France Just Took on Fast Fashion
A Bold Step in Sustainable September
Sustainable September feels especially timely this year, because France has made a bold move that could change the way we all shop. Last week, the French Senate approved a law aimed directly at ultra-fast fashion giants like Shein and Temu.
Every item from ultra-fast fashion brands sold in France will now carry an additional charge, starting at €5 and rising to €10 by 2030—or up to half of the item’s retail price. The law also takes aim at visibility: advertising and influencer promotions for these companies will be banned altogether, cutting off one of the biggest engines that drives fast fashion’s endless cycle of consumption.
Perhaps the most striking element is the new eco-score, a grading system that displays the environmental impact of each item at the point of sale. Imagine walking into a shop and seeing a sustainability report card—A through E—based on carbon emissions, water use, and recyclability. Revenue from the new tax will be redirected to support local, sustainable fashion producers in France, creating a feedback loop that encourages slower, more thoughtful production and consumption.
For some of us, this feels like a dramatic shift from the world we grew up in. There was a time when fast fashion didn’t even exist. If you wanted a new outfit, you saved up, you went to the mall, and you wore it on repeat—without shame. Nobody cared if you showed up to a party in the same sweater twice; in fact, it probably just meant you had a favorite.
Today, the expectation has shifted. Between Instagram feeds, TikTok hauls, and the ease of one-click shopping, the pressure to wear something different for every occasion has become the norm.
The Bigger Picture
France’s decision raises bigger questions that stretch beyond its own borders. Could we see eco-scores in the U.S.? Could taxes that reflect the true environmental cost of what we wear reshape consumer behavior? And perhaps most importantly, will this kind of legislation change how we view fashion itself—from something disposable to something more lasting?
Fashion has always been about expression, but it’s also about choice. This law puts the spotlight on how those choices ripple outward—to the planet, to the people making the clothes, and to the future of style itself.
What do you think? Would you support a law like this where you live, or does it go too far?
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Missy
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