Another tip for shopping fast fashion (or anything) second hand is to pay attention to the material more than anything else! While we may think of certain brands as being made of cheap materials, that was less true even in the very recent past. I've found at Goodwill a genuine leather miniskirt from.... Old Navy. 100% silk blouse from.... Forever 21. As recently as the mid 2000s some of our polyester-filled fast fashion monsters were making much higher quality clothing, so when shopping secondhand always remember that the tag that's most important is the fabric content tag, not the brand label tag.
The majority of my clothes are fast fashion and I keep them for years, like 10+ years. If you wash in cold water, drip dry, or lower heat in dryer most will last a long, long time. No need to toss it. :)
If only everyone thought seriously about what they are buying and the repercussions of discarding clothes. Many people do not realise this is one of the main factors in global warming and pollution.
Same here! Just because it's fast fashion doesn't mean it should be considered disposable :) And what I do declutter I donate to a charity shop, so it gets a second life - or recycle when it's too old. I've bought second-hand fast fashion too - H&M, Mango, Zara, even Shein.
thank you for this! I''ve adopted the policy "don't mind the brand, mind the material". An expensive brand is not a guarantee for great materials or sustainable production, and while I avoid buying fast fashion new because I don't want to support their business, quite a few of my favourite items are second hand finds from fast(ish) fashion brands. However, by avoiding polyester and other non-natural materials, I find myself enjoying my wardrobe much more and for much longer.
oops one more thing! Thank you for showing the garment workers. My grandmother was a seamstress and every time I look at a garment, I think, someone made that. It is someone’s work to put together this garment, to hunch over a sewing machine all day and make it perfect, and thousands of other people made it so that garment is now in a store, waiting to be bought. It makes me want to take care of the clothes, make them last, make sure they get as much wear as possible.
Big respect for making this video 🤜❤ a lot of people jump to the idea of throwing away their fast fashion clothing when they start an eco-conscious wardrobe. But that’s the worst thing we can do! The best thing is to look after those pieces so they are used and not left in landfill. On the other side, I think it also pays respect to the person who made the piece and wasn’t necessarily paid enough for it. Edit: *spelling mistakes 😅
Great comment. I agree. I didn't even realise people were doing this- I guess it's still a type of social signalling, that they want to be seen in the right labels?! It reminds me of an ex of mine who threw away the carrier bags I had carefully kept for re-use, because he said it wasn't PC to be seen with them. He had very little real interest in the environment.
I've always been surprised when I hear people say that their clothes from a fast fashion retailer "fall apart" after one or two wears. I feel like they must not be washing it correctly or it'd just a simple repair or it was clearly a bad garment when they picked it up. The disposable mentality with clothing makes no sense to me. I stay away from those retailers now, but I've been able to preserve my older clothes from them with just a little bit of care!
Many FF clothes are flimsier these days. For example, t shirts are made of thinner material and more likely to develop holes compared to t shirts from earlier eras made of thicker fabric. I am also learning to stay away from flimsy materials and poor construction.
Thank you for bringing a balanced view to slow fashion. I have a few FF pieces that have been in my wardrobe for years, and through care and creative shopping my closet, I’ve been able to enjoy them and keep them out of landfills.
Thank you for this insightful journey into the slow fashion industry. It's heart breaking to realize that there are real people sitting behind sewing machines and packing boxes getting paid peanuts so we can have the latest yada yada in our closet. I'm fortunate that I'm a "baby boomer" that learned from my mom the essentials of sewing, knitting, crocheting and other crafting. I tried to teach my girls,mostly to no avail, but at least they could hem and sew on buttons. Not so much with this next generation! There are so many tutorials on UA-cam that learning these skills is available. So it's never too late to pick up the essential skills to maintain your own garments. And HAND WASHING and LINE DRYING is a must to keep clothes looking new longer. And don't forget to get one of those battery operated de-fuzzers to remove the pills from sweaters - a game changer.
Yeah me too! Also I tend to buy things on sale so I don't feel I'm feeding the furnace of fast fashion as much. They're items that got overlooked, often are seconds and I just find a way to make them work, and I'm a sewing person (sewer has in writing at least, a different connotation to me!). It's kind of fun actually...I don't have many and I take good care of them. I avoid polyester if possible although some things are really good in polyester. I just bought some fluffy Birkenstock-style shoes for wearing at home and they really look fabulous. Comfy too. Recently I got some pants that were originally intended to be worn long, and they are a high fashion Italian label. but I got a larger size because that was what is left, it was on sale, and for $50 I got a super quality item that was once $850. It has studs down the sides and along the pockets. I wear it loose obviously, the larger sized look, and being tall they look like cut-off pants on me. So styling it yourself and not following what it was originally meant to look like is fun. For $50 who's arguing? They are in a denim twill fabric but lighter blue and not faded. They look incredible. I love them.
I just finally retired a cardigan I bought from Target 10 years ago. I'm still wearing a cardigan I bought from there that is equally as old. There are ways to make FF last. I don't have the clothing budget to buy from most sustainable brands so I would say 80% of what I buy is second hand. If I am going to buy a FF piece new, I pay attention to the quality of construction as well as stick to buying more timeless, classic pieces as opposed to trendy pieces, so I can wear them for years and years.
Another great video Alyssa! This is exactly what I do, I have clothes in my closet from 30 years ago! As we know fashion styles recycle. I am an expert at milking my fashion choices and restyling both classic and fast fashion high, mid and lower end. Thrifting is awesome, more days of the week, than not, I am wearing something thrifted. If I am finally done with things they get donated to local clothing exchanges, charities, homeless shelters or thrift shops. I rarely throw away clothes, shoes or bags unless they are totally done! Before anything goes into the garbage I see if the fabric is good for patches, creative projects or rags and cut it up for my rag bag which I will use for cleaning and polishing. Proud to be part of the Anti-Consumer Gang!
I was doing slow fashion even before I knew what it was. We had no money so I had to buy at garage sales or 2nd hand Thrift stores. A friend taught me to wear items more than once to keep them in good condition. Wash in cold with very gentle detergent on the gentlest cycle and hang dry. 15.5 years later I continue this practice. If I look for fast fashion it is generally Thredup, Poshmark or the like. Thank you for the practical advice.
I’ve picked up some 2nd hand Zara in linen and cotton and they’ve been better than comparable Old Navy/Gap. I’ve mended them a couple times and it feels like a way to honor the people who made them even though they may be living and working in an environment that doesn’t value them.
My mother taught me the value of pre treating garments when I was young, and I still pre treat my things. I have saved a few pieces from disaster by using this technique, and am thankful that I learned this year's ago.
I have pieces from Zara - I always felt bad about buying them - but I love them. I love strong, bright colors and normal fashion has more basics or are too expensive. So if I buy and love them it is not a sin😊
Thank you thank you, for this video, Alyssa!! So much good content in just 12 minutes! Do your listeners know that less than 10% of the plastic we think we are recycling actually gets repurposed? The rest, sadly, goes into the landfill. So yes to Tru Earth! I love these strips also and they work. No more big plastic jugs of liquid laundry detergent needed! And, keep the clothes in your closet and restyle them, fast fashion or not. In our area, they drained a beautiful lake to make a landfill for our garbage! Many creatures inhabited that lake and used the lake to survive and now it is a landfill. Very tragic. So your message, Alyssa, about keeping stuff out of the landfill is EXTREMELY important. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for not demonizing FF. Honestly I would love to buy high end long term pieces, but as a woman who’s weight fluctuates all the time it’s not realistic for me at this time. I do also love how online thrifting has also expanded to include more plus size items so that makes it fun too. However I’ve learned some valuable lessons to taking care of clothes, washing clothes on delicate, steaming vs ironing, drying on low or hang dry. I’ve also stopped using fabric softener since I’ve learned that can inhibit the garments life cycle. I really like that you shared the water/garment test. That can be super useful to know if something is going to bleed or not. I do try to keep pieces for as long as possible, I’ll take stuff to my tailor, have yard sales to give the garment a second life, or donate to the thrift store. I’ve also picked up a tip from you on another video, not donating stuff that is torn or stained since it will get thrown away. One thing I think is important to mention here, luxury brands are guilty of burning or throwing away whatever fashions or bags, etc at the end of a season to keep the demand high for their products. Again, thank you for the video and the helpful feedback/tips. 😊
Some thrift stores accept unwearable clothes. They have partnerships with companies who recycle textiles. When I know I'm donating such clothes, I go out of my way to drop them off at the City Thrift nearest me.
Agreed! No need to over wash, and washing in cold/cool water and hand washing will definitely increase the longevity of your garments. I will add that if you’re shopping second hand and ignoring brands, it’s better in person because you can’t see seam allowances or construction online.
Brava! I love the idea of making the fast fashion clothing last longer. I actually have done this - have kept some pieces for more than 15 years... It's a joy.
When I was a teenager in the 1970's my mother had kept clothes from the 1940's and 1950's big long woollen coats and dresses which in the early 70s became popular after the mini skirts and hot pants etc. I loved wearing them. I have always been able to sew and had access to really good quality material so bought vogue patterns and made most of my own clothes. Older female relatives gave me lovely clothes that no longer fitted them (we tend to change shape as we age) and I have given away alot of my classic clothes from my youth to younger women because they no longer fit me. One very classic Jackie Kennedy cocktail type dress will have been worn by three generations. It finally fell apart after about 50 or 60 years use. I'm now in my sixties and kept some of my mother's and grandmother's classic tailored clothes from the 1960's and 70's. A friend suggested I get rid of them as they were too big and wouldn't fit. So glad I kept them as I have aged into them. The quality is just amazing compared to clothes today, lined, seams with bias binding. Top quality English wool and Worstead. I really have a wonderful collection of winter coats which would cost a fortune to buy. I do buy new but I'm trying to keep the quality high end. As I approach retirement I have some cheaper work wear that will only be suitable for the bin or rag man. I see retirement as a mixture of casual and dressing up style. Thank you for the inspiration, I now try mixing pieces more and from different decades. I have a selection of silk handkerchiefs and scarves from the 1930's which I wear around my neck or in my hair, the colours are vivid and amazing. I'm lucky I come from a family where we have passed clothes on and I have friends who do the same. I make rag rugs using different techniques to create pictures, in the past I have used clothes that were beyond recycling into rugs, 1970's crimperline dresses are great for picture rugs, and my dad's old woollen suits together with old blankets dyed with natural dyes (elderberries) made wonderful floor rugs for my bedroom. Also the memory of your loved one is still there.
Thanks Alyssa for thoughtfully addressing this issue. Until a few years ago I bought all my clothes new, generally buying work clothes from shops like J. Crew and casual clothes from a range of stores including fast fashion brands. Since then I have edited my wardrobe extensively, donated items that don’t fit me well or are inconsistent with my style preferences (which I finally have a better sense of; thank you for helping me in that process of discovery!), and slowly repopulated my wardrobe to fill the gaps with high quality secondhand garments. I have struggled with the fast fashion items that remain in my wardrobe, as they are purchases I wouldn’t make again today (and honestly they’re a reminder of the less conscious shopping I did in the past). That said, I know that many items we donate in good condition wind up in landfills and I try to minimize waste where I reasonably can. With that concern in mind, I have held onto the ones that still fit and work with the rest of my wardrobe. I keep wearing them and taking good care of them, and I like your thought process about honoring the workers who made those garments (even though I no longer support that industry with my purchases). Your commentary is refreshing given how many folks advocate eliminating all fast fashion you own during a wardrobe edit (or, worse yet, cycling repeatedly from hauls to edits). Thanks as always for your uncommonly good content. Also - thanks for featuring Tru Earth. I tried them at your recommendation many months ago and now have a subscription to their detergent strips which are phenomenal products. -Jen
Hey Jen! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. I love how you are finding the balance between honoring the worksers even though you no longer support the ff industry with your purchases. That was EXACTLY the message I was trying to get across and you put it so well. I'm also really glad you're enjoying your TruEarth strips! Thank you for being here!
I found your UA-cam channel some time ago and you have provided such encouragement to me! I have recently changed my lifestyle and don’t go in to the office and get dressed in interesting outfits nearly as much anymore. Adding insult to injury, my body size has changed often over the years and I also have a very difficult body shape to style (mixing and matching is not easy, so I need more items to create outfits than others may). I have also made some pretty bad decisions over time regarding fast fashion (this is a recent thing on my radar screen, in may ways thanks to you, and I still sometimes struggle with this!). My tastes have also become more minimal and streamlined in general. Because of all this, I recently started looking into purging down to a more minimal wardrobe, but every time I look at pieces from my rather maximal collection, I can’t bear to part with the beautiful and meaningful items I’ve curated over the years, even if they don’t fit me (or my style preference or lifestyle) anymore. All that said, I finally made the somewhat counterintuitive decision to not only keep my large, mostly unused wardrobe, but also dedicate a whole bedroom to it and lean into the impulse to continue to purchase interesting vintage and second hand pieces as they present themselves… I have turned my new larger space into a lending closet! I put out a post to my Facebook friends to offer a place to come and “shop” for special occasions, vacations, date nights, and even dress-up projects for their teenagers, or to fly in from out of town with very little luggage and use my clothing and accessories while in the area. I thought that you would enjoy this story because I feel like watching your videos has inspired me to think outside the box in terms of what is wasteful, and to find a more creative way to keep and enjoy items I already own without guilt and shame in a way that inspires creativity and meaningful connection with my friends and acquaintances. I haven’t had too many take me up on the offer yet, other than the mom of that one teenage boy who needed to dress up for school projects as an Argentinian man and a Greek philosopher, a friend whose daughter needed a pair of earrings for her school dance, and a young friend who was going out of town and needed a couple winter items, but I know that these things take time. I hope to very soon have friends constantly popping over for a glass of Prosecco or coffee while they select a handbag, scarf or perhaps that tiny vintage handmade sundress I may never fit into again! I mostly just wanted you to know that you have inspired me (a 50 year old woman in hot, sunny Florida) in ways you can’t even imagine. So thank you for all that you do - you truly make such a difference in this world…
During my career in the financial industry, I needed "corporate wear," which was too hard to shop for used. I simply didn't have the time or the shops around me to find what I needed that way. Since I retired ten years ago, all those clothes are gone now except for a classic black blazer, which is a shame since wider-leg trousers are back! In the last 3 years I've started shopping in thrift and consignment stores, and most of my favorite purchases are from them. Thanks for continuing to bang the drum for reducing our consumption.
A slow fashion mindset is definitely the way to go. Although I consider myself to be old school when it comes to preserving clothes. Knowing your style, what works for you in terms of silhouet, cut, colors, fabric helps. I’ve had H&M cheapo t-shirts that lasted me 5 years because it was exactly right for me. And also, not all synthetic fabrics are created equal, most sports clothes are ‘tech’ and they wick sweat. Sure, merino sportswear would be a splurge, but I’ve worn my ‘plastics’ for 5-7 years and still going strong. I have this supersoft big fluffy pink large scarf, you’d never guess but … as synthetic as it comes. I wash all my clothes at 30 ° ℃ and turn them inside out before putting them in the washing machine. Using washing bags to protect your more fragile clothes from the ones that have hooks and zippers also helps. Or wash your jeans with your towels and all your more fragile, non zippered and hooked clothes with your socks and briefs also helps.
I use the strips for my bedding and towels. I found them when you recommended them a while ago. For my clothes that are mainly cotton I use one of the egg things. My jeans are very rarely washed and then cold washed inside out. I actually log each wash for each pair of jeans
My main point is to NOT have too many clothes!! Fast fashion or not. I’m guilty of this but getting better! Thx for a great video👍tip: do not go to a dry cleaner for tailoring! They ruined 4 garments of mine 😮 go to a reputable tailor. Can you do a video on your favorite handbags? Do you have any designer handbags? 💜
Hey Alyssa, I really appreciate your videos and views. Many people share my admiration for your practical style advice and style choices, and your stylishness. I must tell you how much I also appreciate your pace, rhythm of speech, and clarity, which are key elements of why your videos are such a pleasure to watch. You're doing a great job! Please keep it up! Best wishes. Christina
Ok, so you sold me on TruEarth! I finally ran out of Dropps, which worked great for me in the past, but now that I've moved and have a different style washer, leaves a weird residue on my clothes. Let's hope Tru Earth works better. I love your messaging on treating FF clothes respectfully and keeping them out of landfill. I have MANY ancient FF pieces that I just love and have managed to keep looking nice with proper care and mending. I'm one of those sewing types, so I've got the skills to reinforce seams, patch holes, and adjust waistbands. My personal favorite alteration is adding POCKETS to things!
It is so important for me to wash my clothes as it says in the instructions & it's amazing how the clothes can last in good shape if you are taking care of them and of course they need to be in good quality of fabric in the first place when you buy them!
I keep picking up the FF pieces I have in my closet. Some of them are more than 5 yrs old😊. They are not too trendy statement pieces and they’re affordable. Along with gentle use during pandemic😅 and good care, they still hold up well and look good on me!
Great reminders about clothing care and loving your clothes. I really want to try the detergent. I try to be very careful when washing clothes. I often put clothes in the dryer on low for about 5-10 minutes to reduce wrinkles and get any lint off, then hang them up to dry. Thanks so much 💕
Thank you! I have many second hand fast fashion pieces that I love. I have changed buttons and altered if needed. True Earth Is the best!! Alyssa you are so right in how it protects clothing. I can't believe the difference in how my clothes look and are lasting. Fresh too! But by no means perfumey. Wonderful for my son's dry eczema prone skin.
Great tips on retaining existing FF in our wardrobe and I loved your view of honouring the person(s) behind the garment. Most workers in the garment industry are women and young girls, we need to be more cognizant of what it has taken to get that garment to us. FF can be sustainable with consideration and care, your message was meaningful as always!
I love that you talk about buying second-hand! I would like to know more about pre-treatment and when it is needed. I had never heard of this before. How much vinegar? Thanks!
I tried TruEarth detergent after a previous video you did. I love it! Thank you for this considered video on fast fashion. I never buy it new, but I have several thrifted Zara pieces that I love.
Over the summer I bought a cotton/linen top secondhand that was likely fast fashion (couldn’t find anything on the brand). It ended up being too big. Taking pieces to a tailor work magic! The top adds a hint of cottagecore to my closet to mix with my comfy and dramatic pieces.
I habe to add something: I am a really big girl and I hidd myself in my clothes for quiet some time. I always enjoyed dressing up and I can relate as I worked in Italt for some years. That was until depression hit and I was on survival mode for some years. I found your channel early 2022 and it has sparked something in me. I was getting better this year and following your journey brought back some of that joy. Enjoying myself with clothes again. Thank you for that sincerely.
My mother taught me you can color guard your new garments with an equal portion of vinegar and salt mixed into cool water, soak for about an hour. This will protect the color of your garments. It works!
Really excellent! Thank you. I have a very short body so Zara cropped tops fit me like regular tops. So I do most of my shopping with them (new or used), only cotton, linen or silk and I've had some of these items for more than 10 years. Your right taking good care of garments is critical.
Great video as always! I would love to know what pretreating polyester does. what’s the effect? As for fast fashion, years ago I bought a gorgeous sheath dress for work at H&M on deep discount even though I knew it needed an alteration. The alteration cost more than the dress, but I wore that dress for years, basically until it lost its shape and looked saggy. I got so many compliements on it because it fit me perfectly. Great investment. I no longer shop fast fashion new, but I do pick it up second hand for myself or to resell when I find quality pieces that are easy to style, versatile and are classic enough that they will not go out of trend. I was not surprised to hear that your camel blazer, my favorite of all your pieces, is Zara. Zara blazers are a hot item for me for resell, I’ve recently sold two that were absolutely stunning and in mint condition.
I only buy fast fashion brands in thrift stores because the money does not go to the fast fashion industry pockets and I give them a second life and keep out the landfill.
Thank you! I have just started consignment shopping recently, and had come to the same conclusion regarding the fast fashion finds. Now I know how to to care for them properly. & Thank you for your thoughtful & genuinely helpful videos on consignment/thrift shopping. My Mom & Aunt used to buy me hideous, dated, ill-fitting used clothes, and argue "but it was cheap!!" when I complained about how they looked. They were not short on funds, just very cheap, and style-free. Your videos showed me second-hand shopping could be done mindfully & well. I recently visited a small consignment store a few blocks from me, and have found some amazing pieces that fit beautifully. On my "save for" list was a 1-2 good leather purses, and I found 2 beautiful Coach bags at this shop for about $30 each, so I can feel good about saving the money AND choosing well-made, long lasting bags. I sold my decluttered clothes through them & knocked even more off the cost.
Alyssa thank you for another great video. I absolutely adore the black top you are wearing today. Would you share where it is from? You look gorgeous!!
I love this. I try and shop a few months in advance of my daughter growing to the next size (she's very slow to grow) and that way I've got time to intentionally pick as many second hand pieces as possible. They all get saved for future children which is why I also try to pick gender neutral pieces when I can (very difficult!)
Hi Alyssa! I discovered eco laundry strips a year or so ago and I’ve never gone back to regular detergents. I live in an apartment building with shared laundry facilities and I was noticing how detergent pods were leaving white streaks on my dark clothes. The wash cycle wasn’t rinsing properly so I tried laundry strips and voila! No more streaking. I’ve not tried Tru North so thanks for the code ❤️.
Sadly True Earth strips contain PVA, a plastic which does not biodegrade. The strips dissolve and appear to be gone, but the micro plastics go down the drain and into our water supply. There are some laundry pods that claim to biodegrade as well, and the shell is PVA. This is something to avoid when looking at ingredient lists. Thanks for the wonderful tips on extending the life of fast fashion. I will also add that when laundering fast fashion, it is advisable to use a Guppy Bag or filter to avoid all the microfibers going down the drain. Like PVA, polyester is plastic and sheds fiber every time it is washed.
I like fast-fashion for certain garments in fabrics that I need, viscose and rayon. I can’t wear synthetics and H&M or Zara are usually the only places that I can find things like all-viscose sweaters and dresses. I so agree, we should focus on wearing what we already have and just purchasing fewer, but better quality items as needed. So many people are just throwing all their clothes away, or donating them, because they aren’t from expensive conscious brands, it’s such a waste. I sent two small packages of my best items to ThredUp over the summer, but they won’t accept any more right now (I lost three sizes, I can’t even tailor them that much). It’s because too many people trying to sell used clothes and not enough are buying them. I searched for items I want there, like wool blazers, but they didn’t have a single one for sale because people are only sending in low-quality items! My FF items get the same TLC as my silk and cashmere ones. We all need to focus on buying fewer new items, that’s the biggest problem. We don’t need every new trend!
I don’t care much about labels. I keep items I like for years or decades. I don’t buy and discard. Although I don’t buy much from Zara, Mango, and H&M. The few items I do have, I have them for over a decade.
I love clothes and I also love doing laundry! Have you ever heard of Patric Richardson the Laundry Evangelist? I am definitely going to try the laundry strips!!
All my grandkids' names start with "A". I'm keeping Alyssa on the list in case we have another girl (#4). This video was so informative. I've noticed more FF brands in thrift stores. I love ❤️ what you do.
Late to this party, but I am a big believer in using the seamstress/tailor to get the proper fit. Caveat… those prices have now gone up! Which makes me shop second hand even more, in order to afford the fit I want on the garments needed in my wardrobe.
Great video! Are you staying in this new location? Just asking because I thought you were somewhere that got really cold and now it looks like you in European influence somewhere. I loved that you covered all these points. I started out and was a big purchaser of what might now be considered fast fashion because as a divorce (no support) mom of two, I had a very low budget for purchasing clothing for me in office and playtime (so everything had to work for both) I still have most of these items but now cannot fit some of them (but people don't realize that a Forever 21 garment back 20 years ago is a different quality as they may be known for now). I also still have some that I pulled out each season and still a major part of my wardrobe. For one I never put my clothing in a dryer, I always hang to dry. Dryer is for underwear and towel and bed linen. And I do a lot of handwashing. This has really helped reserved most. I want it that if for some reason I decide that I no longer want/need them (60 and retired), they can find another good home. Thanks for sharing and blessings to you and all in the days to come.
The most important thing is not to put clothes in the tumble dryer. When washing, the water/detergent solution minimize the friction that wears out clothes. The dryer high heat and friction really ages clothes fast and ruins anything with Spandex in it right away. I also minimize laundering, I only wash items that have spots, grime, sweat or odors, or before storing, if worn. We have to do this where I live because we have been in a severe drought for more than 20 years and I find that my clothes look better and last longer this way I do wash whites more often, and of course, undergarments and hosiery after each wearing, and if I get spots, I treat them immediately and wash within a day or two. When I checked my navy silk dress after a funeral last week, I noticed a couple of greasy spots from the luncheon (mayonnaise, I think). I treated them with Shout wipes right away, and used my “hand-wash” cycle to remove the residue the next day, along with other dark delicates to make a full load. The stains are completely gone. I think inspecting clothes in really good light after each wearing is super-important, stains that will come out now easily will be permanent if left for months.
Thank you for this! I bought, altered, and still love a garment from Forever 21 before I learned anything about fast fashion. The brass buttons are tarnished, but I still want to make the most of my investment, and your advice makes perfect sense.
Alyssa, I'll bring preserving My garments, no Mater if trift, a second hand purchase. But after "new trends", I'll being keeping beter deals and cool outfits, with an excelent condituon, like blazers with an excelent condituon, Merino wool tops. And left it last. Also I hand washed most of My garnets an keep them last. Also have love for My garments, and looking forward to last for other season. 🤟👍 Loved that idea
Could you give a couple examples of names of brands that are not fast fashion? Maybe a video on how to know if something is not fast fashion? How it's sewed or what? Thanks
interesting suggestion! I did a video on how to identify if a garment is high quality here: ua-cam.com/video/DKPzruRDs3c/v-deo.html i hope it helps for now!
I did not know anything about fast fashion until I started watching you years ago. I was thrifting the other day and became sad 😔. I found well tailored clothes from 70-80s...of course the 50s! But these clothes were well stitched, lined on the inside and real fabrics! What will the people of 10-20 years from now find in the thrift store that is still of excellent quality? Lasting materials that are still wearable? We have become greedy and sacrificed quality for it. 😐
When something gets dingy, I use rit dye for synthetic clothing on it. Like I’ll have a box of dingy clothes that I add to over time and throw them into a die bath when I have enough clothes built up.
lol I wore a pair of old navy jeans the other day from, by the tag, fall 2005... I hvw 30 year old garments. Who wears crap for a week? that's nuts. I wear Old Navy with Tod's and Manolos and Hermes. It's all about the fit, not the label.
Loved this. Not everyone’s budget can always stretch to high end, and therefore fast fashion dominates. But like you say, if you look after things they will last. I have a jumper (partly made from recycled plastic bottles) from a fast fashion brand, that I absolutely love. The colour is fab, the jumper is so soft, it fits perfect and I wear it every week of the winter. It’s now a year old and still going strong. I use a steamery defuzzer (brilliant) to get the odd bobble but for £8 I have had more than my moneys worth from it.
I have two cats and their claws wreak havoc on some of my clothes. I see that you have a beautiful cat ... how do you stop your cat from damaging your things?
95% of my closet comes from "fast fashion" mainly from Mango shop, and I've had pieces for so many years. I choose fabrics that I think will last and take care of them. I have some mango jeans that are 10 years old. How is it possible that a garment lasts only two wears?????
Love you to point out that humens make alsow fast fashion. humens live from it! bay secend hand and better materials. so we mke the fast fashen think over the workers and users
I also hope that not only consumers who need to become cognisant of fast fashion and its impact to the earth, but also designers and sellers. I cringe to see how badly designed some lines of clothings are in where i live. Awful colours, fit and design. No wonder not many buys them, yet sellers continue to churn out new lines
Well.. seamstress are affordable in Italy, in UK they are luxury options 🙄 put an elastic band in a skirt £20. I paid the skirt £6 in a charity shop 🙄🙄
It's driving me crazy that you title & just launch into discussing things in your video's, using terms like "fast fashion" or "slow fashion"??? I have no idea what those terms mean???!!! Shouldn't you explain at the beginning of your video? When you don't, I have to Google the term & hope what comes up is an explanation that aligns with what you're referring to. It's annoying! Gah! Rant over...I'm appreciating your video's, even if many of the styles you show wouldn't work on my body type. Leggy (tall?) and thin, you can wear styles that wouldn't look good on many of us! Lucky you!
Oops! Finally was disappointed. My reason for avoiding fast fashion is not about keeping the clothes out of landfill. It is because the business of these fast fashion makers includes slave labor, toxic waste dumps, befouling waterways and, in fact keeping those “humans” (often children) you speak about IN poverty. Most importantly, I try to do as little as possible that isn’t in line with my values. There are a number of great UA-cams which speak against fast fashion, but are really creative about affordable fashion choices. Alyssa, I suspect you’re a nice person, and I’ve enjoyed your podcasts, but am signing off. Too bad, but the latest polyester blazer is not really very important to me.
Another tip for shopping fast fashion (or anything) second hand is to pay attention to the material more than anything else! While we may think of certain brands as being made of cheap materials, that was less true even in the very recent past. I've found at Goodwill a genuine leather miniskirt from.... Old Navy. 100% silk blouse from.... Forever 21. As recently as the mid 2000s some of our polyester-filled fast fashion monsters were making much higher quality clothing, so when shopping secondhand always remember that the tag that's most important is the fabric content tag, not the brand label tag.
The majority of my clothes are fast fashion and I keep them for years, like 10+ years. If you wash in cold water, drip dry, or lower heat in dryer most will last a long, long time. No need to toss it. :)
If only everyone thought seriously about what they are buying and the repercussions of discarding clothes. Many people do not realise this is one of the main factors in global warming and pollution.
Same here! Just because it's fast fashion doesn't mean it should be considered disposable :)
And what I do declutter I donate to a charity shop, so it gets a second life - or recycle when it's too old. I've bought second-hand fast fashion too - H&M, Mango, Zara, even Shein.
I agree 100%
thank you for this! I''ve adopted the policy "don't mind the brand, mind the material".
An expensive brand is not a guarantee for great materials or sustainable production, and while I avoid buying fast fashion new because I don't want to support their business, quite a few of my favourite items are second hand finds from fast(ish) fashion brands.
However, by avoiding polyester and other non-natural materials, I find myself enjoying my wardrobe much more and for much longer.
oops one more thing! Thank you for showing the garment workers. My grandmother was a seamstress and every time I look at a garment, I think, someone made that. It is someone’s work to put together this garment, to hunch over a sewing machine all day and make it perfect, and thousands of other people made it so that garment is now in a store, waiting to be bought. It makes me want to take care of the clothes, make them last, make sure they get as much wear as possible.
Big respect for making this video 🤜❤ a lot of people jump to the idea of throwing away their fast fashion clothing when they start an eco-conscious wardrobe. But that’s the worst thing we can do! The best thing is to look after those pieces so they are used and not left in landfill.
On the other side, I think it also pays respect to the person who made the piece and wasn’t necessarily paid enough for it.
Edit: *spelling mistakes 😅
ahhh i'm so glad you like it Emily!! Thank you for sharing xx
@@AlyssaBeltempo just got up to the part about you saying to honour the people who made the clothes. Same page 😋🙏🏽
Great comment. I agree. I didn't even realise people were doing this- I guess it's still a type of social signalling, that they want to be seen in the right labels?! It reminds me of an ex of mine who threw away the carrier bags I had carefully kept for re-use, because he said it wasn't PC to be seen with them. He had very little real interest in the environment.
I've always been surprised when I hear people say that their clothes from a fast fashion retailer "fall apart" after one or two wears. I feel like they must not be washing it correctly or it'd just a simple repair or it was clearly a bad garment when they picked it up. The disposable mentality with clothing makes no sense to me. I stay away from those retailers now, but I've been able to preserve my older clothes from them with just a little bit of care!
Many FF clothes are flimsier these days. For example, t shirts are made of thinner material and more likely to develop holes compared to t shirts from earlier eras made of thicker fabric. I am also learning to stay away from flimsy materials and poor construction.
Yes,! Over the years, I've learned to pay more attention to the construction of pieces. However, I've had FF pieces last me for 10 years!
Thank you for bringing a balanced view to slow fashion. I have a few FF pieces that have been in my wardrobe for years, and through care and creative shopping my closet, I’ve been able to enjoy them and keep them out of landfills.
yes!! Thanks for sharing LA xx
Thank you for this insightful journey into the slow fashion industry. It's heart breaking to realize that there are real people sitting behind sewing machines and packing boxes getting paid peanuts so we can have the latest yada yada in our closet. I'm fortunate that I'm a "baby boomer" that learned from my mom the essentials of sewing, knitting, crocheting and other crafting. I tried to teach my girls,mostly to no avail, but at least they could hem and sew on buttons. Not so much with this next generation! There are so many tutorials on UA-cam that learning these skills is available. So it's never too late to pick up the essential skills to maintain your own garments. And HAND WASHING and LINE DRYING is a must to keep clothes looking new longer. And don't forget to get one of those battery operated de-fuzzers to remove the pills from sweaters - a game changer.
Yeah me too! Also I tend to buy things on sale so I don't feel I'm feeding the furnace of fast fashion as much. They're items that got overlooked, often are seconds and I just find a way to make them work, and I'm a sewing person (sewer has in writing at least, a different connotation to me!).
It's kind of fun actually...I don't have many and I take good care of them. I avoid polyester if possible although some things are really good in polyester. I just bought some fluffy Birkenstock-style shoes for wearing at home and they really look fabulous. Comfy too.
Recently I got some pants that were originally intended to be worn long, and they are a high fashion Italian label. but I got a larger size because that was what is left, it was on sale, and for $50 I got a super quality item that was once $850. It has studs down the sides and along the pockets. I wear it loose obviously, the larger sized look, and being tall they look like cut-off pants on me. So styling it yourself and not following what it was originally meant to look like is fun. For $50 who's arguing? They are in a denim twill fabric but lighter blue and not faded. They look incredible. I love them.
I just finally retired a cardigan I bought from Target 10 years ago. I'm still wearing a cardigan I bought from there that is equally as old. There are ways to make FF last. I don't have the clothing budget to buy from most sustainable brands so I would say 80% of what I buy is second hand. If I am going to buy a FF piece new, I pay attention to the quality of construction as well as stick to buying more timeless, classic pieces as opposed to trendy pieces, so I can wear them for years and years.
Another great video Alyssa! This is exactly what I do, I have clothes in my closet from 30 years ago! As we know fashion styles recycle. I am an expert at milking my fashion choices and restyling both classic and fast fashion high, mid and lower end. Thrifting is awesome, more days of the week, than not, I am wearing something thrifted. If I am finally done with things they get donated to local clothing exchanges, charities, homeless shelters or thrift shops. I rarely throw away clothes, shoes or bags unless they are totally done! Before anything goes into the garbage I see if the fabric is good for patches, creative projects or rags and cut it up for my rag bag which I will use for cleaning and polishing. Proud to be part of the Anti-Consumer Gang!
I was doing slow fashion even before I knew what it was. We had no money so I had to buy at garage sales or 2nd hand Thrift stores. A friend taught me to wear items more than once to keep them in good condition. Wash in cold with very gentle detergent on the gentlest cycle and hang dry. 15.5 years later I continue this practice. If I look for fast fashion it is generally Thredup, Poshmark or the like. Thank you for the practical advice.
I’ve picked up some 2nd hand Zara in linen and cotton and they’ve been better than comparable Old Navy/Gap. I’ve mended them a couple times and it feels like a way to honor the people who made them even though they may be living and working in an environment that doesn’t value them.
My mother taught me the value of pre treating garments when I was young, and I still pre treat my things. I have saved a few pieces from disaster by using this technique, and am thankful that I learned this year's ago.
I have pieces from Zara - I always felt bad about buying them - but I love them. I love strong, bright colors and normal fashion has more basics or are too expensive.
So if I buy and love them it is not a sin😊
Thank you thank you, for this video, Alyssa!! So much good content in just 12 minutes! Do your listeners know that less than 10% of the plastic we think we are recycling actually gets repurposed? The rest, sadly, goes into the landfill. So yes to Tru Earth! I love these strips also and they work. No more big plastic jugs of liquid laundry detergent needed! And, keep the clothes in your closet and restyle them, fast fashion or not. In our area, they drained a beautiful lake to make a landfill for our garbage! Many creatures inhabited that lake and used the lake to survive and now it is a landfill. Very tragic. So your message, Alyssa, about keeping stuff out of the landfill is EXTREMELY important. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for not demonizing FF. Honestly I would love to buy high end long term pieces, but as a woman who’s weight fluctuates all the time it’s not realistic for me at this time. I do also love how online thrifting has also expanded to include more plus size items so that makes it fun too.
However I’ve learned some valuable lessons to taking care of clothes, washing clothes on delicate, steaming vs ironing, drying on low or hang dry. I’ve also stopped using fabric softener since I’ve learned that can inhibit the garments life cycle. I really like that you shared the water/garment test. That can be super useful to know if something is going to bleed or not.
I do try to keep pieces for as long as possible, I’ll take stuff to my tailor, have yard sales to give the garment a second life, or donate to the thrift store. I’ve also picked up a tip from you on another video, not donating stuff that is torn or stained since it will get thrown away.
One thing I think is important to mention here, luxury brands are guilty of burning or throwing away whatever fashions or bags, etc at the end of a season to keep the demand high for their products.
Again, thank you for the video and the helpful feedback/tips. 😊
Some thrift stores accept unwearable clothes. They have partnerships with companies who recycle textiles. When I know I'm donating such clothes, I go out of my way to drop them off at the City Thrift nearest me.
What?!?! I did not know they did that!
That’s good to know Monica, next time I donate I’ll keep the damaged garments separate for that purpose. Thanks for sharing.
Agreed! No need to over wash, and washing in cold/cool water and hand washing will definitely increase the longevity of your garments. I will add that if you’re shopping second hand and ignoring brands, it’s better in person because you can’t see seam allowances or construction online.
Brava! I love the idea of making the fast fashion clothing last longer. I actually have done this - have kept some pieces for more than 15 years... It's a joy.
When I was a teenager in the 1970's my mother had kept clothes from the 1940's and 1950's big long woollen coats and dresses which in the early 70s became popular after the mini skirts and hot pants etc. I loved wearing them. I have always been able to sew and had access to really good quality material so bought vogue patterns and made most of my own clothes. Older female relatives gave me lovely clothes that no longer fitted them (we tend to change shape as we age) and I have given away alot of my classic clothes from my youth to younger women because they no longer fit me. One very classic Jackie Kennedy cocktail type dress will have been worn by three generations. It finally fell apart after about 50 or 60 years use. I'm now in my sixties and kept some of my mother's and grandmother's classic tailored clothes from the 1960's and 70's. A friend suggested I get rid of them as they were too big and wouldn't fit. So glad I kept them as I have aged into them. The quality is just amazing compared to clothes today, lined, seams with bias binding. Top quality English wool and Worstead. I really have a wonderful collection of winter coats which would cost a fortune to buy. I do buy new but I'm trying to keep the quality high end. As I approach retirement I have some cheaper work wear that will only be suitable for the bin or rag man. I see retirement as a mixture of casual and dressing up style. Thank you for the inspiration, I now try mixing pieces more and from different decades. I have a selection of silk handkerchiefs and scarves from the 1930's which I wear around my neck or in my hair, the colours are vivid and amazing. I'm lucky I come from a family where we have passed clothes on and I have friends who do the same. I make rag rugs using different techniques to create pictures, in the past I have used clothes that were beyond recycling into rugs, 1970's crimperline dresses are great for picture rugs, and my dad's old woollen suits together with old blankets dyed with natural dyes (elderberries) made wonderful floor rugs for my bedroom. Also the memory of your loved one is still there.
Thanks Alyssa for thoughtfully addressing this issue. Until a few years ago I bought all my clothes new, generally buying work clothes from shops like J. Crew and casual clothes from a range of stores including fast fashion brands. Since then I have edited my wardrobe extensively, donated items that don’t fit me well or are inconsistent with my style preferences (which I finally have a better sense of; thank you for helping me in that process of discovery!), and slowly repopulated my wardrobe to fill the gaps with high quality secondhand garments. I have struggled with the fast fashion items that remain in my wardrobe, as they are purchases I wouldn’t make again today (and honestly they’re a reminder of the less conscious shopping I did in the past). That said, I know that many items we donate in good condition wind up in landfills and I try to minimize waste where I reasonably can. With that concern in mind, I have held onto the ones that still fit and work with the rest of my wardrobe. I keep wearing them and taking good care of them, and I like your thought process about honoring the workers who made those garments (even though I no longer support that industry with my purchases). Your commentary is refreshing given how many folks advocate eliminating all fast fashion you own during a wardrobe edit (or, worse yet, cycling repeatedly from hauls to edits). Thanks as always for your uncommonly good content. Also - thanks for featuring Tru Earth. I tried them at your recommendation many months ago and now have a subscription to their detergent strips which are phenomenal products. -Jen
Hey Jen! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. I love how you are finding the balance between honoring the worksers even though you no longer support the ff industry with your purchases. That was EXACTLY the message I was trying to get across and you put it so well. I'm also really glad you're enjoying your TruEarth strips! Thank you for being here!
I found your UA-cam channel some time ago and you have provided such encouragement to me! I have recently changed my lifestyle and don’t go in to the office and get dressed in interesting outfits nearly as much anymore. Adding insult to injury, my body size has changed often over the years and I also have a very difficult body shape to style (mixing and matching is not easy, so I need more items to create outfits than others may). I have also made some pretty bad decisions over time regarding fast fashion (this is a recent thing on my radar screen, in may ways thanks to you, and I still sometimes struggle with this!). My tastes have also become more minimal and streamlined in general. Because of all this, I recently started looking into purging down to a more minimal wardrobe, but every time I look at pieces from my rather maximal collection, I can’t bear to part with the beautiful and meaningful items I’ve curated over the years, even if they don’t fit me (or my style preference or lifestyle) anymore. All that said, I finally made the somewhat counterintuitive decision to not only keep my large, mostly unused wardrobe, but also dedicate a whole bedroom to it and lean into the impulse to continue to purchase interesting vintage and second hand pieces as they present themselves… I have turned my new larger space into a lending closet! I put out a post to my Facebook friends to offer a place to come and “shop” for special occasions, vacations, date nights, and even dress-up projects for their teenagers, or to fly in from out of town with very little luggage and use my clothing and accessories while in the area. I thought that you would enjoy this story because I feel like watching your videos has inspired me to think outside the box in terms of what is wasteful, and to find a more creative way to keep and enjoy items I already own without guilt and shame in a way that inspires creativity and meaningful connection with my friends and acquaintances. I haven’t had too many take me up on the offer yet, other than the mom of that one teenage boy who needed to dress up for school projects as an Argentinian man and a Greek philosopher, a friend whose daughter needed a pair of earrings for her school dance, and a young friend who was going out of town and needed a couple winter items, but I know that these things take time. I hope to very soon have friends constantly popping over for a glass of Prosecco or coffee while they select a handbag, scarf or perhaps that tiny vintage handmade sundress I may never fit into again! I mostly just wanted you to know that you have inspired me (a 50 year old woman in hot, sunny Florida) in ways you can’t even imagine. So thank you for all that you do - you truly make such a difference in this world…
During my career in the financial industry, I needed "corporate wear," which was too hard to shop for used. I simply didn't have the time or the shops around me to find what I needed that way. Since I retired ten years ago, all those clothes are gone now except for a classic black blazer, which is a shame since wider-leg trousers are back! In the last 3 years I've started shopping in thrift and consignment stores, and most of my favorite purchases are from them. Thanks for continuing to bang the drum for reducing our consumption.
A slow fashion mindset is definitely the way to go. Although I consider myself to be old school when it comes to preserving clothes. Knowing your style, what works for you in terms of silhouet, cut, colors, fabric helps. I’ve had H&M cheapo t-shirts that lasted me 5 years because it was exactly right for me. And also, not all synthetic fabrics are created equal, most sports clothes are ‘tech’ and they wick sweat. Sure, merino sportswear would be a splurge, but I’ve worn my ‘plastics’ for 5-7 years and still going strong. I have this supersoft big fluffy pink large scarf, you’d never guess but … as synthetic as it comes. I wash all my clothes at 30 ° ℃ and turn them inside out before putting them in the washing machine. Using washing bags to protect your more fragile clothes from the ones that have hooks and zippers also helps. Or wash your jeans with your towels and all your more fragile, non zippered and hooked clothes with your socks and briefs also helps.
Changing buttons is a no brainer 👍I've had people ask what make it is, and I've had them for years!
I use the strips for my bedding and towels. I found them when you recommended them a while ago. For my clothes that are mainly cotton I use one of the egg things. My jeans are very rarely washed and then cold washed inside out. I actually log each wash for each pair of jeans
I haven't put anything in the dryer,including sheets,for over3 years. Also I always use lingerie bags to cut down on stretching and abrasion
ooh yes thanks for the reminder about lingerie bags!!
My main point is to NOT have too many clothes!! Fast fashion or not. I’m guilty of this but getting better! Thx for a great video👍tip: do not go to a dry cleaner for tailoring! They ruined 4 garments of mine 😮 go to a reputable tailor. Can you do a video on your favorite handbags? Do you have any designer handbags? 💜
Hey Alyssa, I really appreciate your videos and views. Many people share my admiration for your practical style advice and style choices, and your stylishness. I must tell you how much I also appreciate your pace, rhythm of speech, and clarity, which are key elements of why your videos are such a pleasure to watch. You're doing a great job! Please keep it up! Best wishes. Christina
I love your blouse! I have several from the 90s, I will have to look for them in my closet. Lol...
Ok, so you sold me on TruEarth! I finally ran out of Dropps, which worked great for me in the past, but now that I've moved and have a different style washer, leaves a weird residue on my clothes. Let's hope Tru Earth works better. I love your messaging on treating FF clothes respectfully and keeping them out of landfill. I have MANY ancient FF pieces that I just love and have managed to keep looking nice with proper care and mending. I'm one of those sewing types, so I've got the skills to reinforce seams, patch holes, and adjust waistbands. My personal favorite alteration is adding POCKETS to things!
It is so important for me to wash my clothes as it says in the instructions & it's amazing how the clothes can last in good shape if you are taking care of them and of course they need to be in good quality of fabric in the first place when you buy them!
I keep picking up the FF pieces I have in my closet. Some of them are more than 5 yrs old😊. They are not too trendy statement pieces and they’re affordable. Along with gentle use during pandemic😅 and good care, they still hold up well and look good on me!
wonderful - i'm still wearing some of mine too! xx
Great reminders about clothing care and loving your clothes. I really want to try the detergent. I try to be very careful when washing clothes. I often put clothes in the dryer on low for about 5-10 minutes to reduce wrinkles and get any lint off, then hang them up to dry. Thanks so much 💕
Thank you! I have many second hand fast fashion pieces that I love. I have changed buttons and altered if needed.
True Earth Is the best!! Alyssa you are so right in how it protects clothing. I can't believe the difference in how my clothes look and are lasting. Fresh too! But by no means perfumey. Wonderful for my son's dry eczema prone skin.
Great tips on retaining existing FF in our wardrobe and I loved your view of honouring the person(s) behind the garment. Most workers in the garment industry are women and young girls, we need to be more cognizant of what it has taken to get that garment to us. FF can be sustainable with consideration and care, your message was meaningful as always!
I love that you talk about buying second-hand! I would like to know more about pre-treatment and when it is needed. I had never heard of this before. How much vinegar? Thanks!
I tried TruEarth detergent after a previous video you did. I love it! Thank you for this considered video on fast fashion. I never buy it new, but I have several thrifted Zara pieces that I love.
Over the summer I bought a cotton/linen top secondhand that was likely fast fashion (couldn’t find anything on the brand). It ended up being too big. Taking pieces to a tailor work magic! The top adds a hint of cottagecore to my closet to mix with my comfy and dramatic pieces.
I very rarely buy from these brands now, but I own pieces from H&M, Zara and Mango that have had for at least 5 or 6 years- still in very good shape.
I was mending my daughter 's jeans while listening. Thanks for helping me up my style!
This is such a good comment on the inclusion of fast fashion in a reasonable way. Thank you Alissa!
I habe to add something: I am a really big girl and I hidd myself in my clothes for quiet some time. I always enjoyed dressing up and I can relate as I worked in Italt for some years. That was until depression hit and I was on survival mode for some years. I found your channel early 2022 and it has sparked something in me. I was getting better this year and following your journey brought back some of that joy. Enjoying myself with clothes again. Thank you for that sincerely.
My mother taught me you can color guard your new garments with an equal portion of vinegar and salt mixed into cool water, soak for about an hour. This will protect the color of your garments. It works!
Thank you for this video! I have some FF clothes and I care and wear them until their truly end! ❤️
Always enjoyable to watch your videos, Alyssa...thanks, Happy Thanksgiving to you!❤️
Really excellent! Thank you. I have a very short body so Zara cropped tops fit me like regular tops. So I do most of my shopping with them (new or used), only cotton, linen or silk and I've had some of these items for more than 10 years. Your right taking good care of garments is critical.
Great video as always! I would love to know what pretreating polyester does. what’s the effect? As for fast fashion, years ago I bought a gorgeous sheath dress for work at H&M on deep discount even though I knew it needed an alteration. The alteration cost more than the dress, but I wore that dress for years, basically until it lost its shape and looked saggy. I got so many compliements on it because it fit me perfectly. Great investment. I no longer shop fast fashion new, but I do pick it up second hand for myself or to resell when I find quality pieces that are easy to style, versatile and are classic enough that they will not go out of trend. I was not surprised to hear that your camel blazer, my favorite of all your pieces, is Zara. Zara blazers are a hot item for me for resell, I’ve recently sold two that were absolutely stunning and in mint condition.
I only buy fast fashion brands in thrift stores because the money does not go to the fast fashion industry pockets and I give them a second life and keep out the landfill.
Thank you! I have just started consignment shopping recently, and had come to the same conclusion regarding the fast fashion finds. Now I know how to to care for them properly.
& Thank you for your thoughtful & genuinely helpful videos on consignment/thrift shopping. My Mom & Aunt used to buy me hideous, dated, ill-fitting used clothes, and argue "but it was cheap!!" when I complained about how they looked. They were not short on funds, just very cheap, and style-free. Your videos showed me second-hand shopping could be done mindfully & well.
I recently visited a small consignment store a few blocks from me, and have found some amazing pieces that fit beautifully. On my "save for" list was a 1-2 good leather purses, and I found 2 beautiful Coach bags at this shop for about $30 each, so I can feel good about saving the money AND choosing well-made, long lasting bags. I sold my decluttered clothes through them & knocked even more off the cost.
wow that's amazing!! Love to hear this thank you for sharing:)
High five!!
@@garlicgirl3149 🖐👋
This is such a needed video!!!!! Thanks Alyssa
If no stains, put in morning sun to air rather than launder every time. Night time airing often as effective.
Alyssa thank you for another great video. I absolutely adore the black top you are wearing today. Would you share where it is from? You look gorgeous!!
I love this. I try and shop a few months in advance of my daughter growing to the next size (she's very slow to grow) and that way I've got time to intentionally pick as many second hand pieces as possible. They all get saved for future children which is why I also try to pick gender neutral pieces when I can (very difficult!)
your videos always make sense
thank you so much Gilda!
Hi Alyssa! I discovered eco laundry strips a year or so ago and I’ve never gone back to regular detergents. I live in an apartment building with shared laundry facilities and I was noticing how detergent pods were leaving white streaks on my dark clothes. The wash cycle wasn’t rinsing properly so I tried laundry strips and voila! No more streaking. I’ve not tried Tru North so thanks for the code ❤️.
I hope you enjoy using them!! I love how my clothes come out :)
@@AlyssaBeltempo I’m sure I will! I am a convert now 😊.
love your efforts to protect our earth!! great message!
Love this! Thank you ❤️❤️
Excellent topic. You’ve given me lots to consider.
Thanks for the tips Alyssa! A nice surprise to see you on a non-Sunday :-)
Mild detergent, set washer to gentle cycle, add vinegar to cycle, dryer for 5 mins. then hang to dry....do not use hangers for sweaters
Loved this video! So helpful. Was also curious where your top is from?!
Sadly True Earth strips contain PVA, a plastic which does not biodegrade. The strips dissolve and appear to be gone, but the micro plastics go down the drain and into our water supply. There are some laundry pods that claim to biodegrade as well, and the shell is PVA. This is something to avoid when looking at ingredient lists. Thanks for the wonderful tips on extending the life of fast fashion. I will also add that when laundering fast fashion, it is advisable to use a Guppy Bag or filter to avoid all the microfibers going down the drain. Like PVA, polyester is plastic and sheds fiber every time it is washed.
Thank you Alyssa for another great video. I am going to give those laundry strips a try.
i'm so glad you enjoyed it. I hope you love the eco strips as much as I do!
I like fast-fashion for certain garments in fabrics that I need, viscose and rayon. I can’t wear synthetics and H&M or Zara are usually the only places that I can find things like all-viscose sweaters and dresses. I so agree, we should focus on wearing what we already have and just purchasing fewer, but better quality items as needed. So many people are just throwing all their clothes away, or donating them, because they aren’t from expensive conscious brands, it’s such a waste. I sent two small packages of my best items to ThredUp over the summer, but they won’t accept any more right now (I lost three sizes, I can’t even tailor them that much). It’s because too many people trying to sell used clothes and not enough are buying them. I searched for items I want there, like wool blazers, but they didn’t have a single one for sale because people are only sending in low-quality items! My FF items get the same TLC as my silk and cashmere ones. We all need to focus on buying fewer new items, that’s the biggest problem. We don’t need every new trend!
I don’t care much about labels. I keep items I like for years or decades. I don’t buy and discard. Although I don’t buy much from Zara, Mango, and H&M. The few items I do have, I have them for over a decade.
yes! Love this philosophy!
This video was super helpful!
Your top is gorgeous! ❤
I love clothes and I also love doing laundry! Have you ever heard of Patric Richardson the Laundry
Evangelist? I am definitely going to try the laundry strips!!
All my grandkids' names start with "A". I'm keeping Alyssa on the list in case we have another girl (#4). This video was so informative. I've noticed more FF brands in thrift stores. I love ❤️ what you do.
so glad you liked it Kim, thank you for watching - that is SUCH a compliment!!! xox
Late to this party, but I am a big believer in using the seamstress/tailor to get the proper fit. Caveat… those prices have now gone up! Which makes me shop second hand even more, in order to afford the fit I want on the garments needed in my wardrobe.
I really loved this video! 👌👍👌
❤❤❤ great video! 👌🏻😁 I think it’s the European in me that always looks for good quality clothes. 😉
Great video! Are you staying in this new location? Just asking because I thought you were somewhere that got really cold and now it looks like you in European influence somewhere. I loved that you covered all these points. I started out and was a big purchaser of what might now be considered fast fashion because as a divorce (no support) mom of two, I had a very low budget for purchasing clothing for me in office and playtime (so everything had to work for both) I still have most of these items but now cannot fit some of them (but people don't realize that a Forever 21 garment back 20 years ago is a different quality as they may be known for now). I also still have some that I pulled out each season and still a major part of my wardrobe. For one I never put my clothing in a dryer, I always hang to dry. Dryer is for underwear and towel and bed linen. And I do a lot of handwashing. This has really helped reserved most. I want it that if for some reason I decide that I no longer want/need them (60 and retired), they can find another good home. Thanks for sharing and blessings to you and all in the days to come.
The most important thing is not to put clothes in the tumble dryer. When washing, the water/detergent solution minimize the friction that wears out clothes. The dryer high heat and friction really ages clothes fast and ruins anything with Spandex in it right away. I also minimize laundering, I only wash items that have spots, grime, sweat or odors, or before storing, if worn. We have to do this where I live because we have been in a severe drought for more than 20 years and I find that my clothes look better and last longer this way I do wash whites more often, and of course, undergarments and hosiery after each wearing, and if I get spots, I treat them immediately and wash within a day or two. When I checked my navy silk dress after a funeral last week, I noticed a couple of greasy spots from the luncheon (mayonnaise, I think). I treated them with Shout wipes right away, and used my “hand-wash” cycle to remove the residue the next day, along with other dark delicates to make a full load. The stains are completely gone. I think inspecting clothes in really good light after each wearing is super-important, stains that will come out now easily will be permanent if left for months.
I love your channel and values!
Thank you for this! I bought, altered, and still love a garment from Forever 21 before I learned anything about fast fashion. The brass buttons are tarnished, but I still want to make the most of my investment, and your advice makes perfect sense.
oh i'm so glad you enjoyed this video! You can always change the buttons next! :)
Alyssa, I'll bring preserving My garments, no Mater if trift, a second hand purchase. But after "new trends", I'll being keeping beter deals and cool outfits, with an excelent condituon, like blazers with an excelent condituon, Merino wool tops. And left it last. Also I hand washed most of My garnets an keep them last.
Also have love for My garments, and looking forward to last for other season.
🤟👍 Loved that idea
Could you give a couple examples of names of brands that are not fast fashion? Maybe a video on how to know if something is not fast fashion? How it's sewed or what? Thanks
interesting suggestion! I did a video on how to identify if a garment is high quality here: ua-cam.com/video/DKPzruRDs3c/v-deo.html i hope it helps for now!
@@AlyssaBeltempo Thank you.
Tru-Earth is always in my laundry closet.
Great video, thank you.
I did not know anything about fast fashion until I started watching you years ago. I was thrifting the other day and became sad 😔. I found well tailored clothes from 70-80s...of course the 50s! But these clothes were well stitched, lined on the inside and real fabrics! What will the people of 10-20 years from now find in the thrift store that is still of excellent quality? Lasting materials that are still wearable? We have become greedy and sacrificed quality for it. 😐
When something gets dingy, I use rit dye for synthetic clothing on it. Like I’ll have a box of dingy clothes that I add to over time and throw them into a die bath when I have enough clothes built up.
So good ❤
lol I wore a pair of old navy jeans the other day from, by the tag, fall 2005... I hvw 30 year old garments. Who wears crap for a week? that's nuts. I wear Old Navy with Tod's and Manolos and Hermes. It's all about the fit, not the label.
Loved this. Not everyone’s budget can always stretch to high end, and therefore fast fashion dominates. But like you say, if you look after things they will last. I have a jumper (partly made from recycled plastic bottles) from a fast fashion brand, that I absolutely love. The colour is fab, the jumper is so soft, it fits perfect and I wear it every week of the winter. It’s now a year old and still going strong. I use a steamery defuzzer (brilliant) to get the odd bobble but for £8 I have had more than my moneys worth from it.
I have two cats and their claws wreak havoc on some of my clothes. I see that you have a beautiful cat ... how do you stop your cat from damaging your things?
95% of my closet comes from "fast fashion" mainly from Mango shop, and I've had pieces for so many years. I choose fabrics that I think will last and take care of them. I have some mango jeans that are 10 years old. How is it possible that a garment lasts only two wears?????
bc ppl dont take care or think highly of their fast fashion pieces ive had 3 target cargos for all 1 year and they r fine
Re laundering: highly recommend the book "Laundry Love" by Patric Richardson. He shows you how to wash everything. He also has a YT channel.
Love you to point out that humens make alsow fast fashion. humens live from it! bay secend hand and better materials. so we mke the fast fashen think over the workers and users
I also hope that not only consumers who need to become cognisant of fast fashion and its impact to the earth, but also designers and sellers. I cringe to see how badly designed some lines of clothings are in where i live. Awful colours, fit and design. No wonder not many buys them, yet sellers continue to churn out new lines
Well.. seamstress are affordable in Italy, in UK they are luxury options 🙄 put an elastic band in a skirt £20. I paid the skirt £6 in a charity shop 🙄🙄
If you're in a tight spot and you can't find the nicer replacement you don't really have a choice
𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘮
Si no tiene traducción dejo la suscripción
You can turn on the captions & press auto-translate.
Why isn’t fast fashion considered taboo with the eco-health conscious? Shouldn’t the (EPA)tree-huggers be calling out these fast fashion designers??
It's driving me crazy that you title & just launch into discussing things in your video's, using terms like "fast fashion" or "slow fashion"??? I have no idea what those terms mean???!!! Shouldn't you explain at the beginning of your video? When you don't, I have to Google the term & hope what comes up is an explanation that aligns with what you're referring to. It's annoying! Gah! Rant over...I'm appreciating your video's, even if many of the styles you show wouldn't work on my body type. Leggy (tall?) and thin, you can wear styles that wouldn't look good on many of us! Lucky you!
Oops! Finally was disappointed. My reason for avoiding fast fashion is not about keeping the clothes out of landfill. It is because the business of these fast fashion makers includes slave labor, toxic waste dumps, befouling waterways and, in fact keeping those “humans” (often children) you speak about IN poverty. Most importantly, I try to do as little as possible that isn’t in line with my values. There are a number of great UA-cams which speak against fast fashion, but are really creative about affordable fashion choices. Alyssa, I suspect you’re a nice person, and I’ve enjoyed your podcasts, but am signing off. Too bad, but the latest polyester blazer is not really very important to me.
Hmmm, then you must not have seen all of her videos.