Why You’re About To See Huge Sales on Loungewear

Surprise! Trend cycles are fickle, and there are too many sweatpants now.

On June 6, CNBC reported that Target would be taking a loss by marking down excess inventory. The news came after Walmart and Gap announced similar issues with the amount of clothing they cannot sell. One of the biggest culprits? Too much loungewear. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, sales of sweatpants went through the roof as millions of people were locked away in their homes. The companies looking to capitalize on this switched their strategies quickly (some canceling pre-pandemic orders, leaving workers in the lurch).

Then, as things began to open up in late 2021, the collective move away from cute tie-dye sweatsuits came fast. Gap Inc. CEO Sonia Syngal told CNBC, "Shoppers also have quickly shifted from buying up active clothes and fleece hoodies – Old Navy's sweet spot – to looking for party dresses and office clothes." So now, many of these brands are left to try and dump inventory and once again shift with customer demand in order to make money.

via Getty

The way I see it, there are three significant issues buried within this seemingly straightforward story.

Pivoting with trend cycles is ultimately bad for everyone.

There is an obvious reason why many brands made the pivot to activewear so fast. There was no end in sight in 2020, and there was money to be made on one specific type of clothing. But that shift was part of a larger pattern from brands that will drop everything to cater to the moment instead of honing in on what works for them. Trend cycles are simply a way for them to make more money, and the great sweatpants craze of 2020 was no different. Now, it's clear that the risk may not have been worth the payoff since they are once again threatening to cancel orders.

Massive sales and extra clothing means more waste.

So what happens to all that clothing that no one wants? It becomes disposable. Even if people buy up some of the inventory when the sales happen, the value placed into these pieces will go down, and ultimately, they will become part of our massive fashion waste issue. If they are donated, they will likely end up in the global second-hand market, which has displaced thousands of local businesses.

Once again, workers will pay the price.

When the sweatpants boom happened a few years ago, it wasn't like they just appeared out of thin air. Workers had to come into crowded factories during the height of a health crisis and make them. During that time, workers were losing money as factories cut costs. According to the Clean Clothes Campaign, workers worldwide lost between 3.19 and 5.79 billion USD.

What's more, part of Target's strategy is to potentially cancel current orders to cut back on inventory. Historically, this practice has led to workers getting fired without pay unless the brands step in. There have been dozens of instances of this happening throughout the world — most recently, workers who sewed for Victoria's Secret won their fight for millions of dollars in back pay from the brand. In that case, it worked out, but the battle took months while many were unable to pay for their families.

So, when you see a ton of sweatpants sales in your inbox or on social media in the coming months, it might be good to consider why.

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This Stuff is a newsletter by me! fashion journalist, Alyssa Hardy. Three times a week, I unpack the ways our clothes impact the world through news, essays, interviews and more. Subscribe for free here and follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

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