Commentary: Fast fashion is about to get caught up in Hormuz

Commentary

The ripples from a petroleum shock have been quietly spreading into the apparel trade, says David Fickling for Bloomberg Opinion.

Clothes are displayed in the Shein’s pop-up store at immersive retail space Future Stores, ahead of its opening on September 26, in London, Britain, September 24, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

21 Jul 2026 05:59AM

SYDNEY: You might think that missiles flying over the waters of the Strait of Hormuz were a world away from your closet full of fleece jackets, leggings and trainers.In fact, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Most of your wardrobe is made of oil, in the form of polyester, nylon, spandex and other synthetic fibres. Though the ripples from a petroleum shock propagate more quickly to the prices of gasoline, diesel and air tickets, they have been quietly spreading into the apparel trade, too. The best-value clothes - think that US$1 pair of tights from Shien, or US$15 coat from Temu - may suffer the biggest impacts.