Another bad thing is that brands that used to make high-quality clothes have been adopting fast-fashion practices to increase their profits, especially by using dirt-cheap synthetic, polluting fabrics and by using developing-world factories with unsafe and unfair practices. Ralph Lauren, is one example, a brand I used to love. Last fall they had a pleated skirt that I looked at, but $400 for a 100% polyester skirt? I bought a silk one from a responsible brand instead, for a lot less, but of infinitely higher quality.
Ugh, this. I'm not a minimalist but a conscious shopper, and one of the things I am most careful about is fabric. Not just for environmental reasons but also for style -natural materials just feel, drape, and age better. For work I like to have a pair of black and navy slacks in suiting wool, and it used to be a pretty straightforward purchase. Now, in three years, they became nonexistent or above $450. For a second I thought it was just me, or that designers were finding new, better poly fabrics. Wrong! (Looking at you, Vince).
This is crazy! My mom has clothes from the 80s that are still in perfect condition. She's my greatest example that quality products + taking good care of your clothes always pays off.
true. I've got a pair of gym trousers from my mum that are 30+ years old and they look like I'd bought them yesterday. She's taught me to always use mild laundry detergent and never tumble dry my cloths and my wardrobe lasts for years
When I was about 16 I discovered a dress in my mums wardrobe that she got when she was the same age as I was back then. She wore it for 10 years until it became to small for her. I happily wore that dress for almost 20 years up until recently. Now I put some weight on so it no longer fits, but as soon I loose weight I will put that dress back on. It’s almost 50 years old now :)
My mom is the same! ❤️ actually my mom is and has always been a whole model! She reuses water, never waste food, she had never over consumed, she is amazing in that matter! Well, she is European, from the 1950’s so, her habits and culture are completely different than what we see nowadays, I am thankful to have so much from her too!
The common misconception is that more clothes mean a better style but that’s untrue. My style improved when I started to own less. Not more. What was lacking was education. I’m happy there are stylists like you teaching us what we need to know to create great style
The problem related to this is that the fashion industry lets people believe that there are trends you have to follow, that's why a lot of people buy the things regulary on trend and switch most of it out for new trends. It would be much better to realise which style is the one that fits you and stick to it, maybe even having a timeless style. But that would sell less clothing, so they don't tell anybody...
I grew up in a non-western country and I would consider Zara to be extremely expensive when I was a college student. Then I came across Justine’s videos and I was strongly impacted by the messages conveyed through this channel. I stopped buying new clothes and started to value quality over quantity. Even though I would still purchase cheap clothes (and only cheap clothes ) that were mostly made in China and Bangladesh, I started to wear them for many years, own fewer pieces, and only purchase new pieces when I was really sure they’re my style and I’d wear them for years. It’s very hard to completely stay away from fast fashion brands but we can enact the concept of sustainable fashion nonetheless. It’s not about buying expensive clothes but about cherishing clothes that we wear.
Yes I think the perception of such brands really depends on where you are in the world - e.g. I remember Zara being at least 3x more expensive in Brazil than the UK. Over there, McDonald's was even somewhere people would dress up a little for (compared to the UK's very casual attitude towards its fast food prices). I think unless you're rolling around in mud or wearing your clothing in incredibly strenuous situations, it should last a while even if it's fast fashion (the other big culprit is tumble drying instead of naturally air drying clothes).
You’re right, not everyone can buy only sustainably, ethically produced clothes. Sounds like you are doing the most you can to be ethical in your approach to fashion, while still staying within your budget. That’s a big step forward, and really all we should be asking is for people to be conscience of the effect their decisions have and mitigate the negatives as much as possible.
About eight years ago, I was invited to a murder mystery dinner party with a 1920’s theme. I had no clothing that would do. I went to a charity shop and found the perfect dress. I spend less than $10. My purchase, being second hand, had no carbon footprint. I wore that dress to multiple events, received numerous compliments for it, and it’s still in my closet. Sustainable fashion isn’t hard…it just takes a moment’s pause.
@@user-no2mz9hl4f Sadly not everywhere in the world second hands are the thing (and that's wild but true). In many non-western, developing countries there never existed, some due to culture, some due to other factors. And I agree they are wonderful option for many people - they are also out of reach for even more...
@@miramari732 I didn’t know that. Even so, I feel like a lot of the fast-fashion market are people who could easily go to a charity shop, but for whatever reason choose not to. I’ve met a lot of people who will buy everything - and often - on Shein when I know they have other options.
I am from China and working as a sourcing manager in US garment industry. Your video is so close to my heart. Many times I wanted to leave this industry because it’s wasteful nature. With fast fashion brands as powerful players, all heritage brands are forced into over producing and cutting costs. I am the one does all the costing as well. It breaks my heart every time I have to cheap up designs to meet the market target price.
We have to 'make it fashionable' to keep and wear the same clothes over and over. That is one of the ways to CHANGE how things are now. I notice (since the 80s when I lived in Paris, in the garment district) that actual designers will have one look that they wear every day!!!
@Lou K I think this would make an excellent classroom resource in schools and religious education/ community center education sites. Excellent as always Justine!
Thank you for exposing this terrible problem. I'm a lady of a certain age and I was raised in middle class America. No malls full of cheap clothes bought by customers who shop every weekend as a hobby. We shopped in September for our school and cold weather wardrobe. School shoes, coats, and well made clothes that were cared for and passed on to younger family members. Often, some items were "lent" to other kids that my mother taught in school. Spring, same routine including play clothes and sneakers. A dressy coat, shoes, proper attire for special occasions. (For me, a hat and white gloves.) Quality construction and materials were emphasized. My mother taught me how to sew expertly. Believe it or not, my prom gown was a Vogue pattern by Oscar de la Renta sewn by myself with my mother's help. Stunning and no other girl compared. I still sew. As an adult, I bought the best items I could afford and very few. Building a good wardrobe requires discipline, self knowledge and planning. I now live in one of the most affluent areas in the world and am retired. I never shop the exclusive couture stores ever. Instead, I buy a few consignment shop items that fit my style and only in perfect condition. I then donate a few items in perfect condition to a good charity resale shop that is well known to local gals who may need career attire and accessories that may be just out of reach. It's a win win situation for everyone.
I had a similar experience growing up. My mom was an excellent seamstress so I would pick out what I liked from fashion magazines, then go shopping with my mom for patterns and fabric. I recently popped into a store that sells ready to wear from brands like Dior, Chanel and Hermès and couldn’t find anything as well made as what my mom used to make. That said, I’ve always gone shopping for fun on weekends. You don’t have to buy anything to enjoy shopping. I’ll go downtown and enjoy a coffee, sometimes a meal, with friends or family. On warm summer nights I’ll go to the tourist area with its cobblestone streets, visiting boutiques and shops both high end and low. That’s how I’ve learned about brands and labels that I look for secondhand. I rarely bother with consignment because their clothes are usually too big and I don’t care to pay their markup. Much of what I wear comes from thrift stores. I pay attention to quality not labels. I’ve actually found some pieces from Zara Basics that I’ve had and worn for over five years. I take care of my clothes and keep them a long time. If it’s a classic and is good quality I’ll store it away until it comes back into fashion. This summer I’ll be wearing a silk wrap maxi skirt that I bought secondhand in the mid to late nineteen eighties - it’s been so long that I don’t remember the exact year - and haven’t worn for over twenty years. It’s still in excellent shape, doesn’t look dated and works with tops I bought brand new or have thrifted.
There's a saying in Finnish that applies very well to fashion: "a poor person can't afford to buy cheap". It of course doesn't apply to every single situation, but if you're able to invest just a little into your most used items, you should. High quality pieces will be cheaper in the long run.
There is a similar saying in Germany. “I’m too poor to buy cheap” and also “those who buy cheap will buy twice”. I don’t always follow through with this but I am trying.
In Poland we say "co jest tanie to jest drogie", m meaning "what is cheap is exexpensive," and some other variations of it in different regions. Soo true!
Almost all brands moving to a “fast fashion” model and the quality tanking is what finally pushed me to learn to sew. I don’t save any money, but I can make sure the fabric is ethically sourced and of good quality. It’s 1000x more effort, but it’s worth it imo
I have sewn since childhood. With sewing knowledge and a few patterns, you can purchase vintage garments and fabrics and re-purpose them - a wonderful creative challenge. I sew, too, and as a seamstress, all your garments are custom made, will fit beautifully and are uniquely you - congratulations!
The other week, a friend and I were skimming a book about proper etiquette etc from the 1950s. Watching this just now, I had to think back to the list of garments it said every young woman should own to be well equipped. I believe it was something like four outfits for summer and winter each, an evening and a cocktail dress and a few blouses. It was expected that they would be well taken care of if damaged. Today, if someone says they own four outfits for each season, people would gape and assume they were joking, precisely because fast fashion has become so ingrained into society. All the points made here I have discussed with people myself, but I think the one about shein actually having toxic substances on their garments is probably the one that struck me most. Definitely going to send this to all my friends who argue about that... Thank you for once again shedding light on some fast fashion myths, it's eye-opening every time!
I’ve done the same thing as I’m intentionally building a wardrobe with sustainable and quality products and brands I’ve gone back to history from bridal trousseaus to etiquette and home econometrics for what is recommended.
Yes! For those interested in history of fashion & how drastically its changed I HIGHLY recommend 2 book: •How Luxury Lost Its Luster •The Lost Art of Dress
I grew up thrifting. My mom was the queen of that. She grew up poor and had very little. That woman could restyle, alter, reuse, repair ANYTHING! She knew how to care for clothing, too. It was a great education for me. I am thankful for all I have, and for her resourcefulness she taught me.
@@punkaakee I haven't seen a single Shein piece at a thrift store, however I'm from Europe so that might be why. US thrift stores on the other hand might have a lot more.
A few years ago there was a documentary on Netflix about this that made me full-on sob. It opened my eyes and I no longer look at a store full of clothes the same way! I had worked at a women's clothing store throughout my 20s and was suddenly so ashamed for having been part of this monster. Justine, I am so thankful for videos like this... please never stop talking about this!
Thank you for this, Justine. Could you make a video suggesting brands that exist in between fast fashion and luxury brands that make quality pieces made to last?
When brands have too much stuff, I end up buying less. I get overwhelmed and indecisive then bail on my cart because I feel like I can't check out without seeing everything.
Thank you Justine! Could you make a video of the brands that are responsible? That could be really helpful for some of us that want to be more thoughtful with our purchasing habits but don't know where to start 😊
Elk The Label is an Australian brand that I shop at, who are very transparent about where their clothes are made, sourcing their supply chains (down to 4th tier which is really difficult) and trying to invest in more eco fabrics and quality pieces that last longer.
goodonyou has a directory of sustainable brands at a variety of price points and styles! Just as forewarning, you're not going to be able to find sustainable fashion at Shein and H&M prices (some people seem to expect this but it's just incompatible with the idea of sustainable fashion) but if you can get into the mindset of "this is just how clothes actually cost" then it's a pretty good resource. You can also see how brands do based on their environmental impact, human impact and animal impact in order to find brands that match your values and priorities.
This is overwhelming. I'm trying hard to quit buying into trends and finding my style. I'm older and want to look fashionable but not at the cost of the planet and people suffering. We need to be reminded of this frequently. Thank you for sharing this message.
Trends last such a short time, by the time you've bought the item it's unfashionable. Choose to wear what you personally think is beautiful and don't worry about the rest. Also, if you have a " better off" area nearby, like a few towns over, check out their charity/thrift shops. I live in a poor area so the clothes resold are shien and poor quality. But if I travel to a richer area, it's much better! Good luck! :) x
@@JBUHJBUH Yes, obviously we still have to be responsible about what we obtain and how we dispose of it; my point is that being socially/environmentally responsible in clothing choices is not necessarily incompatible with being fashionable.
As a human being I am ashamed to know what we are doing to other human beings and to our beautiful Mother Earth. What the fast fashion brands are doing is nefarious and I do hope that someday someone will pay for this terrible and disgusting reality. Justine, thank you so much for your videos which are always very informative and real. You are a true ray of light and integrity in a UA-cam world of superficiality,nonsense and BS.
As a young girl in my twenties, my closet was tiny...2 dresses, 2 skirts, 5 tops, 3 pants for casual, 1 or 2 coats. I'm ashamed to say that 40 years later I have 2 closets plus a coat closet with so many choices I couldn't possibly wear them all. I am, however, shopping much less for more sustainable brands and mostly using what I already own...never too late to change!
Another bad trend is all the influencers constantly hawking Walmart, Target, and Amazon. I confess, I've been influenced by them. But you are correct, we need to change. I grew up poor and I think that has been a factor in my overbuying. I'm trying to do better and videos like this help a lot.
I don't watch them so they don't influence me at all. But, these companies are sending them product for free to write reviews. Of course, just about every review is 5 star whether it actually is or not. Just a few weeks ago, I was shopping for a certain type of product. My search takes me to Target. Several of a certain brand had very high marks and I thought this product must work well. Just about every review was from influencers who received it for free. I did not buy it.
I only have influencers that don't buy into fast fashion now for this reason. Someone said to me (career wise), surround yourself with people who inspire you and that is what you shall become. I've taken it into all parts of my life, find myself a lot more relaxed and in control (especially with purchases!)
So true. I bought a pair of Rick owens pants and they ripped after less then 3 weeks. And I have shein pants and everything I get from shein tends to last at least a year yeat and a half to 2 years but I’d rather spend cheaper and get the same type of thing
This is why I learnt to sew and knit my own clothes. When you have to spend a long time making something, you look after it and wear it for many years. I am careful where I source my fabric and wool and support local producers who care about their products. I also use a vintage sewing machine. I try to inspire others to learn these skills (which I learnt from utube videos!).
This is such a great approach. Justine, could you design just one or 2 basic patterns for beginners to make clothes from, like an informal top and some wide-leg trousers ? Sorry, that might be a silly idea from your point of view ! - perhaps we should just buy more of your clothes 🤣
@boozie1918 there are tons of great pattern companies out there: love notions; itch to stitch; cashmerette; closet core; pattern emporium; friday pattern company; Helen's closet; sew over it; pattern scout; sinclair patterns; wardrobe by me.... to name just a few.
If you are paying very little for your new clothes, someone in the supply chain is paying the price. Usually the workers making the clothes for pennies in poor working conditions. When you can buy something that has been shipped halfway across the world for less than it costs you to ship a package to the next town, something is VERY wrong. Thank you Justine for continuing to highlight the dark side of fast fashion.
That's what i always comment... With clothing and food we eat daily. If you want cheap and only pay a little, everyone in the chain gets their share so how much there is for the first person in chain?
What about those of us who don't want to buy Charity Shop, stinking tat for our families, or ( like me) cannot afford to buy more for Clothes? And no, I work hard, long hours (13 hour or more shifts) I'm NOT TAKING UP SEWING.
@Jacqueline Hattersley ... While I'm a little bothered that you ignored the issue op was talking about (other people paying the price for us to buy clothes cheaply) to talk about how all the alternatives aren't for you... I can say as someone who went through the dame thing that the only solution is to buy less. We all need way less clothes than we are taught to want so even if you don't have the time and money to buy higher quality clothes you can help by managing what you have and picking what you buy carefully so it can suit your wants and need. So basically, if you need yo buy fast fashion buy it but buy less. Much less.
I live in Brazil... Last year Shein had grown 300% in my country. Local brands turn to be very expensive for most people after the pandemy for a lot of reasons (taxes, inflation, economical crisis, feedstock problems etc.) and suddenly everyone was buying clothes from Shein because they like the prices and infinity options. Brazilian big fashion brands are now in trouble because people stopped buying from it, and we cannot judge... the prices just don't match the quality. I aways buy clothes from small stores (with products made in Brazil) or wait for good sales so I can buy better quality with better price. Most people are unaware - or they just don't care - about the mass production and polyester problems and it's VERY concerning. :(
I hope things improve for Brasilian brands, they have one of the best style/design of clothes. I'm constantly checking out various brands websites and making a list of things to check out (Ill only buy what I need) when I visit family.
Brazil seems to be specifically targeted by multi-nationals like Shein and Nestle, with the sinister intention of corrupting the local marketplace and harming the population - whether through sugar poisoning or driving local industry out of business. Boycott these terrible firms.
Also for good/natural clothes you have to be careful in washing, ironing and etc. You got to give them a proper care. And wear them responsibly. And for cheap ones you can just swoop altogether in washing machine and do not care for temperature (40C is always OK) or washing liquids. It is VERY convenient both for students and for mothers-of-two and more. I choose cheap every time. I do not want to waste very little time for myself I have after work to separate washing expensive wool/silk clothes. And you cant just leave it worn to wait a month for washing. It will be damaged forever. Also I bought last year under 9 pcs of clothing so you do not HAVE TO buy lots if you buy cheap. Even Shein things easily last for 2 years. That is enough to become tired of it and get a new one. It would be great if sewing 4-5 things would be affordable and nice looking... But for now all my orders for a plain pants ended up in more than 200usd for work+fabric. It is unbelievably expensive. But! Shoes must be always good in quality. No ways to cheat here :(
I have been doing capsule wardrobe and haven’t shopped at Zara and H&M in 3 years. Even recently started to learn sewing so I can make some of my own clothing. Hope to keep it going.
I would be grateful for an updated video of brands/stores that you would recommend for those a budget but wanting to built a quality wardrobe, AND for those who have kids who are growing fast. I am going through your videos and researching, but I would just love more info. Thank you Justine. I adore you and your commitment to everything. It extends far beyond fashion. Thank you.
I remember being so excited at Christmas and on my birthday as a child as we would receive a new outfit and sometimes a few little extras if mum and dad could afford it. Now new clothes are just an everyday thing. Often cheap and nasty that when you receive them, you won't wear them because they are so poorly made, so unlike the website pictures have shown. I have bought second-hand pieces of better quality recently. But in truth, I have far more than I will ever need. Thank you, Justine, for these heartbreaking facts that we all need to pay attention to, for the worlds sake 🌎 ❤
I am so down hearted after watching. The fashion industry also likes to say, "Oh but old clothes go in the charity bin and the poor wear them,' but that's a lie - there are so many used clothes out there that even poor people have a wide choice! And vintage clothing is a rip off - they price the clothes even higher than what they were in the shops originally - this scares off the young people who want to buy used clothes.
I went to goodwill a couple of weeks ago and they raised the price of a dress to about 12.00 for a standard Express or Target brand. I am not sure what they are doing because its almost cheaper to buy a new dress.
I love buying vintage clothing and feel it is a great alternative to fast fashion (and is much more fashionable - if you know what is trending, you can find it in vintage clothing!) HOWEVER it is such a huge reselling market out there for it, the only economical options for vintage clothing are thrift stores because of the gigantic mark up on Poshmark etc. And sadly, the sellers are oftentimes buying their pieces FROM THRIFT STORES and gouging us $40+ for a $3 skirt. The system is broken 😢
This is a good point. In the US, the chain thrift stores (Goodwill, Salvation Army) caught on to the people who were buying the clothes there and reselling it on Poshmark for a high price, and they raised their prices to the point where the prices are the same as the super-cheap fast fashion stores.
It's actually even worse than that, because clothes are often made from recycleld plastic, which is actually not as much a recycleable resource as we think it is, most plastic from bottles can not be recycled into new plastic bottles again and therefore ends up in the clothes. Clothes that are abundant in our western world will be sent to developing countries where they don't have a good system for doing trash collection and recycling, so that leads to them ending up in garbage patches that also pollute the ocean in return. I think people by now have started to pick up that we have a problem with plastic, but we focus on very odd angles, like the discussion around microplastic is still not really giving any conclusive evidence that it could be harmful, but it is very clearly harmful when this stuff is in the oceans and fishermen end up fishing out more plastic than fish. If you care to hear from my experiences, that are rather anecdotal but still experiences: I know two people that decided to move to Ghana to battle this problem. One is a guy that grew up in Switzerland and figured that Ghana could be included in an international trade, if they were to collect the trash from the streets and recycle the plastic, it would create workplaces and clean up the place aswell. So he ran into many problems, the biggest one being the one i already mentioned about plastic not being as recycleable as he thought it would be. he still managed to hire people, had to destigmatize the work with dirt and trash, and he actually did end up with some contracts in germany and sent some of the cut up plastic back to europe, but he is not the first person that went there and lost this battle with getting the financial means to do this I haven't checked lately if his project is still going, but he's been investing and investing for 5 years and ran into basically just trouble while the problem is progressively getting worse. The second person is my sister. She just loved the place and has worked in the fashion industry for years and was really eager to do fair trade work, but the answer she got from all ends was, that child labour is necessary and that fair trade really just translates into trying to provide for the children that do the work because someone has to pay for their sick parents and maybe providing them with education is going to change this problem sometime in the future. So she eventually started her own company and actually goes to Ghana and meets the designers and she has actual physical control over whether or not there is any child labour taking place. The problem really is, that to some degree this is considered cultural appropriation, it's also not really profitable to go out of your way like that, and trying to get people to buy some alternative clothes from Ghana during covid was rough. her company survived and the pictures she posts on social media look very professional and she's actually really good at this job, but the fact of the matter is, that this is not a way fo making money. She is okay with doing that, her hope still is that one day she can invest back into the people that work there, so they can start educating more people and creating more workplaces that give more families an opportunity to sustain themselves. So both these people are very dedicated an inspiring to me personally because they just run with their good intentions and try to make it work, but I hope you can somewhat understand the type of struggle they're dealing with. We have such a problem and we're straight up ignoring it.
And as someone who's often looking in the charity shops - "all the clothes" aren't there. It's always horrible dated junk. I'd wager very little of the donated clothing goes to a charity shop. Probably because most people throw it out ("donate it") still dirty and stinking.
In the 1980s I was a fashion designer/dressmaker. Fortunately, I did not have to support myself alone but I gave up after a few years of feeling badly about having to charge customers even as much as a minimum wage for myself. Clothes were available just sooo cheaply. Thank you for continuing to champion this injustice and awakening the north american conscience. It is difficult for each of us to reconcile but we must try! Thank you Justine.
Some hard truths I needed to hear, thank you. I will now only shop at second hand stores and discover sustainable and local brands with natural textiles and without the use of harmful chemicals. I mostly got my clothes from Shein, as I didn't find my style in other shops. Thanks to your video, I will now never shop at Shein or any of the fast fashion brands anymore. It's a promise I will make. For my own health, the health of my future children and the health of the world.
I’m very much into recycling and not wasting. My sister often sends me her used clothes that are still in great condition, just she has enough money to buy, buy, buy without thinking. I recently moved and came across a top she had sent me years ago. I still love it but it’s too big for me now. I absolutely love the colors & print and have not been able to give it up or recycle it. Yesterday, while once again unpacking it, I decided that I liked it so much I would cut it up and make it into a pillow, thereby still enjoying it. We must think outside the box and reuse what ever we can. Old cotton towels are sent to my dogs bin to use to dry them off, then they are finally cut up into squares to use to wipe down counters and use in place of paper towels ( how I detest paper towels). We need to use what we buy until they literally fall apart. I have a wonderful collection of old Indian ‘kantha’ blankets. When Indian women have saris they can no longer wear, they save them and fashion blankets out of them by layering the old beat up saris and sewing them all together with a good sari on the outside. They are beautiful works of art and practical as well!
I really appreciate this video. I thrift my clothes where possible and try my best not to buy fast fashion but I can't help but feel overwhelmed at the sheer scale of the problem after watching this. Hopefully with more people like you educating us, the fashion mindset will eventually change.
I'd be really interested in knowing whether certain mid-range brands are ethical as it can be very hard to assess. For example, Sezane market themselves as a sustainable choice but lately they've been producing more and more collections and they've also introduced sales, which they used to avoid (retitled 'archives'). I'm no longer convinced they're a sustainable choice but it's so hard to tell.
unfortunately, you're right to be sceptical about Sézane. "Good on you" gives them a "2 out of 5" rating, saying (among other things): "Sézane is not taking adequate steps to ensure payment of a living wage for its workers." I would also be interested in a video series about mid-range brands - I would love to get more information than I can find on platforms like this
Second that. I am shocked Sezane is making a new release twice a week! How is it sustainable? I personally buy some clothes from them because I still find them excellent quality and I know i'll wear these basics for a decade. But the "shop more more more" attitude from them really makes me sad, to say the least.
@@traumgewitter7324 Every single thing I have from Sezane, it was made in Italy or Portugal. Not sure about the post you reply, as I don't know the quantity they make, I did notice they make more collections in clothing section in particicular not of bags, belts or shoes, but I do have for instance one Ralph Lauren belt made in Vietnam.
@@josipag2185 not sure about Sezanne, haven't researched it. But be aware that regulations permit to state "Made in X" when over n% of the work was applied there, the fabric is from there, OR the item was *finished* in that country -as in, the sewing of the zippers.
Justine, as always, thank you so much for this highly educative and informative video. You absolutely DO change lives :) As for the argument "I'm not earning enough to buy anything but fast fashion" - I personally find it is a very powerful trap in which I have been for years and years. When I finally started creating my capsule with more expensive sustainable clothes, I collected for the charity all the clothes I wasn't wearing - bought in Primark, HM etc... - and I literally had dozens of kilos. Tons of stuff I was never wearing because of how badly it was sown, how it lost its shape after one wash, and also of things which don't suit me, bought without much consideration because "well! it's cheap!" And I said to myself - there are literally hundreds and hundreds of euros in these bags, because you don't see how much you spend at the end of the day. 5 euro here, 15 euro there... and at the end it makes hundreds, whereas instead of 10 t-shirts for 10 euro, I could have bought 1 shirt for 100 which would flatter my silhouette, and serve me for years. Fast fashion is not cheap - because clothes don't last and you need to splurge more. But they make us think they are affordable - and for me it was the biggest mental trap. I really hope this mentality can be changed. Thank you, Justine
My mother has always tought me to have the standard white blouse, black dress, … etc. To stay away from plastic clothes. Invest in quality clothes that last longer. And my own rules: Try to avoid chemicals, and cheap clothes still come at a cost.
I despise how overlooked these issues are by the people around me, even my own mom insists she wants to try and buy from shein's website sometime soon even though I've constantly told her how harmful it is, these brands really prey on people's misinformation and lack of monetary resources, I've been poor my whole life so I know how it feels to see something you've been wanting your whole life finally somewhere within reach. I managed my way around this by buying second-hand but my mom doesn't like this bc she thinks it's "dirty", as if new clothes weren't stored in wharehouses filled with rats oh well- thanks you so much for making this video! I will def share to my friends interested in fashion :)
Clothes can store bad smell of sweat. Some so much that it cannon be improved by aroma of even the best fabric conditioner. Synthetics the most, then cotton, then linen and hemp. Maybe at least convince her to buy better fabrics I heard Uniqlo has those, H&M also offers those.
I think the problem is not only the fast fashion stores but ourselves. In the last few years (15+years) people just want to have everything and a lot of it. The FOMO that Justine mentioned. It is hard work but I really fight temptation of buying just cuz is "affordable".
I did notice that my favourite clothing stores just didn’t have the same quality of garments that they used to, and I found the fabrics made in Bangladesh were really cheap looking and feeling, and I had read articles that showed that particular fashion labels were withholding payment to the factories from Bangladesh when Covid hit. I refused to take any part in that - disgraceful. So I started sewing garments about two years ago, joined the online sewing community, embrace slow fashion, and I am definitely more intentional about my wardrobe. Plus, it’s fun!
Honestly I’m a bit jealous, that you managed avoiding H & M. I bought some stuff from Ali Express in 2018 once (which is kind of similar platform to shrink: cheap stuff from China) but as a teenager and young adult I could not buy good quality stuff so I started to buy mostly in H & M. Thankfully the pandemic helped me to reduce the buys to 1-2 per year. I don’t like to order stuff online (also because workers like from Amazon are payed poorly) so the best what happened to me in pandemic was fast fashion detox. I guess people are really scared to missing trends, which also shows that most of them don’t have a style. It’s so cruel to play witch customers emotions in such a cheap way tbh.
I sometimes buy socks from h&m. I tend to buy brands (not as expensive as those big names but still brands). And i wear it as long as it's not broken. And when it's not for public anymore, i can use at home. I have never cared what others might think. And i mostly buy for a need.
Very, very important knowledge. It is hard to discipline yourself to look differently at the clothes you buy and wear, but it is of crucial importance. As a mother of a 5-year-old, I face the horrific turnover of children's clothes. I am trying to exchange clothes as much as possible to make sure that one piece is worn by at least two or more kids, but this is not enough. People are buying so much, especially for kids, especially cheap clothes. These clothes are not durable and end up in the garbage bin quickly. I really cannot see a way out of this.
I’ve been a merchandiser for over 30 years, and I started working for Ann Taylor last year as a merchandise manager. They literally have a new collection every single month and I’m here to tell you that it is physically defeating. The amount of boxes that come in every week and every single piece of clothing comes in its own tiny little plastic bag that has to be ripped open (my elbows literally burn after a shipment comes in) and that little piece of clothing has to be put on a hanger and those pieces of clothing have to be hung on a rack typically on the second level so you’re up and down the ladder all day. The quantity will blow your mind!!! Not to mention the amount of markdowns that are still in the stockroom because there’s not enough space on the sales floor because there is such a back up of unsold clothing. And you can tell from the merchandise that’s coming in new that the designers are completely out of ideas. The entire staff struggles to find anything cute to buy lol and my elbows are still hurting
And the quality of all of that has declined so much! Ann Taylor used to have wonderful clothes that would last. Now they're selling at the same price point but nothing lasts. It's so depressing.
You are 100% correct. The stitch type, the stitch spacing, the cutting of the fabric, the type of fabric, the fabric dye, etc are all very low quality. Most of the customers don’t notice. It’s wild
@@renarettinger8523 I do notice the lower quality, but AT is one of the few brands that respects petites. Employees are almost always helpful. I used to sew, but finding good fabric has become more difficult. So I still buy AT.
Thank you for speaking out about these dishonest companies. I don't buy any clothes from any of them, as I don't want to support fast fashion, and I doubt that they don't use sweat shops to manufacture these garments so quickly. Whilst I can't afford designer clothing, I make choices to buy the best quality garments I can afford, that are manufactured ethically, and I don't buy that many clothes a year. I sometimes go three years before needing to buy replacements.
Respecting your opinion however re manufacturing IMO it is difficult to distinguish what exactly is dishonest companies when we have labels for example like Ralph Lauren whose garments at one time where manufactured in the USA under stringent laws BUT are now being created in places like China, then shipped back to the USA then 'packaged' and sold under the guise as being American made and/or an American brand.
me too! I admit that for kids I still buy fast fashion... even though there are clothing brands that are ethical, right in front of my house, that sell for kids. there's my excuse? I learned a new thing.
I think one of the biggest contributors to increased demand for clothing is social media. So many fashion influencers produce content showing themselves with "hauls" from various stores, and show themselves in new outfits all the time. Even if you are just watching to get ideas for your current wardrobe, I think it makes the average person want more things. These videos are often sponsored by fashion companies and they work. I myself have purchased items promoted by fashion influencers. I realize the irony of me making this comment after watching a video on You Tube, but I think most people would benefit greatly by restricting their time on social media. It would make us a lot healthier as a society in many ways. That said, I do appreciate this information and the easy access to information I get from media. This was a very interesting and informative video. I love that Justine cares about people and their work conditions!
A related issue is that social media is always promoting new trends. Lots of people don't want/know how to build a wardrobe of quality basics and then add trendy accessories, and end up constantly chasing the latest new style.
I do occasionally like to watch what people buy, but I’m not really influenced by them. I usually go back to what I like, but I will try to buy less in the future (and I’m not even the person who would buy a lot of clothes compared to others). When I do buy then I tend to buy clothes that last. I just started trashing my 10 year old T-shirts that started having holes on them.
In general I agree but there are some creators that promote more eco friendly approaches to fashion (like shopping 2nd hand, how to improve your outfit with different small changes, how to style one piece in different ways, etc.) As with most things, the problem lies not with the medium itself, the challenge is sifting through the dirt in order to find the golden nuggets.
This is the best video I've seen on fast fashion. Thank you for tackling the annoying excuses people make. I buy most of my clothes from charity shops, but I still had a realisation about how my expectations about clothing durability have been corrupted. I bought a pair of shoes recently, quite cheap shoes. People had complained that shoes from this brand didn't last long. My first thought was "well, you pay for what you get". But then I had a think. I've owned cheaper shoes than this that have lasted years of daily use. At what point did it become expected, let alone acceptable, that even cheap shoes might fall apart after just a few wears? Shouldn't all items be expected to last? The warranty on their shoes is 6 months, which made me realise that they KNOW their products won't last. 6 months is a shockingly short time, and the worst part is they brand themselves as an "ethical" company. I won't be buying from them again.
I remember the first video you made on this topic - it has contributed greatly to me stopping buying in these shops altogether. Right now the only new clothes that I buy are shoes and intimates. As to the rest I am doing to the second-hand shops and then I try to find the better-quality brands and materials. If I have clothes that I no longer wear, I donate them or simply give them away. But I guess I have it easier than most, as I've always hated shopping (I worked in retail too long to enjoy it).
I decided to keep a minimal number of clothes after watching your videos on fast fashion. I shop less (almost never), save money, keep my closet organized and, most importantly, try not to contribute to this chaotic industry. Thanks s lot for your brave and state of the art videos on this topic.
Thank you for talking about this. I have stopped subscribing to influencers that do Amazon/Zara/HM/whatever hauls. I don’t know if you recall that our clothes used to be made in Vietnam. Their labor law at the time were super protective of laborers, with proper pay, bathroom breaks and so on. Companies got greedy and moved their factories to cheaper countries with no labor protection like Bangladesh. Vietnam lost a lot of jobs and had to loosen its labor laws to lure them back. Many chose not to go back. Does anyone remember the 400 women that died in a clothing factory’s fire in Bangladesh? Yeah, that is the cost of cheap fashion and no labor protection. I changed my shopping habit once I learned of the fact. I shop my old closet and if I need anything, I try to buy better quality items so that it will last beyond one season and it is not a one off item. I reuse the same special occasion dresses that I have owned forever. My friends do not care and strangers do not know. This is the minimum I can do to not support the system.
Merci Justine. This is a good counterpoint to all those fashionistas videos reviewing fast fashion companies. The problem is not how badly they fit and how cheaply they are made, but how harmful they are.
As I'm watching this I am "reinventing" a top I got last summer by removing this busy embroidery around the neckline I no longer care for. Shopping smart to begin with is key but it is also good to do what we can to extend the useful items of our garments. Great video! Corporate green washing is a major problem.
Thank you for sharing this knowledge. Many people don't know that the fashion industry is an environmental hazard and support fast fashion brands in order to "stay in style". When I was a teen I truly feared that my clothes were outdated and I saw someone with new clothes everyday. Thanks to your channel I learned to find the best clothes for me, that last longer, how to care for them, and I learned how to style them. I have a diverse, consistent and small collection of clothes that I know go together with everything. Thanks to you, I have only purchased 6 clothing items in 2022, that have already been worn to near death. It has been a wonderful ride! I always suggest your channel to my friends and family.
Thank you for sharing this information, Justine. Would you consider starting a series on ethical and sustainable fashion brands that you would consider buying?
This. Give us viable alternatives of companies that care about workers, the environment , that use natural fibres and produce quality long lasting clothes.
Elk The Label is a good one :) They are very transparent about where their clothes are made and try and source their supply chain down to the 4th tier. They also do their best to use sustainable fabrics and a less is more approach.
Dear Justine, Thank you for bringing this up again. I was one of these people who would say, but if we don't buy it, people don't have a job. And then I decided if fast fashion were the only way to afford clothes, I would buy less, only what I needed and only high quality. So thanks to your videos, I started to look at the zippers, seams, and materials and see if the patterns were cut correctly. I also have turned to my mother, a tailor who had her own shop previously, to make me garments that I like. It is a blessing.
I am now retired so don’t buy clothes anymore unless underwear or shoes have worn out, though shoes don’t often wear out. I used to work in women’s fashion stores so know how wasteful they are in all sorts of ways, but there needs to be more publicity about the shameful way they operate and manipulate the public with advertising. Please keep making these and informing us, thank you Justine.
You are amazing Justine. I think you are changing the world in so many more ways than you can imagine. Awareness is everything. That whole expression, "Retail therapy" is so sad and lonely. Reaching out to material goods to feel better? What about your neighbours, friends and family? The connection to another is the urge but it is getting twisted into a material "need". Much like addictions (which so-called retail therapy is becoming), the urge is for spiritual knowledge but it gets twisted into a seeking for euphoria the "fast fashion" way. The whole fast fashion phenomenon is not sustainable as you say. It's wasteful, destructive, enslaving and mindless. It will stop. One day when the world is a mere husk of what it once was.
Chère Justine, thank you for your commitment to nuance, positivity, and rigour in research. For me, the nuance I've been contemplating on these issues falls into two main ideas: a) I have different question for my friends who live firmly in the 'middle class' or higher income levels, than I do for people who are struggling to pay rent and food--I find it hard to blame a single mom working 2 jobs for buying her teenager's clothes at H&M, because most teenagers want the latest trends; and b) my increasing frustration with how some can be vocal on social media about the history of slavery and it's impacts, and yet seem oblivious to the fact that the clothes they are wearing are made in modern-day, not-quite-but-almost slave conditions in the global south. Global economic empires create abuses, as political empires did in the past. I am always reminding myself not to become cynical.
I'd say it depends how much clothing the single mum would be buying. Is it only what the teenager needs? Or is it just to fulfill some fashion trends? If it's just for the teenager to look trendy, I'd tell the teen to learn to sew themselves. It's easy to be ethical and save money if you use old fabric or secondhand fabric to create clothing yourself.
Also kids and teens ruin their clothes almost everyday... And if not than they just overgrow garments so fast that it is useless for the next season/year. No point in buying good things. I can wear 10usd tshirt for five years and go on. Kids do not have that option.
@@MissEvelynx That's really not true. Maybe for younger children, but not as a teenager. I rarely got new clothes - my parents and their friends exchanged children's clothing among each other (because something one child just outgrew perfectly fits another child) up until my teens, and once I was old enough, I wore many of my Mum's clothes too. The main thing my parents needed to buy from time to time were trousers, but tops and shoes and outerwear are quite durable, and after a certain age, you don't outgrow those quite as quickly anyway. I had mostly the same wardrobe throughout at least four or five years during my teens.
Evey time you have a video like this, it really hits home. I started sewing my own clothes during the pandemic. That REALLY opened my eyes to the poor quality in stores generally, but ESPECIALLY fast fashion. Also, how much cost cutting there must be to enable these companies to sell these items at rock bottom prices because I really know how long it takes and what it costs to make even a simple shirt myself. The fact that the employees are also treated so shockingly poorly, I don’t know how we can live with ourselves.
I did some research on the environmental impact of fashion a few years ago and understood that people wear clothes on average about 8 times before they toss it. I bought stuff I tossed sooner than that because it fell apart the first time I wore it. Now I am dedicated to slow fashion - I make most of my clothes. It takes a while but keeps my hands busy while watching YT videos. 😊
Greetings from California. Bonjour. Merci beaucoup for great fashion classes. Many years ago, we studied at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising- San Diego & LA. These videos are definitely appreciated. Happy holidays from our channel.
I also hate that shopping was taught and ingrained into us as a social activity. As if 'consuming' is a hobby that is done regularly with our friends and family :( I have been reflecting about this lately myself because I don't want to contribute to over consumption anymore, and realized the most difficult part isn't not getting new clothes but rather finding other ways to spend quality time with people in our busy lives. I know this isn't impossible by any means, but I personally have always gone shopping with my mom and cousins or my friends, and it just was always a fun bonding day. But that has to change too!
Good point about changing the way people socialize to avoid over-consumption -- must you wear new clothes to a party? Must you dress to impress? Must you wear your identity on your sleeves? If our society is less superficial, there would not be as big a market for fast fashion.
My friends and I do arts and crafts days together, and if you're like us you might have drawers loaded up with old art supplies or weird things holed up from yard sales and hand-me-downs to get creative with. I've been cutting up junk mail and making collages lately
This is kind of similar to something I was thinking about the other day - I had noticed that in the past my mum's overconsumption problem had affected me and I had ended up with so many clothes that I don't even wear. I would often impulse buy when on a shopping trip with her. Even to this very day she has 2 wardrobes that are filled to the absolute brim and a large chest of draws yet she still has to store jumpers under her bed and still orders from shein and freemans quite often. As much as I love my mum I have to admit this negative habit of hers has not been a good influence on me, and it also proves how important it is to sort your problems out before your kids start to become negatively influenced by them. Not just for their sake, but for your own as well.
I make my own clothes,even knickers! If you spent hours lovingly making a blouse you are going to look after it. You also realise how quickly and badly fast fashion is made.
That's very strange because I own two crop tops from h&m 6 years ago which ive worn every summer, and still do. I do take care of my clothes very well so maybe it's just that
I’m working on this too, sewing my own wardrobe. Another thing I notice is that once I know all the work and material costs that go into making something, seeing similar and often poorly made items on a shop rack for $15, it just turns my stomach to think about what percentage of that went to the person o made it. Would I value my own labor at less than a dollar? Of course not! Factory workers deserve to be paid fairly.
@PH: I have sewn for years and agree with you however, now find even the fabrics in many cases are inferior and non-sustainable comparing them to that of years ago. (I'm 75 years of age.)
Hello, I would so appreciate if you could do a video about brands that are not luxury, not very expensive but reliable, and produce long lasting good quality clothing.The brands you trust. Thank you!
I have lots of old high end fashion pieces my aunt left me and I cherish them and wear them everyday, BUT they are harder to take care of. I always have to go to the dry cleaner or always have to iron them because they are in natural material, for me the good part of fast fashion is paradoxically that I wash the pieces at home and since they are awful material they don’t even wrinkle. I put them in my luggage and I know they’ll be just fine when I arrive to my destination. That’s the most value I find in them.
After watching you for a while I started to spend more on individual pieces. I recently, due to illness, had to give up work. Thankfully I know that now my clothes will last more than one or two wears and as a bonus they are easier to repair!
Thank you for this video. I have read the articles about the mountains of clothes in these countries and it was eye opening. I am also tired of influencers on UA-cam etc constantly pushing Zara, H&M, Shien and other fast fashion and their weekly hauls. I have stopped watching many of them because of the push for over consumerism and FOMO ( “you need this!”, “run don’t walk!”). I unfortunately have fallen in to the fast fashion trap. I have noticed low quality or even stores that years ago made better clothing that lasted years now producing clothes that mess up after a couple of washes and poor fabrics. This video was the needed eye opener and reminder about owning less at a higher quality and the harm of fast fashion at all levels.
Thank you, Justine! I personally never had the problem of buying more clothes than needed and always go for better quality, but still I love to learn new things from you. I recently experienced that FOMO effect in ZARA, when i went looking for a specific item I needed, and noticed that the collection has changed in a few weeks. I already bought a great dress in ZARA and all of a sudden there were new beautiful dresses and summer blouses and skirts that i really wanted to buy! It was difficult to make myself leave without trying any of it on. And that feeling "these clothes change so fast and they might be gone in 2 weeks if I decide i do want and need them" WOW i did feel that fear! And I'm one of those conscious buyers!
I have been trying lately to be way more conscious of what I buy, occasionally 'slipping up' and getting just a couple pieces from fast fashion stores. Your video really hit home. No more fast fashion. That sweater I really want? If I really want it that bad, I'll just knit it myself (and probably get something I love way more and longer than something store-bought).
Most of the people buying fast fashion are those who can't afford proper clothing like myself. It is easy to say to save money and "invest" but I kid you not IF ever I saved enough money for proper clothes then I will definitely use it for something more important than my clothes. Consider that not all people can have that much money ready on their pockets. For context, in my country.. H&M and ZARA.. even Uniqlo are already too expensive.
This is SO interesting! I predominantly buy from tiny brands lately - and one of my favorite things about it is that the clothes don't change frequently at all. So I can see something and know it's still going to be there a few months later, because they're only introducing new designs once or twice a year! And there are some really reasonably priced options from small/ethical companies. Pact Organic is my go-to and Cotton Flower Clothing is great as well! And they're not crazy expensive - really comparable to like an Ann Taylor.
I've noticed that @@bethmccall9254 ! I stopped ordering from there for anything but men's undershirts because I felt like the stuff just wasn't worth the cost. Had way better luck on Etsy lately.
Thank you for making this video, you inspired me to clean out my two (yes two!) closets which were so full of fast fashion that I hardly had any space. I donated almost half of my wardrobe and strive to be more sustainable and minimalist with my wardrobe. I imagine all that money I spent on fast fashion pieces I’ve never worn could have bought more expensive staples that I would wear regularly. It’s sad how fast fashion has millions of people with closet full of clothes they never wear.
do you have a list of the brands you would recommend buying from? for someone who doesn't have time to do a proper research but don't want to contribute to fast fashion anymore. Would be amazing if you could make a video about that!
Thank you for helping people understand the disaster that is fast fashion and that the greenwashing is hiding the continuing tragedy. Let’s all make noise this fashion revolution week. 💜
The only issue is that it's difficult as a very plus size person (UK 24) to find decent clothing. I do buy secondhand as much as possible, especially with a limited budget
Justine, thank you for graciously delivering truths that are hard to hear. I think a complement to this is the reminder that we can't buy our ways into being the person or having the life we desire, we need to take actions to create ourselves/our lives. Embracing this mindset makes us less vulnerable to marketing. ♥
So true!! Thanks for this informative video! I also noticed that the quality of the materials used to make the clothes these days feels so inorganic! I can’t stand touching it and can’t even imagine wearing it! It’s garbage and my body literally rejects it!
My biggest problem is that I am so used to Primark prices that in comparison everything is so expensive. I find it difficult to find mid-range clothes. I can either buy from the high street brands (Zara, New Look, H&M, etc) or really nice clothes from the department stores. And the thrift shops are mostly selling second hand high street brands...
Thank you so much for your intelligent discussion of this complex problem. I have changed my shopping habits in many ways to live lighter on our beautiful planet. I "shop" in my own closet by packing up part of my wardrobe, then unpacking it a couple of months later. Quelle surprise - feels like new clothing!
Fabric and composition are not the only determinants of clothing quality. In addition, most people associate quality with durability, but the reality is that clothing nowadays are durable and can outlast us: the design is more likely to wear out than the seams. Quality is conceptual and can mean different things to different people: quality of design, aesthetics, craft, etc.
Watching this channel after a while. Loved the myth busting. Fast fashion is inextricably tied to the attention economy of Facebook, Pinterest and similar companies. See ad -->spend money to buy something you don't need ---> brag about it --> get some one else to see it ---> someone else sees ads or just buys ---> repeat.
Another excellent video, thanks so much! A topic I would be interested in would be looking at fabrics (especially natural ones like cotton or lyocell) from a sustainability standpoint from production to end of life (lifecyle analysis). How does a fabric break down/does it break down at all if you put it in these landfills? Ideally they'd be collected and recycled of course but we are far from that I am afraid. While I am not able to afford the best garments as a student right now, I try to at least not buy anything with polyester (or similar) because I don't want to contribute to more plastic waste :/ The only thing I can't seem to cut out is Elastane because of the nice stretching qualities it has (nice for underwear and such). Is there alternatives for this?
You're so on point! I've been following the horrors of fast fashion for over a decade now and, as impossible as it seemed, it got worse. Thank you for this video, you provide information, if someone decides to continue shopping fast fashion, it's not due to ignorance.
Coucou Justine, very interesting, as usual. Personnally I've quit shopping many years ago... I buy very few and never from these brands. In France we also see that these giants of fast fashion harm the existing brands and shops (camaieu, promod etc.) ... so it is a vicious circle. 15 years ago I tried to boycott any item made in Asia, and buy from brands such as Maje etc. and then they began to produce in Asia as well. So the question of poor quality overpriced is also key. Overall I have the feeling that the quality of clothes has been decreased sharply this decade. Thank you for pointing ot the environmental cost as well !
Thank you Justine I agree with you and have over the last yr or two been thinking about my purchasing habits. I've finally decided to ditch fast fashion completely and buy only quality garments that cost more but buy less in quantity. I think thats a good first step cos, it'll take 6mths to afford to purchase a great Cashmere Sweater where as, buying 6 sweaters of various colours of lower quality yarn etc feels quite uncomfortable now I've watched your vids and its been pointed out what tactics are used to draw us in so, thanks again👍🏼🌻 I've decided to take the same stance with footwear too, no more cheap shoes the same thing must be going on with Footwear too. In NZ we have the shoe warehouse or no1 shoes that only last a year before they break down and lost structure etc. Whats happening in North Chile with discarded clothing looks horrendous when you thing we're all using that country as a dumping ground for our throw away's just awful.
This was just what I wanted to watch: someone I trust (I'm a several-year follower) telling me directly what's going on behind what I see when I go to the mall and street shops. Indeed the "conscious" label and return of garments for recycling got me thinking something was perhaps getting better. I really needed to hear the news in Justine's voice so that I don't normalize the behaviour of buying fast fashion. Truly, I am so thankful to have access to this... I love all of Justine's content, but the one where I learn about fast fashion, about how to check for good garment construction or about what the best brands like Patagonia are doing brings real value to my life.
I find shopping and making choices of what to buy exhausting. It's so much easier to wear same model / color that you know fits you. Problem is that producers take them off production and you have to figure out what fits all over again.
Thank you for this video, everyone needs to see this. I have given up fast fashion rather recently (during the pandemic, I did not get out of the house so I didn't need new clothes) and now I have discovered one local shop, one store and one factory, which produces a limited number of clothing. I am happy to support a local business who produces quality clothes, even if they are more expensive.
👍 Thanks for addressing this issue. I've been aware for over a decade also. I purchase much less than the average consumer, and choose legitimate green fashion products, also. Sadly it's very hard to find work appropriate clothes in plus sizes from most sustainable designers. So much is frumpy, ill-fitting, and only available online. I would love to see a video recommending brands for both office attire and special events.
Agreed. A very thought provoking video. I saw a program on Guyana and the huge pollution issue due to landfill. I recently moved across the country and donated half of my wardrobe to charity. Tags were still on on many of the items! I will think twice before I make another fashion purchase. I have always incorporated thrift and vintage items.
Well...this is difficult. I can basically only afford fast fashion and having worked in the industry I also know that a high price tag does not necessarily equate to good quality and ethical production. That's why I admit to still buying it. But in my defense I only bought a handful of pieces in the last four, five years, average one or two pieces per year. I also thrift, buy second hand and take good care of my clothes so that I can wear them for many years even if it is HM or Zara. Never bought Shein, because it truly is the worst of the worst. I hope this is a reasonable compromise.
I have to agree. Most of my fast fashion pieces have been staples in my wardrobe for years. I have found some pieces that were more well made than more ethical brands.
You know your own Budget and ,living conditions . Don't be made to feel judged and guilty by these Holier than thou people. You do you, let them do them. You do your best, thats all anyone can do x
Your content is amazing. Unfortunately when you do online research for clothing it immediately shows tons of fast fashion options, and you start to believe that these are the only brands on Earth. It happened to me recently and it took me a long while until I found what I wanted, ethically and locally made (and within my price range). Thank you for this much needed video, love from Brazil.
I realise I am coming from an unusual position on this - I wear a uniform for work, I collect and wear original 1930s/40s vintage clothing which in the main I collected 10 - 20 years ago when prices were more reasonable, and I also knit and sew reproduction clothing of that era from original patterns and natural fabrics. I have a very small collection of 'modern' clothing, mainly t-shirts and about two pairs of jeans which I have had for years, BUT I cannot see how people think they can consume so much Fast Fashion in poor quality fabrics and think it is ok, that it doesn't have an effect on themselves, other people and the environment. We all have choice and need to change our habits! Thank you Justine for bringing this to wider attention. I hope it will spread so more people understand the damage of such a system.
Excellent and very eye opening video. Thank you. My Grandma used to say we live in a throwaway world. Sad but true. We need to smarten up and take better care of our planet. I hope this video gets many more views! Thanks again.
Another bad thing is that brands that used to make high-quality clothes have been adopting fast-fashion practices to increase their profits, especially by using dirt-cheap synthetic, polluting fabrics and by using developing-world factories with unsafe and unfair practices. Ralph Lauren, is one example, a brand I used to love. Last fall they had a pleated skirt that I looked at, but $400 for a 100% polyester skirt? I bought a silk one from a responsible brand instead, for a lot less, but of infinitely higher quality.
So true. It would be interesting to uncover those brands.
Where did you buy the silk skirt? I’m looking for some good quality garments. ❤🙏🏼
@@Inanitas_ may i suggest Lilly Silk?
Ralph Lauren 😢
Ugh, this. I'm not a minimalist but a conscious shopper, and one of the things I am most careful about is fabric. Not just for environmental reasons but also for style -natural materials just feel, drape, and age better. For work I like to have a pair of black and navy slacks in suiting wool, and it used to be a pretty straightforward purchase. Now, in three years, they became nonexistent or above $450. For a second I thought it was just me, or that designers were finding new, better poly fabrics. Wrong! (Looking at you, Vince).
This is crazy! My mom has clothes from the 80s that are still in perfect condition. She's my greatest example that quality products + taking good care of your clothes always pays off.
true. I've got a pair of gym trousers from my mum that are 30+ years old and they look like I'd bought them yesterday. She's taught me to always use mild laundry detergent and never tumble dry my cloths and my wardrobe lasts for years
When I was about 16 I discovered a dress in my mums wardrobe that she got when she was the same age as I was back then. She wore it for 10 years until it became to small for her. I happily wore that dress for almost 20 years up until recently. Now I put some weight on so it no longer fits, but as soon I loose weight I will put that dress back on. It’s almost 50 years old now :)
I'm literally reading this wearing my mum's trousers that are like 20 years old and still look brand new
My mom is the same! ❤️ actually my mom is and has always been a whole model! She reuses water, never waste food, she had never over consumed, she is amazing in that matter! Well, she is European, from the 1950’s so, her habits and culture are completely different than what we see nowadays, I am thankful to have so much from her too!
I took so many things for granted. I wish I still had my clothes from the 60s through 90s.
The common misconception is that more clothes mean a better style but that’s untrue. My style improved when I started to own less. Not more. What was lacking was education. I’m happy there are stylists like you teaching us what we need to know to create great style
This is so true!!
I had a similar experience. My closet is now better thought out and curated.
The problem related to this is that the fashion industry lets people believe that there are trends you have to follow, that's why a lot of people buy the things regulary on trend and switch most of it out for new trends. It would be much better to realise which style is the one that fits you and stick to it, maybe even having a timeless style. But that would sell less clothing, so they don't tell anybody...
same. It takes creativity to work existing pieces into styles
@@bennyton2560 and education. You need to constantly look at other peoples outfits to train your eye
I grew up in a non-western country and I would consider Zara to be extremely expensive when I was a college student. Then I came across Justine’s videos and I was strongly impacted by the messages conveyed through this channel. I stopped buying new clothes and started to value quality over quantity. Even though I would still purchase cheap clothes (and only cheap clothes ) that were mostly made in China and Bangladesh, I started to wear them for many years, own fewer pieces, and only purchase new pieces when I was really sure they’re my style and I’d wear them for years. It’s very hard to completely stay away from fast fashion brands but we can enact the concept of sustainable fashion nonetheless. It’s not about buying expensive clothes but about cherishing clothes that we wear.
Yes I think the perception of such brands really depends on where you are in the world - e.g. I remember Zara being at least 3x more expensive in Brazil than the UK. Over there, McDonald's was even somewhere people would dress up a little for (compared to the UK's very casual attitude towards its fast food prices).
I think unless you're rolling around in mud or wearing your clothing in incredibly strenuous situations, it should last a while even if it's fast fashion (the other big culprit is tumble drying instead of naturally air drying clothes).
You’re right, not everyone can buy only sustainably, ethically produced clothes. Sounds like you are doing the most you can to be ethical in your approach to fashion, while still staying within your budget. That’s a big step forward, and really all we should be asking is for people to be conscience of the effect their decisions have and mitigate the negatives as much as possible.
About eight years ago, I was invited to a murder mystery dinner party with a 1920’s theme. I had no clothing that would do. I went to a charity shop and found the perfect dress. I spend less than $10. My purchase, being second hand, had no carbon footprint. I wore that dress to multiple events, received numerous compliments for it, and it’s still in my closet. Sustainable fashion isn’t hard…it just takes a moment’s pause.
@@user-no2mz9hl4f Sadly not everywhere in the world second hands are the thing (and that's wild but true). In many non-western, developing countries there never existed, some due to culture, some due to other factors. And I agree they are wonderful option for many people - they are also out of reach for even more...
@@miramari732 I didn’t know that. Even so, I feel like a lot of the fast-fashion market are people who could easily go to a charity shop, but for whatever reason choose not to. I’ve met a lot of people who will buy everything - and often - on Shein when I know they have other options.
I am from China and working as a sourcing manager in US garment industry. Your video is so close to my heart. Many times I wanted to leave this industry because it’s wasteful nature. With fast fashion brands as powerful players, all heritage brands are forced into over producing and cutting costs. I am the one does all the costing as well. It breaks my heart every time I have to cheap up designs to meet the market target price.
Hello , I am in Shanghai. I promote more of up-cycling.
We have to 'make it fashionable' to keep and wear the same clothes over and over. That is one of the ways to CHANGE how things are now.
I notice (since the 80s when I lived in Paris, in the garment district) that actual designers will have one look that they wear every day!!!
This should be taught in every school in the West. Thank you Justine for giving us the facts.
Well I teach my students. I even started an environment course where we talk about such topics. One group is doing a clothing swap event.
Exactly what I think. We need to start having this conversation in schools, at every level.
I was just thinking the same!
What about families/guardians!? My family is the one who taught me to be sustainable, not schools that are already overwhelmed with their curriculums.
@Lou K I think this would make an excellent classroom resource in schools and religious education/ community center education sites. Excellent as always Justine!
Thank you for exposing this terrible problem. I'm a lady of a certain age and I was raised in middle class America. No malls full of cheap clothes bought by customers who shop every weekend as a hobby. We shopped in September for our school and cold weather wardrobe. School shoes, coats, and well made clothes that were cared for and passed on to younger family members. Often, some items were "lent" to other kids that my mother taught in school.
Spring, same routine including play clothes and sneakers. A dressy coat, shoes, proper attire for special occasions. (For me, a hat and white gloves.) Quality construction and materials were emphasized. My mother taught me how to sew expertly. Believe it or not, my prom gown was a Vogue pattern by Oscar de la Renta sewn by myself with my mother's help. Stunning and no other girl compared. I still sew.
As an adult, I bought the best items I could afford and very few. Building a good wardrobe requires discipline, self knowledge and planning. I now live in one of the most affluent areas in the world and am retired. I never shop the exclusive couture stores ever. Instead, I buy a few consignment shop items that fit my style and only in perfect condition. I then donate a few items in perfect condition to a good charity resale shop that is well known to local gals who may need career attire and accessories that may be just out of reach. It's a win win situation for everyone.
Ви крута жінка! Поважаю Вас!
Ditto……still doing the same
I had a similar experience growing up. My mom was an excellent seamstress so I would pick out what I liked from fashion magazines, then go shopping with my mom for patterns and fabric. I recently popped into a store that sells ready to wear from brands like Dior, Chanel and Hermès and couldn’t find anything as well made as what my mom used to make.
That said, I’ve always gone shopping for fun on weekends. You don’t have to buy anything to enjoy shopping. I’ll go downtown and enjoy a coffee, sometimes a meal, with friends or family. On warm summer nights I’ll go to the tourist area with its cobblestone streets, visiting boutiques and shops both high end and low. That’s how I’ve learned about brands and labels that I look for secondhand. I rarely bother with consignment because their clothes are usually too big and I don’t care to pay their markup.
Much of what I wear comes from thrift stores. I pay attention to quality not labels. I’ve actually found some pieces from Zara Basics that I’ve had and worn for over five years.
I take care of my clothes and keep them a long time. If it’s a classic and is good quality I’ll store it away until it comes back into fashion. This summer I’ll be wearing a silk wrap maxi skirt that I bought secondhand in the mid to late nineteen eighties - it’s been so long that I don’t remember the exact year - and haven’t worn for over twenty years. It’s still in excellent shape, doesn’t look dated and works with tops I bought brand new or have thrifted.
@Cancer Journey Good luck with your treatment - wishing you a full recovery. Best wishes with your channel, stay inspired and stay inspiring.
Great points made!
There's a saying in Finnish that applies very well to fashion: "a poor person can't afford to buy cheap". It of course doesn't apply to every single situation, but if you're able to invest just a little into your most used items, you should. High quality pieces will be cheaper in the long run.
There is a similar saying in Germany. “I’m too poor to buy cheap” and also “those who buy cheap will buy twice”. I don’t always follow through with this but I am trying.
This saying comes in many societies, sometimes not so obvious a saying.
So so true, though!
"It's expensive to be poor" is what we say in Denmark. Definitely goes for clothing too.
In Poland we say "co jest tanie to jest drogie", m meaning "what is cheap is exexpensive," and some other variations of it in different regions. Soo true!
Cost per wear - I have things I paid a bit more for but have worn thousands of times.
Almost all brands moving to a “fast fashion” model and the quality tanking is what finally pushed me to learn to sew. I don’t save any money, but I can make sure the fabric is ethically sourced and of good quality. It’s 1000x more effort, but it’s worth it imo
I have sewn since childhood. With sewing knowledge and a few patterns, you can purchase vintage garments and fabrics and re-purpose them - a wonderful creative challenge. I sew, too, and as a seamstress, all your garments are custom made, will fit beautifully and are uniquely you - congratulations!
The other week, a friend and I were skimming a book about proper etiquette etc from the 1950s. Watching this just now, I had to think back to the list of garments it said every young woman should own to be well equipped. I believe it was something like four outfits for summer and winter each, an evening and a cocktail dress and a few blouses. It was expected that they would be well taken care of if damaged.
Today, if someone says they own four outfits for each season, people would gape and assume they were joking, precisely because fast fashion has become so ingrained into society. All the points made here I have discussed with people myself, but I think the one about shein actually having toxic substances on their garments is probably the one that struck me most. Definitely going to send this to all my friends who argue about that...
Thank you for once again shedding light on some fast fashion myths, it's eye-opening every time!
not just Shein... all cheap prints and dyes are toxic... which means all fast-fashion brands.
I’ve done the same thing as I’m intentionally building a wardrobe with sustainable and quality products and brands I’ve gone back to history from bridal trousseaus to etiquette and home econometrics for what is recommended.
Yes! For those interested in history of fashion & how drastically its changed I HIGHLY recommend 2 book:
•How Luxury Lost Its Luster
•The Lost Art of Dress
I grew up thrifting. My mom was the queen of that. She grew up poor and had very little. That woman could restyle, alter, reuse, repair ANYTHING! She knew how to care for clothing, too. It was a great education for me. I am thankful for all I have, and for her resourcefulness she taught me.
I LOVE that! That's wonderful.
I live like that too and, it's so much more satisfying!
Thrift stores are full of SHEIN
@@punkaakee I haven't seen a single Shein piece at a thrift store, however I'm from Europe so that might be why. US thrift stores on the other hand might have a lot more.
A few years ago there was a documentary on Netflix about this that made me full-on sob. It opened my eyes and I no longer look at a store full of clothes the same way! I had worked at a women's clothing store throughout my 20s and was suddenly so ashamed for having been part of this monster. Justine, I am so thankful for videos like this... please never stop talking about this!
I saw that documentary . It’s shocking and really should be shown in schools . It also changed me.
What's the name of the documentary?
@@sadlaw2799 The True Cost
The true cost x
Thanks 😊
Thank you for this, Justine. Could you make a video suggesting brands that exist in between fast fashion and luxury brands that make quality pieces made to last?
I would love that.
I would love that too. I wish Justine would mention some brands so we know where to look for good quality at a reasonable price.
Yes, I would like that, too.
Yes agreed! Which stores/brands?
The Good On You app is really helpful for checking the ethical rating of fashion brands.
When brands have too much stuff, I end up buying less. I get overwhelmed and indecisive then bail on my cart because I feel like I can't check out without seeing everything.
Brilliant! I'm the same way; overwhelmed by TOO MUCH CHOICE, I just shut down!!
Thank you Justine! Could you make a video of the brands that are responsible? That could be really helpful for some of us that want to be more thoughtful with our purchasing habits but don't know where to start 😊
Yes please 🙏 I too feel like it is difficult to identify how ethical a brand is 👗👚🧤
Elk The Label is an Australian brand that I shop at, who are very transparent about where their clothes are made, sourcing their supply chains (down to 4th tier which is really difficult) and trying to invest in more eco fabrics and quality pieces that last longer.
YES THIS!! Would be super helpful🩵
goodonyou has a directory of sustainable brands at a variety of price points and styles! Just as forewarning, you're not going to be able to find sustainable fashion at Shein and H&M prices (some people seem to expect this but it's just incompatible with the idea of sustainable fashion) but if you can get into the mindset of "this is just how clothes actually cost" then it's a pretty good resource. You can also see how brands do based on their environmental impact, human impact and animal impact in order to find brands that match your values and priorities.
Yes that would be helpful
This is overwhelming. I'm trying hard to quit buying into trends and finding my style. I'm older and want to look fashionable but not at the cost of the planet and people suffering. We need to be reminded of this frequently. Thank you for sharing this message.
Trends last such a short time, by the time you've bought the item it's unfashionable. Choose to wear what you personally think is beautiful and don't worry about the rest.
Also, if you have a " better off" area nearby, like a few towns over, check out their charity/thrift shops. I live in a poor area so the clothes resold are shien and poor quality. But if I travel to a richer area, it's much better!
Good luck! :) x
I feel unless you work in a fashion space no one really cares what you’re wearing
One way to enjoy the trends is to have a wardrobe of quality basics, then get just the trendy accessories that work with your style.
@@myladycasagrande863 That can also be terrible for the environment - things like sequins contaminate the oceans with plastic & whatnot...
@@JBUHJBUH Yes, obviously we still have to be responsible about what we obtain and how we dispose of it; my point is that being socially/environmentally responsible in clothing choices is not necessarily incompatible with being fashionable.
As a human being I am ashamed to know what we are doing to other human beings and to our beautiful Mother Earth. What the fast fashion brands are doing is nefarious and I do hope that someday someone will pay for this terrible and disgusting reality. Justine, thank you so much for your videos which are always very informative and real. You are a true ray of light and integrity in a UA-cam world of superficiality,nonsense and BS.
True. Your sense of "style" comes at the cost of human misery.
@@danarzechula3769 Exactly. It is so sad and unacceptable.
Google "Ghana Used Clothing Markets". That's where it ends up, and clothes not sold there end up in landfills and the ocean.
So well said.
Thank you Justine. It takes courage to call this out. I’m glad you are working toward change. Keep up the good work.
As a young girl in my twenties, my closet was tiny...2 dresses, 2 skirts, 5 tops, 3 pants for casual, 1 or 2 coats. I'm ashamed to say that 40 years later I have 2 closets plus a coat closet with so many choices I couldn't possibly wear them all. I am, however, shopping much less for more sustainable brands and mostly using what I already own...never too late to change!
Another bad trend is all the influencers constantly hawking Walmart, Target, and Amazon. I confess, I've been influenced by them. But you are correct, we need to change. I grew up poor and I think that has been a factor in my overbuying. I'm trying to do better and videos like this help a lot.
I don't watch them so they don't influence me at all. But, these companies are sending them product for free to write reviews. Of course, just about every review is 5 star whether it actually is or not. Just a few weeks ago, I was shopping for a certain type of product. My search takes me to Target. Several of a certain brand had very high marks and I thought this product must work well. Just about every review was from influencers who received it for free. I did not buy it.
Target isn't even that cheap tbh, you'll be fine doing without
I only have influencers that don't buy into fast fashion now for this reason. Someone said to me (career wise), surround yourself with people who inspire you and that is what you shall become. I've taken it into all parts of my life, find myself a lot more relaxed and in control (especially with purchases!)
Almost agree. The problem is that the quality of more expensive brands is often as bad as quality of the cheaper ones...
So true. I bought a pair of Rick owens pants and they ripped after less then 3 weeks. And I have shein pants and everything I get from shein tends to last at least a year yeat and a half to 2 years but I’d rather spend cheaper and get the same type of thing
This is why I learnt to sew and knit my own clothes. When you have to spend a long time making something, you look after it and wear it for many years. I am careful where I source my fabric and wool and support local producers who care about their products. I also use a vintage sewing machine. I try to inspire others to learn these skills (which I learnt from utube videos!).
This is such a great approach. Justine, could you design just one or 2 basic patterns for beginners to make clothes from, like an informal top and some wide-leg trousers ? Sorry, that might be a silly idea from your point of view ! - perhaps we should just buy more of your clothes 🤣
@@boozie1918 try Tilly and the Buttons for starters x
Ditto!
@boozie1918 there are tons of great pattern companies out there: love notions; itch to stitch; cashmerette; closet core; pattern emporium; friday pattern company; Helen's closet; sew over it; pattern scout; sinclair patterns; wardrobe by me.... to name just a few.
If you are paying very little for your new clothes, someone in the supply chain is paying the price. Usually the workers making the clothes for pennies in poor working conditions. When you can buy something that has been shipped halfway across the world for less than it costs you to ship a package to the next town, something is VERY wrong. Thank you Justine for continuing to highlight the dark side of fast fashion.
That's what i always comment... With clothing and food we eat daily. If you want cheap and only pay a little, everyone in the chain gets their share so how much there is for the first person in chain?
What about those of us who don't want to buy Charity Shop, stinking tat for our families, or ( like me) cannot afford to buy more for Clothes? And no, I work hard, long hours (13 hour or more shifts) I'm NOT TAKING UP SEWING.
@@jacqueline8559 do u think the people you work with *actually* notice what you are wearing on the daily?
@Jacqueline Hattersley ... While I'm a little bothered that you ignored the issue op was talking about (other people paying the price for us to buy clothes cheaply) to talk about how all the alternatives aren't for you... I can say as someone who went through the dame thing that the only solution is to buy less.
We all need way less clothes than we are taught to want so even if you don't have the time and money to buy higher quality clothes you can help by managing what you have and picking what you buy carefully so it can suit your wants and need.
So basically, if you need yo buy fast fashion buy it but buy less. Much less.
I live in Brazil... Last year Shein had grown 300% in my country. Local brands turn to be very expensive for most people after the pandemy for a lot of reasons (taxes, inflation, economical crisis, feedstock problems etc.) and suddenly everyone was buying clothes from Shein because they like the prices and infinity options. Brazilian big fashion brands are now in trouble because people stopped buying from it, and we cannot judge... the prices just don't match the quality. I aways buy clothes from small stores (with products made in Brazil) or wait for good sales so I can buy better quality with better price. Most people are unaware - or they just don't care - about the mass production and polyester problems and it's VERY concerning. :(
I hope things improve for Brasilian brands, they have one of the best style/design of clothes. I'm constantly checking out various brands websites and making a list of things to check out (Ill only buy what I need) when I visit family.
I do the same buy small shop hand made ( if posdible)and all of my friends call me grandma,,but I feel happy first and proud ...
Brazil seems to be specifically targeted by multi-nationals like Shein and Nestle, with the sinister intention of corrupting the local marketplace and harming the population - whether through sugar poisoning or driving local industry out of business. Boycott these terrible firms.
Time to start an import business, come to Portugal, we will sell hm an Zara and old iPhones😂
Also for good/natural clothes you have to be careful in washing, ironing and etc. You got to give them a proper care. And wear them responsibly.
And for cheap ones you can just swoop altogether in washing machine and do not care for temperature (40C is always OK) or washing liquids. It is VERY convenient both for students and for mothers-of-two and more. I choose cheap every time. I do not want to waste very little time for myself I have after work to separate washing expensive wool/silk clothes. And you cant just leave it worn to wait a month for washing. It will be damaged forever.
Also I bought last year under 9 pcs of clothing so you do not HAVE TO buy lots if you buy cheap. Even Shein things easily last for 2 years. That is enough to become tired of it and get a new one.
It would be great if sewing 4-5 things would be affordable and nice looking... But for now all my orders for a plain pants ended up in more than 200usd for work+fabric. It is unbelievably expensive.
But! Shoes must be always good in quality. No ways to cheat here :(
I have been doing capsule wardrobe and haven’t shopped at Zara and H&M in 3 years. Even recently started to learn sewing so I can make some of my own clothing. Hope to keep it going.
Where do you shop? I don't mind spending a decent amount on a piece but I can't seem to find good quality
I would be grateful for an updated video of brands/stores that you would recommend for those a budget but wanting to built a quality wardrobe, AND for those who have kids who are growing fast. I am going through your videos and researching, but I would just love more info. Thank you Justine. I adore you and your commitment to everything. It extends far beyond fashion. Thank you.
Yes! I WANT to be sustainable. I don't mind spending more. But even when I do, I don't seem to get good quality. I can't trust reviews anymore.
I remember being so excited at Christmas and on my birthday as a child as we would receive a new outfit and sometimes a few little extras if mum and dad could afford it. Now new clothes are just an everyday thing. Often cheap and nasty that when you receive them, you won't wear them because they are so poorly made, so unlike the website pictures have shown. I have bought second-hand pieces of better quality recently. But in truth, I have far more than I will ever need. Thank you, Justine, for these heartbreaking facts that we all need to pay attention to, for the worlds sake 🌎 ❤
I am so down hearted after watching. The fashion industry also likes to say, "Oh but old clothes go in the charity bin and the poor wear them,' but that's a lie - there are so many used clothes out there that even poor people have a wide choice! And vintage clothing is a rip off - they price the clothes even higher than what they were in the shops originally - this scares off the young people who want to buy used clothes.
I went to goodwill a couple of weeks ago and they raised the price of a dress to about 12.00 for a standard Express or Target brand. I am not sure what they are doing because its almost cheaper to buy a new dress.
I love buying vintage clothing and feel it is a great alternative to fast fashion (and is much more fashionable - if you know what is trending, you can find it in vintage clothing!) HOWEVER it is such a huge reselling market out there for it, the only economical options for vintage clothing are thrift stores because of the gigantic mark up on Poshmark etc. And sadly, the sellers are oftentimes buying their pieces FROM THRIFT STORES and gouging us $40+ for a $3 skirt. The system is broken 😢
This is a good point. In the US, the chain thrift stores (Goodwill, Salvation Army) caught on to the people who were buying the clothes there and reselling it on Poshmark for a high price, and they raised their prices to the point where the prices are the same as the super-cheap fast fashion stores.
It's actually even worse than that, because clothes are often made from recycleld plastic, which is actually not as much a recycleable resource as we think it is, most plastic from bottles can not be recycled into new plastic bottles again and therefore ends up in the clothes. Clothes that are abundant in our western world will be sent to developing countries where they don't have a good system for doing trash collection and recycling, so that leads to them ending up in garbage patches that also pollute the ocean in return. I think people by now have started to pick up that we have a problem with plastic, but we focus on very odd angles, like the discussion around microplastic is still not really giving any conclusive evidence that it could be harmful, but it is very clearly harmful when this stuff is in the oceans and fishermen end up fishing out more plastic than fish.
If you care to hear from my experiences, that are rather anecdotal but still experiences:
I know two people that decided to move to Ghana to battle this problem. One is a guy that grew up in Switzerland and figured that Ghana could be included in an international trade, if they were to collect the trash from the streets and recycle the plastic, it would create workplaces and clean up the place aswell. So he ran into many problems, the biggest one being the one i already mentioned about plastic not being as recycleable as he thought it would be. he still managed to hire people, had to destigmatize the work with dirt and trash, and he actually did end up with some contracts in germany and sent some of the cut up plastic back to europe, but he is not the first person that went there and lost this battle with getting the financial means to do this I haven't checked lately if his project is still going, but he's been investing and investing for 5 years and ran into basically just trouble while the problem is progressively getting worse.
The second person is my sister. She just loved the place and has worked in the fashion industry for years and was really eager to do fair trade work, but the answer she got from all ends was, that child labour is necessary and that fair trade really just translates into trying to provide for the children that do the work because someone has to pay for their sick parents and maybe providing them with education is going to change this problem sometime in the future. So she eventually started her own company and actually goes to Ghana and meets the designers and she has actual physical control over whether or not there is any child labour taking place. The problem really is, that to some degree this is considered cultural appropriation, it's also not really profitable to go out of your way like that, and trying to get people to buy some alternative clothes from Ghana during covid was rough. her company survived and the pictures she posts on social media look very professional and she's actually really good at this job, but the fact of the matter is, that this is not a way fo making money. She is okay with doing that, her hope still is that one day she can invest back into the people that work there, so they can start educating more people and creating more workplaces that give more families an opportunity to sustain themselves.
So both these people are very dedicated an inspiring to me personally because they just run with their good intentions and try to make it work, but I hope you can somewhat understand the type of struggle they're dealing with. We have such a problem and we're straight up ignoring it.
And as someone who's often looking in the charity shops - "all the clothes" aren't there. It's always horrible dated junk. I'd wager very little of the donated clothing goes to a charity shop. Probably because most people throw it out ("donate it") still dirty and stinking.
In the 1980s I was a fashion designer/dressmaker. Fortunately, I did not have to support myself alone but I gave up after a few years of feeling badly about having to charge customers even as much as a minimum wage for myself. Clothes were available just sooo cheaply. Thank you for continuing to champion this injustice and awakening the north american conscience. It is difficult for each of us to reconcile but we must try! Thank you Justine.
Some hard truths I needed to hear, thank you. I will now only shop at second hand stores and discover sustainable and local brands with natural textiles and without the use of harmful chemicals. I mostly got my clothes from Shein, as I didn't find my style in other shops. Thanks to your video, I will now never shop at Shein or any of the fast fashion brands anymore. It's a promise I will make. For my own health, the health of my future children and the health of the world.
❤
I’m very much into recycling and not wasting. My sister often sends me her used clothes that are still in great condition, just she has enough money to buy, buy, buy without thinking. I recently moved and came across a top she had sent me years ago. I still love it but it’s too big for me now. I absolutely love the colors & print and have not been able to give it up or recycle it. Yesterday, while once again unpacking it, I decided that I liked it so much I would cut it up and make it into a pillow, thereby still enjoying it. We must think outside the box and reuse what ever we can. Old cotton towels are sent to my dogs bin to use to dry them off, then they are finally cut up into squares to use to wipe down counters and use in place of paper towels ( how I detest paper towels). We need to use what we buy until they literally fall apart. I have a wonderful collection of old Indian ‘kantha’ blankets. When Indian women have saris they can no longer wear, they save them and fashion blankets out of them by layering the old beat up saris and sewing them all together with a good sari on the outside. They are beautiful works of art and practical as well!
I really appreciate this video. I thrift my clothes where possible and try my best not to buy fast fashion but I can't help but feel overwhelmed at the sheer scale of the problem after watching this. Hopefully with more people like you educating us, the fashion mindset will eventually change.
I'd be really interested in knowing whether certain mid-range brands are ethical as it can be very hard to assess. For example, Sezane market themselves as a sustainable choice but lately they've been producing more and more collections and they've also introduced sales, which they used to avoid (retitled 'archives'). I'm no longer convinced they're a sustainable choice but it's so hard to tell.
unfortunately, you're right to be sceptical about Sézane. "Good on you" gives them a "2 out of 5" rating, saying (among other things): "Sézane is not taking adequate steps to ensure payment of a living wage for its workers." I would also be interested in a video series about mid-range brands - I would love to get more information than I can find on platforms like this
Exactely, I feel like nowadays we cannot believe anyone or anythink
Second that. I am shocked Sezane is making a new release twice a week! How is it sustainable? I personally buy some clothes from them because I still find them excellent quality and I know i'll wear these basics for a decade. But the "shop more more more" attitude from them really makes me sad, to say the least.
@@traumgewitter7324
Every single thing I have from Sezane, it was made in Italy or Portugal. Not sure about the post you reply, as I don't know the quantity they make, I did notice they make more collections in clothing section in particicular not of bags, belts or shoes, but I do have for instance one Ralph Lauren belt made in Vietnam.
@@josipag2185 not sure about Sezanne, haven't researched it. But be aware that regulations permit to state "Made in X" when over n% of the work was applied there, the fabric is from there, OR the item was *finished* in that country -as in, the sewing of the zippers.
Justine, as always, thank you so much for this highly educative and informative video. You absolutely DO change lives :) As for the argument "I'm not earning enough to buy anything but fast fashion" - I personally find it is a very powerful trap in which I have been for years and years. When I finally started creating my capsule with more expensive sustainable clothes, I collected for the charity all the clothes I wasn't wearing - bought in Primark, HM etc... - and I literally had dozens of kilos. Tons of stuff I was never wearing because of how badly it was sown, how it lost its shape after one wash, and also of things which don't suit me, bought without much consideration because "well! it's cheap!" And I said to myself - there are literally hundreds and hundreds of euros in these bags, because you don't see how much you spend at the end of the day. 5 euro here, 15 euro there... and at the end it makes hundreds, whereas instead of 10 t-shirts for 10 euro, I could have bought 1 shirt for 100 which would flatter my silhouette, and serve me for years. Fast fashion is not cheap - because clothes don't last and you need to splurge more. But they make us think they are affordable - and for me it was the biggest mental trap. I really hope this mentality can be changed. Thank you, Justine
My mother has always tought me to have the standard white blouse, black dress, … etc.
To stay away from plastic clothes. Invest in quality clothes that last longer. And my own rules: Try to avoid chemicals, and cheap clothes still come at a cost.
I despise how overlooked these issues are by the people around me, even my own mom insists she wants to try and buy from shein's website sometime soon even though I've constantly told her how harmful it is, these brands really prey on people's misinformation and lack of monetary resources, I've been poor my whole life so I know how it feels to see something you've been wanting your whole life finally somewhere within reach. I managed my way around this by buying second-hand but my mom doesn't like this bc she thinks it's "dirty", as if new clothes weren't stored in wharehouses filled with rats oh well- thanks you so much for making this video! I will def share to my friends interested in fashion :)
Clothes can store bad smell of sweat. Some so much that it cannon be improved by aroma of even the best fabric conditioner. Synthetics the most, then cotton, then linen and hemp. Maybe at least convince her to buy better fabrics I heard Uniqlo has those, H&M also offers those.
I think the problem is not only the fast fashion stores but ourselves. In the last few years (15+years) people just want to have everything and a lot of it. The FOMO that Justine mentioned. It is hard work but I really fight temptation of buying just cuz is "affordable".
I did notice that my favourite clothing stores just didn’t have the same quality of garments that they used to, and I found the fabrics made in Bangladesh were really cheap looking and feeling, and I had read articles that showed that particular fashion labels were withholding payment to the factories from Bangladesh when Covid hit. I refused to take any part in that - disgraceful. So I started sewing garments about two years ago, joined the online sewing community, embrace slow fashion, and I am definitely more intentional about my wardrobe. Plus, it’s fun!
Bring back when there was only 2 seasons in fashion! I've never bought anything from shein, primark or H & M in my life
I only acknowledge two anyway, regardless of what fast fashion dictates -- Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter.
Honestly I’m a bit jealous, that you managed avoiding H & M. I bought some stuff from Ali Express in 2018 once (which is kind of similar platform to shrink: cheap stuff from China) but as a teenager and young adult I could not buy good quality stuff so I started to buy mostly in H & M. Thankfully the pandemic helped me to reduce the buys to 1-2 per year. I don’t like to order stuff online (also because workers like from Amazon are payed poorly) so the best what happened to me in pandemic was fast fashion detox. I guess people are really scared to missing trends, which also shows that most of them don’t have a style. It’s so cruel to play witch customers emotions in such a cheap way tbh.
Same here. We had 2 seasons then wear a sweater over for spring and fall
I used to buy from h&m but, I’m trying to do better and not buy fast fashion anymore. I mostly buy used or get investment pieces.
I sometimes buy socks from h&m.
I tend to buy brands (not as expensive as those big names but still brands). And i wear it as long as it's not broken. And when it's not for public anymore, i can use at home.
I have never cared what others might think. And i mostly buy for a need.
Very, very important knowledge. It is hard to discipline yourself to look differently at the clothes you buy and wear, but it is of crucial importance. As a mother of a 5-year-old, I face the horrific turnover of children's clothes. I am trying to exchange clothes as much as possible to make sure that one piece is worn by at least two or more kids, but this is not enough. People are buying so much, especially for kids, especially cheap clothes. These clothes are not durable and end up in the garbage bin quickly. I really cannot see a way out of this.
I’ve been a merchandiser for over 30 years, and I started working for Ann Taylor last year as a merchandise manager. They literally have a new collection every single month and I’m here to tell you that it is physically defeating. The amount of boxes that come in every week and every single piece of clothing comes in its own tiny little plastic bag that has to be ripped open (my elbows literally burn after a shipment comes in) and that little piece of clothing has to be put on a hanger and those pieces of clothing have to be hung on a rack typically on the second level so you’re up and down the ladder all day. The quantity will blow your mind!!! Not to mention the amount of markdowns that are still in the stockroom because there’s not enough space on the sales floor because there is such a back up of unsold clothing. And you can tell from the merchandise that’s coming in new that the designers are completely out of ideas. The entire staff struggles to find anything cute to buy lol and my elbows are still hurting
And the quality of all of that has declined so much! Ann Taylor used to have wonderful clothes that would last. Now they're selling at the same price point but nothing lasts. It's so depressing.
You are 100% correct. The stitch type, the stitch spacing, the cutting of the fabric, the type of fabric, the fabric dye, etc are all very low quality. Most of the customers don’t notice. It’s wild
@@renarettinger8523 I do notice the lower quality, but AT is one of the few brands that respects petites. Employees are almost always helpful. I used to sew, but finding good fabric has become more difficult. So I still buy AT.
Same here, worked many years at H&M.. soo much plastic 🙁 I got a lot of skin problems from unpacking and the amount of boxes really is unbelievable
Thank you for speaking out about these dishonest companies. I don't buy any clothes from any of them, as I don't want to support fast fashion, and I doubt that they don't use sweat shops to manufacture these garments so quickly. Whilst I can't afford designer clothing, I make choices to buy the best quality garments I can afford, that are manufactured ethically, and I don't buy that many clothes a year. I sometimes go three years before needing to buy replacements.
Daisy, how do you check for ethnically?
Where do you shop?
Respecting your opinion however re manufacturing IMO it is difficult to distinguish what exactly is dishonest companies when we have labels for example like Ralph Lauren whose garments at one time where manufactured in the USA under stringent laws BUT are now being created in places like China, then shipped back to the USA then 'packaged' and sold under the guise as being American made and/or an American brand.
@@canukmrsbenyes, how do we know what was actually produced ethically?
me too! I admit that for kids I still buy fast fashion... even though there are clothing brands that are ethical, right in front of my house, that sell for kids. there's my excuse? I learned a new thing.
I think one of the biggest contributors to increased demand for clothing is social media. So many fashion influencers produce content showing themselves with "hauls" from various stores, and show themselves in new outfits all the time. Even if you are just watching to get ideas for your current wardrobe, I think it makes the average person want more things. These videos are often sponsored by fashion companies and they work. I myself have purchased items promoted by fashion influencers. I realize the irony of me making this comment after watching a video on You Tube, but I think most people would benefit greatly by restricting their time on social media. It would make us a lot healthier as a society in many ways. That said, I do appreciate this information and the easy access to information I get from media. This was a very interesting and informative video. I love that Justine cares about people and their work conditions!
A related issue is that social media is always promoting new trends. Lots of people don't want/know how to build a wardrobe of quality basics and then add trendy accessories, and end up constantly chasing the latest new style.
@@myladycasagrande863 So true!!
I do occasionally like to watch what people buy, but I’m not really influenced by them. I usually go back to what I like, but I will try to buy less in the future (and I’m not even the person who would buy a lot of clothes compared to others). When I do buy then I tend to buy clothes that last. I just started trashing my 10 year old T-shirts that started having holes on them.
In general I agree but there are some creators that promote more eco friendly approaches to fashion (like shopping 2nd hand, how to improve your outfit with different small changes, how to style one piece in different ways, etc.) As with most things, the problem lies not with the medium itself, the challenge is sifting through the dirt in order to find the golden nuggets.
I prefer thrifting clothes few times a year than fast fashion.
This is the best video I've seen on fast fashion. Thank you for tackling the annoying excuses people make.
I buy most of my clothes from charity shops, but I still had a realisation about how my expectations about clothing durability have been corrupted. I bought a pair of shoes recently, quite cheap shoes. People had complained that shoes from this brand didn't last long. My first thought was "well, you pay for what you get". But then I had a think. I've owned cheaper shoes than this that have lasted years of daily use. At what point did it become expected, let alone acceptable, that even cheap shoes might fall apart after just a few wears? Shouldn't all items be expected to last? The warranty on their shoes is 6 months, which made me realise that they KNOW their products won't last. 6 months is a shockingly short time, and the worst part is they brand themselves as an "ethical" company. I won't be buying from them again.
I remember the first video you made on this topic - it has contributed greatly to me stopping buying in these shops altogether. Right now the only new clothes that I buy are shoes and intimates. As to the rest I am doing to the second-hand shops and then I try to find the better-quality brands and materials. If I have clothes that I no longer wear, I donate them or simply give them away. But I guess I have it easier than most, as I've always hated shopping (I worked in retail too long to enjoy it).
I decided to keep a minimal number of clothes after watching your videos on fast fashion. I shop less (almost never), save money, keep my closet organized and, most importantly, try not to contribute to this chaotic industry. Thanks s lot for your brave and state of the art videos on this topic.
Same here.
Thank you for talking about this. I have stopped subscribing to influencers that do Amazon/Zara/HM/whatever hauls. I don’t know if you recall that our clothes used to be made in Vietnam. Their labor law at the time were super protective of laborers, with proper pay, bathroom breaks and so on. Companies got greedy and moved their factories to cheaper countries with no labor protection like Bangladesh. Vietnam lost a lot of jobs and had to loosen its labor laws to lure them back. Many chose not to go back. Does anyone remember the 400 women that died in a clothing factory’s fire in Bangladesh? Yeah, that is the cost of cheap fashion and no labor protection. I changed my shopping habit once I learned of the fact. I shop my old closet and if I need anything, I try to buy better quality items so that it will last beyond one season and it is not a one off item. I reuse the same special occasion dresses that I have owned forever. My friends do not care and strangers do not know. This is the minimum I can do to not support the system.
Merci Justine. This is a good counterpoint to all those fashionistas videos reviewing fast fashion companies. The problem is not how badly they fit and how cheaply they are made, but how harmful they are.
As I'm watching this I am "reinventing" a top I got last summer by removing this busy embroidery around the neckline I no longer care for. Shopping smart to begin with is key but it is also good to do what we can to extend the useful items of our garments. Great video! Corporate green washing is a major problem.
Thank you for sharing this knowledge. Many people don't know that the fashion industry is an environmental hazard and support fast fashion brands in order to "stay in style". When I was a teen I truly feared that my clothes were outdated and I saw someone with new clothes everyday. Thanks to your channel I learned to find the best clothes for me, that last longer, how to care for them, and I learned how to style them. I have a diverse, consistent and small collection of clothes that I know go together with everything. Thanks to you, I have only purchased 6 clothing items in 2022, that have already been worn to near death. It has been a wonderful ride! I always suggest your channel to my friends and family.
Thanks!!
Thank you for sharing this information, Justine. Would you consider starting a series on ethical and sustainable fashion brands that you would consider buying?
This. Give us viable alternatives of companies that care about workers, the environment , that use natural fibres and produce quality long lasting clothes.
That sounds like a great idea!!
I believe she has already done one.
Elk The Label is a good one :) They are very transparent about where their clothes are made and try and source their supply chain down to the 4th tier. They also do their best to use sustainable fabrics and a less is more approach.
Dear Justine,
Thank you for bringing this up again. I was one of these people who would say, but if we don't buy it, people don't have a job. And then I decided if fast fashion were the only way to afford clothes, I would buy less, only what I needed and only high quality. So thanks to your videos, I started to look at the zippers, seams, and materials and see if the patterns were cut correctly. I also have turned to my mother, a tailor who had her own shop previously, to make me garments that I like. It is a blessing.
I am now retired so don’t buy clothes anymore unless underwear or shoes have worn out, though shoes don’t often wear out. I used to work in women’s fashion stores so know how wasteful they are in all sorts of ways, but there needs to be more publicity about the shameful way they operate and manipulate the public with advertising. Please keep making these and informing us, thank you Justine.
I see most young women wearing graphic t-shirts and short jeans with cute holes, go figure, and the shorter the better. That’s it. 😂
Buy less, buy quality, buy local. Bravo, Justine, et merci!
You are amazing Justine. I think you are changing the world in so many more ways than you can imagine. Awareness is everything. That whole expression, "Retail therapy" is so sad and lonely. Reaching out to material goods to feel better? What about your neighbours, friends and family? The connection to another is the urge but it is getting twisted into a material "need". Much like addictions (which so-called retail therapy is becoming), the urge is for spiritual knowledge but it gets twisted into a seeking for euphoria the "fast fashion" way. The whole fast fashion phenomenon is not sustainable as you say. It's wasteful, destructive, enslaving and mindless. It will stop. One day when the world is a mere husk of what it once was.
Chère Justine, thank you for your commitment to nuance, positivity, and rigour in research. For me, the nuance I've been contemplating on these issues falls into two main ideas: a) I have different question for my friends who live firmly in the 'middle class' or higher income levels, than I do for people who are struggling to pay rent and food--I find it hard to blame a single mom working 2 jobs for buying her teenager's clothes at H&M, because most teenagers want the latest trends; and b) my increasing frustration with how some can be vocal on social media about the history of slavery and it's impacts, and yet seem oblivious to the fact that the clothes they are wearing are made in modern-day, not-quite-but-almost slave conditions in the global south. Global economic empires create abuses, as political empires did in the past. I am always reminding myself not to become cynical.
I'd say it depends how much clothing the single mum would be buying. Is it only what the teenager needs? Or is it just to fulfill some fashion trends? If it's just for the teenager to look trendy, I'd tell the teen to learn to sew themselves. It's easy to be ethical and save money if you use old fabric or secondhand fabric to create clothing yourself.
Also kids and teens ruin their clothes almost everyday... And if not than they just overgrow garments so fast that it is useless for the next season/year. No point in buying good things. I can wear 10usd tshirt for five years and go on. Kids do not have that option.
@@MissEvelynx That's really not true. Maybe for younger children, but not as a teenager. I rarely got new clothes - my parents and their friends exchanged children's clothing among each other (because something one child just outgrew perfectly fits another child) up until my teens, and once I was old enough, I wore many of my Mum's clothes too. The main thing my parents needed to buy from time to time were trousers, but tops and shoes and outerwear are quite durable, and after a certain age, you don't outgrow those quite as quickly anyway. I had mostly the same wardrobe throughout at least four or five years during my teens.
You have nailed the complexity of this issue!
Evey time you have a video like this, it really hits home. I started sewing my own clothes during the pandemic. That REALLY opened my eyes to the poor quality in stores generally, but ESPECIALLY fast fashion. Also, how much cost cutting there must be to enable these companies to sell these items at rock bottom prices because I really know how long it takes and what it costs to make even a simple shirt myself. The fact that the employees are also treated so shockingly poorly, I don’t know how we can live with ourselves.
I did some research on the environmental impact of fashion a few years ago and understood that people wear clothes on average about 8 times before they toss it. I bought stuff I tossed sooner than that because it fell apart the first time I wore it. Now I am dedicated to slow fashion - I make most of my clothes. It takes a while but keeps my hands busy while watching YT videos. 😊
Greetings from California. Bonjour. Merci beaucoup for great fashion classes. Many years ago, we studied at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising- San Diego & LA. These videos are definitely appreciated. Happy holidays from our channel.
I also hate that shopping was taught and ingrained into us as a social activity. As if 'consuming' is a hobby that is done regularly with our friends and family :( I have been reflecting about this lately myself because I don't want to contribute to over consumption anymore, and realized the most difficult part isn't not getting new clothes but rather finding other ways to spend quality time with people in our busy lives. I know this isn't impossible by any means, but I personally have always gone shopping with my mom and cousins or my friends, and it just was always a fun bonding day. But that has to change too!
Good point about changing the way people socialize to avoid over-consumption -- must you wear new clothes to a party? Must you dress to impress? Must you wear your identity on your sleeves? If our society is less superficial, there would not be as big a market for fast fashion.
My friends and I do arts and crafts days together, and if you're like us you might have drawers loaded up with old art supplies or weird things holed up from yard sales and hand-me-downs to get creative with. I've been cutting up junk mail and making collages lately
Yess!! We do art/craft days a lot more now so that's funny you say :) Never tried collaging though, great suggestion!@@amoureux6502
This is kind of similar to something I was thinking about the other day - I had noticed that in the past my mum's overconsumption problem had affected me and I had ended up with so many clothes that I don't even wear. I would often impulse buy when on a shopping trip with her. Even to this very day she has 2 wardrobes that are filled to the absolute brim and a large chest of draws yet she still has to store jumpers under her bed and still orders from shein and freemans quite often. As much as I love my mum I have to admit this negative habit of hers has not been a good influence on me, and it also proves how important it is to sort your problems out before your kids start to become negatively influenced by them. Not just for their sake, but for your own as well.
I make my own clothes,even knickers! If you spent hours lovingly making a blouse you are going to look after it. You also realise how quickly and badly fast fashion is made.
That's very strange because I own two crop tops from h&m 6 years ago which ive worn every summer, and still do. I do take care of my clothes very well so maybe it's just that
I’m working on this too, sewing my own wardrobe. Another thing I notice is that once I know all the work and material costs that go into making something, seeing similar and often poorly made items on a shop rack for $15, it just turns my stomach to think about what percentage of that went to the person o made it. Would I value my own labor at less than a dollar? Of course not! Factory workers deserve to be paid fairly.
I've taken up knitting and made my own scarve, hat, gloves and sweaters. It's so satisfying.
@PH: I have sewn for years and agree with you however, now find even the fabrics in many cases are inferior and non-sustainable comparing them to that of years ago. (I'm 75 years of age.)
Me too! I started sewing a couple years ago and i love it ❤
Thank you, Justine. It's so important to know the effect our choices are unknowingly making on our world, and how to do something about it.
Hello, I would so appreciate if you could do a video about brands that are not luxury, not very expensive but reliable, and produce long lasting good quality clothing.The brands you trust. Thank you!
I have lots of old high end fashion pieces my aunt left me and I cherish them and wear them everyday, BUT they are harder to take care of. I always have to go to the dry cleaner or always have to iron them because they are in natural material, for me the good part of fast fashion is paradoxically that I wash the pieces at home and since they are awful material they don’t even wrinkle. I put them in my luggage and I know they’ll be just fine when I arrive to my destination. That’s the most value I find in them.
After watching you for a while I started to spend more on individual pieces. I recently, due to illness, had to give up work. Thankfully I know that now my clothes will last more than one or two wears and as a bonus they are easier to repair!
Thank you for this video. I have read the articles about the mountains of clothes in these countries and it was eye opening. I am also tired of influencers on UA-cam etc constantly pushing Zara, H&M, Shien and other fast fashion and their weekly hauls. I have stopped watching many of them because of the push for over consumerism and FOMO ( “you need this!”, “run don’t walk!”). I unfortunately have fallen in to the fast fashion trap. I have noticed low quality or even stores that years ago made better clothing that lasted years now producing clothes that mess up after a couple of washes and poor fabrics. This video was the needed eye opener and reminder about owning less at a higher quality and the harm of fast fashion at all levels.
Thank you, Justine! I personally never had the problem of buying more clothes than needed and always go for better quality, but still I love to learn new things from you. I recently experienced that FOMO effect in ZARA, when i went looking for a specific item I needed, and noticed that the collection has changed in a few weeks. I already bought a great dress in ZARA and all of a sudden there were new beautiful dresses and summer blouses and skirts that i really wanted to buy! It was difficult to make myself leave without trying any of it on. And that feeling "these clothes change so fast and they might be gone in 2 weeks if I decide i do want and need them" WOW i did feel that fear! And I'm one of those conscious buyers!
Thank you so much. Please do videos on sustainable, quite affordable, ethical and fashionable clothing brands other than vintage/thrifting.
YES, PLEASE!!!
4F and Gino Rossi. They produce only in Poland
Thank you for sharing this with us Justine! I hate that we have dumped our waste in other countries....just terrible...They deserve better.
I have been trying lately to be way more conscious of what I buy, occasionally 'slipping up' and getting just a couple pieces from fast fashion stores. Your video really hit home. No more fast fashion. That sweater I really want? If I really want it that bad, I'll just knit it myself (and probably get something I love way more and longer than something store-bought).
Liebe Justine,
1000 Dank, dass Du wieder und wieder auf diesen Skandal aufmerksam machst. Du bleibst dran!!! Toll 👌👌🙏🏼
Thank you for this informative video! You are just the kind of influencer the world needs. Zara claims their clothes are not fast fashion!
Most of the people buying fast fashion are those who can't afford proper clothing like myself. It is easy to say to save money and "invest" but I kid you not IF ever I saved enough money for proper clothes then I will definitely use it for something more important than my clothes. Consider that not all people can have that much money ready on their pockets. For context, in my country.. H&M and ZARA.. even Uniqlo are already too expensive.
This is SO interesting! I predominantly buy from tiny brands lately - and one of my favorite things about it is that the clothes don't change frequently at all. So I can see something and know it's still going to be there a few months later, because they're only introducing new designs once or twice a year! And there are some really reasonably priced options from small/ethical companies. Pact Organic is my go-to and Cotton Flower Clothing is great as well! And they're not crazy expensive - really comparable to like an Ann Taylor.
Pact got really overpriced for their cheap thin t-shirts that don’t hold their shape. They tripled their price but not their quality :(
I've noticed that @@bethmccall9254 ! I stopped ordering from there for anything but men's undershirts because I felt like the stuff just wasn't worth the cost. Had way better luck on Etsy lately.
Thank you for making this video, you inspired me to clean out my two (yes two!) closets which were so full of fast fashion that I hardly had any space. I donated almost half of my wardrobe and strive to be more sustainable and minimalist with my wardrobe. I imagine all that money I spent on fast fashion pieces I’ve never worn could have bought more expensive staples that I would wear regularly. It’s sad how fast fashion has millions of people with closet full of clothes they never wear.
do you have a list of the brands you would recommend buying from? for someone who doesn't have time to do a proper research but don't want to contribute to fast fashion anymore. Would be amazing if you could make a video about that!
I suspect that it will be a list of very expensive brands...
She has a video where she gives a list, it was a few years ago don't remember exactly which one.
@@hsanta5417 will search for it, thanks for the hint :)
I recommend Elk The Label :)
Thank you for helping people understand the disaster that is fast fashion and that the greenwashing is hiding the continuing tragedy. Let’s all make noise this fashion revolution week. 💜
The only issue is that it's difficult as a very plus size person (UK 24) to find decent clothing. I do buy secondhand as much as possible, especially with a limited budget
Justine, thank you for graciously delivering truths that are hard to hear. I think a complement to this is the reminder that we can't buy our ways into being the person or having the life we desire, we need to take actions to create ourselves/our lives. Embracing this mindset makes us less vulnerable to marketing. ♥
So true!! Thanks for this informative video! I also noticed that the quality of the materials used to make the clothes these days feels so inorganic! I can’t stand touching it and can’t even imagine wearing it! It’s garbage and my body literally rejects it!
My biggest problem is that I am so used to Primark prices that in comparison everything is so expensive. I find it difficult to find mid-range clothes. I can either buy from the high street brands (Zara, New Look, H&M, etc) or really nice clothes from the department stores. And the thrift shops are mostly selling second hand high street brands...
very true, and I have some clothing from so called fast fashion brands that are very well made, I have had them for years
Me too. Some pieces I've worn for ten years and they're still good.( I never buy anything Polyester)
Thanks for raising awareness about this issue- your earlier videos on fast fashion started me on a journey to make changes in my purchasing habits
Thank you so much for your intelligent discussion of this complex problem. I have changed my shopping habits in many ways to live lighter on our beautiful planet. I "shop" in my own closet by packing up part of my wardrobe, then unpacking it a couple of months later. Quelle surprise - feels like new clothing!
Fabric and composition are not the only determinants of clothing quality. In addition, most people associate quality with durability, but the reality is that clothing nowadays are durable and can outlast us: the design is more likely to wear out than the seams. Quality is conceptual and can mean different things to different people: quality of design, aesthetics, craft, etc.
Watching this channel after a while. Loved the myth busting.
Fast fashion is inextricably tied to the attention economy of Facebook, Pinterest and similar companies. See ad -->spend money to buy something you don't need ---> brag about it --> get some one else to see it ---> someone else sees ads or just buys ---> repeat.
Another excellent video, thanks so much! A topic I would be interested in would be looking at fabrics (especially natural ones like cotton or lyocell) from a sustainability standpoint from production to end of life (lifecyle analysis). How does a fabric break down/does it break down at all if you put it in these landfills? Ideally they'd be collected and recycled of course but we are far from that I am afraid.
While I am not able to afford the best garments as a student right now, I try to at least not buy anything with polyester (or similar) because I don't want to contribute to more plastic waste :/ The only thing I can't seem to cut out is Elastane because of the nice stretching qualities it has (nice for underwear and such). Is there alternatives for this?
You're so on point! I've been following the horrors of fast fashion for over a decade now and, as impossible as it seemed, it got worse. Thank you for this video, you provide information, if someone decides to continue shopping fast fashion, it's not due to ignorance.
Coucou Justine, very interesting, as usual. Personnally I've quit shopping many years ago... I buy very few and never from these brands. In France we also see that these giants of fast fashion harm the existing brands and shops (camaieu, promod etc.) ... so it is a vicious circle. 15 years ago I tried to boycott any item made in Asia, and buy from brands such as Maje etc. and then they began to produce in Asia as well. So the question of poor quality overpriced is also key. Overall I have the feeling that the quality of clothes has been decreased sharply this decade. Thank you for pointing ot the environmental cost as well !
Thank you Justine I agree with you and have over the last yr or two been thinking about my purchasing habits.
I've finally decided to ditch fast fashion completely and buy only quality garments that cost more but buy less in
quantity. I think thats a good first step cos, it'll take 6mths to afford to purchase a great Cashmere Sweater where
as, buying 6 sweaters of various colours of lower quality yarn etc feels quite uncomfortable now I've watched your
vids and its been pointed out what tactics are used to draw us in so, thanks again👍🏼🌻
I've decided to take the same stance with footwear too, no more cheap shoes the same thing must be going on with
Footwear too. In NZ we have the shoe warehouse or no1 shoes that only last a year before they break down and lost
structure etc. Whats happening in North Chile with discarded clothing looks horrendous when you thing we're all using
that country as a dumping ground for our throw away's just awful.
This was just what I wanted to watch: someone I trust (I'm a several-year follower) telling me directly what's going on behind what I see when I go to the mall and street shops. Indeed the "conscious" label and return of garments for recycling got me thinking something was perhaps getting better. I really needed to hear the news in Justine's voice so that I don't normalize the behaviour of buying fast fashion. Truly, I am so thankful to have access to this... I love all of Justine's content, but the one where I learn about fast fashion, about how to check for good garment construction or about what the best brands like Patagonia are doing brings real value to my life.
I find shopping and making choices of what to buy exhausting. It's so much easier to wear same model / color that you know fits you. Problem is that producers take them off production and you have to figure out what fits all over again.
I completely agree! They change their clothing lines with new fits and it gets overwhelming trying to find something new.
Thank you for this video, everyone needs to see this. I have given up fast fashion rather recently (during the pandemic, I did not get out of the house so I didn't need new clothes) and now I have discovered one local shop, one store and one factory, which produces a limited number of clothing. I am happy to support a local business who produces quality clothes, even if they are more expensive.
👍
Thanks for addressing this issue. I've been aware for over a decade also. I purchase much less than the average consumer, and choose legitimate green fashion products, also. Sadly it's very hard to find work appropriate clothes in plus sizes from most sustainable designers. So much is frumpy, ill-fitting, and only available online. I would love to see a video recommending brands for both office attire and special events.
Agreed. A very thought provoking video. I saw a program on Guyana and the huge pollution issue due to landfill. I recently moved across the country and donated half of my wardrobe to charity. Tags were still on on many of the items! I will think twice before I make another fashion purchase. I have always incorporated thrift and vintage items.
i was thinking about this the other day - we don’t MEND anything, whether it be shoes, shocks or clothes generally.
Well...this is difficult. I can basically only afford fast fashion and having worked in the industry I also know that a high price tag does not necessarily equate to good quality and ethical production. That's why I admit to still buying it. But in my defense I only bought a handful of pieces in the last four, five years, average one or two pieces per year. I also thrift, buy second hand and take good care of my clothes so that I can wear them for many years even if it is HM or Zara. Never bought Shein, because it truly is the worst of the worst. I hope this is a reasonable compromise.
I have to agree. Most of my fast fashion pieces have been staples in my wardrobe for years. I have found some pieces that were more well made than more ethical brands.
You know your own Budget and ,living conditions . Don't be made to feel judged and guilty by these Holier than thou people. You do you, let them do them. You do your best, thats all anyone can do x
I found in the US that people do judge you on your clothing. Since I moved to Europe, I have not bought any additional clothing for the last 2 years.
Your content is amazing. Unfortunately when you do online research for clothing it immediately shows tons of fast fashion options, and you start to believe that these are the only brands on Earth. It happened to me recently and it took me a long while until I found what I wanted, ethically and locally made (and within my price range). Thank you for this much needed video, love from Brazil.
I realise I am coming from an unusual position on this - I wear a uniform for work, I collect and wear original 1930s/40s vintage clothing which in the main I collected 10 - 20 years ago when prices were more reasonable, and I also knit and sew reproduction clothing of that era from original patterns and natural fabrics. I have a very small collection of 'modern' clothing, mainly t-shirts and about two pairs of jeans which I have had for years, BUT I cannot see how people think they can consume so much Fast Fashion in poor quality fabrics and think it is ok, that it doesn't have an effect on themselves, other people and the environment. We all have choice and need to change our habits! Thank you Justine for bringing this to wider attention. I hope it will spread so more people understand the damage of such a system.
Excellent and very eye opening video. Thank you. My Grandma used to say we live in a throwaway world. Sad but true. We need to smarten up and take better care of our planet. I hope this video gets many more views! Thanks again.