with friends. Many young people today don't meet up, they just text or use their phones to face time and stay at home.
39
Family run businesses implode when the only people they talk to are themselves. If they had a real board of directors, a CFO and an executive culture looking for answers rather than confirmation, Forever 21 might have survived.
Instead, they believed their own rhetoric, ignored all the information in front of them and blew their financial structure to pieces pushing growth that outpaced their income.
There's nothing new here. In an ever tightening business template, hubris and dreaming will never replace analysis.
and a clear mind.
36
This type of store is out of my wheelhouse. However, I would never give it a passing look because of the Bible quote on the bottom of the shopping bag. If you want to make money, it’s a good idea to keep your religion and politics out of the business.
126
@Linda K You'd have to give it more than a passing look to even see the verse reference. I don't shop there often but over the years I've made a number of purchases and never noticed it. I agree that overt religiousness is grating in most businesses, but this is by no means overt.
7
@Linda K Whenever someone publicly proclaims their piety like that, I grab my wallet.
3
As someone way past 21, I wish I had embraced buying quality over quantity when I was younger. Of course, this assumes that you will not change sizes, but maybe if I didn’t want to give up an expensive piece, I’d have had more incentive to stay thin. I’m just now saving my pennies to invest in a few good pieces for the last stage of my career.
22
@Rebecca
We didn’t have a lot of money to spend on clothes when I was growing up. My mom taught us to shop for quality over quantity. I think she was one smart lady.
18
@Suzie130, but when you are a teenager you are still growing, and there’s likely hood you might outgrow the “quality” and expensive clothes you buy, so unless you are fully grown and wealthy it is best not buy expensive clothes. Clothes from middle price range companies like Old Navy, Gap and American Eagle have better quality. J. Crew and Madewell used to be good but ever since they have been bought over by equity funds the quality of the clothes has gone down the drain but they still remain expensive.
3
Malls will be popular again as the climate continues to deteriorate making anything outdoors death defying.
19
Perhaps the name is limiting. Why would anyone want to be 21 forever?
100
@Julia Ellegood Speaking as an older man, I think the obvious answer is that externally, women are at their most beautiful at about age 21. In terms of biology and stating the obvious, this physical beauty is what makes them attractive to a potential mate. Yes, all the triumphs and challenges of adulting and maturation lie ahead, but for that brief moment they can enjoy the peak of the physical power of simple beauty. It was not a bad marketing strategy for the company.
9
@Lee Rentz, I beg to differ. I am a middle-aged woman now, but I remember that I was not my most attractive at the age of 21. I was going through an extended adolescent and was still awkward, pimply and far from attractive. Externally I feel I looked my best when I was in my late thirties.
11
It’s a sad comment on society that men and this paternalistic culture believe “women are their most beautiful at 21”. Puhleeze. We are long overdue for a huge cultural shift.
11
This company’s lawyers have been inundated with copyright infringement lawsuits for the past 12 years. They have continued relentlessly to blatantly steal designs and concepts from the industry. No different than the intellectual property we accuse China of appropriating. No different than film and product counterfeits. These are not honorable people. It’s time they put an end to the thievery.
70
I see two things from my teenaged kids.
First, the desire to buy second hand clothes. It’s environmentally responsible, less expensive and is considered cool.
Second, that other fast fashion retailers are doing a better job. Primark especially.
Forever 21 is considered “suburban”, the lowest of the low.
45
@Cousy
I work in the back end of the retail industry. Based on the sanity of the people I’ve worked with and the conditions I’ve seen in production, I agree with your kids - Primark is the best of the fast fashion brands.
9
Their clothes are thin, but the look could be fun. Made it easy to buy a piece or two of chintzy apparel for a not-so-special girl. They don’t look at the price tag always and you look like a thoughtful boyfriend. Certainly wasteful in the environmental sense. However, I would make a counter argument - IF clothes were to be THREE times more durable, then the labor forces overseas ( not matter what you think of the conditions and pay rates ) would need to make THREE times LESS garments. That is not good for their wage earning populace and balance of trade expectations.
3
@Suburban Cowboy
Three times more durable also means those making the clothes have more careful work to do. Not so sure your theory about less work for the laborer holds up. If the garment costs more in the store, those who make them should be receiving more per hour, then maybe they could go home after an eight-hour shift instead of 18 hours. There is a huge profit margin between workers and executives. All of this needs to get more balanced. The bottom line—the consumer has to be willing to buy fewer clothes for higher quality, and to take on their part in honest and fair trade. So far the consumer chooses to look the other way while paying the $7 for a pair of jeans they will only wear a short time. Sigh.
32
Millennials and so many others have realized that " fast fashion " is poorly made, falls about after ten wearings, is terrible for the environment, and is made by very poorly paid labor.
They know better. The way the young shop is sustainably responsible. They appear to be buying fewer, better made goods, shop at consignment stores, and rent their clothing and accessories for special occasions.
Malls are just not where it's at.
The old model doesn't work anymore. I suspect many other " fast but cheap" purveyors will follow Forever 21 into bankruptcy.
So much junk. Our homes are full of it. No other country in the world has so much stuff. Nor feels the need to buy,buy, buy.
191
@It's About Time
Agreed. Our home is full of stuff too. I take used items to the Goodwill Store drive-thru drop-off lane and it's eye opening to see the soccer moms in mini-vans disgorging van loads of goods.
The horn of plenty has flooded us with so much stuff that we buy larger homes to hold it all. Then there's storage buildings full of something and storage yards full of RVs, boats and travel trailers.
11
@It's About Time
One solution is to live in a less-than- 500 square foot home ( I live near the ocean where the rent is quite high).
It helps me think carefully about what I buy. Food ( organic, sustainable, of at the weekly farmers market), shoes, some pants I buy new, but pretty much all the rest comes from a great thrift/ vintage store nearby.
2
Printing ridiculous bible versus in shopping bags makes me want to vomit, they won’t be missed
135
@Eric It's not a "ridiculous bible versus," it's the citation for a core tenet of Christianity. As such, it has absolutely no business being used promotionally by a company in the rag trade.
10
I agree with the earlier comments, not a surprise. I personally enjoy shopping at Forever 21 when I have the time. But it is critical to go to the store to shop, this type of merchandise is poorly-suited for online shopping. This is because, while everything sold is relatively inexpensive, the quality and thus value varies dramatically from item-to-item. That said, one of my loveliest skirts (cotton print with gold ribbon detail) was purchased about 10 years ago at Forever 21, certainly for under $20. I still get compliments every time I wear it.
31
Considering the business model lately has turned to "make the money and run," lack of longevity for any one business isn't bothering anybody except the rank and file who are losing their jobs, because they didn't make any money. The owners and CEO's did. Building a business used to mean building it to last. No more. It's built to make as much money as fast as it can for owners and officers, and then go bankrupt.
75
@Brookhawk - a bankruptcy is a career-marring failure for all involved: CEO, CFO, Board of Directors, ownership (lenders get paid before owners) etc. None of these parties would ever plan for a business like this to go bust. And the negative after-effect on career/etc will be much worse for the higher-ups than for what you are calling the “rank and file”.
@Critical Thinking Please
I agree that executives and owners do not plan to go bankrupt. Executives do get paid before lenders and going bankrupt may not hurt your career very much. Check out who the President of the USA is.
29
@Critical Thinking Please
Tell that to a good % of Wall Street professionals and CEO's, as well as the president of the country. I'm afraid your view on bankruptcy (as well is mine) is sadly outdated.
15
That’s a lot of Americans who will be out of a job and this trend will only continue. Andrew Yang is the only candidate for any higher office talking about all the American jobs that will be lost over the next decade to the internet/automation. Regardless of if he wins the presidency or not, there should be a plan to curb the pain for those displaced. His freedom dividend would work the most simply but there needs to be SOMETHING. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and lose sight of what’s clearly ahead.
59
@Taylor Smith jobs in healthcare from aides to doctors/surgeons will only continue to grow. That and other personal service (hairdressers, teachers, maintenance workers) will continue to grow and can't be outsourced. Young people and older part time workers will have to retrain. Mining isn't coming back either, despite trump's claims.
18
@Meighan Corbett
Hairdressers, maintenance workers, home healthcare aides. You just listed a lot of minimum wage or $10 an hour jobs. The future of America?
You are correct about mining jobs not coming back, despite President Trump's claims. But we better find a way to address the upcoming joblessness and/or dramatically increase the pay of service industry jobs or this will not be a country worth living in.
6
Not a surprise. Mall traffic is way down. Online sales are booming. For malls to survive in the future , new direct strategy is needed. Watching pedestrians is similar whether on the street, in the mall , and even driving, they are using their cell phones. A mall must set a strategy where computer interaction is highlighted so technology entertains, educates, and interacts with the consumer or only a few stores will survive in the future. Imagine a mall that trains children in programming at the age of ten while setting up batting cages and or competitive computer game playing . Direct interest away from cell phone activity is collapsing.
11
@Ralph Petrillo Also one is less likely to be killed in a mass shooting shopping from home. Declining attendance at movie theaters and in malls — these entities might win consumers back by taking steps for the safety of their shoppers.
23
@Ralph Petrillo
Ralph, I've said the same in other forums, that malls need to be main street again. Put in the DMV office, game arcades, day care centers, dentists, bank branch, stock market firms, shoe repair, tailor/seamstress shops, dry cleaners, barber shops, wine shop, even some bumper cars. Make it a place where people can DO things, not just spend on clothes, jewelry, shoes and junk food.
@Mike
I agree. They are just to boring.
So presumably the Oxford Street store is for the chop, but it's a prime location on Europe's busiest shopping street and surely it won't be empty for long.
They may print "John 3:16" on the bags, but in terms of encapsulating the changing consumer views on fast fashion that contributed to the bankruptcy filing, First Corinthians 13:11 might be more apt. Nonetheless, well done to the Changs for founding and building up a substantial business.
20
Pity, I so enjoyed buying accidentally transparent clothes that fell apart in the washing machine the first time you washed them. The idea of having disposable clothes is pretty despicable, especially considering the third world labor that goes into them. Consignment stores all the way for this millennial (who is also, as it happens, tired of being told that my generation is killing industries because we possess a conscious and want a better future for ourselves and our children.)
174
@Kristina I hope you and your friends are also shopping local as in local artisans and real and authentic farmers markets. It is what I call mainstream consumerism that is destroying the environment and creating waste. Today the cost of convenience is way too high.
9
@Kristina I'm surprised to see a millennial who cares about social issues saying "third world." That phrase isn't considered appropriate anymore. "Underpaid labor in developing countries" is a much more diplomatic and sensitive way of saying it.
2
@Kristina
I’m pushing 80 and I love shopping at vintage and thrift stores...no cheap stuff from people forced to work in sweatshops.
5
Forever 21 is tied to shopping malls. That kind of retail experience is in fast decline because its bland. There is only one kind of activity at most malls. Everything is the same. The company is well run and interesting, but cant overcome an outmoded form.
We see a rebirth of town centers now, the ones we used to have in the 1920's are starting to thrive. Forever 21 should put its stores their, if the rents are not too high.
Internet sales are not the answer, either. Its difficult and disappointing for fashion items. Amazon does not allow returns like it says it does.
24
@H Smith
Recently I visited my niece in a small town in South Jersey, fifteen minutes from Philadelphia. One hot spot in a mall was a gigantic Goodwill. Boy, did we get some great deals in there!
3