Is Francesca’s A Fast Fashion Brand? An Expert Breakdown!

A women’s clothing brand that lets you express your individuality in the most affordable way possible sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?

Francesca’s turns this dream into a reality by offering some of the most trendy and unique designs in women’s clothing at cheap prices yet no compromise on the quality. Its website takes you directly to its classic collection of cute and vintage designs that are all the rage lately.

This dream began in 1999, when Francesca’s was launched in Texas, United States, to empower women and help them find their distinctive voice in a world trying to suppress them. With 457 boutiques in 45 different states, Francesca’s adds something new to its collection almost every day to keep the customers coming back. Moreover, as it’s a boutique, it produces a limited supply of a design that is not reproduced after selling out, which highly diminishes the chance of anyone else wearing and rocking your look!

Even though it is based in the United States, Francesca’s ships worldwide through its website, allowing its global market to expand and flourish. In addition to clothes, Francesca’s also sells jewelry, accessories, and gifts for women of all ages. Its eccentric collection was what drew women in when it first launched in 1999, and although the customers helped Francesca’s rise as one of the leading brands in the fashion industry, it did not prevent the company from facing bankruptcy before 2020.

Profits plummeted and the boutique was on the verge of bankruptcy before Covid broke out. The pandemic caused many companies to shut down or face massive losses, however, Francesca’s was able to rise out of the ashes in 2020 by launching its collection Franki by Francesca’s. It aimed at producing fashionable clothes for young girls who looked up to their sisters but faced sizing issues because they were not quite women yet. It helped the brand restructure and gain its footing back in the industry.

Sustainability Rating: 7/10

Category: Clothing, Accessories, Jewelry, Shoes, Bags

For: Women

Products: Dresses, Outerwear, Boots, Gifts

Style: Trendy, Classic, Chic, Vintage 

Quality: Medium and High

Prices: $05.00 - $5000.00 (US)

Size: XS-XL (International Size)

Fabrics: Polyester, Polyester Blend, Acrylic, Cotton, Cotton Blend, Elastane, Nylon

100% Organic: No

100% Vegan: Yes

Ethical and Fair: Yes

Recycling: No

Manufacturing Countries: Not transparent enough

Certifications: Not transparent enough

 Now, we move on to the question of the day; is Francesca’s fast fashion? While it does follow some trends associated with fast fashion, it cannot be considered as one. It introduces new designs and styles almost every day to keep up with the new trends but unlike other fast fashion brands, Francesca’s uses premium-quality materials that make its products long-lasting while also being conscious of its impact on the environment.

Earlier this year, Francesca’s announced a partnership with ThredUp called Forever Francesca’s, introducing a 360-resale program aiming to contribute to sustainability to the best of its abilities. This initiative allows customers to buy second-hand products directly from its website and also resell apparel previously bought from Francesca. It aims to promote circularity and the extension of a garment’s lifespan. This feat is quite appreciable as otherwise, such clothes end up in landfills only adding to land pollution and the increase of waste production. However, the partnership with ThredUp is a step towards decreasing waste and promoting sustainability.

Interestingly, to encourage the customers to respond to this initiative, any individual who resells their clothes to ThredUp earns Francesca credit which can be used in both its physical and online store. If this isn’t an amazing motivator then we do not know what is! Francesca’s mentions that the young generation has very high expectations of luxury brands and it plans to live up to those expectations while also playing its part in keeping the environment safe.

It ensures the supply of affordable clothing that is trendy and stylish without the negative effects associated with the manufacturing process. This not only reduces the production of unnecessary greenhouse gasses but also reduces a considerable amount of waste. In 2021, Francesca’s reported nearly a billion dollars worth of clothing purchases of second-hand items. This highlights how the new generation appreciates steps towards an eco-friendly future while also getting to buy cheap and luxurious clothing.

Despite such amazing projects proving fruitful in recent years, Francesca’s has no plans to stop anytime soon. It seems to be on a growth spurt, wanting to reach newer heights and gain more achievements every day!

Francesca’s details its commitment to conducting ethical and lawful business on its website. It details some items that may be harmful to health and can cause cancer and other reproductive defects. It is taking steps to ensure that any item that enters its stores is made from sustainable and environmentally friendly materials by keeping a check on its manufacturers. Furthermore, it is part of an initiative for brands to be transparent about their supply chain to prevent human trafficking and child labor. Francesca’s considers it a top priority to demand certifications from all vendors and manufacturers that it plans to move forward with.

It also advocates against animal cruelty in the manufacturing process and has been working towards eliminating leather and fur products from its collection.

However, despite such numerous positive indicators about Francesca’s, the customer reviews on Trustpilot tell a different story. It has an average rating of 1.6 out of 5 from almost 60 reviewers who complain about the bad customer service and a nightmarish shipping experience. There is no system in place to help customers with a query because no one picks up the calls or answers the emails! On some occasions, the customer had paid for the item and then the order disappeared with no replies from the store, leaving the customer empty-handed.

This does generate a negative image of the brand regarding its customer service and attitude towards the public, but still, it was only a minuscule amount of people that left such reviews. Seeing the growth of the company, we can deduce that the brand is doing far greater than it may seem.

So, our final thoughts are that Francesca’s is not fast fashion despite following a few fast fashion trends. In a few years, we can even expect it to reach 100% sustainability and the introduction of even more initiatives that work towards a better and healthier future!

Sources: 

Success Story: How Francesca’s Beat Bankruptcy with a New Brand – Sourcing Journal

francesca's Reviews | Read Customer Service Reviews of www.francescas.com (trustpilot.com)

Responsibility (francescas.com)

Francesca's announces launch of resale program with ThredUp (fashionunited.com)