"Ultrafast" fashion booms on King’s Day, fueling overconsumption warnings
Clothing retailers across the Netherlands are heavily promoting special orange collections for King's Day, a trend that experts say symbolizes the fashion industry's acceleration into "ultrafast" fashion and normalizes treating clothes as disposable items.
According to NU.nl, fast-fashion brands including Zara, H&M, and Primark have stocked special orange collections in stores for weeks and are advertising them both online and offline as the perfect outfits for the national holiday. Stores such as Pull&Bear and Bershka have also created dedicated displays. Sustainable lifestyle expert Marieke Eyskoot questioned the practice. "Where is this heading if entire collections are made for just one day?"
Eyskoot said the King's Day push reflects broader changes in the industry. Collections once changed every few months. With the rise of chains such as Zara and H&M, they now turn over every few weeks. Online retailers like SHEIN have taken it further into ultrafast fashion, where hundreds of new items go on sale every day.
"That goes hand in hand with the attention economy of today," Eyskoot said. "It is about going viral online, and so there are constantly new trends to be able to participate in." These short-lived, highly specific trends are known as microtrends and drive constant change.
While microtrends are usually niche, King's Day changes that dynamic, she said. "King's Day is massive, which means it contributes more strongly to the normalization of buying a new outfit for one day." The quality of clothing in the ultrafast-fashion sector is poor, Eyskoot added.
Fashion psychologist Anke Vermeer said young people in particular feel they must join what she called the "rat race of trends." Following trends offers "a certain form of social security," she explained. "If you wear something that fits the latest fashion, you can count on approval."
Retail marketing professor Corine Noordhoff said retailers present the collections in coordinated sets so shoppers can immediately picture complete, eye-catching looks.
Consumers are especially open to new purchases around holidays like King's Day, according to emeritus business administration professor Cor Molenaar. "The purchase threshold is much lower around such a day," Molenaar said. "People are cheerful and prepare for their festive plans. They want to hold onto that positive feeling. A new purchase helps with that."
Noordhoff noted increased focus on festivals and other events during King's Day. In times of uncertainty, she said, such occasions provide social bonding. While people are generally more cautious with major spending, peaks around events remain visible.
"People feel cozier and more connected if they have a nice outfit on," Noordhoff said. It sends a social signal, she added: "Like, I belong to this group and I am participating in this."
