i think there's a place for fast fashion brands.  for one, they do allow fashion and style to be accessible to people who otherwise couldn't afford it.  they are also more size inclusive than a lot of other brands.  but at the same time, i do believe we need to be intentional with our shopping.  in my own personal wardrobe, i like to balance things out with a mix of trendy and statement pieces with basics, some designer, vintage and second hand pieces, too.  (the bag in this post is a vintage a hand me down).  if i'm looking for something that's inexpensive and i'm not expecting it to last me a long time, i'll check the most affordable options available to me.  and sometimes that means fast fashion.  
i've found some great dupes or decent quality items for way less than i would have spent otherwise. currently, i'm loving that faux leather pants are so in style right now.  i remember it being y2k and ringing in the new millennium in a pair of black pleather pants.  that's what we called them back then, pleather pants.  it was such a moment! and how fun to be able to play around with the 2000's pleather trend with my 32 year old style.  
but the thing is, i just don't see myself wearing them often enough in my day to day life to justify spending $148 to buy this pair from aritizia or even $80 for this pair from abercrombie.  both of those styles are all over my instagram!  we are balling on a budget over here, so unless it makes absolute sense for me to invest in a piece, i'm going to look for the next best, more affordable option.   this $21 dupe on shein is a great dupe i found to be able to enjoy this nostalgic style moment without spending so much.  and while i am grateful that i was gifted this pair, this is a pair that i would have bought for myself regardless, (using my own discount code spring1232 for 15% off, of course!). 

disclosure: some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, i will earn a commission if you click through and/or make a purchase.  thank you for supporting me!

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