Same! She's encouraged me to try sewing, influenced me on consuming fashion more consciously and one day I promise I'll make my own Edwardian walking skirts, thanks to her
@@amperbm You go girl! you can do it! i drafted the pattern for a long cape based on my measurement. and then i realized i don't have enough fabric XD Maybe I should practice with a short one until i get enough fabric? LOL
Same. I got into fashion history after watching her Victorian walking skirt video. Almost two years later and I am finally sewing my first skirt. I also am more careful about what materials my clothes are made out of now.
Things I learned after watching: 1) I need to make more skirts. 2) I need, NEED a cape. 3) I need to get to Iverness to have a kilt made of Clan Urquhart tartan. 4) I need a cape.
if you find a good cape please tell me. I can't go to my fabric store and I do not want to order online, as I love to feel the fabric and the weight etc.
The thing I hate the most about fast fashion is how it contributes to body shaming. Centuries ago clothes were made literally for you, clothes fit into your own specific and unique body. Nowadays with fast fashion, you're expected to fit into sizes of clothing, and if you don't, you're cast out and looked at sideways
I so agree! Personally I’ve put on about 30 lbs in the past year and clothes just don’t fit this body the same way as they fit my smaller body. I can hardly find anything that I LIKE on my unique body, because simply buying bigger doesn’t work. I’d love to see fashion revert more to a carefully tailored to your actual shape way of sizing than what we have now. Everyone deserves to feel great in their clothes!
@@lisawise4204 Yes! Currently I'm working and researching on making my own bikinis because it's just a disaster finding ones that fit me how I like and that I also like
as someone working in the textile industry and knowing how to make patterns and to sew... what I hate about it is the poor quality (pattern, design and material). it hurts when you see it and you know how it could have done better. it really hurts physicly.
Not to mention that it’s so exorbitantly expensive to not buy fast fashion as a less than middle class overweight person. Obviously I CAN make my own things, but I can also buy two premade things with the same amount of money that just fabric would cost, and yes I CAN lose weight to afford less fabric and purchase patters in my size without having to guess and modify, but I also need to cover my body in the mean time. It’s a viscous cycle let me tell you.
Yet another extension of modern day moralism ie the obsession with ethics,I'm superior to you cause I don't eat steaks,I'm superior to you cause I don't put on lipstick,I'm superior to you cause I don't own a pair of jeans,mind you while AT THE SAME TIME pushing for moral relativism.
I grew up extremely poor, and there's something I've found that's nearly universal among people who did: it leaves us practically allergic to dropping serious money on anything. I saved up for a nice wool coat and still had legit anxiety when I actually bought it, whereas I wouldn't have had that anxiety if I'd purchased two cheaper coats. It makes no sense whatsoever, but growing up poor can instill some bad, bad habits and mindsets that I didn't even question until I was nearly 30. I had to talk myself into believing I deserved that coat -- that I was able to save that money and it was okay for me to spend it on one item instead of multiple cheap things. I’ve slowly tried to assemble a better wardrobe that will last me longer, but there is that persistent near-panic instinct that somehow does not exist when I buy multiple cheaper items. One of the hardest things poor people can do is give themselves permission to own something nice; I know that I am very far from alone in that, even though it’s ultimately self-sabotage.
(How much was the coat? $200.00. Even as a no-longer-impoverished adult, my brain persists in telling me that's too much money to drop on one thing that isn't an emergency.) I’ve had friends look at me like I’m absolutely nuts for being so anxious about spending that much, but childhood poverty can warp a person in insidious ways that we often can’t even recognize until it’s pointed out to us. I’m still poor by any objective standard, but I can pay my expenses and still have money to save, which is so much more than I had even as a young adult. I can afford that coat, yet my every instinct tells me that I shouldn’t spend that kind of money on something, even if it will ultimately save me in the long run. If there’s any way to kick that instinct, I don't know what it is.
I also grew up fairly poor, and even though I have a steady job and can afford nice things, I still am super hesitant to spend a lot of money on things. Lately though I've been trying to invest in higher quality clothes and shoes though. I will still wear my shoes into the ground before buying new ones, but I'm looking into getting some of my old leather boots repaired. For some reason having a dependable job has given me more confidence in shopping... Although shopping for shoes is hard when you're trying to find things that are going to fit well and last more than a year.
Two things I would recommend coming from a fellow "childhood under the poverty line" person: 1. Start buying used products. This will desensitize you to the "higher cost" items because you're getting them at a discount for the trade of a little wear. You will quickly see that well made products can be repaired and reused for a much longer period of time. This will start to justify their expense even if you eventually buy *new* well made items. And truthfully we don't need most things factory new in order to use them for their intended purpose. 2. Start making things for yourself. This one is huge for me. When you start to make things for yourself you see the value of quality raw materials and workmanship firsthand. When I decide to pay someone else to hand make something for me (due to lack of time or expertise) I have so much more appreciation for the amount of work that goes into a product (and feel less guilt for paying someone a decent wage for saving me having to learn a new trade.) When I make something for myself I take the time to save for the best materials I can get and make it as sturdy and repairable as possible. This way I *know* that five years from now when something needs mending the repair will be free minus labor since I will still have a bit of the original materials and the knowledge of how it was constructed. And best of all, the pride of enjoying something you made or customized for yourself justifies the cost every time you use it. It connects the "price" to the "worth" of something much more closely than a manufactured good. Eventually you will be able to see that *you* are worth taking care of. Human beings, like everything else, do their best with good investment and maintenance 😉
@@frankiemillcarek6976 Thankfully my mom sews and has taught me much. I've always had an interest in making things from scratch! ^_^ I'm trying to learn more though, and I've been looking into how fabric is woven and how leather shoes are made. Very interesting stuff ^_^ Still, buying fabric for a new dress is always expensive, since I like a good long full skirt and I tend to prefer natural materials if I can find and afford them. But a good calico will last forever and is worth the investment! ^_^
Man (or woman, don't know), I relate to that. I'm Brazilian and I was never really poor. You know, we had hard times, but mamma always managed to make everything workout. She has always been an expert on reusing, sewing, and never really bothered if she was using second hand clothes. However, she was always hesitant about spending more money on one unique and good item. In fact, she still is, even though nowadays our finances are much better and I and siblings can convince her of buying more expensive and better items.
Also... some times I asked myself why "poor" people keep some expensive items, specially clothing. Of course, there's always dress code to consider, but I was thinking in a more... sentimental way? I don't know. And I know I'm a dumbass ignorant because of that. Then, recently, I found an answer: everyone needs magic. Everyone needs that amazing piece of clothe that makes you feel special, amazing, that takes you out of your own world. And I can't forget, of course, that these items can also be a heritage or something like that.
I really want Bernadette to do a “How to repair clothes” series! Most of the clothes I wear need to be knit jersey material for me to wear it, so many of the methods probably won’t work for me, but I’d love to learn how, anyway!
Yes, this would be fantastic! I don't really know if this would apply to Bernadette's self-made clothing, but I would love to know what to do about fabric wearing through in spots (I'm aware that patches are a thing, but how do you avoid making it look patchy in prominent or awkward areas?)
This! I want jersey knit pants. If I had a week's worth of those (possibly with pockets), and a few jackets with good pockets, I'd be pretty set for a long time.
Thank you SO MUCH for talking about using real wool. I own an ethical yarn shop and it breaks my heart when I see vegans refusing to use wool. I get it, but from an environmental stand point it's way way better to use natural fibres than plastic. Really appreciate you chatting about everything in this.
I was always frantically snatching up bankets and such when my vegan friend came over so that they didn't have sit on or next to them. Until one day she snapped at me "would you relax! I don't mind waring it or touching it, I just don't want to buy it!"
@RavenPuffGal1296 - Personally, I find black to be very unflattering to human skin tones. It just drains away one's natural coloring. I find dark greens, blues, browns, maroons, charcoals to be more flattering.
@@MossyMozart My natural coloring is drained by 95% of the spectum. If youd look best only in diharrea and vomit colors I bet you wouldnt be preaching 12 sesason system here.
Not a mood. She's a New Yorker. Have you ever lived in any big city that isn't in the Sun Belt? Black doesn't show the crud you get on you in big cities, and if you liven in Paris as a child, asI did, you'd have seen the most chic and stylish women wearing black. Black works really well for everyday wear in big cities that aren't too hot .
Poem about New Yorkers City Dwellers and Black Clothing New Yorkers have a "thing" With noir black clothing. All day, all night. All Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring. Black clothing is the "thing." --- Me, 2020/08/16
On a side note: with that red cape and witchy hat, Bernadettte really looks like a younger version of Professor McGonagall. No wonder the tourists be looking on with wide eyes and slack jaws! 🤣
@@elainejohnson796, I understand your annoyance but she literally does look similar to Maggie Smith/Minerva McGonagall. She actually made a hat based off of something the character wore 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚, why is it bad to notice the resemblance? Please don't gatekeep historical fashion because people found their interest in it though well known and popular things.
"Dress however gloriously, wondrously, eccentrically you want and be your full, weirdest, and most wonderful self at all times." Me watching while making a set of armor: 👁👄👁
As a Pescatarian, I really enjoyed how you spoke about the environmental impacts of Poly-wool and faux leather, faux-leather harms way more animals than well-made leather shoes do, and wool not only lasts longer and doesn't pollute the environment as much, but also we need to sheer sheep because if you don't they can overheat in the summer
I honestly think killing animals is still holding the number 1 spot as harmful to animals. Also meat eaters are the biggest consumers of all this faux products you spoke about. Lol 😂
“Dress however gloriously, wondrously, eccentrically you want and be your full, weirdest, and most wonderful self at all times. I promise life is so much more fun that way.” Ughhh what a good quote ❤️❤️❤️
"The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles. But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet. This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness" --Terry Pratchett, Men At Arms
Pratchett is part philosophy and social commentary on a compeltely serious level that you could take to university. And then laugh about. Because it's funny. But serious.
Everyone should be able to do that but clothing manufacturers have decided that a pocket that can hold more than a single dime is "too large". Dismantle fast fashion. Put pockets in everything.
I, unfortunately, am unable to bend sufficiently to shave my legs. Long skirts to the rescue! Bad hips. Bad knees. Bad back! I’m going to take assorted body parts & stand them in the corner if they continue to mis-behave.
I can't shave my legs nor my armpits because I burned my skin with hair-removing cream when I was a teenager. I chosed giving zero fuck to my hairy legs and armpit.
Oh my god, that red wool cape you found in Edinburgh used to be mine! I ended up giving it to a charity shop because I was a student (always carrying around books) and it was impossible to wear with a backpack
This makes me so happy to read! ♥ I have ended up giving away some pieces I miss to this day, praying they somehow wound up in a place where they were found and loved and got to live another life. I'm very sentimentally attached to things I weave into my life, but on very rare occasion, I tried to let some things go. Sometimes people roll their eyes over this style of neurotic nostalgia, but I actually think it less materialistic than the mindset in which absolutely everything one owns is instantly replaceable.
Jasper Sorrows A superhero may need to rig up different fasteners for her cape, so that it can’t put her in danger if it gets caught on something. On the other hand, having a garment that conceals the exact position of her body can be very useful.
A quick note from somebody who worked at a thrift store. First, quality clothes come through more often than you would think, if you're willing to put in the time to find them (like merino wool sweaters). Secondly, be realistic about the clothes you donate. If they're holey, patched a bunch, stained, or smell bad, they'll be thrown out. It's usually better to find a way to be creative with old clothes like that (cabbage, mock up fabric, sewing little stuffed animals) than to donate.
seriously, i own two merino sweaters, each of which was only like 7€ at my local charity shop, and they're going to last me a lifetime. One of them had a tiny little hole in the back, and that took like 15 minutes to fix also if i buy something second hand where i know i don't support the brand/label, i'll usually just remove or cover up any visible logos or branding
I've found many items in thrift shops that still had their original tags on them. Like people bought them, never wore them, and then donated them. Imagine having that much money.
can i just say i would watch the hell out of a "bernadette makes lots of edwardian style blouses" video....or video series??? 😍😍😍 also was cool to see your skirts that normally don't make it into shots :o I am currently trying to make a perfect trouser pattern for myself because as easy as skirts are to make, I work in a soil lab and i feel far more like myself in trousers, but my lower body is not very standard shaped. Progress is slow because it turns out trousers are complicated to fit lol... but once it is done i will be able to have all the comfy LOOSE trousers i need
I feel you, I have a high waist and I'm an apple shape and LITERALLY every pair of pants I've ever had just... slide down constantly bc they only come up to my widest part...
THANK YOU for making a statement about leather and "vegan leather". I will literally die on that hill. It's very similar to the wool where leather is a byproduct and if it isn't tanned and used it'll just end up in a landfill
Yes, exactly. It especially irks me when militant vegans go on and on about eggs and wool and ThiNk Of tHe AnImaL, where most of the eggs are not fertilized so you're not killing anything when eating an egg. And for wool. Sheep need to get their wool cut off. It's how we bred them for the past millennia, but most militant vegans do not seem to understand.
@@RBVJ Yes, exactly. I grew up around cow and sheep farmers, so to me it was natural to know about shearing sheep and what not shearing sheep will do to the poor animal. It's astounding that a lot of people don't know those kinds of basics. But then again, if you've always lived in a big city, and your family always lived in a big city, and nobody thought about where their food or clothes came from and had an opportunity to chat with actual farmers, then I understand how people can think that way. But what I don't understand is why some of them then don't listen to us actual farmfolk who grew up near the damn animals and know what is going on.
@@BlitzsieLDiscoLSnow the reason vegans are against the egg industry is because of the poor conditions in which chickens are kept in the industry. It's like the fast fashion of food- very exploitive. Usually, chickens are kept in tiny cages. The "cage free" eggs often come from chickens that are kept in crowded conditions. I've been trying to buy eggs from friends who have their own backyard chickens since those are the ones I know have been kept humanly. But yes, Bernadette made a great point about wool. I didn't know that there was wool going to waste because it's not worth enough to transport. What a shame.
@@BlitzsieLDiscoLSnow I believe the vegan pov about eggs is more that the chickens who lay them are kept in horrible conditions.. Not vegan myself but trying to educate myself on the subject. I agree with you, some vegans are out of touch with the reality of now, for example leather is a by product of the beef industry anyway, so i think it makes sense to use all we can use? But anti-specist people have an interesting pov and convincing arguments.
love the clothes! my first thought was "what does she wear in summer?" i love autumn/winter fashion (layers, tweed, wool) but am always at a loss as to summer fashion. i usually just end up in a fast fashion tank and shorts and dreaming about Fall.
Same friend, same. I live in the subtropical part of Australia and whilst I love coats and capes there’s only really 2 weeks of the year I’d be able to wear one. But fortunately for me im more of a 1940s girl so there are options. I’m still sad about the lack of opportunity for coats though
I can relate. Recently I’ve realized that I don’t actually need to give up long sleeves and pants in summer - as long as the fabric isn’t too thick or heavy, they can actually be practical because they keep the sun off. So basically a spring/summer wardrobe can consist of many of the same items as a fall/winter one, just with fewer layers.
@@geministargazer9830 omg sameeee i've got all this stuff that i'm lucky to wear in autumn half the time, although I do live near Brisbane so it's a little cooler
Why are capes and robes not modern fashion they're dope, has anyone ever put a blanket on their shoulders like a cape and NOT felt powerful? I would feel soooooo comfortable in capes and robes if I wouldn't get judged or bullied for it
As someone who is 30 years old and still gets scolded by their mother while visiting whenever I dare to wear a skirt because I am overweight I can't express how much I needed to hear that last bit. Thank you.
Mothers can be difficult! I am probably an excellent example of THAT. However people wondered why I let my daughter do her goth thing. You need to express yourself with your personal choice of clothing, hair, and makeup. Not letting others do that is like constantly telling them to shut UP!
@@maryblaylock6545 That's the thing, I love my mother very much now but growing up with her was a nightmare. She picked out my clothes even when I was like 16 and skirts were an absolute no-go. Whenever I wanted to wear one I had to sneak it out of the house and I kept secret spare skirts at my friend's houses to change there. All I was allowed to wear were oversized jeans and baggy shirts which also made school life unbearable. I try to enjoy my own style nowadays but some days it's still an issue for me. (Sorry for unnecessary wall of text)
@@AkaneArihyoshi89 I have been told that I don't simply answer questions, I write "The Great American Novel"! My mother looked lovely in pink. Our extended family assumed I would also. I DON'T! Think on getting not one or two pink blouses for Christmas but FIVE! YIKES!!😨
@@AkaneArihyoshi89 my mom used to buy me " fashion stile " cloting for xmas, i used like 1 time, i dress more clasy if you could say is my stile, also show her maby that you look good in clothes that she wont consider apealing. When i was buying for my second yob, we had problems with dresess, im overweigth and have much chest and hips, so pencil skirts were not good options for me ( i dont like clotes that are body showing or for example skinny jeans) i found 1 dress in the store that had a biger skirt and like 5 years afther still wear it. A vendor say to her once when i was in school yet " shes not going to wear it, if she dosnt like it" maybe my mom was more understanding than some, or it could be that my profesion calls to more clasy tipe of clotting but, is your body and you have to be confortable and happy whith wath you wear. I have strugle to find clottes that fit, spechially when all seem to be soo tiny for my body, but have been able to or change things that didnt like soo much in something new.
@@maryblaylock6545 Holy smokes! My family never dared to gift me clothing aside from what my grandmother knitted, because they were afraid my mother wouldn't like it. To be honest, I would have prefered pink blouses over baggy shirts but maybe not five of them. 😂
9:12 "It has huge pockets to carry all the snacks!" Pulls our A BOOK....? You eat books, or are you purely fueled by knowledge? I suppose immortals could very well be fully sustained on knowledge. Makes sense to me.
If you are too scared to draft your own blouses I would highly recommend the Gibson Girl Blouse pattern from Folkwear. Cat's Costumery did a video on making hers and I find it is an amazing jumping off point for all things pin tucks and insertion lace! Also on that topic I have worn the Chemise I made with a Folkwear pattern every single day since I made it 6 months ago.
Pleather stuff can look cool but it is super stuffy too. Love an old pleather jacket I have in the closet, but wouldn't get another. Looks cool, has no breathability, and after 10 years, it is starting to shed flakes (did not realize the problems at time of purchase). Meanwhile the actual leather jacket found at a thrift store has 1 tear from some severe abuse I put it through, isn't stuffy, looks great, and that tear is in a sewable-to-repair spot. It'll last another decade or two at least, even with abuse.
Mushroom derived leather substitutes are something that has only recently been developed. As I understand it, these products(and there are multiples already) are meant to look and feel exactly like leather, but without any animal byproducts. The manufacturing process is still quite expensive, and I have concerns about the durability of them. My mum has a pair of leather boots that she inherited from her grandmother-how’s that for durability? I just don’t know if animal leather alternatives will ever match the durability of animal leather.
@@marthahawkinson-michau9611 Would the mushroom leather be waterproof? Considering mushrooms are fungi, would there be any risk of it...growing if it isn't dried soon enough after cleaning?
Mary Fowlie from what I’ve read these products do get treated chemically much like animal leather does, just less intensely. Growing after getting wet, not likely. Waterproofing is probably possible, but it’s one of the factors that concerns me about the durability issues. Most waterproofing has to be reapplied with regularity in order to maintain, well, waterproof-ness. My entire opinion is that mushroom leather substitutes are entirely too new to have a track record regarding durability, as they came to market in 2017-2018. That’s only two to three years of actual products in the market. Not enough time to know if it can last, but time will tell us what happens next?
Between that and her acknowledgement of "hey, this sent money to the HP franchise but I now disapprove of that" this was a bit more meaningful to me than may have been intended, given that I watch this channel for reasons some may describe as not particularly cis.
"Workers need to be payed living wages." Yes, yes, 1000 times yes! I believe this should ALWAYS go hand-in-hand with moving towards a more sustainable future!
@@theroadtocosplayandcomicco5840 Basically, Vassals own land, and you go to work for them. It's an antiquated peasant/master relationship system, where the peasant works for the master, in exchange for a place to live. Free labor for the master, residence for the peasant. My comment was slightly a joke, but I do wonder why we don't go back to it.
@@foopa777 I mean, since the system gives the master control over whether or not the peasant has a shelter, it puts the peasent in a massive disadvantage. It could be easily exploited.
I loved all the disclaimers you included in this video to ensure we don’t beat ourselves up for mistakes already made in buying fast fashion. Instead, you encouraged and inspired us to try and do better in the future ❤️
Especially wool! It’s more ethical to buy wool than not because shearing is healthy for the sheep! It’s like honey, when people get mad because it’s “hurting the bees”, they somehow don’t realize that the money spent on honey is keeping the bees alive. And many honey alternatives are worse for the environment than honey is. 😤
lnoths Yes, especially wool-100%! Natural fibers are better for us, better for the environment, & it’s necessary for the sheep. And yes, honey is a healthier sweetener and purchasing is a great way to support local bee populations needed to pollinate! I also use raw honey to wash my face. I just want to do my best to approach creation with balance and respect.
Fully agree, I have a pair of leather doc martens I’ve had for five years and they will still last me several more years and hopefully will see me through university and then some. I have a pair of vegan leather boots that broke within a week of buying them, thankfully my dad taught me to fix them when they break. My favourite and most well made scarf is Edinburgh wool and it is the warmest scarf ever and will last me years.
Oh my people. I agree I would much rather buy 100% wool than a horrid itchy polyester garbage. I also feel its much better to own 2 pairs of good leather shoes that 3000 pairs of cheap plastic shoes and let's face it thats all vegan leather and fast fashion outfits are made from everything from the undergarments to the shoes is just molded plastic)
I always thought it was astounding that when people found I was wearing clothes I had owned for 15 years, their response was always laughter or disgust. If the item is in good repair and looks nice, I never understood the issue. Even when I was a preteen I was wearing clothes far older than me that I either picked from my mother's or sisters' wardrobes. Giving a new life and love to an old item should be a positive thing.
yep just don't tell that to anyone. people somehow think that buying junk every season is better than selecting items that would last and take proper care of them...
I wish my clothes last that long. The most they last is around 5-7 years. But considering that the quality isn’t the best, that’s a pretty good amount of time for them. I’m saving up money on higher quality clothes that’ll last for hopefully 15+ years, while also looking for great finds in thrift stores. Don’t mind the ppl who show disgust or mock. There’s iconic movie dresses that modern day celebrities and old-movie-lovers pay a lot of money to get so they can wear it (or be part of a collection). Keep doing you! 💗
I own a sweater that’s 15 years old and I’m still in love with it. I wear it whenever it gets cold. I think if anything ever happened to it I’d be heartbroken. It was a fast fashion piece, but it’s still in perfect condition and there’s no reason to throw it away. Plus there’s nothing on the market anyway that looks like it anymore!
Don't be ashamed, I have a sweater in my closet that is over 30 years old. I believe it belonged to my grandmother that passed away at least a decade before I was born. Or it was my mother's from when she was a child. She'll never tell me the story. (I finally have time to catch up on Bernadette Videos.)
Right? Whenever I see something being touted as “vegan leather” I yell at the screen “that’s pleather!!” It’s fake cheap crap that doesn’t last six months.
I dont think that most animal rights activists realize that leather is a byproduct of the meat industry, and the pelts would be discarded if they weren't used to make leather goods. I have an environmental science degree, and I can tell you with 100% certainty that the manufacture and disposal of plastic goods is far more harmful than the environmental impacts of the meat industry. Plastic has been criminally understudied, recent articles have discovered that some microplastic particles are small enough to float in the air, be breathed in, and cross the blood-brain barrier. Plastics have also been discovered to attract heavy metals in water, plastic is a non-polar molecule so it attracts the heavy metals and then they dissolve into the fatty tissue of fish, giving them chronic exposure to heavy metals... I'll stop here, I have written a 20 page paper about this. As much as I think the meat industry is unethical, no one really knows what the long term effects of plastic pollution are, but if what we know so far is a hint, we know its not good.
@@alexandrianaujoks3181 Also Gucci is putting millions into making that mushroom based leather alternative a thing as part of their effort to make their fashion properly carbon neutral (they're buying offsets right now) so one can only hope a sustainable vegan leather alternative will eventually be developed.
Here's the thing too: You can find leather labeled slaughter-free. It exists and it's out there and it can be used to make high-quality things that will last you and also not add plastic to the environment. Slaughter-free just means that the animal it came from died of other causes. And I'm much more opposed to putting more plastic out there than I am to buying the product with a HECK lot more longevity but came from an animal. Disclaimer, I am not vegan or vegetarian, but I am opposed animal cruelty. I literally wanted to be a veterinarian growing up specifically with the idea of revolutionizing animal recovery comfort and lowering their stress as much as possible. I no longer wish to be a vet specifically, but the end-goal in many ways hasn't left me.
As a man that loves his tailcoats, while your clothes are not for me, they still inspire me to be better and do more with my wardrobe. Edit, oh my, there selection is very limited, but my god, they got men's shoes. I need those boots.
“I can’t afford ethically made clothes” - sis, lets take a stroll down to the thrift store where you can find beautiful things, sometimes even with tags still on them, if not in very good condition. Even if things purchased there are “fast fashion” buying it secondhand is GREAT because you’re giving more life to those items
i wholeheartedly agree with buying clothes second hand whenever possible, but buying fast fashion second hand doesnt make it ethically made. i think bernadette was more talking about clothing that is specifically made ethically when she said that, but buying fast fashion second hand is leagues better than buying it new!
Unless you are plus size. I buy second hand as much as possible but out of an entire thrift store, there is one rack of clothes that may even be close to my size. ONE. Most plus size women wear their clothes till they are literally falling apart because it's so hard to find good, cute and comfortable clothes. Which means there is even less that end up in thrift stores. So yes, some people can't afford to get what they need from ethical sources. Not even counting that most ethically made fashion companies don't even carry a plus-size range. Check your privilege.
@@SugarCyanideDeVika Plus Size is not a fun size for sure. My clothes are falling apart and I mend them as much as possible, promising myself that when I lose the wheight (I'm battling health conditions making it harder) I will treat myself to a new wardrobe.
@@SugarCyanideDeVika Not to mention all the thin people who buy perfectly serviceable plus-sized clothes at thrift stores to cut them apart and "upcycle" them instead of shopping the endless racks of clothes in their own size.
She is bringin back past fashions, so no new fashion influencer with changing styles each year, but a fashion influencer nonetheless :) She inspired me by showing me the things I could do, Rachel showed me how to do it, and Cathy gave me the motivation to actually pull through and make the damn thing.
I know this video is a couple years old, but the talk about fast fashion and avoiding it when possible resonated with me. The vast majority my clothing is thrifted, (I'm not perfect I just bought a fast fashion dress for a party last month) and my friends and I do what we call closet trade parties. We clean out our closets, get together with our discards and maybe some wine, catch up with each other, and trade clothes. It's a way to get new looks without spending money on the fast fashion industry, as well as enjoy an evening with friends.
I love the fur/leather debate because, as a vegan, the necessity of reducing our overall consumption and disposal of plastics, poly-blend materials and elastics is a vegan problem. Consuming natural leathers, furs and wool is perfectly fine with me, especially since many of those I find are vintage and have little to no impact on the environment and since they're such hardy materials , they can be repaired ad infinitum. I'm pro- the concept of faux materials but in practice, it's highly impractical.
Im veggie but so many vegans are heavily against wool. I grew up in english countryside so i just dont understand why. The sheep are happy and the shearing takes literally seconds. But anyway if you dont like wool, use cotton or other natural fibers, or recycled yarns
Same. I eat vegan to save the planet but I buy leather goods (when I really need them) because they'll last so much longer. Of course, tanning releases HUGE amounts of chemicals into waterways and sheep dipping can be very harmful if done improperly, so it's not a cut and dry issue. Plus these options are usually more expensive too, so not accessible for everyone. There are so many different layers to the argument
I also feel wool is the least morally questionable of the non-lethal-to-obtain animal products. Unlike eggs and milk, it doesn't incentivize the killing of bulls or roosters, because both male and female sheep produce wool!
@@erinbathie-moore8478 I feel like it sometimes makes other vegans mad sometimes but I understand the argument. Like, don't commodify animals, but sheep must be sheered for their own good and if we can make substantial, long-lasting clothing from that, then we should work to preserve that. I think it's much more sustainable for us to rely on durable materials that don't harm animals than it is to rely on plastics.
I live in the Lake District in the UK where sheep farming has been a section of the local economy for centuries. Many words that our local farmers use have Viking origins. Thank you for highlighting the madness involved in the low price of wool that results in our farmers turning it into compost. I have so much wool in my wardrobe and the winters are cold here so wool is definitely the fabric of choice!
Not just the UK, US too. Most of the time the shepherds give the wool to the shearer to pay for the process because they only get about $.10/lb (I think that would be about 8 pence) for raw wool (fiber breeds). It's ludicrous how much those bale prices fluctuate depending on location and time of year of the auction. @Bernadette: THANK YOU for highlighting key factors in the fast fashion industry--most notably that it is intentionally guarded from prying eyes, repairing clothes to make them last, and the exorbitant expense of feel good fashion vs buying something that will last (leather vs plastic). Will we be seeing new videos for shirt waists soon?
Bernadette is the entire reason I found American Duchess and now I own the best pair of peak aesthetic shoes on the planet (my brand new blue londoners). Their customer service is the best I have ever encountered. It brings me so much joy to know how these people do so many amazing things.
@@ci6742 I don't have the londoners but I did just get a pair of bernadettes and am currently working on breaking them in. I believe the bernadettes and londoners are made using the same shoe lasts so should be similar in shape. I ordered my usual size per their instructions, and I do find that they pinch my toes in a very uncomfortable way so if your feet are even slightly wide at the toes, (which I don't consider myself to have wide feet at all), I'd go up a size and/or possibly use a shoe stretcher. I would have returned mine except they were a last chance item, so no returns or exchanges. If you do choose to buy a pair, I'd get one that isn't on a sale that way you can return if needed. That said, they seem very well made and sturdy, and I don't find them precarious to walk in like any modern heel I've tried. Editing to add that after wearing them for a month or so (off and on; haven’t worn them daily) they did stretch a bit and don’t pinch as bad. I would still probably go up a size in future though.
How long do you think the shoes will/do last? I know someone who loves the 50s/40s and bought a pair of saddle shoes(I’m not sure where) They were quite expensive and even though she doesn’t wear them often they cracked after only a year. She’s thinking of getting a pair of oxfords from American Duchess but it’s scary to make a big investment without knowing how well it will pay off
@@micahj5388 I’d say if you take care of the leather they’ll probably last years. They’re made to be repaired by cobblers. I’d look up tutorials on how to care for leather shoes before investing.
Restock is happening soon! I’m hoping that the rumor they will be stocking slightly larger shoes is true-currently they go up to 11, but I have been overly blessed in the foot, and wear size 12 #thankspregnancy
Same! I was looking at some Manhattan Button Boots but the one thing that keeps making me not sure to buy them is if they will fit me well for quite awhile. This is the case because I am still not done growing and so I don't want to waste a finely crafted pair of shoes only for them to never get worn and for me to grow out of the size because alas we are in quarantine.
Eh whatever they do sell shoe stretchers and stretching spray now, so that can help, but the nice thing about leather shoes is that they are still malleable-so unless your feet grow significantly, they will adapt and mold to your feet. American Duchess has a video about how to get the perfect fit
I’m a vegan and I vehemently oppose “vegan leather”. It’s just plastic, made with petroleum, that as Bernadette said, lasts two years as opposed to fifty+.
I buy secondhand leather without batting an eye. Until the beef industry stops, then neither will the leather industry. I'm not contributing to the demand for leather goods, and I'm also not purchasing fast fashion.
You will have to pardon my words here but ohmygod! a Vegan with a brain! Sorry, but I am delighted to see a vegan who understands that "vegan leather" isnt all that environmentally friendly.
I too am a vegan who buys leather shoes (always second hand though, it's astounding the volume of barely worn perfectly good or easily repaired shoes people "dispose" of)
I really came into my personal style when I started making a distinction between "clothing I think looks nice" and "clothing I think looks nice on *me*/clothing I want to wear". While the former encompasses a lot of fast-flying trends, the latter is a much smaller category of clothes--including a lot that I can easily make. I've already made myself a skirt, and plan to make much much more!
I'd love to see that from Bernadette! You may enjoy checking out Reddit's r/visiblemending community. Though it was started for stuff like patches and sashiko, hence the "visible" part of the name, they are also open to people trying to get a seamless or invisible look on a mend. The moderators let you request technique recommendations from the community if you show them something you'd like to mend, so if you've got a tricky hole to fix you could pop it their way.
Yes ! And not just rips etc but also little holes like the ones my cat does with his claws when he's on my knees because he's happy, or a shoulder seam that rips on the sewing line and you can't re-sew it again…
Honestly my mum hates me thrifting but a) I end up with better quality/sustainability and b) most of the time it’s actually cheaper than the cheapest fast fashion alternatives. Some of the stuff fits my really niche requirements for clothes- so why purchase a cheap thing that’ll wear out and feels bad?
as a disabled person making my own clothes and moving away from fast fashion has been both extremely hard and incredibly rewarding the ability to make clothes that fit my unique body with all it's quirks with fabrics that meet my sensory needs is amazing even with the hardship that comes when you need fast fashion due to health crisis'.
If i were to buy leather, i would inquire about the origin of the leather (if it is a byproduct of food production or if they raise the animal solely for leather purposes). In my opinion (slightly educated in the topic, since i have a degree in agroindustry), leather that is a byproduct of food production tells you that the life that was sacrificed was at least sacrificed for a “more” important purpose than just dressing in pretty shoes... in a way, the whole animal is being consumed and honored. I don’t actively chose vegan leather because of plastic reasons. where i’m from, you can actually go buy the leather pieces from different saddleries, or even have them make you something from scratch. In general, it would be more advisable to buy leather secondhand (commonly for jackets and bags) because it is of course repurposing something that already was in the cycle itself, but if you have to buy something new, make sure that the leather is a byproduct of food production.
Preach it. The more of the animal that is used, the better for the environment. It's another downside to the industrial revolution comparable to fast fashion: Food became so easy to produce we stopped utilizing the whole body. We use chemicals instead of fat to make soap. Plastic instead of the sinews to make glue. So. Much. UNETHICAL. Waste.
I am vegan and buy second hand leather if/when my shoes wear through. I have two pairs of vegan leather shoes which are small run pineapple leather ones which directly replace a leather option (I couldn't buy second hand) which I would have had to save for either way so I didnt mind the slight extra expense. I buy wool second hand or for sewing if required but knitting I prefer cotton yarn as I havent found woolen yarns in my budget for the rate at which I stress knit. I make my decisions on a case by case basis and think about the overall impact. If someone is selling their size 8 Londoners second hand I'd snap them up but I don't need them so I can stand with what I have st the minute.
@@blisles7626 same hat! I wear my old leather to crumbles and have the privilege of a gorgeous small vintage store with affordable, well-loved leather goods.
On a slightly pedantic note, because leatherwork is my absolute jam and I can preach about it for hours: "Genuine leather" is a misnomer that can range from chopped/ground up leather scraps pasted into a sheet (like plywood) to actual leather taken from a hide (and being genuine in the usual sense of the word). Most (if not all) shoe leather these days is usually chrome-tanned which is fairly harsh on the environment, but quicker than vegetable tanned. To wit, I don't think the more environmentally-"friendly" vegetable-tanned leather is often used in shoes these days (aside from shell cordovan, which is a different beast entirely). All that said... properly tanned leather that is maintained (conditioned, cleaned of salt/moisture/etc, allowed to dry) is VASTLY better than the leather plywood that is so often hawked these days and I am incredibly gleeful that you brought it up. Another facet is that the hide from slaughtered cattle would otherwise go to waste (as the hide isn't as used for non-leather applications as it was in say, 1900). Utilization of the entire animal is one of the small benefits to using leather over the "leathers' out of cactus, pineapple, mushroom, etc. Thank you so much for spreading the truth about it! Cheers!
How does one spot and avoid leather plywood? I try to buy secondhand leather anyways, but have had bad experiences when trying to buy new, "investment" (for me) leather things (a satchel and two belts). It feels like there are bits flaking off the edges, or the edges get worn after a year, or it deforms and cracks with a few wears. I was starting to believe the "leather lasts for a lifetime" thing was a myth!
I agree completely. As with our current system of governments we can't burn it to the ground without having a contingency plan for the most of vulnerable. if we are going to eat animals at the scale that we are currently we must have a plan in place to honor the entirety of the animal and let none go to waste, while we continue to work towards systemic change. If I were murdered and I had the possibility to feed and shelter another but instead I was dumped into a landfill that would be a far more grave disrespect of my life.
@@Blue-pb7kz I might be mistaken, but products marked as 'full grain' are going to be the leather that you want. It is more expensive, but also thicker, better treated, and quality overall.
@@Blue-pb7kz Its a bit hard to spot just by eye, and with a lot of different "leather" goods, particularly unscrupulous manufacturers will have just one piece of actual leather with the rest being bonded (the plywood). This allows for them to call it "100% leather" or whatever variation of marketing they want to do. The biggest and most immediete sign is that if its flaking at all, its bonded. Real leather doesn't flake, as the grain structure will tear and not flake off (though, I admit that different tanneries quality might muddle this a bit). If there's a white fabric type of backing under it as well, avoid it. If you see the words "top grain" or "full grain", that usually will be the real article, barring any outright deception (and the best, in my opinion, as its the leather that lasts). "Genuine" is a type of grade, but gets tossed around very, very easily. The best is if the product description names the tannery (Horween, "Chromexcel", SB Foot, etc) Cracking is normal but not desirable, as its indicative of improperly conditioned leather (or a bad tannage) or bad tanning. Some products (carnauba cream, saphir, even neatsfoot oil) does a great job in helping to maintain leather goods. Sadly., good leather vs. bonded leather is very much a "you get what you pay for". If a bag is selling for 10.99 and claims to be leather....its pretty much guaranteed to not be made of anything but bonded.
"Genuine leather" is a frankly brilliant ploy by the leather industry to sell Poly Urethane. They are technically correct: it does contain the thinnest sliver of hide, and the rest is just plastic. It has the downsides of both materials and the upsides of neither, yet an animal did have to die for it.
Well, I'll say it, as I haven't seen it mentioned yet: Wouldn't mind seeing a video of your new hobby of swooshing past berobed Harry Potter street tourists in your actual cape, to their wonder and amazement. :)
This video was packed with great messages. No we won't get rid of fast fashion straight away but definitely let's be active with supporting the living wage and fixing clothes that we love for a better future. 🌿
The grand mother of a friend used to say:"We are too poor to buy cheap stuff". It was common, at her time to save money for quality items, which lasted very long, or you could even inherit. This was usual for a lot of things, not only clothes.
Me: *lost in the delightful sensory experience of quill scratching and the sight of ink swooshing across the page* Bernadette: ...guys, think of all the tweed! Me: oh, snap I missed the whole rant lol
@@Hazella97 hopefully some day i can do it. Its more about my dyslexia and dyspraxia making it difficult to do such things. But still, ill give it a shot
@@Hazella97 ... Learn ? Cursive ? As in, not just practice in order to actualize what you learned at school, but really learn from scratch ? This might be a dumb question, or I'm misunderstanding, or I am too old to know about this but... Are there schools were you don't learn to write ? I really don't mean to offend anyone, I'm just surprised ?
The other thing people don't seem to realize with 'buy less, mend more' is that, if you take care of your clothes properly, you can still accumulate a nice diversity of clothing. Sure it takes time, but if you only buy a few items once every 1-2 years, but take care of your clothes well enough that it takes 6-10 years for them to wear out, then you will still increase the number of items in your closet w/out impacting the environment as much. Edit: I also want to say that I think learning to sew really helps open your eyes to just how poor the conditions for fast fashion workers must be. After you spend $80 on only 2.5 yards of fabric and some thread so that you can make a single pair of pants, it becomes glaringly obvious that there is no way the $20 jeans from a department store were made in an ethical or environmentally conscious way.
Agreed!!! I’ve noticed this the most strongly when I see crocheted items being sold in a retailer like Walmart at a price of $5. And I know quite personally how much effort I would have to put in to make a small baby hat like the one I saw on the rack. No way in f%€&#+g hell could I retail the item for $4.99.
Only 6-10 years of life in clothing?? I have a box with carefully packed clothing from the 80s and 90s, my "memory box". I recently pulled it out and discovered many items still fit! Today I'm wearing a shirt I bought in the early 1990s, it's in great shape and has years of life left in it. I have some other items that have been in continuous wear since 1998. And they too, have plenty of life left.
I agree too. Also the cheap stuff uses cheap thread. When the kids were little I started making most of their clothes as it was easier. I could also guarantee that the seams wouldn’t let go after the first wash!!! It’s faster and easier to make it properly than have to fix all the mistakes later!!
To be fair knitted items aren't done by hand, but by machine. That way they can crank out baby hats like crazy and we can enjoy them for much cheaper than we can make them. Same with fabric weaving/knitting.
@@marthahawkinson-michau9611 Fun fact, there isn't a machine that can reproduce crochet. So every crochet item or blouse with crochet trim you see in stores? Handmade by someone. I won't buy crochet items unless I know I'm buying directly from the maker for that reason.
@@jezpin3638 I agree - regular humans are much more careful around jet engines. Capes should definitely come back into style for everyone. Once my hand is back in top form (carpal tunnel surgery), and my Bernina properly serviced, I will be making a new one for the dreaded oncoming Upstate NY winter.
I would argue that the same could be said for medieval knights, but Shadiversity did a video on that, and it turns out they're not that big a problem so. Just watch those jet engines. Oh! And campfires! You do not want to set yourself on fire because you weren't watching where your cape was going...
Hearing I’m not alone on the whole “showing your arms” thing made me very happy, like for tank tops and even tshirts I feel the need to layer them to achieve that “1920/1980/1910 Time traveler trying to fit in with modern day, but also covered in rainbows and frogs while doing so”
I recently realized that I can alter men’s 100% wool slacks from the thrift store to be 1940s(ish) women’s slacks, which fit my pear shape quite well. And I can buy extra large men’s dress shirts and cut them down to be women’s blouses and I’m really excited to start slowly transforming my wardrobe in a cheap and sustainable way. And it benefits my local hospice thrift store.
My not remotely 'inner spinner' weeps. Us hand spinners are at least willing to pay a sensible price for a fleece or processed fibre before we take the time to spin it into yarn and then knit, crochet or weave it to a final item. I think the most I paid for a raw fleece was £150 but it was an exceptional fleece, and I did sell half of it on to other hand-spinners. Once day I will finish spinning the remaining fibre and create something else positively luscious from it.
@@somebodyelse138 yay! Another spinner! Shetland and BFL to 2 ply. 2 ply to herringbone. Herringbone to cloak! ( And corrie to 3 ply and thence to a new cardi...)
@@marthahawkinson-michau9611 I don't know where you live, but at the worst, there are internet sources for fibers. My first fibers were straight from a "meat sheep" and I had to figure out how to wash and prep too lol. Happy to help, but not sure how BB feels about linkys in her comments.
There are no words to describe the impact that your videos have, Bernadette. You have the ability to show people what truly matters in the aspect of clothing. Wonderful people like you are the glint of hope that our world needs to make a rebound from the mess that we've created.
Fast-everything is such a pervasive and toxic economic culture that kills art and keeps people from finding the clothes/books/movies/anything that so perfectly fit their soul that they can sit with them for years. Great video, especially the soap-boxes
@kshiftkometh I know it sounds pedantic to describe this, but this is how I saved money for a surgery (albeit an elective one), a growing collection of books, and other expensive things over time: setting aside pennies and dollar bills until they accumulated into a sizeable amount to purchase what I needed. Find a penny on the ground? Keep it. Got a small paycheck and can't afford to put away a good chunk of cash? Keep a separate account for the odd change on the end of the whole dollar amount until you can put away more. Change banks or account plans if they charge you minimum account fees. Make things out of secondhand items and curbside throwaways a la #itsallgarbage , or look up garage sales and estate sales. It can be done even on a small budget, but it definitely takes getting creative if all your money goes towards bills each month. Time is an issue, as well as skill and dis/ability, but friends, communities, and family can also be resources for reducing the need for fast fashion if one is eager to participate in alternative methods. Being poor is not the only reason for buying into fast fashion, and doesn't need to be the factor that creates a dependency on exploitation.
I accidentally woke my baby from her nap when you said "think of all the tweed!" At the same moment she lifted her tiny fist indignantly and it was so perfectly timed I started cackling.
Omg! I know right! American Duchess shoes are gorgeous, but with shipping to Australia they will cost $300+ :/ also I found that my favourite styles are almost always sold out, since many many people are a size 8
Bernadette, thank you so much for that final line. As a quiet, shy introvert my entire life, I have always wished to be the fly on the wall. Happier not to be noticed than to be seen… yet with a love for historical fashion from 1660s-1900, minus a few decades! Living in Australia, a country whose “fashion” is essentially so super casual that it could be seen in a gym or on a beach, wearing neck to ankle garments with a corset and a bustle, a hat and gloves, and a parasol would stand out more than has ever been my comfort zone. And yet, the longing to dress in such historical elegance is an ongoing conflict with the introversion! 🙈 I love that you encourage everyone to be eccentric and be themself. Modern styles do not feel like “me” at all. To have the courage to stand out so much from the crowd though, that’s been decades in the making. Hats off to you for being brave enough to be yourself, no matter what anyone thinks! You and Abby are such an inspiration. 💝🙏 And now, I’m inspired to go source some fabric to make that cloak pattern that has been waiting for me to find the courage to make and wear it 😂🙃🥰
What a sweet comment of yours. I was looking for someone commenting on Bernadette's sweet and empowering last words on that video, and I so feel what you're saying. I hope you're doing well and have found some way to do a little more history bounding in the past year!
@@azrani2023 💝🙏 Sadly I never got around to making the cloak… nor to curating any garment in my dream historical wardrobe. I have, however, been down a veritable rabbit warren of Kibbe style types and Kitchener essences to learn more about my body type and essence… and I now have a MUCH clearer idea of what would work for me, and how to identify which aspects of any garment, modern or historical, that wouldn’t work for me and what to do instead. It doesn’t look like anything tangible yet, but it’s better to know these things upfront, not after spending thousands of dollars and hours curating a wardrobe that on some level, doesn’t work for you!!! I enjoyed the Kibbe deep-dive, and it’s a great place to start for anyone who hasn’t done it yet. Kitchener was ALL THAT AND MORE. Found a place for me that Kibbe didn’t, as an Ethereal (which Kibbe doesn’t include in his system). It was a GIANT a-ha moment lol. Why fabrics, patterns, colours, fabrics and cuts don’t work when they don’t work, and what DOES work. I won’t waste any money on the wrong things from now on lol!! 🤣 I also discovered that my colours are SUPER pale. Unlike the seasonal colour analysis that was very hit and miss within my soft summer. So this is very useful!! Now to figure out how to create historical garments that meet the pale palette, weightlessness, fluidity, delicateness, ornateness and elegance of the Ethereal Style Essence!!! 😂😍🙈 And then, deal with a possible move to the tropics and how that works with layers… and to a rural region that will be even more casual than the big cites!!! 🥺 Did I want a challenge?!? NO. Did I get one anyway? YES. 😂🤷♀️
@@lilaeia 😄😄 Made me chuckle - thank you. I have never heard about Kitchener but I will have a look at it for sure. I did have indeed also a Kibbe analysis done on me and now my wardrobe is full of pale beige and brown while my heart actually gravitates towards earthier darker tones like forest green or wine red or chocolate brown too ... We will see where it leads us, you and I. Hahah. In any case, I wish you luck and joy on your journey, even in an even more narrow-minded rural town 😃😘
@@azrani2023 Thank you so much!! You too! 🤗 Keep me posted on how you go with Kitchener, and your colour journey! And if you build an historical wardrobe, PLEASE show me!!!!!!! 🤗😇🥰😘
I agree with your stance on leather shoes. When I started getting into more sustainable clothing, I wanted a pair of boots that would last me _years._ I ended up settling on Doc Martens at the time, and after researching their 'vegan' option, I came to about the same conclusion as you. It made more sense to buy one pair, and care for them, then dozens more. I've now owned my boots for three years and have worn them daily (unless bedridden) and they hardly show any wear. These suckers went to Disneyland with me every weekend for two of those years, and across Europe for a months stay. It's still kind of amazing to me when I was the kid who had to buy new Payless shoes every 6mo. Well-made shoes are the equivalent of dresses with pockets for me.
Same here, I bought a pair of Doc Martens 8 years ago, didn't particularly care for them but I travelled EVERYWHERE with them. I sadly had to buy another pair 6 months ago because my dog ate my older pair... hopefully this one will last me at least another 8 years!
How does one take care of their shoes? I have a problem of basically wearing one pair of shoes until they're worn out. E.g., my current pair of shoes are classic Vans, but they're starting to come apart after about a year. What are some suggestions for sustainable well-made shoes and tips for taking care of them?
I find vans dont last very long due to weak points in the shoes mainly near the heal area where the rubber meets the cloth. Doc martens last but they do have to be looked after in order to keep the longevity of the boots. I dont know of any sustainable shoe companies unfortunately. But leather is definitely the best option in my opinion
@@realeuphoniism a cobbler can repair your shoes. (Probably not sneakers) Polishing your shoes helps condition the leather and keeps them looking nice. Polish will hide scuffs
I really appreciate how you talked about the ethics of leather and wool vs. vegan alternatives. I eat vegan and this is something I’ve thought a lot about, and I’m glad to hear that another vegetarian/vegan shares the same opinion :) Usually vegans I talk to are entirely against leather and wool and only buy vegan leather, but like you said, it’s essentially plastic
I saw this video a while ago about the horror story of plastic's first introduction as a consumable I believe in the late Victorian era (probably wrong). One woman's accessories which would have previously been made of metal, caught fire and she burned alive in the street trying to get out of her clothes. THAT scares me, and so does this vegan leather thing.
Thank you for leaving a comment that is not judgmental towards those of us who prefer real leather bags/shoes/belts/jackets. There's also the alternative to buy these things as second hand and still in good condition. plus they can be easier to repair than pleather/vegan leather, or whatever you want to call it. i reduced considerably the amount of animals i eat. and i rarely buy things (of any kind) anymore.
As someone who worked in the food industry, vegans/vegetarians and anyone else concerned about leather should be aware that leather is a byproduct of the meat and dairy industries. No one is raising cattle for the leather, it's not worth enough. If everyone stopped buying leather today, the same cows would be slaughtered and the hides would be used for other products or simply discarded, this already happens far too often because the hassle of dealing with the hide isn't worth what the processor would be paid. The best that can come from not buying leather is rawhide chew-toys might be a few cents cheaper. Maybe. If you want to minimize the environmental impact of the leather you use, try to buy vegetable-tanned leather rather than chrome-tanned leather. Chrome-tanned is so called because it is tanned using chromium, which would be fine except most chrome tanned leather is produced in countries, India mostly, with very poor environmental regulations that lead to toxic metal waste in the environment, especially water. The veg-tan process can have it's problems too, but generally does less and less permanent damage when poorly regulated than chrome-tan. Or buy leather, not the leather product but the leather, that was produced in a countries with high standards. In that case, you should be alright. If you're wondering how to tell the difference between veg and chrome leathers, color and texture are the easy guides. If it's soft and supple, like most light leather jackets, it's probably chrome. To check, make a small cut so you can see the inside of the leather. If the inside is grey-ish, it's definitely chrome. If it stiffens after getting wet, it's probably veg. To check, again make a small cut, if the inside isn't grey-ish and is more flesh colored, it's probably veg.
I feel that it's also classist to try to make everyone wear vegan leather since people with a limited budget and not many options (poor communities) can't buy vegan leather, it's too damn expensive. But I do think that frivolous fashion (such as using chinchilla's skin to make a fur coat, which would take at least 150 chinchillas) is awful and completely unnecessary.
One of the major benefits of learning to sew was being able to walk into a thrift store, spend a few dollars on an item, and then alter it to fit me. This led me to being able to buy clothes during college when I didn't have much money. Now I've been inspired by Bernadette to start making more of my wardrobe entirely myself. Fast fashion hurts your wallet as well as the environment.
@@beyondtheirlevel3726 My first teacher was an old book published by Simplicity my mom had. The book had detailed description of how to read commercial patterns and tons and tons of information on fit and sewing basics. And then I took my high schools Apparel Development class where they taught all the information I had already learned in the book along with how the practical application of how to use a serger and a sewing machine. But that was nearly 15 years ago. I'm sure there are many many UA-cam tutorials available now that can also help you get started. Also check your local library to see if they have any books on sewing. You can learn a whole lot on your own if you do some digging.
The one on the right is a painting of Cesario. Both of them (I think) we're done by Bernadette's sibling, who posted a video of her painting process on UA-cam.
Thank you so much for this! I've watched some "dark academia fashion" videos and am so disappointed when it's all stuff from Amazon or fast fashion. Your clothes and philosophy are lovely!!!
Something I think a lot of “slow” /sustainable fashion forgets about: clothes for plus size people. Even though I have a lot of fast fashion pieces, I’ve had to mend most of my clothes because I couldn’t find new clothes that even fit me. I’ve had the majority of my clothes for at least 7 years. I’m 24. And for a long time I couldn’t even afford to buy anything new because I was in college and made barely enough to cover rent and groceries, and now I have a bit more money but a lot of sustainable fashion brands only go up to a size like 12/14, and all of them are prohibitively expensive. There are so many factors to fast fashion, so I really appreciate that you don’t take a shaming approach. I love that cape! I can’t wait to get a sewing space so I can draft one out for myself 🤓
Try searching around on Etsy! There are quite a few sewists on there that make clothes to measure and sometimes you can find good deals for high quality things on there. It just takes a bit of searching.
I’m also very definitely plus-sized, at 24/26 I really can’t go shopping at many brands. It feels like I am searching for the holy grail sometimes when I need new clothes, as I usually want ALL THE THINGS. I want to buy from sustainable retailers too. I need affordable clothes just as much as a woman half my size. And damn it, I insist that whilst I may be the size that I am, Bless God I WILL DRESS MY BODY WITH STYLE thank you very much. Shopping with this mindset isn’t easy, and sometimes it’s entirely too tempting to settle for something that will just cover my body. Yes, I also own lots of clothing from brands that I dislike. Mostly I don’t buy retail though. My city has a few store that sell department store overstock and returns, so many of the things I buy come from there. I do feel like this type of retailer plugs up some of the gaps in the fashion industry, as many of the clothes that I find there were genuinely meant to be sent to a landfill. Especially when I find pieces that have had the label defaced because the manufacturers don’t want their work sold in unofficial channels. Those items were DEFINITELY meant for a landfill. Perfectly beautiful pieces of clothing that might have been rotting in a landfill. And usually the only thing wrong with it is that it didn’t sell in the amount of time allowed by the store it was first marketed in. I actually have some items that I’ve kept for over ten years, and they still have plenty of life left in them.
"Whatlydiamade" on Instagram has a whole entire highlight devoted to slow/sustainable fashion that either comes in plus sizes or can be custom made in a range of sizes! (I feel you, girl. It is so tough to find clothes. I'm a 22/24.)
What really bothera me is that I reached 25 y.o.=> which means I'm starting gain weight and then all my attempts at creating a lasting wardrobe will sum up to nothing bc I'll just need new clothes to fit.
Tari Tangeo Oh the gods do I ever know that feeling. In my early twenties, I invested a lot of money into what I thought were going to be some really nice, professional clothing pieces that would last me for a long time. I genuinely expected to get 15 or more years of wear out of them. Then I met the love of my life, got married and gained a bunch of weight. I genuinely miss wearing some of the things I keep holding on to, but the unfortunate reality is that I’m not likely to ever be able wear them again. Even if I lost the extra weight at this point, my body will still be different than I was before.
Thank you for that “ vegan” leather soapbox, I thought I was the only one that thinks plastic “leather” and “wool” is absurd. I think sometimes it’s hard for people to understand that there is a sweet spot between using quality, long lasting leather and using cheap vegan plastic.
Agreed. I also think that if your trying to go vegan you need to research what is and isn't bad for the environment and weigh your options. So many vegans I know buy faux leather and fur and eat things with environmentally damaging ingredients like palm oil. It's not as cut and dry as 'substitute everything for a fake alternative and I'm saving the world!' it's much more complicated.
Honestly this does make me feel a lot better about it - I'm not a vegan or even a vegetarian food-wise or otherwise, but I do at least try to be conscious of the impact of what I'm consuming. If I buy a leather anything, I would buy from a guy I met who just cannot get the bog-standard vegan leather to hold up to the dye process and does not find the expensive stuff economically viable for his very small business. But he's tried, therefore I trust him to have checked his sources and to make something that will last. Trouble is that it's naturally more expensive that way, but at least I know I'm saving for something that won't make me buy a replacement in three months...
polywool is even more ridiculous because vegans swearing off wool are literally disagreeing with giving haircuts to sheep on the grounds that its bad somehow?
@@partyinthecloudkingdom vegans are against farmers doing any animal husbandry, in their ideal world no sheep would be kept for their wool and as such don't need haircuts
@@ratchet1freak I do wonder a. What vegans imagine would be done with all the sheep that literally need to be shorn to be healthy- would it even be possible to breed them to not require shearing at this point, and if it is then it would take years in which the sheep would still require husbandry so they'd have to be willing to tolerate that for the sake of a long term solution, and b. Why vegans are so against humans having mutually beneficial symbiotic relationships with other species anyways...
Aside from your awesome aesthetics, I do really appreciate that you do not condemn wearing problematic items. It can be intimidating to change, so it is important to see that you don't need to empty your wardrobe for that.
I can't help but rolls my eyes at the term vegan leather. Like just call it what it is: pleather. (or in my native toungue, the term literally means fake/artificial leather). I really dislike how being vegan these days is a lot about having overprocessed vegan substitutes of non-vegan things. Often overprocessing things to mimic something non-vegan is not ecological, which is a common reason for people to go vegan.
This! I tried vegan leather boots to try and be environmentally friendly; the same price as leather, but they have disintegrated within the year, clips coming loose, coming away from the soles. I'm very disappointed so now I'm saving up for some hopefully ethically sourced leather boots at some point maybe this winter.
Yes! I used to be proud of buying phleather but now -- if I do buy new which I try to limit, it is real. I know it is not sustainable to purchase new items and I've absolutely improved since let's say 2015, but if I do still buy fast fashion, esp because I cannot sew + don't always find a certain thing secondhand, I will look if it is: wool, cotton, or real leather. Or at least not 100 percent polyester. I've bought so much less since I started informing myself.
I strongly appreciate that you specify “consumer controlled”, and that it’s not a thing any one person can solve. When everything wrong with the world seems so big and impossibly out of my hands, that reminder is everything.
Being poor, that's how we grew up. Everything came second hand. Clothes that were beyond repair but had interesting patterns or textures were cut in to patches. Clothes that were beyond repair but wouldn't make good patches were torn into rags. It was like a sin to throw out still usable fabric in my house.
@@asthenamesuggests9513, when everyone was freaking out that there was no food on the grocery store shelves back in late March and I knew how to make whole meals out of all the odds and ends that were still on the shelves (because, in reality there was plenty of food IF you knew what to do with it), that was like my shining moment of appreciating growing up poor.
I watched this video nearly one year ago, and I'm proud to say that it inspired me to rid my wardrobe of anything i did not need/ wear anyone, and it is currently 90% secondhand or handmade :)
As someone who spins wool into yarn, thank you for reminding people that wool is not bad. And neither is leather. These are both very eco friendly choices. It's amazing how many people don't realize just how much better these things are, and how much longer they last, than their "vegan" alternatives. Thank you so much for that.
@Vicar Amelia If you want to wear them for years: buy leather! Vegan leather falls apart and you can't repair it, while leather shoes can last you a lifetime if you take good care of them and for all shoes of course goes: soles can be replaced.
from a person who is a textile hobbyist, artist and went to fashion design school in my 40s (and woah that was an eye opener) 1. plastic is evil incarnate for clothing when not serving a CRITICAL and IRREPLACEABLE function. the harm done by covering yourself in plastic fibers, washing (shudder) micro plastic thread bits down the drain, and so on? you are doing FAR less harm to the world and animals (and especially the oceans) wearing ANY natural fiber. 2. wool and linen are drastically under appreciated. as is hemp and washed silk. (yes you can launder silk if you pre wash the fabric before sewing and you are not abusing it) cotton is nice, don't get me wrong, but other natural fibers are often more sustainably produced. 2a. rayon is ...well it starts with a natural source but the solvents and process needed to manufacture it get... bad. 3. most fast fashion is made to fall apart. it is literally MADE in such a way as to self destruct after very few wearings because of being made so cheaply. this started being true RECENTLY (by which i mean, like the 70s and 80s...) and got worse. 4. the country your garments are made in MATTERS. mostly due to labor laws. and its not always what you think: some countries have pretty decent labor laws you would not expect! (and it changes, check with various orgs that monitor that) 4a. speaking of which, made in your own country is often good just to avoid the shipping mayhem. made in your own country when your country has real labor laws is even better. 5 i interned at an American hat maker FACTORY (yes they exist) that is, the company is not making boutique one offs- they make hats. Bollman Hat Company. they also distribute several brands they do not "make" (like Kangal) so watch for country of origin... but yeah, they make the top hats for the philly carriage trade too. i can testify from my own walking through and going WOW a lot that everything is made on site and its AWESOME and they have some you tube videos showing the making of- so all is not lost as far as hats :) 6. there are many many many people who do artist work with upcycled clothing and fabrics, and a small but amazing number of people who do felting and other "fabric making" crafts- please support them 6A. there are stilll a limited number of textile MILLS that are located in countries with labor laws- support them too. 7 ish: speaking of organic cotton? If you are determined to use cotton and not linen (linen is awesome) AND you do not have a source of organic cotton near you.... Alabama Chanin makes some lovely (pricey) things but they also sell the fabric. Love and thank you for the videos! Kirsten
Also, Bamboo fiber sounds Eco but the manufacturing process is one of most toxic, often poisoning labourers and environment with arsenic compounds and battery acids used in processing the fiber.
@@margod51 yup. thats because "bamboo fiber" is actually rayon (or close enough for jazz) there are more and less toxic ways to process cellulose into rayon, but... well companies take the cheapest option, and if they are in a country that lets them do so? they use some REALLY toxic chemicals. given how fast bamboo grows, its not a bad choice of cellulose fiber to create rayon, but... any rayon has to be looked at with suspicion over its manufacturing
@@fabricdragon I have learned in school about bamboo that's processed as a) linen (I have a scarf in that! Very lovely) and b) like tencel, which is an imo nice fabric. It also has the from tree to soft fabric through chemicals yadiyadiya but not toxic chemicals such as rayon/viscose. And, also, synthetic fibers can have some serious pro's and were revolutionary in certain aspects. (Such as washable permanently pleated fabrics that don't need to be repleated) that's, often, not the polyester used by FF though.
@@gittevandevelde2208 oh i am sure there are some better options out there! Just...the "bamboo" fabric i have seen is just rayon. Bear in mind, i kind of LIKE rayon, but...sigh, processing. And yes there are some great advantages to artificial fibers, but i prefer to keep them to the conditions where they really are superior. (Sports, as one example) Oh, rayon is weaker when wet, and prone to mildew if not dried promptly. Treat it more gently when wet, and dry promptly!
I don't have the money for sustainable fashion and don't quite know my tastes well enough to spend it anyway, so I buy most of my clothes second hand. I also tend to wear my clothes until they are falling apart, to my mom's dismay. I would do more mending if my hands and wrists weren't in such bad condition.
Ask someone to mend stuff for you! I used to mend my classmate's stuff all the time and still do my partner's - it's so relaxing to me lol. If your mum worries about your clothes looking a bit rough, it might make her happy if you ask her to mend them for you :) or just ask around, especially grandmas haha, they LIVE for it! (I love second hand too and most of my clothes are hand-me-downs so adjusting them slightly to fit you better works wonders)
@@strawberryfrog76 I have a dedicated spot to set up my sewing machine now, which allows me to stitch up a lot of the rips tears I couldn't mend by hand without hurting myself. It's great! I even altered an ill-fitting dress for my mom.
@@raimeichan1020 sometimes you have to see something on your body to really know if you like/don’t like it. Even those of us that do have a strong sense of personal style still end up pieces we thought we’d love and didn’t or things we thought we’d not like and ended up loving
Other people in Dark Academia: the students
Bernadette: The Professor
I want to be her student!
@@annabelle7603 me too!!
@@annabelle7603 Same 👌😔
I'd listen to her all day!
Professor? She's the headmistress ❤️
Bernadette may not be a fashion influencer in the traditional sense, but she has influenced my fashion sense, and style.
Sometimes when I have something that needs handsewn or mended, I purposefully put on her videos while I do it. It's the best ambience for the task. xD
mine too, much more than "influencers" who go for 2-week long trends.
Same! She's encouraged me to try sewing, influenced me on consuming fashion more consciously and one day I promise I'll make my own Edwardian walking skirts, thanks to her
@@amperbm You go girl! you can do it! i drafted the pattern for a long cape based on my measurement. and then i realized i don't have enough fabric XD Maybe I should practice with a short one until i get enough fabric? LOL
Same. I got into fashion history after watching her Victorian walking skirt video. Almost two years later and I am finally sewing my first skirt. I also am more careful about what materials my clothes are made out of now.
Things I learned after watching:
1) I need to make more skirts.
2) I need, NEED a cape.
3) I need to get to Iverness to have a kilt made of Clan Urquhart tartan.
4) I need a cape.
yes, cape.
Megan Urquhart we all need a cape, this is the take away from this😍
Capes need to come back for everyone.
if you find a good cape please tell me. I can't go to my fabric store and I do not want to order online, as I love to feel the fabric and the weight etc.
CAPE
The thing I hate the most about fast fashion is how it contributes to body shaming.
Centuries ago clothes were made literally for you, clothes fit into your own specific and unique body. Nowadays with fast fashion, you're expected to fit into sizes of clothing, and if you don't, you're cast out and looked at sideways
I so agree! Personally I’ve put on about 30 lbs in the past year and clothes just don’t fit this body the same way as they fit my smaller body. I can hardly find anything that I LIKE on my unique body, because simply buying bigger doesn’t work. I’d love to see fashion revert more to a carefully tailored to your actual shape way of sizing than what we have now. Everyone deserves to feel great in their clothes!
@@lisawise4204 Yes! Currently I'm working and researching on making my own bikinis because it's just a disaster finding ones that fit me how I like and that I also like
as someone working in the textile industry and knowing how to make patterns and to sew... what I hate about it is the poor quality (pattern, design and material). it hurts when you see it and you know how it could have done better. it really hurts physicly.
Not to mention that it’s so exorbitantly expensive to not buy fast fashion as a less than middle class overweight person. Obviously I CAN make my own things, but I can also buy two premade things with the same amount of money that just fabric would cost, and yes I CAN lose weight to afford less fabric and purchase patters in my size without having to guess and modify, but I also need to cover my body in the mean time.
It’s a viscous cycle let me tell you.
Yet another extension of modern day moralism ie the obsession with ethics,I'm superior to you cause I don't eat steaks,I'm superior to you cause I don't put on lipstick,I'm superior to you cause I don't own a pair of jeans,mind you while AT THE SAME TIME pushing for moral relativism.
I grew up extremely poor, and there's something I've found that's nearly universal among people who did: it leaves us practically allergic to dropping serious money on anything. I saved up for a nice wool coat and still had legit anxiety when I actually bought it, whereas I wouldn't have had that anxiety if I'd purchased two cheaper coats. It makes no sense whatsoever, but growing up poor can instill some bad, bad habits and mindsets that I didn't even question until I was nearly 30. I had to talk myself into believing I deserved that coat -- that I was able to save that money and it was okay for me to spend it on one item instead of multiple cheap things. I’ve slowly tried to assemble a better wardrobe that will last me longer, but there is that persistent near-panic instinct that somehow does not exist when I buy multiple cheaper items. One of the hardest things poor people can do is give themselves permission to own something nice; I know that I am very far from alone in that, even though it’s ultimately self-sabotage.
(How much was the coat? $200.00. Even as a no-longer-impoverished adult, my brain persists in telling me that's too much money to drop on one thing that isn't an emergency.) I’ve had friends look at me like I’m absolutely nuts for being so anxious about spending that much, but childhood poverty can warp a person in insidious ways that we often can’t even recognize until it’s pointed out to us. I’m still poor by any objective standard, but I can pay my expenses and still have money to save, which is so much more than I had even as a young adult. I can afford that coat, yet my every instinct tells me that I shouldn’t spend that kind of money on something, even if it will ultimately save me in the long run. If there’s any way to kick that instinct, I don't know what it is.
I also grew up fairly poor, and even though I have a steady job and can afford nice things, I still am super hesitant to spend a lot of money on things. Lately though I've been trying to invest in higher quality clothes and shoes though. I will still wear my shoes into the ground before buying new ones, but I'm looking into getting some of my old leather boots repaired. For some reason having a dependable job has given me more confidence in shopping... Although shopping for shoes is hard when you're trying to find things that are going to fit well and last more than a year.
Two things I would recommend coming from a fellow "childhood under the poverty line" person:
1. Start buying used products. This will desensitize you to the "higher cost" items because you're getting them at a discount for the trade of a little wear. You will quickly see that well made products can be repaired and reused for a much longer period of time. This will start to justify their expense even if you eventually buy *new* well made items. And truthfully we don't need most things factory new in order to use them for their intended purpose.
2. Start making things for yourself. This one is huge for me. When you start to make things for yourself you see the value of quality raw materials and workmanship firsthand. When I decide to pay someone else to hand make something for me (due to lack of time or expertise) I have so much more appreciation for the amount of work that goes into a product (and feel less guilt for paying someone a decent wage for saving me having to learn a new trade.) When I make something for myself I take the time to save for the best materials I can get and make it as sturdy and repairable as possible. This way I *know* that five years from now when something needs mending the repair will be free minus labor since I will still have a bit of the original materials and the knowledge of how it was constructed. And best of all, the pride of enjoying something you made or customized for yourself justifies the cost every time you use it. It connects the "price" to the "worth" of something much more closely than a manufactured good.
Eventually you will be able to see that *you* are worth taking care of. Human beings, like everything else, do their best with good investment and maintenance 😉
@@frankiemillcarek6976 Thankfully my mom sews and has taught me much. I've always had an interest in making things from scratch! ^_^ I'm trying to learn more though, and I've been looking into how fabric is woven and how leather shoes are made. Very interesting stuff ^_^
Still, buying fabric for a new dress is always expensive, since I like a good long full skirt and I tend to prefer natural materials if I can find and afford them. But a good calico will last forever and is worth the investment! ^_^
Man (or woman, don't know), I relate to that. I'm Brazilian and I was never really poor. You know, we had hard times, but mamma always managed to make everything workout. She has always been an expert on reusing, sewing, and never really bothered if she was using second hand clothes. However, she was always hesitant about spending more money on one unique and good item. In fact, she still is, even though nowadays our finances are much better and I and siblings can convince her of buying more expensive and better items.
Also... some times I asked myself why "poor" people keep some expensive items, specially clothing. Of course, there's always dress code to consider, but I was thinking in a more... sentimental way? I don't know. And I know I'm a dumbass ignorant because of that. Then, recently, I found an answer: everyone needs magic. Everyone needs that amazing piece of clothe that makes you feel special, amazing, that takes you out of your own world. And I can't forget, of course, that these items can also be a heritage or something like that.
when she says "my very favourite Cathy Hay" I just imagine that she has many friends named Cathy Hay but that one is her favourite.
I really want Bernadette to do a “How to repair clothes” series! Most of the clothes I wear need to be knit jersey material for me to wear it, so many of the methods probably won’t work for me, but I’d love to learn how, anyway!
Yes, this would be fantastic! I don't really know if this would apply to Bernadette's self-made clothing, but I would love to know what to do about fabric wearing through in spots (I'm aware that patches are a thing, but how do you avoid making it look patchy in prominent or awkward areas?)
This! I want jersey knit pants. If I had a week's worth of those (possibly with pockets), and a few jackets with good pockets, I'd be pretty set for a long time.
Yesss please
this needs to happen!!!
Also she could do a colab with one of her sewing buddies .
Thank you SO MUCH for talking about using real wool. I own an ethical yarn shop and it breaks my heart when I see vegans refusing to use wool. I get it, but from an environmental stand point it's way way better to use natural fibres than plastic. Really appreciate you chatting about everything in this.
And also sheep NEED to be shorn, it's very unhealthy for them if they aren't!
I was always frantically snatching up bankets and such when my vegan friend came over so that they didn't have sit on or next to them. Until one day she snapped at me "would you relax! I don't mind waring it or touching it, I just don't want to buy it!"
"I'm comfortable with anything in black" What a mood.
@RavenPuffGal1296 - Personally, I find black to be very unflattering to human skin tones. It just drains away one's natural coloring. I find dark greens, blues, browns, maroons, charcoals to be more flattering.
@@MossyMozart My natural coloring is drained by 95% of the spectum. If youd look best only in diharrea and vomit colors I bet you wouldnt be preaching 12 sesason system here.
I feel like her and John MacClean would get on like a house on fire!
Not a mood. She's a New Yorker. Have you ever lived in any big city that isn't in the Sun Belt? Black doesn't show the crud you get on you in big cities, and if you liven in Paris as a child, asI did, you'd have seen the most chic and stylish women wearing black. Black works really well for everyday wear in big cities that aren't too hot
.
Poem about New Yorkers City Dwellers and Black Clothing
New Yorkers have a "thing"
With noir black clothing.
All day, all night.
All Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring.
Black clothing is the "thing."
--- Me, 2020/08/16
On a side note: with that red cape and witchy hat, Bernadettte really looks like a younger version of Professor McGonagall. No wonder the tourists be looking on with wide eyes and slack jaws! 🤣
Heh heh heh "Wow! New York is amazing! I've never seen anyone like her!!"
Elaine Johnson take a cookie and chill
@@elainejohnson796 👁👄👁 chill oml
@@elainejohnson796, I understand your annoyance but she literally does look similar to Maggie Smith/Minerva McGonagall. She actually made a hat based off of something the character wore 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚, why is it bad to notice the resemblance?
Please don't gatekeep historical fashion because people found their interest in it though well known and popular things.
"Dress however gloriously, wondrously, eccentrically you want and be your full, weirdest, and most wonderful self at all times." Me watching while making a set of armor: 👁👄👁
We stan you being armour clad 💗
love that for you
Wish this kind of support & encouragement was available back in the day.
You make that armor!!
wait what are u making it with cuz i really want armor too
And will you go for sword or bow?
Edit : thank you for quoting this, btw ❤️
As a Pescatarian, I really enjoyed how you spoke about the environmental impacts of Poly-wool and faux leather, faux-leather harms way more animals than well-made leather shoes do, and wool not only lasts longer and doesn't pollute the environment as much, but also we need to sheer sheep because if you don't they can overheat in the summer
Also sheering a sheep dosn´t kill it.
Also cows are still eaten by those that don’t have the privilege to be vegetarian so it’s a use every piece kind of thought as well
I honestly think killing animals is still holding the number 1 spot as harmful to animals. Also meat eaters are the biggest consumers of all this faux products you spoke about. Lol 😂
@@IrreverentBeauty in practically every poor country, meat is the least accessible form of calories hahaha 😂
Faux fur is also causing huge environmental problems.
“Dress however gloriously, wondrously, eccentrically you want and be your full, weirdest, and most wonderful self at all times. I promise life is so much more fun that way.” Ughhh what a good quote ❤️❤️❤️
Avery Yang Then it sounds like your wish is being fulfilled by your own ambitions
I’m not gonna lie, I got a little giddy when she said that.
lnoths me too
Yes! I backed up to listen to it a 2nd time. :)
that awkward moment when you have social anxiety that physically stops you from wearing anything that people might look at
"The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money.
Take boots, for example. He earned thirty-eight dollars a month plus allowances. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. Those were the kind of boots Vimes always bought, and wore until the soles were so thin that he could tell where he was in Ankh-Morpork on a foggy night by the feel of the cobbles.
But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.
This was the Captain Samuel Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness"
--Terry Pratchett, Men At Arms
Oh dang that's crazy. I guess that it show to invest went it comes to good quality things
Yes! One of my favorite quotes I always try to reference but can never properly remember
Pratchett is part philosophy and social commentary on a compeltely serious level that you could take to university.
And then laugh about. Because it's funny.
But serious.
Being poor is so very expensive.
Crap, someone got here before me.
No one:
Literally no one ever:
Bernadette: PULLS AN ENTIRE BOOK OUT OF HER SKIRT POCKET
That is SO goals 😂❤👏🏼
Also make that black cape already!!! 😍
Everyone should be able to do that but clothing manufacturers have decided that a pocket that can hold more than a single dime is "too large". Dismantle fast fashion. Put pockets in everything.
@@SenshiSunPower I know right?! I thought I made large pockets in my garments, but turns out even bigger is an option too 👏🏼
I agree, that was great! I want to be able to do that too :D
Bo Nicky Bleeker
Make them big enough that a “pocket” format book actually fits in a pocket.
I make skirts with pockets big enough to slip my whole hand into. I hate all my clothes without pockets, because I forget they aren't there
I tried to imagine you in “modern” outfits for a moment. It didn’t work, you just seem so perfectly matched as you are.
Try looking up her toilet paper met gala dress. She looked so good, but the dress was so modern she looked like an entirely different person
Time traveler: what year is it?
Bernadette: You tell me
“I shaved my legs for this. You are welcome” That’s such a big mood...
I mean, same... I only shave my legs in the summer or when they become uncomfortable. Armpits on the other hand, I'm a violinist, I have to.
@@crystalkirlia4553 same! Except I am not a violinist.
I, unfortunately, am unable to bend sufficiently to shave my legs. Long skirts to the rescue!
Bad hips. Bad knees. Bad back! I’m going to take assorted body parts & stand them in the corner if they continue to mis-behave.
I can't shave my legs nor my armpits because I burned my skin with hair-removing cream when I was a teenager. I chosed giving zero fuck to my hairy legs and armpit.
Sorry, but who could tell?
Oh my god, that red wool cape you found in Edinburgh used to be mine! I ended up giving it to a charity shop because I was a student (always carrying around books) and it was impossible to wear with a backpack
This makes me so happy to read! ♥ I have ended up giving away some pieces I miss to this day, praying they somehow wound up in a place where they were found and loved and got to live another life. I'm very sentimentally attached to things I weave into my life, but on very rare occasion, I tried to let some things go. Sometimes people roll their eyes over this style of neurotic nostalgia, but I actually think it less materialistic than the mindset in which absolutely everything one owns is instantly replaceable.
Damn what're the odds
@@faameexplains1192 50-50
That's so cool!!
wow small world
"I shaved my legs for this, you are welcome" text cracked me up. Have Like, you deserved it
@Rishwin Renganathan 0:16 when she climbs out of bed
She’s not a fashion influencer..... she’s a fashion ICON. Fight me on this.
Valora Von Tease
No- I don’t think I will...
Never!
Yes, yes she is
I won't fight you, I'll fight with you.
She is a gift to humanity 🌠
“Unnameable Fast-Fashion” does have a certain appropriate, horrific, eldritch ring to it.
I can almost imagine someone making a label with that name. 😂
Love that
@@PeterHamiltonz its what it would be called if the dreaded labels 'upset' and 'wrong decision' megazorded into one giant evil soul sucking label.
😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱☕☕☕☕
I want to like this but at the time of writing this comment, yours has 666 likes and I just don’t want to affect it!
Title: Fighting Fast Fashion.
Thumbnail: more capes
Me: Yes, of course. Fast Fashion can only be defeated with a plethora of capes.
Yes i agree. Capes. Only capes. Always capes
Some heroes _DO_ wear capes!
@@biancabrooks280 i think this is the one time edna would say "yes capes"
Jasper Sorrows
A superhero may need to rig up different fasteners for her cape, so that it can’t put her in danger if it gets caught on something. On the other hand, having a garment that conceals the exact position of her body can be very useful.
And I DO know what a plethora ees!
The guinea pig sliding across the floor is quite literally the cutest thing I’ve ever seen
A quick note from somebody who worked at a thrift store. First, quality clothes come through more often than you would think, if you're willing to put in the time to find them (like merino wool sweaters). Secondly, be realistic about the clothes you donate. If they're holey, patched a bunch, stained, or smell bad, they'll be thrown out. It's usually better to find a way to be creative with old clothes like that (cabbage, mock up fabric, sewing little stuffed animals) than to donate.
last year i started buying second hand. I found quite a few goodies that were in good to new condition.
And don't throw out old tshirts. They make the best cleaning rags.
@@NoadiArt haha, they do! i have several XD mother taught me ;p but then again, mother would have a very hard tie throwing things out XDD
seriously, i own two merino sweaters, each of which was only like 7€ at my local charity shop, and they're going to last me a lifetime. One of them had a tiny little hole in the back, and that took like 15 minutes to fix
also if i buy something second hand where i know i don't support the brand/label, i'll usually just remove or cover up any visible logos or branding
I've found many items in thrift shops that still had their original tags on them. Like people bought them, never wore them, and then donated them.
Imagine having that much money.
can i just say i would watch the hell out of a "bernadette makes lots of edwardian style blouses" video....or video series??? 😍😍😍
also was cool to see your skirts that normally don't make it into shots :o
I am currently trying to make a perfect trouser pattern for myself because as easy as skirts are to make, I work in a soil lab and i feel far more like myself in trousers, but my lower body is not very standard shaped. Progress is slow because it turns out trousers are complicated to fit lol... but once it is done i will be able to have all the comfy LOOSE trousers i need
Instead of the cape, can we peer pressure Bernadette into blouses?
@@Lisette001984 not instead of... but blouses first ❤ and then the cape 😄😄😄
I would love to see you make blouses too.
Yes we need to see blouses !
I feel you, I have a high waist and I'm an apple shape and LITERALLY every pair of pants I've ever had just... slide down constantly bc they only come up to my widest part...
THANK YOU for making a statement about leather and "vegan leather". I will literally die on that hill. It's very similar to the wool where leather is a byproduct and if it isn't tanned and used it'll just end up in a landfill
Yes, exactly. It especially irks me when militant vegans go on and on about eggs and wool and ThiNk Of tHe AnImaL, where most of the eggs are not fertilized so you're not killing anything when eating an egg. And for wool. Sheep need to get their wool cut off. It's how we bred them for the past millennia, but most militant vegans do not seem to understand.
@@BlitzsieLDiscoLSnow like, a sheep will literally die if you dont shear them!!!
@@RBVJ Yes, exactly. I grew up around cow and sheep farmers, so to me it was natural to know about shearing sheep and what not shearing sheep will do to the poor animal. It's astounding that a lot of people don't know those kinds of basics. But then again, if you've always lived in a big city, and your family always lived in a big city, and nobody thought about where their food or clothes came from and had an opportunity to chat with actual farmers, then I understand how people can think that way. But what I don't understand is why some of them then don't listen to us actual farmfolk who grew up near the damn animals and know what is going on.
@@BlitzsieLDiscoLSnow the reason vegans are against the egg industry is because of the poor conditions in which chickens are kept in the industry. It's like the fast fashion of food- very exploitive. Usually, chickens are kept in tiny cages. The "cage free" eggs often come from chickens that are kept in crowded conditions. I've been trying to buy eggs from friends who have their own backyard chickens since those are the ones I know have been kept humanly.
But yes, Bernadette made a great point about wool. I didn't know that there was wool going to waste because it's not worth enough to transport. What a shame.
@@BlitzsieLDiscoLSnow I believe the vegan pov about eggs is more that the chickens who lay them are kept in horrible conditions.. Not vegan myself but trying to educate myself on the subject. I agree with you, some vegans are out of touch with the reality of now, for example leather is a by product of the beef industry anyway, so i think it makes sense to use all we can use? But anti-specist people have an interesting pov and convincing arguments.
love the clothes! my first thought was "what does she wear in summer?" i love autumn/winter fashion (layers, tweed, wool) but am always at a loss as to summer fashion. i usually just end up in a fast fashion tank and shorts and dreaming about Fall.
Same friend, same. I live in the subtropical part of Australia and whilst I love coats and capes there’s only really 2 weeks of the year I’d be able to wear one.
But fortunately for me im more of a 1940s girl so there are options. I’m still sad about the lack of opportunity for coats though
I feel that so much! If it were up to me there would be no summer, so I can enjoy wearing my lovely long coat, scarves and layers xD
I can relate. Recently I’ve realized that I don’t actually need to give up long sleeves and pants in summer - as long as the fabric isn’t too thick or heavy, they can actually be practical because they keep the sun off. So basically a spring/summer wardrobe can consist of many of the same items as a fall/winter one, just with fewer layers.
cotton and linen i believe are great breathable fabrics you can wear during summer months :)
@@geministargazer9830 omg sameeee
i've got all this stuff that i'm lucky to wear in autumn half the time, although I do live near Brisbane so it's a little cooler
Why are capes and robes not modern fashion they're dope, has anyone ever put a blanket on their shoulders like a cape and NOT felt powerful? I would feel soooooo comfortable in capes and robes if I wouldn't get judged or bullied for it
We're wearing blankets to school due to Corona but capes would be even better 😂
i know right
I bought a couple of cloak pins...exciting.
I wear my denim jacket as a sort of makeshift cape and omg I feel *so* powerful I-
probably because they're not super practical. look totally sweet though!
As someone who is 30 years old and still gets scolded by their mother while visiting whenever I dare to wear a skirt because I am overweight I can't express how much I needed to hear that last bit. Thank you.
Mothers can be difficult! I am probably an excellent example of THAT. However people wondered why I let my daughter do her goth thing. You need to express yourself with your personal choice of clothing, hair, and makeup. Not letting others do that is like constantly telling them to shut UP!
@@maryblaylock6545 That's the thing, I love my mother very much now but growing up with her was a nightmare. She picked out my clothes even when I was like 16 and skirts were an absolute no-go. Whenever I wanted to wear one I had to sneak it out of the house and I kept secret spare skirts at my friend's houses to change there. All I was allowed to wear were oversized jeans and baggy shirts which also made school life unbearable. I try to enjoy my own style nowadays but some days it's still an issue for me.
(Sorry for unnecessary wall of text)
@@AkaneArihyoshi89 I have been told that I don't simply answer questions, I write "The Great American Novel"!
My mother looked lovely in pink. Our extended family assumed I would also. I DON'T! Think on getting not one or two pink blouses for Christmas but FIVE! YIKES!!😨
@@AkaneArihyoshi89 my mom used to buy me " fashion stile " cloting for xmas, i used like 1 time, i dress more clasy if you could say is my stile, also show her maby that you look good in clothes that she wont consider apealing. When i was buying for my second yob, we had problems with dresess, im overweigth and have much chest and hips, so pencil skirts were not good options for me ( i dont like clotes that are body showing or for example skinny jeans) i found 1 dress in the store that had a biger skirt and like 5 years afther still wear it.
A vendor say to her once when i was in school yet " shes not going to wear it, if she dosnt like it" maybe my mom was more understanding than some, or it could be that my profesion calls to more clasy tipe of clotting but, is your body and you have to be confortable and happy whith wath you wear.
I have strugle to find clottes that fit, spechially when all seem to be soo tiny for my body, but have been able to or change things that didnt like soo much in something new.
@@maryblaylock6545 Holy smokes! My family never dared to gift me clothing aside from what my grandmother knitted, because they were afraid my mother wouldn't like it. To be honest, I would have prefered pink blouses over baggy shirts but maybe not five of them. 😂
Those capes are so amazing and are making me regret not having more of them and/or cloaks.
I cannot adequately express in words how much I want a pair of those shoes.
@@DanielleStJohn yes, the shoes were also much drool worthy!
Ha! I unintentionally put this as a reply to you instead of the thread in general. Apologies!
#capes2020
Are they warm? They look like they can't handle -10 celsius at all
9:12
"It has huge pockets to carry all the snacks!"
Pulls our A BOOK....?
You eat books, or are you purely fueled by knowledge?
I suppose immortals could very well be fully sustained on knowledge. Makes sense to me.
My take away: we need to learn how to draft blouses with insertion lace.
Yes please! I'm already fighting the urge to sew myself some linen chemises, and maybe even try my hand at some combinations.
Yes please!
I’ll do my best! I have some lace samples that are very old and too short for most projects!
If you are too scared to draft your own blouses I would highly recommend the Gibson Girl Blouse pattern from Folkwear. Cat's Costumery did a video on making hers and I find it is an amazing jumping off point for all things pin tucks and insertion lace! Also on that topic I have worn the Chemise I made with a Folkwear pattern every single day since I made it 6 months ago.
I would add we need to support those brave souls learning to make lace.
“Massive pockets to carry all the snacks”
~pulls out book~
Mind snacks
A little repast.
A book is indeed a snack for the brain
what did you expect from a bookworm
Food for thought
The first time I heard someone say “vegan leather” I turned around confused and I said “So,,, pleather?”
Yep! It's all just plastic.
Pleather stuff can look cool but it is super stuffy too. Love an old pleather jacket I have in the closet, but wouldn't get another. Looks cool, has no breathability, and after 10 years, it is starting to shed flakes (did not realize the problems at time of purchase).
Meanwhile the actual leather jacket found at a thrift store has 1 tear from some severe abuse I put it through, isn't stuffy, looks great, and that tear is in a sewable-to-repair spot. It'll last another decade or two at least, even with abuse.
Mushroom derived leather substitutes are something that has only recently been developed. As I understand it, these products(and there are multiples already) are meant to look and feel exactly like leather, but without any animal byproducts. The manufacturing process is still quite expensive, and I have concerns about the durability of them. My mum has a pair of leather boots that she inherited from her grandmother-how’s that for durability? I just don’t know if animal leather alternatives will ever match the durability of animal leather.
@@marthahawkinson-michau9611 Would the mushroom leather be waterproof? Considering mushrooms are fungi, would there be any risk of it...growing if it isn't dried soon enough after cleaning?
Mary Fowlie from what I’ve read these products do get treated chemically much like animal leather does, just less intensely. Growing after getting wet, not likely. Waterproofing is probably possible, but it’s one of the factors that concerns me about the durability issues. Most waterproofing has to be reapplied with regularity in order to maintain, well, waterproof-ness. My entire opinion is that mushroom leather substitutes are entirely too new to have a track record regarding durability, as they came to market in 2017-2018. That’s only two to three years of actual products in the market. Not enough time to know if it can last, but time will tell us what happens next?
I love how she just doesn’t care at all and wears the most beautiful outfits that people don’t always appreciate
"Dress however gloriously, wondrously, eccentrically you want and be your full weirdest and most wonderful self at all times" - I really needed that❤
Between that and her acknowledgement of "hey, this sent money to the HP franchise but I now disapprove of that" this was a bit more meaningful to me than may have been intended, given that I watch this channel for reasons some may describe as not particularly cis.
@@hummushummus438 Welcome to the Witchy Sewsterhood. There's tea & biscuits, & room for you to come sit with us, in whatever way you're ready.
"...pockets for carrying all the snacks"
*pulls out book*
#RELATABLE
Lol, I call anything less than 200 pages a short snack.
And anything over 600 is a feast! :3
C O N S U M E T H E B O O K
Intellectual snacks!
libraries HATE her! Local woman consumes a book per day
"Workers need to be payed living wages." Yes, yes, 1000 times yes! I believe this should ALWAYS go hand-in-hand with moving towards a more sustainable future!
Or we could go back to a vassal system, where working at McDonald's assures you a homestead, Where you get to live there as long as you work there.
@@foopa777 whats the Vassal System about?
@@theroadtocosplayandcomicco5840 Basically, Vassals own land, and you go to work for them. It's an antiquated peasant/master relationship system, where the peasant works for the master, in exchange for a place to live. Free labor for the master, residence for the peasant. My comment was slightly a joke, but I do wonder why we don't go back to it.
@@foopa777 I mean, since the system gives the master control over whether or not the peasant has a shelter, it puts the peasent in a massive disadvantage. It could be easily exploited.
I loved all the disclaimers you included in this video to ensure we don’t beat ourselves up for mistakes already made in buying fast fashion. Instead, you encouraged and inspired us to try and do better in the future ❤️
I’m a vegetarian who wholeheartedly agrees with you about leather and wool. Beautiful wardrobe. Yes to all the capes!
Especially wool! It’s more ethical to buy wool than not because shearing is healthy for the sheep! It’s like honey, when people get mad because it’s “hurting the bees”, they somehow don’t realize that the money spent on honey is keeping the bees alive. And many honey alternatives are worse for the environment than honey is. 😤
lnoths Yes, especially wool-100%! Natural fibers are better for us, better for the environment, & it’s necessary for the sheep. And yes, honey is a healthier sweetener and purchasing is a great way to support local bee populations needed to pollinate! I also use raw honey to wash my face. I just want to do my best to approach creation with balance and respect.
Fully agree, I have a pair of leather doc martens I’ve had for five years and they will still last me several more years and hopefully will see me through university and then some. I have a pair of vegan leather boots that broke within a week of buying them, thankfully my dad taught me to fix them when they break. My favourite and most well made scarf is Edinburgh wool and it is the warmest scarf ever and will last me years.
Yes! If I wasn’t allergic I would definitely wear wool!!
Oh my people. I agree I would much rather buy 100% wool than a horrid itchy polyester garbage. I also feel its much better to own 2 pairs of good leather shoes that 3000 pairs of cheap plastic shoes and let's face it thats all vegan leather and fast fashion outfits are made from everything from the undergarments to the shoes is just molded plastic)
I always thought it was astounding that when people found I was wearing clothes I had owned for 15 years, their response was always laughter or disgust. If the item is in good repair and looks nice, I never understood the issue. Even when I was a preteen I was wearing clothes far older than me that I either picked from my mother's or sisters' wardrobes. Giving a new life and love to an old item should be a positive thing.
yep just don't tell that to anyone. people somehow think that buying junk every season is better than selecting items that would last and take proper care of them...
I'm amazed. I think it's cool! Sometimes clothes just don't last that long. :(
I wish my clothes last that long. The most they last is around 5-7 years. But considering that the quality isn’t the best, that’s a pretty good amount of time for them. I’m saving up money on higher quality clothes that’ll last for hopefully 15+ years, while also looking for great finds in thrift stores.
Don’t mind the ppl who show disgust or mock. There’s iconic movie dresses that modern day celebrities and old-movie-lovers pay a lot of money to get so they can wear it (or be part of a collection). Keep doing you! 💗
I own a sweater that’s 15 years old and I’m still in love with it. I wear it whenever it gets cold. I think if anything ever happened to it I’d be heartbroken. It was a fast fashion piece, but it’s still in perfect condition and there’s no reason to throw it away. Plus there’s nothing on the market anyway that looks like it anymore!
Don't be ashamed, I have a sweater in my closet that is over 30 years old. I believe it belonged to my grandmother that passed away at least a decade before I was born. Or it was my mother's from when she was a child. She'll never tell me the story. (I finally have time to catch up on Bernadette Videos.)
Yas, happy someone talking about faux leather being literal plastic.
Right? Whenever I see something being touted as “vegan leather” I yell at the screen “that’s pleather!!” It’s fake cheap crap that doesn’t last six months.
There's some people who are looking into making leather out of cactus skin. Not too sure how it's going but it sounds interesting
I dont think that most animal rights activists realize that leather is a byproduct of the meat industry, and the pelts would be discarded if they weren't used to make leather goods. I have an environmental science degree, and I can tell you with 100% certainty that the manufacture and disposal of plastic goods is far more harmful than the environmental impacts of the meat industry. Plastic has been criminally understudied, recent articles have discovered that some microplastic particles are small enough to float in the air, be breathed in, and cross the blood-brain barrier. Plastics have also been discovered to attract heavy metals in water, plastic is a non-polar molecule so it attracts the heavy metals and then they dissolve into the fatty tissue of fish, giving them chronic exposure to heavy metals... I'll stop here, I have written a 20 page paper about this. As much as I think the meat industry is unethical, no one really knows what the long term effects of plastic pollution are, but if what we know so far is a hint, we know its not good.
@@alexandrianaujoks3181 Also Gucci is putting millions into making that mushroom based leather alternative a thing as part of their effort to make their fashion properly carbon neutral (they're buying offsets right now) so one can only hope a sustainable vegan leather alternative will eventually be developed.
Here's the thing too: You can find leather labeled slaughter-free.
It exists and it's out there and it can be used to make high-quality things that will last you and also not add plastic to the environment. Slaughter-free just means that the animal it came from died of other causes.
And I'm much more opposed to putting more plastic out there than I am to buying the product with a HECK lot more longevity but came from an animal.
Disclaimer, I am not vegan or vegetarian, but I am opposed animal cruelty. I literally wanted to be a veterinarian growing up specifically with the idea of revolutionizing animal recovery comfort and lowering their stress as much as possible. I no longer wish to be a vet specifically, but the end-goal in many ways hasn't left me.
As a man that loves his tailcoats, while your clothes are not for me, they still inspire me to be better and do more with my wardrobe. Edit, oh my, there selection is very limited, but my god, they got men's shoes. I need those boots.
American Duchess has men's shoes too!
“I can’t afford ethically made clothes” - sis, lets take a stroll down to the thrift store where you can find beautiful things, sometimes even with tags still on them, if not in very good condition. Even if things purchased there are “fast fashion” buying it secondhand is GREAT because you’re giving more life to those items
i wholeheartedly agree with buying clothes second hand whenever possible, but buying fast fashion second hand doesnt make it ethically made. i think bernadette was more talking about clothing that is specifically made ethically when she said that, but buying fast fashion second hand is leagues better than buying it new!
Unless you are plus size. I buy second hand as much as possible but out of an entire thrift store, there is one rack of clothes that may even be close to my size. ONE. Most plus size women wear their clothes till they are literally falling apart because it's so hard to find good, cute and comfortable clothes. Which means there is even less that end up in thrift stores. So yes, some people can't afford to get what they need from ethical sources. Not even counting that most ethically made fashion companies don't even carry a plus-size range. Check your privilege.
Sugar Cyanide i literally said ‘whenever possible’ but ok
@@SugarCyanideDeVika Plus Size is not a fun size for sure. My clothes are falling apart and I mend them as much as possible, promising myself that when I lose the wheight (I'm battling health conditions making it harder) I will treat myself to a new wardrobe.
@@SugarCyanideDeVika Not to mention all the thin people who buy perfectly serviceable plus-sized clothes at thrift stores to cut them apart and "upcycle" them instead of shopping the endless racks of clothes in their own size.
is anyone else swooning over those perfect twirls and 'swooshes' of the skirts?
the only thing that made my heart happier was her correct pronunciation of Edinburgh!
Yes she looks gorgeous!
Yep, definitely
Bernadette: "...I am not a 'Fashion Influencer' ™"
Also Bernadette: Proceeds to show us the well curated wardrobe amazingness of a icon.
She is bringin back past fashions, so no new fashion influencer with changing styles each year, but a fashion influencer nonetheless :) She inspired me by showing me the things I could do, Rachel showed me how to do it, and Cathy gave me the motivation to actually pull through and make the damn thing.
@John Januszewski - She is, however, a guinea pig influencer!
I know this video is a couple years old, but the talk about fast fashion and avoiding it when possible resonated with me. The vast majority my clothing is thrifted, (I'm not perfect I just bought a fast fashion dress for a party last month) and my friends and I do what we call closet trade parties. We clean out our closets, get together with our discards and maybe some wine, catch up with each other, and trade clothes. It's a way to get new looks without spending money on the fast fashion industry, as well as enjoy an evening with friends.
I don’t typically condone nor participate in peer pressure, but I will give it a go. Please show us the making of the long black cloak”
This us such a wholesome comment compared to mine ♥
She did a video of the reconstruction.
I love the fur/leather debate because, as a vegan, the necessity of reducing our overall consumption and disposal of plastics, poly-blend materials and elastics is a vegan problem. Consuming natural leathers, furs and wool is perfectly fine with me, especially since many of those I find are vintage and have little to no impact on the environment and since they're such hardy materials , they can be repaired ad infinitum. I'm pro- the concept of faux materials but in practice, it's highly impractical.
Im veggie but so many vegans are heavily against wool. I grew up in english countryside so i just dont understand why. The sheep are happy and the shearing takes literally seconds. But anyway if you dont like wool, use cotton or other natural fibers, or recycled yarns
Same. I eat vegan to save the planet but I buy leather goods (when I really need them) because they'll last so much longer. Of course, tanning releases HUGE amounts of chemicals into waterways and sheep dipping can be very harmful if done improperly, so it's not a cut and dry issue. Plus these options are usually more expensive too, so not accessible for everyone. There are so many different layers to the argument
I also feel wool is the least morally questionable of the non-lethal-to-obtain animal products. Unlike eggs and milk, it doesn't incentivize the killing of bulls or roosters, because both male and female sheep produce wool!
Can I just say that reading this comment made me so happy? You are the first vegan I have 'met' who is okay with organic already-been-made clothes!
@@erinbathie-moore8478 I feel like it sometimes makes other vegans mad sometimes but I understand the argument. Like, don't commodify animals, but sheep must be sheered for their own good and if we can make substantial, long-lasting clothing from that, then we should work to preserve that. I think it's much more sustainable for us to rely on durable materials that don't harm animals than it is to rely on plastics.
I live in the Lake District in the UK where sheep farming has been a section of the local economy for centuries. Many words that our local farmers use have Viking origins. Thank you for highlighting the madness involved in the low price of wool that results in our farmers turning it into compost. I have so much wool in my wardrobe and the winters are cold here so wool is definitely the fabric of choice!
Not just the UK, US too. Most of the time the shepherds give the wool to the shearer to pay for the process because they only get about $.10/lb (I think that would be about 8 pence) for raw wool (fiber breeds). It's ludicrous how much those bale prices fluctuate depending on location and time of year of the auction.
@Bernadette: THANK YOU for highlighting key factors in the fast fashion industry--most notably that it is intentionally guarded from prying eyes, repairing clothes to make them last, and the exorbitant expense of feel good fashion vs buying something that will last (leather vs plastic). Will we be seeing new videos for shirt waists soon?
I had no idea wool was being wasted like that. I live near a mountain so winters are blizzards, I would freeze without wool! What a dreadful shame.
I’m in New Zealand and all of our wool is sitting in our shed, it is just not logical to sell it right now.
Bernadette is the entire reason I found American Duchess and now I own the best pair of peak aesthetic shoes on the planet (my brand new blue londoners). Their customer service is the best I have ever encountered. It brings me so much joy to know how these people do so many amazing things.
oooh same! but for it's literal, i only just ordered yesterday ☺
@@ci6742 I don't have the londoners but I did just get a pair of bernadettes and am currently working on breaking them in. I believe the bernadettes and londoners are made using the same shoe lasts so should be similar in shape. I ordered my usual size per their instructions, and I do find that they pinch my toes in a very uncomfortable way so if your feet are even slightly wide at the toes, (which I don't consider myself to have wide feet at all), I'd go up a size and/or possibly use a shoe stretcher. I would have returned mine except they were a last chance item, so no returns or exchanges. If you do choose to buy a pair, I'd get one that isn't on a sale that way you can return if needed. That said, they seem very well made and sturdy, and I don't find them precarious to walk in like any modern heel I've tried.
Editing to add that after wearing them for a month or so (off and on; haven’t worn them daily) they did stretch a bit and don’t pinch as bad. I would still probably go up a size in future though.
How long do you think the shoes will/do last? I know someone who loves the 50s/40s and bought a pair of saddle shoes(I’m not sure where) They were quite expensive and even though she doesn’t wear them often they cracked after only a year. She’s thinking of getting a pair of oxfords from American Duchess but it’s scary to make a big investment without knowing how well it will pay off
@@micahj5388 I’d say if you take care of the leather they’ll probably last years. They’re made to be repaired by cobblers. I’d look up tutorials on how to care for leather shoes before investing.
this is an old comment, but hopefully you have some experience with this now. do you know how to handle the sole wear?
you told us to peer pressure you sooo... BERNADETTE YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST MAKE A PATTERN OF THE RED CAAAAAAPEEEE!!!!!
Agreed, please do make it!
Yes please!
Yess!!
How many yards of fabric do you think that would be? I don't know if I can wait for the video!!!
I would buy that pattern in a heartbeat ❤
I cannot adequately express in words how much I want a pair of those shoes. They are currently out of stock, and so I languish.
I have very special word that they're coming back for preorder at the end of this month! Along with some new very special things. ;) ;) ;)
[screams eternally] AM SO EXCITE
Restock is happening soon! I’m hoping that the rumor they will be stocking slightly larger shoes is true-currently they go up to 11, but I have been overly blessed in the foot, and wear size 12 #thankspregnancy
Same! I was looking at some Manhattan Button Boots but the one thing that keeps making me not sure to buy them is if they will fit me well for quite awhile. This is the case because I am still not done growing and so I don't want to waste a finely crafted pair of shoes only for them to never get worn and for me to grow out of the size because alas we are in quarantine.
Eh whatever they do sell shoe stretchers and stretching spray now, so that can help, but the nice thing about leather shoes is that they are still malleable-so unless your feet grow significantly, they will adapt and mold to your feet. American Duchess has a video about how to get the perfect fit
I’m a vegan and I vehemently oppose “vegan leather”. It’s just plastic, made with petroleum, that as Bernadette said, lasts two years as opposed to fifty+.
Whoever rebranded pleather as "vegan leather" was a marketing genius who hated the environment.
I buy secondhand leather without batting an eye. Until the beef industry stops, then neither will the leather industry. I'm not contributing to the demand for leather goods, and I'm also not purchasing fast fashion.
You will have to pardon my words here but ohmygod! a Vegan with a brain! Sorry, but I am delighted to see a vegan who understands that "vegan leather" isnt all that environmentally friendly.
@@arielhansen4344 Isnt that just all ad companies? and general companies lol
I too am a vegan who buys leather shoes (always second hand though, it's astounding the volume of barely worn perfectly good or easily repaired shoes people "dispose" of)
I really came into my personal style when I started making a distinction between "clothing I think looks nice" and "clothing I think looks nice on *me*/clothing I want to wear". While the former encompasses a lot of fast-flying trends, the latter is a much smaller category of clothes--including a lot that I can easily make. I've already made myself a skirt, and plan to make much much more!
ive just been referring to my own personal style as "business casual wizard" but witchy victorian dark academia does have a nice ring to it 😄
BUSINESS CASUAL WIZARD 😭🙌🏻✨
Another title that I like to go by is "friendly neighborhood witchy timelord"
Glorious!
Mine is something like “professional time-shift witchy grandma” lol
I think we need a “How to Mend Your Clothing” tutorial.
I'd love to see that from Bernadette! You may enjoy checking out Reddit's r/visiblemending community. Though it was started for stuff like patches and sashiko, hence the "visible" part of the name, they are also open to people trying to get a seamless or invisible look on a mend. The moderators let you request technique recommendations from the community if you show them something you'd like to mend, so if you've got a tricky hole to fix you could pop it their way.
yes please! especially machine knit fabrics, i'd also love to see a tutorial on altering machine knit fabrics
Yes ! And not just rips etc but also little holes like the ones my cat does with his claws when he's on my knees because he's happy, or a shoulder seam that rips on the sewing line and you can't re-sew it again…
Don't remember where, but I read an interesting article about mending in which the author said she met Prince Charles and his wool jacket was Mended!
Oh my god yess
Since nobody cares what labels I wear, I figured out long ago that thrifting is way cheaper.
People have stopped asking where my clothes are from, it's all thrifted.
Thrifting is my shit. Some of my best T-shirts I got from thrifting and gifts.
I love thrifting, all the best clothes come from the thrift shkl
Honestly my mum hates me thrifting but a) I end up with better quality/sustainability and b) most of the time it’s actually cheaper than the cheapest fast fashion alternatives. Some of the stuff fits my really niche requirements for clothes- so why purchase a cheap thing that’ll wear out and feels bad?
I don’t buy a lot, but when I do, I usually buy from second hand stores and antique shops.
as a disabled person making my own clothes and moving away from fast fashion has been both extremely hard and incredibly rewarding the ability to make clothes that fit my unique body with all it's quirks with fabrics that meet my sensory needs is amazing even with the hardship that comes when you need fast fashion due to health crisis'.
If i were to buy leather, i would inquire about the origin of the leather (if it is a byproduct of food production or if they raise the animal solely for leather purposes). In my opinion (slightly educated in the topic, since i have a degree in agroindustry), leather that is a byproduct of food production tells you that the life that was sacrificed was at least sacrificed for a “more” important purpose than just dressing in pretty shoes... in a way, the whole animal is being consumed and honored.
I don’t actively chose vegan leather because of plastic reasons. where i’m from, you can actually go buy the leather pieces from different saddleries, or even have them make you something from scratch.
In general, it would be more advisable to buy leather secondhand (commonly for jackets and bags) because it is of course repurposing something that already was in the cycle itself, but if you have to buy something new, make sure that the leather is a byproduct of food production.
This is great info!
Preach it. The more of the animal that is used, the better for the environment. It's another downside to the industrial revolution comparable to fast fashion: Food became so easy to produce we stopped utilizing the whole body. We use chemicals instead of fat to make soap. Plastic instead of the sinews to make glue. So. Much. UNETHICAL. Waste.
I am vegan and buy second hand leather if/when my shoes wear through. I have two pairs of vegan leather shoes which are small run pineapple leather ones which directly replace a leather option (I couldn't buy second hand) which I would have had to save for either way so I didnt mind the slight extra expense. I buy wool second hand or for sewing if required but knitting I prefer cotton yarn as I havent found woolen yarns in my budget for the rate at which I stress knit. I make my decisions on a case by case basis and think about the overall impact. If someone is selling their size 8 Londoners second hand I'd snap them up but I don't need them so I can stand with what I have st the minute.
@@blisles7626 same hat! I wear my old leather to crumbles and have the privilege of a gorgeous small vintage store with affordable, well-loved leather goods.
Yes!!! I'm a biologist and I'm always trying to tell people this about leather... it's just trading one problem for another...
On a slightly pedantic note, because leatherwork is my absolute jam and I can preach about it for hours:
"Genuine leather" is a misnomer that can range from chopped/ground up leather scraps pasted into a sheet (like plywood) to actual leather taken from a hide (and being genuine in the usual sense of the word). Most (if not all) shoe leather these days is usually chrome-tanned which is fairly harsh on the environment, but quicker than vegetable tanned. To wit, I don't think the more environmentally-"friendly" vegetable-tanned leather is often used in shoes these days (aside from shell cordovan, which is a different beast entirely). All that said... properly tanned leather that is maintained (conditioned, cleaned of salt/moisture/etc, allowed to dry) is VASTLY better than the leather plywood that is so often hawked these days and I am incredibly gleeful that you brought it up.
Another facet is that the hide from slaughtered cattle would otherwise go to waste (as the hide isn't as used for non-leather applications as it was in say, 1900). Utilization of the entire animal is one of the small benefits to using leather over the "leathers' out of cactus, pineapple, mushroom, etc.
Thank you so much for spreading the truth about it! Cheers!
How does one spot and avoid leather plywood? I try to buy secondhand leather anyways, but have had bad experiences when trying to buy new, "investment" (for me) leather things (a satchel and two belts). It feels like there are bits flaking off the edges, or the edges get worn after a year, or it deforms and cracks with a few wears. I was starting to believe the "leather lasts for a lifetime" thing was a myth!
I agree completely. As with our current system of governments we can't burn it to the ground without having a contingency plan for the most of vulnerable. if we are going to eat animals at the scale that we are currently we must have a plan in place to honor the entirety of the animal and let none go to waste, while we continue to work towards systemic change. If I were murdered and I had the possibility to feed and shelter another but instead I was dumped into a landfill that would be a far more grave disrespect of my life.
@@Blue-pb7kz I might be mistaken, but products marked as 'full grain' are going to be the leather that you want. It is more expensive, but also thicker, better treated, and quality overall.
@@Blue-pb7kz Its a bit hard to spot just by eye, and with a lot of different "leather" goods, particularly unscrupulous manufacturers will have just one piece of actual leather with the rest being bonded (the plywood). This allows for them to call it "100% leather" or whatever variation of marketing they want to do.
The biggest and most immediete sign is that if its flaking at all, its bonded. Real leather doesn't flake, as the grain structure will tear and not flake off (though, I admit that different tanneries quality might muddle this a bit). If there's a white fabric type of backing under it as well, avoid it.
If you see the words "top grain" or "full grain", that usually will be the real article, barring any outright deception (and the best, in my opinion, as its the leather that lasts). "Genuine" is a type of grade, but gets tossed around very, very easily. The best is if the product description names the tannery (Horween, "Chromexcel", SB Foot, etc)
Cracking is normal but not desirable, as its indicative of improperly conditioned leather (or a bad tannage) or bad tanning. Some products (carnauba cream, saphir, even neatsfoot oil) does a great job in helping to maintain leather goods.
Sadly., good leather vs. bonded leather is very much a "you get what you pay for". If a bag is selling for 10.99 and claims to be leather....its pretty much guaranteed to not be made of anything but bonded.
"Genuine leather" is a frankly brilliant ploy by the leather industry to sell Poly Urethane. They are technically correct: it does contain the thinnest sliver of hide, and the rest is just plastic. It has the downsides of both materials and the upsides of neither, yet an animal did have to die for it.
Well, I'll say it, as I haven't seen it mentioned yet: Wouldn't mind seeing a video of your new hobby of swooshing past berobed Harry Potter street tourists in your actual cape, to their wonder and amazement. :)
We need a compilation of that please
Oh, yeah! I would LOVE to see this!
Truth.
Yes, please!!
the video i never knew i needed until I saw this one, but it now desperatly needs to happen!
This video was packed with great messages. No we won't get rid of fast fashion straight away but definitely let's be active with supporting the living wage and fixing clothes that we love for a better future. 🌿
The grand mother of a friend used to say:"We are too poor to buy cheap stuff". It was common, at her time to save money for quality items, which lasted very long, or you could even inherit. This was usual for a lot of things, not only clothes.
That is brilliant
Me: *lost in the delightful sensory experience of quill scratching and the sight of ink swooshing across the page*
Bernadette: ...guys, think of all the tweed!
Me: oh, snap I missed the whole rant lol
Same tho;;;
Tbh, same. I wish i had her handwriting and whole aesthetic. Just all together, the ink, the paper, the handwriting. It just all looks so good :-:
@@ChrisTheDuck20 It's not that hard to learn cursive and it's quite an inexpensive hobby, I'm not at quill level (yet) but recommend nonetheless
@@Hazella97 hopefully some day i can do it. Its more about my dyslexia and dyspraxia making it difficult to do such things. But still, ill give it a shot
@@Hazella97
... Learn ? Cursive ? As in, not just practice in order to actualize what you learned at school, but really learn from scratch ?
This might be a dumb question, or I'm misunderstanding, or I am too old to know about this but... Are there schools were you don't learn to write ? I really don't mean to offend anyone, I'm just surprised ?
And here comes my 7 year old... "Are you watching Bernadette!?!?!" He adores you.
Thats presious 😻😻😻
@@yubima the other day after hearing the word he was like, "Bodice- That's a fancy word Bernadette uses."
@@gh3ttobitchbarbi3
More precious😻😻😻
I love this woman, she's so free to do her own thing, and endorsing it in others. Such a positive role model
The other thing people don't seem to realize with 'buy less, mend more' is that, if you take care of your clothes properly, you can still accumulate a nice diversity of clothing. Sure it takes time, but if you only buy a few items once every 1-2 years, but take care of your clothes well enough that it takes 6-10 years for them to wear out, then you will still increase the number of items in your closet w/out impacting the environment as much.
Edit: I also want to say that I think learning to sew really helps open your eyes to just how poor the conditions for fast fashion workers must be. After you spend $80 on only 2.5 yards of fabric and some thread so that you can make a single pair of pants, it becomes glaringly obvious that there is no way the $20 jeans from a department store were made in an ethical or environmentally conscious way.
Agreed!!! I’ve noticed this the most strongly when I see crocheted items being sold in a retailer like Walmart at a price of $5. And I know quite personally how much effort I would have to put in to make a small baby hat like the one I saw on the rack. No way in f%€&#+g hell could I retail the item for $4.99.
Only 6-10 years of life in clothing??
I have a box with carefully packed clothing from the 80s and 90s, my "memory box". I recently pulled it out and discovered many items still fit! Today I'm wearing a shirt I bought in the early 1990s, it's in great shape and has years of life left in it.
I have some other items that have been in continuous wear since 1998. And they too, have plenty of life left.
I agree too. Also the cheap stuff uses cheap thread. When the kids were little I started making most of their clothes as it was easier. I could also guarantee that the seams wouldn’t let go after the first wash!!! It’s faster and easier to make it properly than have to fix all the mistakes later!!
To be fair knitted items aren't done by hand, but by machine. That way they can crank out baby hats like crazy and we can enjoy them for much cheaper than we can make them. Same with fabric weaving/knitting.
@@marthahawkinson-michau9611 Fun fact, there isn't a machine that can reproduce crochet. So every crochet item or blouse with crochet trim you see in stores? Handmade by someone. I won't buy crochet items unless I know I'm buying directly from the maker for that reason.
The “Perching on the Rolley Ladder with a Book and Vintage Spectacles” shot is a MOOD 😍
Edna: no capes!
Bernadette: whoops! I made fifty.
I think that rule should only be for superheros. Most people are not likely to get their capes stuck in jet engines or missiles.
@@jezpin3638 I agree - regular humans are much more careful around jet engines. Capes should definitely come back into style for everyone. Once my hand is back in top form (carpal tunnel surgery), and my Bernina properly serviced, I will be making a new one for the dreaded oncoming Upstate NY winter.
Edna would die for these capes.
I would argue that the same could be said for medieval knights, but Shadiversity did a video on that, and it turns out they're not that big a problem so. Just watch those jet engines. Oh! And campfires! You do not want to set yourself on fire because you weren't watching where your cape was going...
Bernadette: "I thought you said number of capes, I have a number of them!" 😂
Hearing I’m not alone on the whole “showing your arms” thing made me very happy, like for tank tops and even tshirts I feel the need to layer them to achieve that “1920/1980/1910 Time traveler trying to fit in with modern day, but also covered in rainbows and frogs while doing so”
I recently realized that I can alter men’s 100% wool slacks from the thrift store to be 1940s(ish) women’s slacks, which fit my pear shape quite well. And I can buy extra large men’s dress shirts and cut them down to be women’s blouses and I’m really excited to start slowly transforming my wardrobe in a cheap and sustainable way. And it benefits my local hospice thrift store.
Very commendable. You should feel very proud!
Ooohh cool!!!😁👍❤
Please do a UA-cam video on how to do this.
would love to learn how to make the slacks !!!
@@winsunn4759 I might just do that! But it'll be on my other channel (Carina Rose), not this one.
id watch a "remaking my fast fashion items ethically" series tbh
Re: burried wool. Think of all the tweed? No, think of all the YARN! My inner dress maker and my inner knitter are both crying.
My not remotely 'inner spinner' weeps. Us hand spinners are at least willing to pay a sensible price for a fleece or processed fibre before we take the time to spin it into yarn and then knit, crochet or weave it to a final item. I think the most I paid for a raw fleece was £150 but it was an exceptional fleece, and I did sell half of it on to other hand-spinners. Once day I will finish spinning the remaining fibre and create something else positively luscious from it.
@@somebodyelse138 yay! Another spinner! Shetland and BFL to 2 ply. 2 ply to herringbone. Herringbone to cloak! ( And corrie to 3 ply and thence to a new cardi...)
I’ve always wanted to learn how to spin, but sadly where I live I don’t have an easy source of fiber.
@@marthahawkinson-michau9611 I don't know where you live, but at the worst, there are internet sources for fibers. My first fibers were straight from a "meat sheep" and I had to figure out how to wash and prep too lol. Happy to help, but not sure how BB feels about linkys in her comments.
Yes. but it's so true :( T-T i feel bad for all that wool. Wool can actually be used as home insulator as well ;)
There are no words to describe the impact that your videos have, Bernadette. You have the ability to show people what truly matters in the aspect of clothing. Wonderful people like you are the glint of hope that our world needs to make a rebound from the mess that we've created.
FACTS
Fast-everything is such a pervasive and toxic economic culture that kills art and keeps people from finding the clothes/books/movies/anything that so perfectly fit their soul that they can sit with them for years.
Great video, especially the soap-boxes
@kshiftkometh I know it sounds pedantic to describe this, but this is how I saved money for a surgery (albeit an elective one), a growing collection of books, and other expensive things over time: setting aside pennies and dollar bills until they accumulated into a sizeable amount to purchase what I needed.
Find a penny on the ground? Keep it. Got a small paycheck and can't afford to put away a good chunk of cash? Keep a separate account for the odd change on the end of the whole dollar amount until you can put away more. Change banks or account plans if they charge you minimum account fees. Make things out of secondhand items and curbside throwaways a la #itsallgarbage , or look up garage sales and estate sales. It can be done even on a small budget, but it definitely takes getting creative if all your money goes towards bills each month. Time is an issue, as well as skill and dis/ability, but friends, communities, and family can also be resources for reducing the need for fast fashion if one is eager to participate in alternative methods. Being poor is not the only reason for buying into fast fashion, and doesn't need to be the factor that creates a dependency on exploitation.
I accidentally woke my baby from her nap when you said "think of all the tweed!" At the same moment she lifted her tiny fist indignantly and it was so perfectly timed I started cackling.
That baby is already on the path to a bright future.
@Leviathan noo lol. A tiny baby who has a seamstress parent and will have lovely clothes through her life.
Baby: Oi, why am I being awoken from my slumber?
@Leviathan no no, thats a completely valid reaction.
That's adorable
The pain that you have put me through by making me fall in love with shoes that are over $200 is immeasurable.
$200, but you never have to buy shoes again
@@comicconcarne If they made them in wide widths for my wide feet, I'd save up for them *le sigh*
@@hilbabe I'm sure there must be shoemakers/cobblers out there who could do it!
Omg! I know right! American Duchess shoes are gorgeous, but with shipping to Australia they will cost $300+ :/ also I found that my favourite styles are almost always sold out, since many many people are a size 8
Wide feet, and frozen big toes, so i can only wear flats. Getting old is not for sissies
Bernadette, thank you so much for that final line. As a quiet, shy introvert my entire life, I have always wished to be the fly on the wall. Happier not to be noticed than to be seen… yet with a love for historical fashion from 1660s-1900, minus a few decades! Living in Australia, a country whose “fashion” is essentially so super casual that it could be seen in a gym or on a beach, wearing neck to ankle garments with a corset and a bustle, a hat and gloves, and a parasol would stand out more than has ever been my comfort zone. And yet, the longing to dress in such historical elegance is an ongoing conflict with the introversion! 🙈 I love that you encourage everyone to be eccentric and be themself. Modern styles do not feel like “me” at all. To have the courage to stand out so much from the crowd though, that’s been decades in the making. Hats off to you for being brave enough to be yourself, no matter what anyone thinks! You and Abby are such an inspiration. 💝🙏
And now, I’m inspired to go source some fabric to make that cloak pattern that has been waiting for me to find the courage to make and wear it 😂🙃🥰
What a sweet comment of yours. I was looking for someone commenting on Bernadette's sweet and empowering last words on that video, and I so feel what you're saying. I hope you're doing well and have found some way to do a little more history bounding in the past year!
@@azrani2023 💝🙏 Sadly I never got around to making the cloak… nor to curating any garment in my dream historical wardrobe. I have, however, been down a veritable rabbit warren of Kibbe style types and Kitchener essences to learn more about my body type and essence… and I now have a MUCH clearer idea of what would work for me, and how to identify which aspects of any garment, modern or historical, that wouldn’t work for me and what to do instead. It doesn’t look like anything tangible yet, but it’s better to know these things upfront, not after spending thousands of dollars and hours curating a wardrobe that on some level, doesn’t work for you!!! I enjoyed the Kibbe deep-dive, and it’s a great place to start for anyone who hasn’t done it yet. Kitchener was ALL THAT AND MORE. Found a place for me that Kibbe didn’t, as an Ethereal (which Kibbe doesn’t include in his system). It was a GIANT a-ha moment lol. Why fabrics, patterns, colours, fabrics and cuts don’t work when they don’t work, and what DOES work. I won’t waste any money on the wrong things from now on lol!! 🤣
I also discovered that my colours are SUPER pale. Unlike the seasonal colour analysis that was very hit and miss within my soft summer. So this is very useful!!
Now to figure out how to create historical garments that meet the pale palette, weightlessness, fluidity, delicateness, ornateness and elegance of the Ethereal Style Essence!!! 😂😍🙈 And then, deal with a possible move to the tropics and how that works with layers… and to a rural region that will be even more casual than the big cites!!! 🥺 Did I want a challenge?!? NO. Did I get one anyway? YES. 😂🤷♀️
@@lilaeia 😄😄 Made me chuckle - thank you. I have never heard about Kitchener but I will have a look at it for sure. I did have indeed also a Kibbe analysis done on me and now my wardrobe is full of pale beige and brown while my heart actually gravitates towards earthier darker tones like forest green or wine red or chocolate brown too ... We will see where it leads us, you and I. Hahah. In any case, I wish you luck and joy on your journey, even in an even more narrow-minded rural town 😃😘
@@azrani2023 Thank you so much!! You too! 🤗 Keep me posted on how you go with Kitchener, and your colour journey! And if you build an historical wardrobe, PLEASE show me!!!!!!! 🤗😇🥰😘
I agree with your stance on leather shoes. When I started getting into more sustainable clothing, I wanted a pair of boots that would last me _years._ I ended up settling on Doc Martens at the time, and after researching their 'vegan' option, I came to about the same conclusion as you. It made more sense to buy one pair, and care for them, then dozens more. I've now owned my boots for three years and have worn them daily (unless bedridden) and they hardly show any wear. These suckers went to Disneyland with me every weekend for two of those years, and across Europe for a months stay. It's still kind of amazing to me when I was the kid who had to buy new Payless shoes every 6mo. Well-made shoes are the equivalent of dresses with pockets for me.
I totally agree with you. I live in ether new rock boots or my doc martens both leather and they last soo long with proper care
Same here, I bought a pair of Doc Martens 8 years ago, didn't particularly care for them but I travelled EVERYWHERE with them. I sadly had to buy another pair 6 months ago because my dog ate my older pair... hopefully this one will last me at least another 8 years!
How does one take care of their shoes? I have a problem of basically wearing one pair of shoes until they're worn out. E.g., my current pair of shoes are classic Vans, but they're starting to come apart after about a year. What are some suggestions for sustainable well-made shoes and tips for taking care of them?
I find vans dont last very long due to weak points in the shoes mainly near the heal area where the rubber meets the cloth. Doc martens last but they do have to be looked after in order to keep the longevity of the boots. I dont know of any sustainable shoe companies unfortunately. But leather is definitely the best option in my opinion
@@realeuphoniism a cobbler can repair your shoes. (Probably not sneakers) Polishing your shoes helps condition the leather and keeps them looking nice. Polish will hide scuffs
I would like to peer-pressure the making of the red cape anon please.
and the sharing of the pattern! because omg who doesnt want a dramatic cape coat
I really appreciate how you talked about the ethics of leather and wool vs. vegan alternatives. I eat vegan and this is something I’ve thought a lot about, and I’m glad to hear that another vegetarian/vegan shares the same opinion :) Usually vegans I talk to are entirely against leather and wool and only buy vegan leather, but like you said, it’s essentially plastic
I saw this video a while ago about the horror story of plastic's first introduction as a consumable I believe in the late Victorian era (probably wrong). One woman's accessories which would have previously been made of metal, caught fire and she burned alive in the street trying to get out of her clothes. THAT scares me, and so does this vegan leather thing.
Thank you for leaving a comment that is not judgmental towards those of us who prefer real leather bags/shoes/belts/jackets. There's also the alternative to buy these things as second hand and still in good condition. plus they can be easier to repair than pleather/vegan leather, or whatever you want to call it.
i reduced considerably the amount of animals i eat. and i rarely buy things (of any kind) anymore.
Not essentially. IS.
As someone who worked in the food industry, vegans/vegetarians and anyone else concerned about leather should be aware that leather is a byproduct of the meat and dairy industries. No one is raising cattle for the leather, it's not worth enough. If everyone stopped buying leather today, the same cows would be slaughtered and the hides would be used for other products or simply discarded, this already happens far too often because the hassle of dealing with the hide isn't worth what the processor would be paid. The best that can come from not buying leather is rawhide chew-toys might be a few cents cheaper. Maybe.
If you want to minimize the environmental impact of the leather you use, try to buy vegetable-tanned leather rather than chrome-tanned leather. Chrome-tanned is so called because it is tanned using chromium, which would be fine except most chrome tanned leather is produced in countries, India mostly, with very poor environmental regulations that lead to toxic metal waste in the environment, especially water. The veg-tan process can have it's problems too, but generally does less and less permanent damage when poorly regulated than chrome-tan. Or buy leather, not the leather product but the leather, that was produced in a countries with high standards. In that case, you should be alright.
If you're wondering how to tell the difference between veg and chrome leathers, color and texture are the easy guides. If it's soft and supple, like most light leather jackets, it's probably chrome. To check, make a small cut so you can see the inside of the leather. If the inside is grey-ish, it's definitely chrome. If it stiffens after getting wet, it's probably veg. To check, again make a small cut, if the inside isn't grey-ish and is more flesh colored, it's probably veg.
I feel that it's also classist to try to make everyone wear vegan leather since people with a limited budget and not many options (poor communities) can't buy vegan leather, it's too damn expensive. But I do think that frivolous fashion (such as using chinchilla's skin to make a fur coat, which would take at least 150 chinchillas) is awful and completely unnecessary.
As a highland dancer, I almost screamed with joy when I saw your second outfit!
The only person I’m exploiting for making clothing with no wages is myself.
Well done ye!
One of the major benefits of learning to sew was being able to walk into a thrift store, spend a few dollars on an item, and then alter it to fit me. This led me to being able to buy clothes during college when I didn't have much money. Now I've been inspired by Bernadette to start making more of my wardrobe entirely myself. Fast fashion hurts your wallet as well as the environment.
Did you do any classes, or did you learn it yourself? I want to get into sewing aswell but I don't know where to start...
@@beyondtheirlevel3726 My first teacher was an old book published by Simplicity my mom had. The book had detailed description of how to read commercial patterns and tons and tons of information on fit and sewing basics. And then I took my high schools Apparel Development class where they taught all the information I had already learned in the book along with how the practical application of how to use a serger and a sewing machine. But that was nearly 15 years ago. I'm sure there are many many UA-cam tutorials available now that can also help you get started. Also check your local library to see if they have any books on sewing. You can learn a whole lot on your own if you do some digging.
14:14 Can we appreciate the guinea pig in historical fashion?
Glad to know Cesario has his role models
The one on the right is a painting of Cesario. Both of them (I think) we're done by Bernadette's sibling, who posted a video of her painting process on UA-cam.
Thank you so much for this! I've watched some "dark academia fashion" videos and am so disappointed when it's all stuff from Amazon or fast fashion. Your clothes and philosophy are lovely!!!
Something I think a lot of “slow” /sustainable fashion forgets about: clothes for plus size people. Even though I have a lot of fast fashion pieces, I’ve had to mend most of my clothes because I couldn’t find new clothes that even fit me. I’ve had the majority of my clothes for at least 7 years. I’m 24. And for a long time I couldn’t even afford to buy anything new because I was in college and made barely enough to cover rent and groceries, and now I have a bit more money but a lot of sustainable fashion brands only go up to a size like 12/14, and all of them are prohibitively expensive. There are so many factors to fast fashion, so I really appreciate that you don’t take a shaming approach. I love that cape! I can’t wait to get a sewing space so I can draft one out for myself 🤓
Try searching around on Etsy! There are quite a few sewists on there that make clothes to measure and sometimes you can find good deals for high quality things on there. It just takes a bit of searching.
I’m also very definitely plus-sized, at 24/26 I really can’t go shopping at many brands. It feels like I am searching for the holy grail sometimes when I need new clothes, as I usually want ALL THE THINGS. I want to buy from sustainable retailers too. I need affordable clothes just as much as a woman half my size. And damn it, I insist that whilst I may be the size that I am, Bless God I WILL DRESS MY BODY WITH STYLE thank you very much. Shopping with this mindset isn’t easy, and sometimes it’s entirely too tempting to settle for something that will just cover my body. Yes, I also own lots of clothing from brands that I dislike. Mostly I don’t buy retail though. My city has a few store that sell department store overstock and returns, so many of the things I buy come from there. I do feel like this type of retailer plugs up some of the gaps in the fashion industry, as many of the clothes that I find there were genuinely meant to be sent to a landfill. Especially when I find pieces that have had the label defaced because the manufacturers don’t want their work sold in unofficial channels. Those items were DEFINITELY meant for a landfill. Perfectly beautiful pieces of clothing that might have been rotting in a landfill. And usually the only thing wrong with it is that it didn’t sell in the amount of time allowed by the store it was first marketed in. I actually have some items that I’ve kept for over ten years, and they still have plenty of life left in them.
"Whatlydiamade" on Instagram has a whole entire highlight devoted to slow/sustainable fashion that either comes in plus sizes or can be custom made in a range of sizes! (I feel you, girl. It is so tough to find clothes. I'm a 22/24.)
What really bothera me is that I reached 25 y.o.=> which means I'm starting gain weight and then all my attempts at creating a lasting wardrobe will sum up to nothing bc I'll just need new clothes to fit.
Tari Tangeo Oh the gods do I ever know that feeling. In my early twenties, I invested a lot of money into what I thought were going to be some really nice, professional clothing pieces that would last me for a long time. I genuinely expected to get 15 or more years of wear out of them. Then I met the love of my life, got married and gained a bunch of weight. I genuinely miss wearing some of the things I keep holding on to, but the unfortunate reality is that I’m not likely to ever be able wear them again. Even if I lost the extra weight at this point, my body will still be different than I was before.
Thank you for that “ vegan” leather soapbox, I thought I was the only one that thinks plastic “leather” and “wool” is absurd. I think sometimes it’s hard for people to understand that there is a sweet spot between using quality, long lasting leather and using cheap vegan plastic.
Agreed. I also think that if your trying to go vegan you need to research what is and isn't bad for the environment and weigh your options. So many vegans I know buy faux leather and fur and eat things with environmentally damaging ingredients like palm oil. It's not as cut and dry as 'substitute everything for a fake alternative and I'm saving the world!' it's much more complicated.
Honestly this does make me feel a lot better about it - I'm not a vegan or even a vegetarian food-wise or otherwise, but I do at least try to be conscious of the impact of what I'm consuming. If I buy a leather anything, I would buy from a guy I met who just cannot get the bog-standard vegan leather to hold up to the dye process and does not find the expensive stuff economically viable for his very small business. But he's tried, therefore I trust him to have checked his sources and to make something that will last.
Trouble is that it's naturally more expensive that way, but at least I know I'm saving for something that won't make me buy a replacement in three months...
polywool is even more ridiculous because vegans swearing off wool are literally disagreeing with giving haircuts to sheep on the grounds that its bad somehow?
@@partyinthecloudkingdom vegans are against farmers doing any animal husbandry, in their ideal world no sheep would be kept for their wool and as such don't need haircuts
@@ratchet1freak I do wonder a. What vegans imagine would be done with all the sheep that literally need to be shorn to be healthy- would it even be possible to breed them to not require shearing at this point, and if it is then it would take years in which the sheep would still require husbandry so they'd have to be willing to tolerate that for the sake of a long term solution, and b. Why vegans are so against humans having mutually beneficial symbiotic relationships with other species anyways...
As a fifty-something witch who prefers recycled and handmade clothes,, I approve of this message.
Aside from your awesome aesthetics, I do really appreciate that you do not condemn wearing problematic items. It can be intimidating to change, so it is important to see that you don't need to empty your wardrobe for that.
"Vegan leather is *actually* plastic" PREACH IT! I *hate* vegan pleather (yes, I'm using the word to be specific.).
I can't help but rolls my eyes at the term vegan leather. Like just call it what it is: pleather. (or in my native toungue, the term literally means fake/artificial leather). I really dislike how being vegan these days is a lot about having overprocessed vegan substitutes of non-vegan things. Often overprocessing things to mimic something non-vegan is not ecological, which is a common reason for people to go vegan.
I was just going to comment this! Oh my goodness, I very much detest plastic "leather"!
Until fairly recently, it used to be called faux leather. I guess “pleather” or “vegan leather” sells better.
This! I tried vegan leather boots to try and be environmentally friendly; the same price as leather, but they have disintegrated within the year, clips coming loose, coming away from the soles. I'm very disappointed so now I'm saving up for some hopefully ethically sourced leather boots at some point maybe this winter.
Yes! I used to be proud of buying phleather but now -- if I do buy new which I try to limit, it is real. I know it is not sustainable to purchase new items and I've absolutely improved since let's say 2015, but if I do still buy fast fashion, esp because I cannot sew + don't always find a certain thing secondhand, I will look if it is: wool, cotton, or real leather. Or at least not 100 percent polyester. I've bought so much less since I started informing myself.
I strongly appreciate that you specify “consumer controlled”, and that it’s not a thing any one person can solve. When everything wrong with the world seems so big and impossibly out of my hands, that reminder is everything.
Being poor, that's how we grew up. Everything came second hand. Clothes that were beyond repair but had interesting patterns or textures were cut in to patches. Clothes that were beyond repair but wouldn't make good patches were torn into rags. It was like a sin to throw out still usable fabric in my house.
YES.
I thank God for being poor sometimes, especially when my friends struggled so hard to do minimalist/environmental friendly lifestyle.
@@asthenamesuggests9513, when everyone was freaking out that there was no food on the grocery store shelves back in late March and I knew how to make whole meals out of all the odds and ends that were still on the shelves (because, in reality there was plenty of food IF you knew what to do with it), that was like my shining moment of appreciating growing up poor.
I watched this video nearly one year ago, and I'm proud to say that it inspired me to rid my wardrobe of anything i did not need/ wear anyone, and it is currently 90% secondhand or handmade :)
Ok stop you inspire me now
As someone who spins wool into yarn, thank you for reminding people that wool is not bad. And neither is leather. These are both very eco friendly choices. It's amazing how many people don't realize just how much better these things are, and how much longer they last, than their "vegan" alternatives. Thank you so much for that.
Yes! Items made from wool and leather can truly last a lifetime
👏this!
people seem to forget that wool needs to be taken off sheep it literally harms them if not
@@imreallllyboreddd4607 anyone going on about the ‘shaving is harm’ need to be forced to witness flystrike in unshorn sheep until they shut up
@Vicar Amelia If you want to wear them for years: buy leather! Vegan leather falls apart and you can't repair it, while leather shoes can last you a lifetime if you take good care of them and for all shoes of course goes: soles can be replaced.
from a person who is a textile hobbyist, artist and went to fashion design school in my 40s (and woah that was an eye opener)
1. plastic is evil incarnate for clothing when not serving a CRITICAL and IRREPLACEABLE function. the harm done by covering yourself in plastic fibers, washing (shudder) micro plastic thread bits down the drain, and so on? you are doing FAR less harm to the world and animals (and especially the oceans) wearing ANY natural fiber.
2. wool and linen are drastically under appreciated. as is hemp and washed silk. (yes you can launder silk if you pre wash the fabric before sewing and you are not abusing it) cotton is nice, don't get me wrong, but other natural fibers are often more sustainably produced.
2a. rayon is ...well it starts with a natural source but the solvents and process needed to manufacture it get... bad.
3. most fast fashion is made to fall apart. it is literally MADE in such a way as to self destruct after very few wearings because of being made so cheaply. this started being true RECENTLY (by which i mean, like the 70s and 80s...) and got worse.
4. the country your garments are made in MATTERS. mostly due to labor laws. and its not always what you think: some countries have pretty decent labor laws you would not expect! (and it changes, check with various orgs that monitor that)
4a. speaking of which, made in your own country is often good just to avoid the shipping mayhem. made in your own country when your country has real labor laws is even better.
5 i interned at an American hat maker FACTORY (yes they exist) that is, the company is not making boutique one offs- they make hats. Bollman Hat Company.
they also distribute several brands they do not "make" (like Kangal) so watch for country of origin... but yeah, they make the top hats for the philly carriage trade too. i can testify from my own walking through and going WOW a lot that everything is made on site and its AWESOME and they have some you tube videos showing the making of- so all is not lost as far as hats :)
6. there are many many many people who do artist work with upcycled clothing and fabrics, and a small but amazing number of people who do felting and other "fabric making" crafts- please support them
6A. there are stilll a limited number of textile MILLS that are located in countries with labor laws- support them too.
7 ish: speaking of organic cotton? If you are determined to use cotton and not linen (linen is awesome) AND you do not have a source of organic cotton near you.... Alabama Chanin makes some lovely (pricey) things but they also sell the fabric.
Love and thank you for the videos!
Kirsten
Also, Bamboo fiber sounds Eco but the manufacturing process is one of most toxic, often poisoning labourers and environment with arsenic compounds and battery acids used in processing the fiber.
@@margod51 yup. thats because "bamboo fiber" is actually rayon (or close enough for jazz)
there are more and less toxic ways to process cellulose into rayon, but... well companies take the cheapest option, and if they are in a country that lets them do so? they use some REALLY toxic chemicals.
given how fast bamboo grows, its not a bad choice of cellulose fiber to create rayon, but... any rayon has to be looked at with suspicion over its manufacturing
I appreciate all of your info supporting these conversations!🙌🏻🙏🏻
@@fabricdragon I have learned in school about bamboo that's processed as a) linen (I have a scarf in that! Very lovely) and b) like tencel, which is an imo nice fabric. It also has the from tree to soft fabric through chemicals yadiyadiya but not toxic chemicals such as rayon/viscose.
And, also, synthetic fibers can have some serious pro's and were revolutionary in certain aspects. (Such as washable permanently pleated fabrics that don't need to be repleated) that's, often, not the polyester used by FF though.
@@gittevandevelde2208 oh i am sure there are some better options out there! Just...the "bamboo" fabric i have seen is just rayon.
Bear in mind, i kind of LIKE rayon, but...sigh, processing.
And yes there are some great advantages to artificial fibers, but i prefer to keep them to the conditions where they really are superior. (Sports, as one example)
Oh, rayon is weaker when wet, and prone to mildew if not dried promptly. Treat it more gently when wet, and dry promptly!
The entire video was lovely, but that smile at the end was utterly endearing. Self acceptance for the win!
That's what I thought, awwww, so endearing.
I agree, t'was a lovely smile...
I don't have the money for sustainable fashion and don't quite know my tastes well enough to spend it anyway, so I buy most of my clothes second hand. I also tend to wear my clothes until they are falling apart, to my mom's dismay. I would do more mending if my hands and wrists weren't in such bad condition.
Ask someone to mend stuff for you! I used to mend my classmate's stuff all the time and still do my partner's - it's so relaxing to me lol. If your mum worries about your clothes looking a bit rough, it might make her happy if you ask her to mend them for you :) or just ask around, especially grandmas haha, they LIVE for it! (I love second hand too and most of my clothes are hand-me-downs so adjusting them slightly to fit you better works wonders)
@@strawberryfrog76 I have a dedicated spot to set up my sewing machine now, which allows me to stitch up a lot of the rips tears I couldn't mend by hand without hurting myself. It's great! I even altered an ill-fitting dress for my mom.
"Don't quite know my tastes well enough" - I love that. What a perfect way to say you're still discovering yourself.
@@raimeichan1020 sometimes you have to see something on your body to really know if you like/don’t like it. Even those of us that do have a strong sense of personal style still end up pieces we thought we’d love and didn’t or things we thought we’d not like and ended up loving