If you landed here, you probably typed the same question most people do: is reformation fast fashion?
It’s a fair question. “Fast fashion” feels like a clear label. But the term covers a whole business model. And Reformation doesn’t fit neatly into one box.
Reformation is a pretty popular fashion brand and releases trend-forward styles at a fast pace. It also publishes sustainability reporting and sets public goals.
So the honest answer looks like this: reformation shows some fast fashion traits. At the same time, it runs many “better fashion” practices.
In this guide, you’ll learn what fast fashion really means, why people apply the label to Reformation, and what that means for sustainability teams.
What Counts as Fast Fashion? (clear definition + criteria)
People often use “fast fashion” to mean “cheap.” That’s not quite right.
Fast fashion is a business model built on speed, constant newness, and high volume. It compresses design-to-shelf timelines and pushes frequent drops. McKinsey explains that fast fashion relies on short production cycles and low prices, which leads to high waste and heavy environmental pressure. This model encourages frequent purchases and rapid turnover of clothing, influencing consumers’ buying habits and increasing the overall environmental impact through more clothing waste.
Instead of arguing over vibes, use criteria.
The fast fashion checklist
| Criterion | What it looks like | Why it matters for sustainability |
|---|---|---|
| Speed-to-market | Weeks from design to store | More trend churn, more waste |
| High drop frequency | New products every week | More buying moments, more returns |
| Trend replication | Designs follow viral trends | Shorter wear time |
| High volume | Lots of SKUs and deep inventory | More overproduction risk |
| Pricing strategy | Price points that encourage impulse buys | Encourages disposability |
| Low transparency | Limited supply chain disclosure | Hard to verify progress |
| Low durability signals | Few repair or longevity cues; garments are less durable, lose their shape quickly, and are not designed to be worn for long periods, resulting in lower quality | Clothes leave closets faster, increasing waste and undermining sustainability |
A brand does not need to “hit every box.” If it runs high-speed drops and high volume, it can still create fast fashion outcomes.
Why People Call Reformation Fast Fashion
Reformation doesn’t look like ultra-fast fashion brands.
Still, people connect it with fast fashion for a few real reasons. Reformation’s business model includes releasing new products weekly, which drives sales and robust inventory turnover.
1) It rides trend cycles
Reformation designs mirror current fashion trends. You can see it in silhouettes, colors, and styling.
Trend-led design isn’t automatically bad. The risk shows up when trends drive constant replacement. The idea that simply following trends with a sustainable label creates real environmental impact is flawed—this approach can give a superficial sense of sustainability while actually encouraging overconsumption. The brand’s marketing emphasizes trendy items, which can lead to overconsumption and contradict its sustainability messaging.
2) It releases frequent newness
Reformation keeps new arrivals flowing.
That cadence feels like fast fashion because it creates urgency. Shoppers feel like they need to buy now.
3) It uses modern fast planning
Trellis published a factory tour that described Reformation as a “fast-fashion brand” in operational terms. Reformation has a high sell-through rate of 80 percent at full price, indicating efficient sales and production management. The piece also highlighted surprising sustainability gains and the company’s circular fashion ambition. Reformation uses machine learning to prevent overproduction, aligning sales data with inventory decisions.
That is the key nuance.
Reformation can run fast-fashion planning and still work on reducing harm.
4) It sits in a reachable price band
Reformation isn’t bargain cheap. But it isn’t luxury, either.
Some shoppers think sustainability only belongs in ultra-high price brands.
That assumption fuels the debate, even when it misses the actual data.
Why Others Don’t
Many people reject the fast fashion label for Reformation.
They point to what Reformation does differently. Reformation has committed to sourcing 100% of its fabrics from recycled, regenerative, or renewable materials by 2025.
A key part of Reformation’s materials strategy is its grading system for fibers, known as the Ref Fiber Standards. This system grades materials based on their combined social and environmental impact, prioritizing organic and regenerative fibers while banning virgin synthetics, furs, and acrylic. The goal is to reduce reliance on virgin materials and promote the use of innovative and sustainable fiber technologies.
Reformation uses a variety of sustainable fibers, including TENCEL™ Lyocell, which is made mostly from rapidly renewable Eucalyptus trees and takes five times less land and 80% less water to grow than cotton. The brand also incorporates recycled cotton, which is repurposed from fabric scraps or other cotton items that would otherwise end up in landfills, and regenerative cotton, which is grown in a way that increases biodiversity, improves soil health, and helps store carbon, potentially reversing climate change. Regenerative fibers are emphasized for their role in supporting soil health and carbon sequestration.
Reformation is transparent about the environmental impact of different fiber types. For example, viscose and rayon are considered semi-synthetics produced from wood pulp, and their production can have severe health impacts on workers. The brand is also introducing next-generation materials like MWool, made from 70% recycled wool, to further reduce reliance on virgin fibers and advance circularity. Additionally, Reformation is phasing out silk and cashmere due to their high carbon footprint, despite their low representation in product offerings.
1) It publishes sustainability reporting
Fast fashion brands often keep the supply chain opaque.
Reformation publishes sustainability reporting and invites the public to track progress.
Transparency doesn’t fix everything, but it changes the accountability model.
2) It measures impacts
Reformation uses trackers like RefScale to estimate carbon and water impacts for products.
The fabrics used by Reformation determine up to two-thirds of the environmental impact of their clothes.
That matters because impact measurement pushes better decisions in materials and production. However, Reformation’s sustainability claims are often scrutinized because they use terms like ‘sustainable’ without clear definitions or benchmarks for comparison, making it difficult to assess their impact compared to other brands. Competitors have noted that Reformation’s reported water and energy savings are often presented without sufficient data or context, and are not clearly compared to industry standards.
3) It sets public goals
Reformation reports goals like climate positive by 2025 and circular by 2030.
Goals don’t equal results.
But goals create deadlines. Deadlines create pressure to deliver.
What Reformation Says About Their Model (report + goals)
Reformation positions itself as a brand that makes “better” choices inside a high-impact industry.
It shares sustainability reports, a sustainability framework, and progress updates. These sustainability reports are produced quarterly and share both successes and failures. Reformation’s commitment to transparency helps hold the brand accountable for the health and safety of everyone it works with.
This is not the standard playbook for fast fashion.
At the same time, reporting does not cancel out high drop frequency.
That tension explains why the question “is reformation sustainable” stays popular.
The Real Issue: “Fast” vs “Better” Fashion (nuanced take)
This debate isn’t only about speed.
It’s about impact.
People criticize fast fashion because it often leads to:
- high carbon emissions
- overproduction
- landfill waste
- large quantities of clothing ending up in landfills, contributing to environmental harm
- pressure on workers
- limited supply chain transparency
Fast fashion doesn’t just affect the planet — it also impacts local communities, especially people living near production facilities.
Reformation sits somewhere in the middle. It moves quickly, like trend-driven brands, but it also invests in sustainability measurement, reporting, and public goals.
Because of that, efficiency matters. Using resources responsibly is one of the most direct ways to reduce environmental impact. The same goes for packaging: sustainable materials and smarter shipping choices can meaningfully cut waste and pollution.
You don’t have to “pick a side” to talk about this honestly.
A better question is: Does the brand reduce harm while it grows?
That’s the core of the fashion sustainability debate.
How Brands Reduce Fast-Fashion Risks
Speed doesn’t have to mean waste. But it requires discipline.
Here’s a practical framework that sustainability teams can apply.
Innovations in fiber technology and process improvements are essential for advancing sustainability and circularity in fashion. Reformation works closely with partners throughout its supply chain to implement these innovations and improve operations, focusing on reducing environmental impact and building responsible manufacturing systems.
The use of a restricted substance list ensures chemical safety in materials and manufacturing, with compliance to standards like bluesign® and OEKO-TEX® 100. Adoption of renewable energy, such as on-site solar power and renewable energy credits, is prioritized in supply chain operations, with partners playing a key role in achieving these goals.
Through the FactoryForward program, Reformation helps supply chain partners improve practices, including renewable energy and water efficiency. The company is committed to ethical labor practices, regularly assessing working conditions, collaborating with industry groups like the Fair Labor Association, and using grievance mechanisms such as suggestion boxes, hotlines, and worker surveys to address employee concerns. Reformation also publishes its factories list and discloses 100% of Tier 1 finished goods manufacturers and subcontractors within its supply chain.
The fast-fashion risk reduction framework
| Risk driver | What to change | What to measure |
| Short wear time | Design-to-last, better construction, repair options | Repair rate, repeat wear surveys |
| Overproduction | Smarter forecasting, smaller first runs | Sell-through, markdown rate, deadstock |
| High-impact materials | Reduce virgin materials, shift to recycled/regenerative | Material mix %, virgin share |
| Carbon emissions | Cleaner energy in factories, better logistics | Carbon intensity per garment |
| Waste | Cutting efficiency, resale, recycling | Waste per unit, landfill diversion |
| Low transparency | Supply chain mapping + public disclosure | Mapping %, audit coverage |
This is the path from “fast” to “better.” It does not require perfection. It requires measurable progress.
What This Means for Sustainability Teams
If you work in sustainability, you can’t manage this debate with slogans.
You need data.
You also need to focus on key areas such as supply chain transparency, material standards, and impact measurement to drive meaningful progress. It is essential to explicitly address environmental and social impacts through focused sustainability initiatives, ensuring that challenges like chemical use, labor conditions, and climate impact are met with clear policies and transparent practices. Gaining insights from the circular fashion community and industry events can further inform and strengthen your sustainability strategies.
And you need a system that holds up under pressure.
1) Track mechanics, not marketing
Ask simple questions:
- How many drops per month?
- How many new SKUs per season?
- How fast is design-to-production?
- What happens to unsold inventory?
These numbers describe the business model.
2) Build a speed vs impact dashboard
Use two axes.
Speed
- drops per month
- lead time
Impact
- carbon per garment
- water per garment
- waste per unit
Now your team can answer “reformation sustainable” style questions with evidence.
3) Add guardrails
Use this template.
Template: Fast-Fashion Guardrails Policy
Goal
We will not trade speed for harm.
Newness rule
- Max drops per month: ____
- Max new styles per month: ____
Materials rule
- Min preferred materials share: ____%
- Reduce virgin materials each year by: ____%
Supply chain rule
- Tier 1 disclosure: yes / no
- Tier 2 disclosure target date: ____
Waste rule
- Deadstock target: ____%
- Recycling and resale program: yes / no
Is Reformation Actually Sustainable?
People ask “is reformation sustainable” because they want reassurance.
Reformation publishes sustainability reporting and uses an impact measurement approach.
Those steps matter. Still, sustainability depends on outcomes. If production volume grows quickly, total impact can still rise.
Reformation products are designed with recyclability in mind, and the brand has incorporated recycled wool into its clothing lines to reduce reliance on virgin fibers and support circularity in the textile industry. Reformation is also working with SuperCircle to facilitate the recycling of its products, making the process easier for consumers.
So the better way to judge is this:
- Does carbon per garment drop over time?
- Does the supply chain become more transparent?
- Does the brand reduce virgin materials?
- Does recycling and circular fashion revenue grow?
These questions cut through hype.
Is Reformation Cruelty Free?
Cruelty free claims in fashion are tricky. They depend on materials.
Reformation sells products that include animal-derived materials like leather and wool.
Because of that, many shoppers would not call it cruelty free. If cruelty-free is a priority for you, check each garment and fabric. Also look for clear material disclosure and verified standards.
What Is the Most Sustainable Fashion Brand?
There is no single “most sustainable” brand.
Sustainability includes carbon emissions, waste, worker rights, chemicals, and the supply chain. Choosing sustainable brands that are certified by standards like the Global Recycled Standard helps ensure that their recycled materials and production processes are truly environmentally and socially responsible.
Different brands lead on different parts. The impact of fashion on the planet and the world is significant, affecting everything from deforestation to global climate change, so it’s important to consider the broader environmental consequences of your choices. Additionally, many textile production processes still rely heavily on fossil fuels, so reducing this reliance is crucial for achieving true sustainability.
If you want a sustainable option, start with the best rule of all:
Buy less. Wear more. Repair often.
Then compare brands using a checklist:
- transparency
- materials
- recycling and resale
- factory standards
- carbon emissions targets
This approach beats any ranking list.
Conclusion
So, is reformation fast fashion?
It definitely shares some fast fashion traits — quick trend cycles and frequent drops. But it also operates more like a sustainability-focused brand in other ways, with public reporting, measurement, and stated goals.
The most accurate answer is somewhere in the middle: Reformation runs a fast model, but with sustainability guardrails.
And ultimately, the real test is whether they deliver measurable progress over time.
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