A systematic literature review of Slow fashion as a potential alternative to fast fashion

Abstract

The planned obsolescence of Fast fashion leads to environmental damage and labour exploitation. Slow fashion could be an attractive alternative, but due to its niche positioning, it is unable to reach broader segments of the population. For Slow fashion to function as a genuine alternative, it must simultaneously ensure visibility, accessibility, and affordability - in short, inclusivity. This systematic literature review examines whether the academic literature discusses the expectations of non-privileged consumers. Using the PRISMA methodology, we reviewed 156 articles in the Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO, and ScienceDirect databases. NVivo cluster analysis did not reveal automatically emerging characteristics of inclusivity (accessibility, visibility, affordability); manual review confirmed their marginal presence, indicating the production-centred, undemocratic nature of Slow fashion. Our findings confirmed that consumer expectations are not discussed in detail in the literature. This clearly contributes to the fact that the Slow fashion movement is not thriving in the mainstream market and has failed to scale up. Our practical recommendations emphasise the adoption of certain fast fashion marketing strategies (e.g., social media, e-commerce platforms, and targeted promotions), improving delivery options, and expanding sharing or circular resale models (including sharing and consumer-to-consumer platforms). This is necessary for Slow fashion to become mainstream, thereby pushing back Fast fashion.