Brands grapple with sustainability trend this holiday season

Apparel chains such as H&M, Zara and Forever 21 conquered the retail world by promising fast fashion: cheap, trendy and disposable. Yet there’s a growing number of consumers this holiday season who want just the opposite. Data shows that shoppers are increasingly looking for clothes made of higher-quality materials or they’re keeping their existing clothes longer. This shift to so-called sustainable clothing is threatening the underpinnings of a fashion industry that wants consumers to rapidly change styles and move on to the next hot trends. Here is a look at what consumers want and how the companies are responding to their demands: