Scrolling through Shein or Temu has become almost second nature for millions of shoppers. A dress for the price of a coffee. A top cheaper than a movie ticket. New arrivals every time you refresh the app.
But France has decided enough is enough.
The country has passed a new law aimed squarely at ultra-fast fashion, making it one of the toughest governments in the world to crack down on the business model that has made brands like Shein and Temu so popular.
The message is pretty clear: if clothes are being made too fast, sold too cheaply and encouraging people to buy more than they need, there should be consequences.
What does the new law actually do?
The biggest change is that companies considered “ultra-fast fashion” will soon have to pay an environmental fee on every item they sell in France.
Those charges won’t stay the same forever. They’ll gradually increase over the next few years, and by 2030, the fee could reach at least €10 per garment or as much as half the product’s pre-tax price.
That’s a big deal for companies whose entire business depends on selling clothes at rock-bottom prices.
But the law doesn’t stop there.
France has also banned advertising for these brands. That includes social media influencers who promote ultra-fast fashion through paid partnerships. Companies or creators who break the rules could face hefty fines.
Another change shoppers will notice is environmental labelling. Clothes sold by these platforms will need to carry information about things like water use and how recyclable they are, giving buyers a better idea of the impact behind every purchase.
Why are Shein and Temu in the spotlight?
Fast fashion isn’t new.
Brands have been making trendy clothes at affordable prices for years.
What France is trying to tackle is something even faster.
Companies like Shein and Temu can upload thousands of new products in an incredibly short time. One trend disappears, another replaces it almost overnight. Clothes are produced quickly, sold cheaply and often treated as disposable.
Lawmakers say that’s exactly the problem.
The new law introduces the term “ultra-fast fashion” to describe companies that constantly flood the market with huge numbers of low-priced products.
The government will soon announce the exact limits that decide which companies fall into that category.
Why aren’t Zara and H&M affected in the same way?
This is where opinions start to differ.
A lot of environmental campaigners wanted France to include traditional fast-fashion brands as well.
Instead, the law focuses mainly on ultra-fast fashion platforms, meaning retailers like Zara and H&M are unlikely to face the same restrictions.
Supporters of the law say narrowing the definition was necessary. A broader law may have run into problems with European Union rules and could have hurt European retailers and jobs.
Critics, however, believe the government has missed an opportunity.
Their argument is simple. Whether clothes are produced very fast or ultra-fast, the environmental cost is still enormous.
Why has fast fashion become such a big issue?
The conversation isn’t really about one dress or one shopping order.
It’s about what happens when millions of people buy clothes that are designed to be worn only a handful of times before being replaced.
The fashion industry already has a huge environmental footprint. Making clothes uses vast amounts of water, energy and raw materials, while discarded garments continue to pile up in landfills around the world.
Ultra-fast fashion has only accelerated that cycle.
New styles appear almost daily, making shoppers feel they’re constantly falling behind if they don’t keep buying.
That’s the behaviour France is hoping to discourage.
This wasn’t an overnight decision
The law has been in the works for more than two years.
It was first proposed in 2024, but political changes and questions from the European Commission delayed its progress.
Lawmakers eventually rewrote parts of the bill before both houses of Parliament finally approved it.
Some details still need to be finalised before the rules officially take effect, including exactly how companies will be classified as ultra-fast fashion.
Will this change shopping beyond France?
That’s the question many people are asking.
For now, the law only applies in France.
But it could have a much bigger impact.
Other European countries have also been looking more closely at the environmental cost of ultra-fast fashion. If France’s approach works, there’s every chance similar rules could appear elsewhere.
For shoppers, it may also change the conversation around cheap clothing.
For years, the focus has been on finding the lowest price.
Now, more governments are asking a different question.
What is the real cost of a bargain when someone – or something else – is paying the price?
