Introduction: Access to and handling clothing has changed significantly over the last two decades. Fast fashion offers new fashion pieces to customers weekly at low prices, but on the other hand, it seriously threatens the environment and human health. Due to the intensive development of one's own identity, socialization, and low prices, fast fashion clothes are often bought mainly by adolescents. Purpose: The purpose of the master's thesis is to investigate adolescent's clothing shopping habits and their knowledge of the fast fashion problematic, to descriptively define their attitudes towards used clothing, and to cover their experiences of using used (secondhand) clothes. Methods: The master's thesis is based on the descriptive method. For the introduction and the theoretical part, we conducted a literature review, using online tools of relevant bibliographic databases. In the empirical part, we used a qualitative research method based on a semi-structured interview. We interviewed 9 adolescents aged between 17 and 25 years, who are representing a specific population sample. We analyzed the obtained data by following the concepts and procedures of qualitative content analysis. Results: Participants acquire clothing by purchasing new or used clothing and by exchanging, renting, and handing overused clothing, or sewing it themselves. When their clothes serve them off, before tossing it in textile waste bins or mixed municipal waste, they try to get rid of them in a sustainable way, where reuse or donation is most present. They are aware of the negative effects of fast fashion and, above all, they feel a social responsibility for the employees of this industry. They feel helpless when engaging in alternative clothing practices (used, borrowed, or exchanged), as both the tempting offer and society are pushing them to constantly satisfy the need for new fast fashion clothing. They feel prejudiced towards used clothes when they do not know the previous users, and the clothing rental is close to them especially for rare and festive occasions. Discussion and conclusion: The results of the study in comparison with other Slovenian and foreign studies with a similar socio-political system indicate a fairly universal phenomenon of clothing shopping habits and experiences with used clothing. The advantage of the study is in capturing a wide range of health and societal aspects of fast fashion through the awareness, knowledge, and beliefs of individual Slovenian adolescents. The study additionally highlights the helplessness and sense of nonsense individuals may experience when being aware of the fast fashion problematics but at the same time remaining almost without any other alternative to fast fashion to choose from. In the end, the study also makes some suggestions for empowering the wider society in knowledge and action against fast fashion problematic.
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