One of the advantages of growing up relatively poor in a neighborhood full of people who were relatively poor is how normalized sharing clothes absolutely was. 2/3 of my wardrobe as a child had been on a minimum of 2 older children in the neighborhood before me... it just got passed around to whoever it fit - and because we all did it, it wasn't like a shameful thing - it was more like, "Abby's older sister is so cool, and I got her hoodie she used to wear... sweet!" I wish that were more common everywhere.
Haha I'm the same - I was a child in the 80s/90s in Ireland, was quite poor then but everyone was, and it was so normal to wear cousins clothes. I never thought there was a stigma around second hand clothing existed until UA-cam! 😅 Even for most of my adult life I have collected cast offs from my mam and sister and have some pieces from aunties that passed away. As I only started having a bit more expendable income in the last few years...I have found that I've shopped (incl. Second hand) a bit more and now making an effort to curtail that. I now realise I just naturally had much more fun with clothes when I had fewer (random/more meaningful) items! And anything I did buy new I wore to death!
@@laura4457 THIS! I grew up poor and sharing clothes , people in my school tried to make fun of me but the only other option was to walk around naked, lol. Then got a high paying corporate job and for the first time in my life not only could afford expensive clothes, it was kind of required "in those circles". I hated every minute of it. I went full on second hand and mending / sewing / converting and never looked back.
I didn't grow up poor but I grew up a the youngest with a lot of cousins, and inherited clothes from them and my parent's friends' kids. It just makes sense to pass clothes along, especially with children because they grow so fast. Getting a bag of clothes my cousin didn't want anymore felt like Christmas had come early! Should be way more common!
I had a classmate in uni and she wore the same outfit every single day. She just had a few sets of the same pieces. Black dungarees, black and white stripey top/sweater (depending on season) and black docs. You would think it gets boring but no, she looked like a cartoon character every day, I loved it. Just throwing this out there, it is an option :)
As a trained seamstress, I want to thank you so much for acknowledging sewing as skilled work!!! Its so tough being a seamstress and garment workers are mistreated almost everywhere. I feel we are so undervalued, especially because of off shore production
I really agree that you are hugely undervalued! Your work is highly skilled, difficult and without it we'd all be wearing old sacks. I was thinking the other day if garment creators could unite and take control of the clothing companies instead of the billionaires then they'd all get much fairer wages, better work conditions and share the profit of their work. The way they're treated is no better than Victorian factory workers or chimney sweeps, it's a disgrace. I can do basic sewing myself but I tend to find it tricky so I have great respect for seamstresses.
I sometimes sew clothes for myself. The other day a friend gave me a compliment for a jacket and I said "Thanks, I made it myself" and then she asked if I could make one for her. I declined because A I'm not skilled enough and B that would be way too expensive - instead I asked if she wanted to go charity shopping (aka thrifting) together so we could find some fabrics and then sew something together. We haven't found a date yet, but I'm very much looking forward to spending that time with her. It's like a win-win-win situation for me, her, and the planet 🤗
Just spent a day at work surrounded by people obsessing over the zara sale and coming home to this video makes me feel slightly more sane and re-motivated. thank you Leena!!
I swear to everything that is good and pure, nothing makes me more tired and hopeless than friends being overjoyed by another Shein rubbish or anything of that sort. And at the end of the day it's me who gets shit for wearing a designer leather coat that i trifted years ago because I'm a vegetarian and worried about climate catastrophe. Just how short-sighted can people be
Wow I actually resisted the Zara sale today and I’m so proud of myself! Was lured into the shop immediatly, carrying all these super cute clothes voor 3.99 per piece, hung all of it back and went home empty handed. Now I’m watching this :) it was soo hard to resist but I can still look cute without them!!
And I really recognize the aversion against it seeing people obsess, I saw those lines.. all those cheap materials.. it didn’t feel like a treat anymore but more of a downgrade of my (almost fully secondhand) wardrobe
I recently did a financial review of myself and realized I was spending more on clothes than I would like to - including buying secondhand! When I sat with that, I realized that my wardrobe is actually complete. Every season, feeling, and activity I could experience has an appropriate outfit. I’ve challenged myself to buy no more clothes this year, and I think that will deepen my appreciation for each piece I own.
Something I enjoy doing about once a month is this: I write down between 6-10 situations : a wedding, Friday night drinks after work, breakfast with the family etc I set up a tripod. I shop my wardrobe, trying things on and, importantly, I take photos of the outfits and label them in my phone. Then whenever something comes up, I have gone through the process and I can just pick up and go.
I recently got a part-time job at a used clothing store and my favorite part is getting to curate my "staff picks" section. I put anything I would buy but either doesn't fit me or I know I wouldn't get use out of in there and I love seeing my favorite colors and textures all in one place. It makes me so happy when someone buys something from that section.
Oh my god that's so cool, I love that personal touch! It's my favorite thing especially when I go to garage sales or something to see that the people actually care about the things
I go on shopping trips to clothes shop, but I leave my money at home. I realised that trying on a bunch of clothes is the part of fast fashion I found the most fun. Trying on clothes in retail stores makes me better at shopping secondhand because I learn what fits me and what I like. And I don't fall into the trap of buying a bunch of stuff secondhand online just because I wanna try it all on. I get it out of my system and make sure every actual purchase is meaningful. It feels a little bit hypocritical to enjoy going to fast fashion stores when I disagree with them so much, buuut the way I see it is I may as well make use of them while they exist as long as I don't buy from them.
I do this too! I will go in and browse and take note of what's new, what I like etc and then keep the pics/notes for reference for when I look through vinted or for when I'm designing stuff (which my mam can later bring to life, as she's a seamstress! yes, i'm lucky 😉)
That is actually a very good tip! While our second-hand stores aren't this good yet, we can use the other stores for this part. There are a lot of drift stores that don't even have dressing rooms - not to mention the way the store is organised that can make finding things easy or hard.
The whole thing about people assuming "asking for help meaning you're hard on money" really got me because Normalising this for people who *do* have money, makes a general reduction on judging people who genuinely are without. I love
A woman from dance class compliment my dress. I said I thrifted it. She gave me a mortified look as if I was a victorian maiden from noble but low on the luck family who has to do morally reprehensible things to keep the facade but too naive not to announce that publicly
On the subject of hiding clothes from yourself- here in Italy we have a thing called "Cambio Armadio" (translates to "change of wardrobe") which is when you put away your winter clothes and bring out your summer ones! I wouldn't say it's a "tradition" per se but basically everyone here does it, usually around the end of April. It's very practical because our seasons are still pretty defined so it wouldn't make sense to have all your clothes out year-round, and also it's an opportunity to figure out what you might want to give away!
i tried to quit fast fashion but being neurodivergent i have a lot of sensory issues around clothes and if i find something that fits and feels right i need the option to buy it 5 times and that's just not possible with buying second hand. but having all of these sensory issues also means that when i find something that's just right i will wear it to absolute death
I know what you mean. I love thrifting but one problem with it for me is people donating clothes they've washed in some toxic smelling detergent or fabric softener that stinks and gives me a migraine. I can't always wash it out so I've had to redonate a few items due to this. A lot of those detergents are toxic, carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting so I wish they'd be banned. Mild detergent and white vinegar is all anyone needs for laundry.
100% agree on the hiding your clothes thing. Getting my old clothes out when the seasons change makes clothes that I've owned for years and years feel so exciting and novel somehow.
I had this whole period where I was VERY against fast fashion, so much so that I cannot even walk into a Primark without feeling yuckk. I've read too many articles about how poorly the workers get paid, how they don't even get breaks, how they have no windows etc Then the pandemic hit and I got a job in government and I started needing office clothing. I was super broke, and counting pennies for a few years at this point. Without even thinking about it I went into H&M and got myself a nice pink blazer. Now I'm not that broke anymore and I started getting ads for Shein. My colleague loves Shein and told me it's amazing what all you can get from Shein. I even downloaded the app but still couldn't purchase it for some reason. Then I met up with an old friend of mine (we have similar values) and suddenly I realized, oh shite, this is why I haven't committed to buying anything yet. That, plus the fact that I'm still too frugal to buy clothes just like that. I just deleted the app on my phone thanks to this video and will try to find similar clothes elsewhere
Good job!! I'm getting out of a buy-nothing year and running out of clothes, and it's tempting to 'just go and get what I need'... But I'm straight-sized, and have easy needs, so there's no reason why I can't go drifting with a friend some day. Besides I need to decorate my new home... So I need to go drifting soon regardless.
I am in a similar 'counting pennies' situation and got lured into ordering from Shein. I did order a couple of times, because there are so few plus size stores in my country as well. I sent back most of what I ordered each time cause it was shapeless, too short or bad quality. I kept a few things but when wearing them longer I realized they were very uncomfortable. 100% synthetic fibers means the clothing is not breathable and you start sweating. I avoid Shein like the plague now because besides the obvious moral objections the quality is just super poor. I wish I had realized earlier.
I've still got fast fashion pieces in my wardorbe, but some of them I've owned for 17 years now. So. I guess they are now slow fashion. I like making my own things, but when I can't fit into something or I no longer fond a piece of me is 'me', I like giving them to friends or offering them to my local 'cost nothing' group. Selling is my last step. If I do buy something it needs to be a thing I can't make, be sourced responsibly and be ready to last for as long as it can. :)
Taking on sewing has been such an eye-opener. The amount of time, effort and money it takes for me to sew just a t-shirt or a very simple dress makes it super clear that fast-fashion (and other fast consommable items) cannot be made by respecting either the planet or the workers.
In the hypothetical conversation with yourself complimenting your dress, I thought you were going to say “thanks, it has pockets” because that is always the response everyone desires for everyone. More pockets!!!!
@@theonlyenekoeneko Morgan Donner and Bernadette Banner here on youtube have videos about inserting pockets into clothes! I'm just starting to learn how to do this so that I can have good pockets on every item of clothes
Thanks for being such a good influence on me Leena < 3 Your videos have single-handedly changed my approach to shopping and consuming over the past few years
Best thing I've done to get away from fast fashion is volunteer at a charity shop. I love not knowing what my next find will be and having clothes you don't see on every other person and when I get bored I donate back. Plus I got an actual job in a charity shop which I love and feel I've found my happy place career wise after years of working in Primark.
If you need the reward / collection aspect that you lose from loyalty cards - go to a local small business like a cafe, they usually have a lil points stamp card! My local board game cafe has one and it feels like a reward for doing good every time I complete one. Supporting somewhere I love and enjoying their coffee ❤️
Yes! And I love the points about really understanding how much effort and cost goes into making a garment and we so often devalue our clothing and don’t think about that. I knit and all the time people tell me I should make an Etsy shop - I always have to remind them the sweaters would be hundreds of dollars and people aren’t just gonna be willing to pay that. I think understanding the labor that goes into garments will also help us care for them more long term, if you understand someone had to work hard to make it, maybe we will not be so casual about throwing it away or discarding it
Ooh I very much love a clothing swap party! Some of my favourite items I have scored from these! Did one with my housemates and all their friends way back when, and have done them again since transitioning which is a whole new level of fun because ✨gender euphoria✨ Normally we do it like a lil auction if more than one person liked it and it was paper-scissors-rock battles until the victor got the item 😂
when I get the urge to spend online I go and donate to a charity specifically ones like world vision where you can "buy" someone something like a beehive for example of but from their website so it scratches the same itch
These videos have helped me so much. I always have bought a decent percentage of my clothes second hand but it took me a while to get over the idea of 'cheap' clothes from places like kmart I'm now at the point where I only but socks and underwear from these places and get the rest of my clothes as ethically as I can. The advice that really stuck for me was trying to see my wardrobe the way I see my book collection. It's not something I have to rush out and 'complete' with loads of cheap items right away, but something I can curate and look after and rewear/reread again and again. I've also really tried to get into the mending part of the hierarchy recently and it's made a big difference because I feel proud of those mended clothes and wear them more often.
Felt a thrill when I saw you're wearing a cute dress you made yourself, and how you styled it with your flower earrings and great lipstick. "It's Leena! She's fab to listen to." 🥰👍
I’ve notice personally since starting to detach away from fast fashion, that a majority of fast fashion clothes I see in stores just aren’t appealing at all to me anymore. I feel all the products are just a bit fugly, especially when you factor in the stolen designs, green washing, low paid store and factory workers, and so on… I’ve also changed my spending habits and then thoughts surrounding them. I used allocate £50 a month to buying new clothes, which is absolutely bizarre to me now. I then decided to shrink that spending down to just one new garment a month, which had to come from either a charity shop or an online resell store. A year on from making this change, I buy a new price of clothing once every 3 monthsish, and I definitely feel like I’m enjoying my clothes way more than before. I’ve always been really creative with my clothing so it wasn’t necessarily an issue of unimaginative restyling, my issue was that I had put an imaginary pressure on myself to keep buying new clothes. I think that pressure had come from my teenage years, and ideas surrounding fashion, so making that change in mindset has not only been super lovely to my bank account and the environment, it has also made me feel more grown-up. It’s called shopping fashion more ethically sweetie ✨💅👠 Side note: it’s taken me exactly 12minuets and 49seconds to realise that Leena wasn’t wearing bread-roll earrings, but instead a lovely pair of roses.
Leena is actually the only creator whose ad segments I watch - I feel like being so open and honest about which brand deals you accept means I genuinely feel like the ads are relevant and ethical! Nice one Leena :D
I love the idea of hiding things from yourself! I fell upon the idea after Covid, when I had to move quickly and put a lot of stuff in storage lol, but now I do it on purpose.
size inclusive sustainable clothing brands for men is a huge problem! They don't exist! That's the problem :D I manage to buy stuff online because brands usually have my size my husband's body is different from the beauty standard, so finding stuff for him is a struggle :(
Another tip for sewing: Check your local buy/sells for sewing machines! I was looking to get a cheap one and a coworker recommended that and I found an older machine for only $45!! Had to buy bits for it but still cheaper then new and I helped someone fund their move and keep it out of the landfill!
I like hiding clothes seasonally because of the joy of reuniting. My issue is that I end up buying things I already own bc I forgot I had it! I have yet to solve this issue. Thanks Leena!
Maybe you could take pictures of all your items before storing them and create a Google doc with a brief description and the photos so you can search the document to find the exact pic you're looking for? (e.g. labeling "green sweater")
I think the point about additional costs is a good reminder - Recently I went and bought a fast fashion party dress for a night out. I was really excited about it cause I genuinely don't have anything else like it, but I was unsure how much I would wear it after that night since it was so different from my other clothes. I then made the silly mistake of ironing the cheap polyester material, and it shrunk weirdly in some places. I wore it for the night but was so uncomfortable I now know I will never wear it again. I feel guilty seeing it in my closet, and now need to figure out if it's even worth donating with the condition it's in. From now on I will remember to ask around from friends or give myself time to shop secondhand before an event (if I genuinely need something "new"). Hopefully next time I can save myself the $50 and handful of guilt!
Love this video!! I would definitely add mending for the clothes you have too or taking clothes from your friends and altering them to make them fit you perfectly. These skills have helped me a lot!
Changing the conversation is such a smart and unique point, I haven’t heard of that one before. I also like it because it’s completely free way to be more sustainable. It’s so true that speaking about aspects of the garment’s appearance/construction or memories associated with it allows for much more interesting dialogue!
After trying Depop I found it so hit and miss (some things would be amazing and then others would end up not fitting, not looking anything like their pictures ect) so it didn’t feel like it was fixing the problem as then I was ending up with clothes that I wouldn’t wear and I’d wasted the money/shipping ect and still ended up with an item I then had to find a new home for. I’ve now set my goal as owning a mostly me-made wardrobe. I’ve taken up knitting and have learned how to make lots of different items this way (which is super slow fashion as it can take me weeks/months to knit myself a jumper for example) and I’m also teaching myself how to sew. I’m allowing myself purchases at the moment which I can’t make myself, but try to go as sustainable as possible, and always look in charity shops/second hand places first. I really think learning to make clothes is a good tip for giving up fast fashion, I didn’t really understand just how poisonous fast fashion was until I started putting myself in the shoes of garment makers. The idea that after those hours and hours making something I’d be paid so little that a shop could make a profit selling it for £10 just baffles me.
For me, it's been quite easy to give up fast fashion because I always found it stressful and not that fun anyway. I like to make as many of my clothes as I can. But I still have problems with hoarding yarn or fabric because I see something beautiful and know I want to make something with it but it takes me years to get round to using it 🤦♀️ I think some of these tips are gonna be helpful for that problem as well, for instance I've started not going to my haberdashery to browse because I always buy something and it would be good to try and find a community to swap yarn I'm not going to use with 😅
I really love and appreciate your advice, the last one has literally opened something in my brain. I have some old clothes that have been with me since middle school, and I was actually thinking about getting a sewing machine just to be able to modify them a little bit - maybe I should also try sewing a garment from scratch? Just to understand the work that goes into making clothes
Me and my college friends go thrifting. We’re all plus sized and have a fixed budget, and it’s a great way to try different looks sustainably while staying frugal.
I like to sew and I sew very slowly. Overtime I've struggled with putting too much responsibility on myself to sew everything, instead of buying, out of fast-fashion guilt. What I've learned though, overtime, is that really I think most of us are good at making one thing we would wear. That is to say there is a difference between what you'd like to wear and what you are ultimately good at making yourself. Just because you can finish a project doesn't mean you'll be happy with the results; just because I could make a fitted bodice dress doesn't mean I'll be happy with the quality of what I can do versus a professional. The solution I've found is really zeroing in on that zone of what can I make WELL and then actually WEAR, accepting there are categories of things I don't want to make because I know I wont like them (and wont wear). For me, I am really happy with making elastic-waist skirts and modifying otherwise finished clothing (adjusting hems, adding decorative bits on top). I just know, because I've tried, that I can't make the kinds of blouses and tops I'd then go on to wear proudly; ever time I've tried I've not been as happy as when I just bought one. So I think it's really important, in order to avoid waste on a larger scale, to try and honestly acknowledge what you're just always going to have to source passed the sewing machine. If everyone just made one category of thing they liked to wear, I think that would make a huge impact. Maybe you don't sew, buy all your clothes; but you made all your own bead necklaces? Right there you're cutting back. I've also found some categories of clothing I can't source through thrifting; t-shirt dresses have sort of been a major new trend lately and those really changed my lifestyle positively (tuck it into your bottoms, or wear under overalls/jumper dresses and then continue to wear that t-shirt dress to bed as your nightgown; thus eliminating needing to own sleepwear besides a plush robe). By contrast, every other style of clothing I want I can either thrift or make, so I don't beat myself up for t-shirt dresses. It's just really important to try and avoid falling into a purity spiral and to aim for your personal best.
If you get to know what colours and shapes you personally like wearing and feel good in, that releases you from the pressure of buying new things to "stay in style".
Gosh, i genuinely did think that some clothing could be completely factory made... I've gone second hand for quite a few years now, and I still didn't realize the extent of what goes into every piece of clothing.
I agree with everything, yet coming from a different country I have ooooone comment re the switching shopping/browsing/big dept stores with things like going to a museum, gallery, library or smaller independent stores… Everything shuts at 5pm in the UK apart from big shops! So for a lot of people that wanna do something nice after work… well you’re either hitting the high street, going to a massive fast fashion shop or dept store or just straight down to the pub. It would make a massive difference if these places opened later and stayed open later!
You are so so so right. As a European living in the UK, I don't understand why more people don't talk about the fact that if you're working a 9-5 job in the UK, eeeeeeeverything is closed by the time you finish work and there's nothing to do
This is weird. So all these services are up just for pensioners? In Finland, libraries are open until the evening, at least self-service. I don't know about museums, I've never tried to visit one during the week.
@@raapyna8544 Exactly. I've had a variety of issues trying to get to high street stores, post offices or libraries after work as many would close at 5.30 and I would have to bolt there after finishing work at 5. During the pandemic when working from home, I no longer had the convenience of spending my day in the office close to shops and would struggle to even get to a pharmacy as they would close right after 5. The only museum where I live is open 10-4. When would a working person ever be able to go to it? Most things are only accessible on the weekends for working people in the UK (unless you have flexible hours or an extended lunch break).
I was raised by frugal parents who emphasized getting the "best deal" aka getting something that costs less, waiting until an item goes on sale, getting BOGO deals at the grocery store even if you don't necessarily need to restock on that item, etc. I rewear a lot of my clothes anyway, so when I started looking into "slow" and more sustainable fashion, I've had a hard time reframing my thinking about what is "expensive" and what exactly I'm paying for. A lot of times these items are high quality and last a long time (ideal for my rewearing!), so even though it costs more than, say, Old Navy, I am still getting a good deal because of how long they will last through wear and washing.
you always manage to spark something in me to get me thinking further and i‘m just so happy to see you starting these important conversations… that’s the spirit we need 🌟
This makes me smile because I think I've never been a fast-fashion person. I've always been wary of those shops, I don't like what's in them and how it's presented! Don't get me wrong, I bought from fast-fashion more than once, but it's never been a hobby. For me the transition was so smooth. I wear my mom's and my mother in law's and my grandma's old clothes (and there are quite a few pieces I've kept for years in my closet because I didn't like them at the time and now I love them to bits!). I also try to shop at Vinted only when I need something precise. It's been so long since I've been to a shop, i genuinely dont remember it.
Leena, I just wanted to say I love how kind and thoughtful you are. Understanding the positive side of why someone might buy clothes (a creative outlet and self-expression) was such a helpful thing to hear, and I believe that kindness will do more to help change behavior than the shaming route. Thanks for being you and sharing this online! Your videos fill me with joy and help me take small steps towards what I consider to be a better me ❤
I was on the brink of complaining why you’re not showing a B-roll of the full dress you are wearing! 😂 So glad that your channel is about actionable steps too. I’m off to the dress video now. My 8 year old clothes from college are literally falling apart now. I found a couple of local stores (not lux designer) that make printed blouses and dresses - I’m surprised at how high quality they are! It’s so funny and ironic that the fast fashion stores are now so bland and boring compared to the local shops when the initial selling point of Zara etc is to always be fashionable.
I really like thrifting. I also borrow clothes from my family or get old things from my friends. I really wanna learn how to sew things, but I'm super clumsy, luckily my mom can help me out. I struggle the most with my love for jeans, because it's hard to get them second hand in my size. I also struggle with finding non-fast fashion socks and underwear that I just can buy in the store, cause I don't like online shopping.
This is very specific to me but as a gamer, i have found i can explore my creativity with fashion through games like the sims. You can download custom content clothing, accessories and hairstyles online for free and it honestly gives me the same thrill of shopping but without any costs and i can play with different looks in the click of a button
Same 😂 I literally just made a Lookbook in sims for my UA-cam channel 😅 I absolutely love that I can play with fashion that way😍 downloading custom content is so addicting though 😅
some clothes i bought a few years ago from when i started thrifting started wearing out recently and i briefly considered learning how to sew, but 1) i have no interest in it and 2) i don't have the time to accumulate the sheer expertise needed to know how to make or mend my clothes, so i've been taking them to a place that does alterations and repairs. the first time i went in to get velcro patches removed and resewn, the bill came up to way higher than i expected (despite going in knowing it would be pricier than i expect). i had a brief moment of "why would that be so expensive??" even after the seamstress explained that they would have to remove the stitches for total of 4 strips of velcro before sewing the new ones on. i really had to think about how i saw sewing then, and how growing up, my grandmother would do it for in her spare time when she visited, so in my mind, i definitely saw it as domestic = cheap = it shouldn't cost THIS much, when in fact there's so much that goes into knowing what and how to mend something and how to operate a sewing machine. i also think the staff there get a lot of people walking out or asking the same question out loud so they're always so apologetic, but now, i'm just like, "i love this item of clothing, and you're going to keep it alive for me, so i'll pay however much you deserve."
Loved this video! I always wondered why I didnt have as much of an attachment to fashion when I was younger and recently I realised it's because I spent all of my childhood playing fashion games on the internet
I'm kind of glad that I haven't liked the fashion for many years now. So I barely ever find anything that I want in shops. Not that I go looking much either. I mostly shop second hand, or sew things myself these days.
I relate so much to the creativity part. Not having a specific creative hobby is what built the habit of browsing ASOS and HM in me. What is helping me overhaul this horrific pattern is my life savior Vinted, which is also way funnier being full of funky second hand stuff, but ofc I am also trying to find different past times. When it comes to how my creativity works in relation to fashion/how I present myself to the world, Vinted has been life changing tho, because I feel that no matter how many new hobbies I might find, I'll always love to collect clothes and re invent my presentation.
This has been a goal I've been working towards for a while with less success than I would like. Today I made a step by unsubscribing from all of the brand emails I get constantly, as well as blocking the accounts on social media so I don't get ads from them. I'm such a sucker for the ads and I fall for exactly what they want me to, so blocking them and removing that constant reminder entirely will help curb the temptation, I think.
I’m still really struggling with the cognitive dissonance and temptation of fast fashion shops. I have been gaining weight for a few years so I do need new clothes that fit. I love Vinted and buy a lot of my clothes from there but find charity shops are just full of size 10 fast fashion from 15 years ago which doesn’t appeal to my style. I rewear outfits a lot and try to stick to classic pieces rather than microtrends. Tbh I wish fast fashion brands would all just disappear and take the choice away!
watching these videos, i feel like a tourist on a safari. there's this thing i still can't quite get is like why would a person just buy new things all the time. to me that is something quite incomprehensible. it takes forever for me to decide to "welcome" a new piece into my wardrobe and my life and then i just go on wearing it till it literally falls apart. so i went about my life buying things only when i really really had to and then i moved to [portugese backwater] and woe is me: there is nothing to buy here that would fit me that isn't h&m. like literally. i can't buy from local brands because i am too tall and nothing fits or i don't even like it as it is waaaaay to colourful and/or revealing. i needed tropical summer appropriate clothes and i couldn't find anything that would work. most places don't deliver to here and if they do about half the time things get lost. went to the capital basically to shop for clothes (horror), turns out they don't even import all sizes from major eu brands. so i ended up going to h&m to buy shirts. great. i suppose this is a long way to say thay sometimes depite people's best efforts, you're still stuck with buying things from brands/companies whose policies you religiously disagree with. now I just hope those 2 shirts last a long ass time.
As an artist, I like to create beautiful things and be surrounded by beautiful things. When I used to see something beautiful, I just had to have it. Now, most of the time, I try to appreciate things and admire their beauty without feeling the need to acquire them. It is harder when you find a gem in an op shop, but at least it is far more sustainable! 💚💚💚
My moms' friends' daughter once had a breast enlargement surgery, and bought a few new braws in advance. They ended up not fitting her new size, so I got like 5 brand-new braws for free! So thankful for them even considering passing them along.
One way I still get that shopping kick is video games - specifically in my case the sims! There is so much free player made content (custom content/cc) you can download and it really is like shopping online, you add it to your basket, then you try it on your sims, see if it works for your game / is actually good quality, possibly return it (delete it) etc etc :)
Another point on the subject of "changing the conversation": Drop "where did you get it?" from your phrase rotation. A good substitute is "Is there a story behind your necklace?". I used to always ask people what store they bought their cute clothes at. Asking about stories is so much more personal, makes interesting conversation, and the people I've spoken to have loved being asked that.
"Where did you buy it" is such a weird thing to ask, I never understood why people ask it, as if if they went to that shop they would still find it? Because the collections change so quickly, and rarely anything I wear is bought in the recent 6 months. So even if it's a 'slow fashion' brand, they have at least two seasons per year, and it's not going to be there anymore.
I enjoy the fact that you always talk about "affordable" in the new way. Meaning you talk about affordable being not just actually affordable but less expensive in the long run bc you won't spend more money in short bursts. I worked in the mall for 7 years and can confirm all the things you're saying with marketing tactics. My area of expertise was visual merchandising, using placement and trends and SIGNAGE to pull people in. I can't really borrow things bc I'm smaller in height than all my friends and more muscular lol but I do find myself reaching for Depop or wanting to go to a thrift store before wanting to go to the mall, a large store or venture into the internet. Unfortunately with switching jobs so much in the last two years (thanks covid!) and starting college, professional wardrobe shopping has been a necessary evil for me but since watching your channel I just find myself thinking a bit more before I buy things. Not just the standard "do I need it" or "do I have something like this already", but more of "is this practical" and "will this work for more than one day?"
Loved the video! i do a few of those things, and they work! When i shared a flat with a friend we shared most of the clothes and usually customize them, during crazy afternoons with the living room full of clothes, sewing thingys, fabric pieces ... totally recommend :)
I recently went through the horrifying situation of having Covid and needing a dress for the day after I got out of quarantine. I scoured online and I literally couldn’t find anything that I liked from fast fashion. I bought one dress from the devil Bezos and as soon as it came I instantly regretted it and returned it since it was a piece of shit. Ended up wearing some thing that I already had in my closet and that whole experience reminded me why I fucking hate shopping haha. I think that was my first fast fashion purchase in well over a year. The things that I still struggle to buy are underwear workout clothes and swimsuits.
I had the exact same experience recently. Stressing out finding a new dress for a wedding because my size had changed, and I ended up wearing a jumpsuit I already had!
Not sure where you are or if these match your budget/style, but I really like Knickey for ethical undies and Athleta (which is fair trade) For athletic wear.
you've got some genuinely good points here and they work not only in terms of clothes and fast fashion. i barely shop so I can't relate to the clothes part but i still relate to a lot of these points, esp this "detach emotions from brands" this really made me think cuz im definitely attached to a few food chains and restaurants because of emotions.
One of the things that blew my mind was when I realised that every clothing, bras and all, are made by some person. Like I have been sewing for ages but that was the final mind block I had. I haven't made any bras yet because it's a biggish project, but I might.
Could you do a video on what happens to clothes when they get donated to charity shops? I used to think it was always a good idea but I know sometimes they get sold to other countries which impacts their tailoring industries, or sometimes they go to landfill. I’d love to know how common this is!
So interesting - I’m constantly buying clothes as that dopamine hits just right - I’ve transitioned fully to Vinted now and haven’t bought anything that wasn’t second hand in over a year which is better than I was doing - I guess the need for ‘new’ might actually be more of an need to reflect inward and figure out why I’m not content with a wardrobe full of clothes that I like a lot and fit... hmm your don’t let your clothes speak for you definitely is food for thought!
The place i live and in my community, a lot of people shop second hand. 98 percent of the time when I get a compliment im like thanks its from (thrift shop). Also friends get together once in a while and we do clothing swaps :) which is awesome because stuff gets a new life and its all free!
Its definitely a process and nuanced. I do buy 'fast fashion' still, but do try to find some of what I need in charity shops. Often my wants are too specific to find anything there but I do try. 99% of the time, I only buy things I need and been planning for a long time, sometimes up to a year or so. I also take into account materials too, try to stay away from polyester if possible. I recently bought pajamas from Primark, and felt ashamed. But it was a very informed purchase as I had only bought one pair of summer pajamas since I gained weight a few years ago, partly in the hopes that I would lose it e.e. I try to at least be very careful with my clothing purchases that means I buy much less... even though I feel guilty sometimes for buying things made with cheap labour.
I found your channel maybe a month or so ago and I just love it so much. So much great, friendly, funny and entertaining content. Thank you so much for creating this and for being the person that you are! I have refrained from asking this for weeks now. Not really sure why, but can you tell us more about these amazing giant flower earrings you wear in so many of your videos? I've already done Google searches and looked on Etsy to no avail. I'm particularly in love with the red ones. Pretty please do share. Love them so much! Thank you for this and all the awesome videos you have made over the years. It's so fun to have this giant catalog of older content to watch and enjoy. ❤️
I started making my own clothes and mostly just wanted to come down here and say that my goal used to be to make them look "professional" i.e. like fast fashion clothes and now I reached a point in my sewing where fast fashion looks rubbish compared to what I made for myself XD I have a few videos on my channel about my clothing journey if you want to see any more :)
I'm near the end of my first trimester and have been super tempted to hit up fast fashion shops for maternity wear/new clothes as I'm on a budget and most of my pants no longer fit. This video is a great reminder to be intentional about my buying, to buy secondhand wherever I can, and to rethink my wardrobe - wearing dresses and oversized trees with leggings, sewing stretchy panels into old jeans and attending clothing swaps or shopping closets of friends who have been recently pregnant. Thank you Leena!! You're so lovely, your videos have been helped take my mind off morning sickness and exhaustion. 💕💕💕
I feel like as teenagers and in my 20's me and my friends were so good at borrowing each other clothes. We literally used to say yay we have twice the wardrobe now. It was always so fun seeing what your mates had!! Before I do a wardrobe cull I always send photos to my best friend incase she wants soemthing first haha. So fun!!
Loved this Leena! I’m already a way into my journey on giving up fast fashion but I had a sneaking suspicion this would be full of things I hadn’t considered and I was right!
I think being too big to shop off the rack has actually helped me not consume fast fashion. That, and I just plain hate shopping for clothes in general 🤷🏻♀️
Hilarious that Shein was advertised to me TWICE while watching this video 😂 READ THE ROOM SHEIN
😂😂😂
😂😂
Yup, get that all the time! 😅
I got Amazon lol
One of the advantages of growing up relatively poor in a neighborhood full of people who were relatively poor is how normalized sharing clothes absolutely was. 2/3 of my wardrobe as a child had been on a minimum of 2 older children in the neighborhood before me... it just got passed around to whoever it fit - and because we all did it, it wasn't like a shameful thing - it was more like, "Abby's older sister is so cool, and I got her hoodie she used to wear... sweet!" I wish that were more common everywhere.
Haha I'm the same - I was a child in the 80s/90s in Ireland, was quite poor then but everyone was, and it was so normal to wear cousins clothes. I never thought there was a stigma around second hand clothing existed until UA-cam! 😅 Even for most of my adult life I have collected cast offs from my mam and sister and have some pieces from aunties that passed away. As I only started having a bit more expendable income in the last few years...I have found that I've shopped (incl. Second hand) a bit more and now making an effort to curtail that. I now realise I just naturally had much more fun with clothes when I had fewer (random/more meaningful) items! And anything I did buy new I wore to death!
*Oh and also my older brothers clothes, especially as a teenager!
Sometimes people thought we were rich because I had so many clothes as a child but they were all hand-me-downs from my cousins xD
@@laura4457 THIS! I grew up poor and sharing clothes , people in my school tried to make fun of me but the only other option was to walk around naked, lol. Then got a high paying corporate job and for the first time in my life not only could afford expensive clothes, it was kind of required "in those circles". I hated every minute of it. I went full on second hand and mending / sewing / converting and never looked back.
I didn't grow up poor but I grew up a the youngest with a lot of cousins, and inherited clothes from them and my parent's friends' kids. It just makes sense to pass clothes along, especially with children because they grow so fast. Getting a bag of clothes my cousin didn't want anymore felt like Christmas had come early! Should be way more common!
I had a classmate in uni and she wore the same outfit every single day. She just had a few sets of the same pieces. Black dungarees, black and white stripey top/sweater (depending on season) and black docs. You would think it gets boring but no, she looked like a cartoon character every day, I loved it.
Just throwing this out there, it is an option :)
People have commented on this to me before, saying things like 'do you not have any other clothes?'. I felt really self-conscious :c
As a trained seamstress, I want to thank you so much for acknowledging sewing as skilled work!!! Its so tough being a seamstress and garment workers are mistreated almost everywhere. I feel we are so undervalued, especially because of off shore production
I really agree that you are hugely undervalued! Your work is highly skilled, difficult and without it we'd all be wearing old sacks. I was thinking the other day if garment creators could unite and take control of the clothing companies instead of the billionaires then they'd all get much fairer wages, better work conditions and share the profit of their work. The way they're treated is no better than Victorian factory workers or chimney sweeps, it's a disgrace. I can do basic sewing myself but I tend to find it tricky so I have great respect for seamstresses.
I sometimes sew clothes for myself. The other day a friend gave me a compliment for a jacket and I said "Thanks, I made it myself" and then she asked if I could make one for her. I declined because A I'm not skilled enough and B that would be way too expensive - instead I asked if she wanted to go charity shopping (aka thrifting) together so we could find some fabrics and then sew something together. We haven't found a date yet, but I'm very much looking forward to spending that time with her. It's like a win-win-win situation for me, her, and the planet 🤗
This is so sweet! What an amazing idea to sew together 🤩
This is a great reply!
That's such a good idea!
the last sentence was an absolute joy to read! 🥺💗
Yesssss, this is a great idea!
Just spent a day at work surrounded by people obsessing over the zara sale and coming home to this video makes me feel slightly more sane and re-motivated. thank you Leena!!
I swear to everything that is good and pure, nothing makes me more tired and hopeless than friends being overjoyed by another Shein rubbish or anything of that sort. And at the end of the day it's me who gets shit for wearing a designer leather coat that i trifted years ago because I'm a vegetarian and worried about climate catastrophe. Just how short-sighted can people be
Wow I actually resisted the Zara sale today and I’m so proud of myself! Was lured into the shop immediatly, carrying all these super cute clothes voor 3.99 per piece, hung all of it back and went home empty handed. Now I’m watching this :) it was soo hard to resist but I can still look cute without them!!
And I really recognize the aversion against it seeing people obsess, I saw those lines.. all those cheap materials.. it didn’t feel like a treat anymore but more of a downgrade of my (almost fully secondhand) wardrobe
@@sorcellerie me too! I just stay quiet when they talk about it lol cus how many times do i gotta tell someone that shits horrible 🧍🏻♀️
@@shangoshango2471 YES when someone is like “got this from shein can you believe it!!!” Like yes i can 😕 looks like shit
I recently did a financial review of myself and realized I was spending more on clothes than I would like to - including buying secondhand! When I sat with that, I realized that my wardrobe is actually complete. Every season, feeling, and activity I could experience has an appropriate outfit. I’ve challenged myself to buy no more clothes this year, and I think that will deepen my appreciation for each piece I own.
I am feeling the exact same way! I'm joining you in a no buy for the rest of this year. 🥰
"I love your dress" - "Thanks, it has pockets!"
Something I enjoy doing about once a month is this:
I write down between 6-10 situations : a wedding, Friday night drinks after work, breakfast with the family etc
I set up a tripod.
I shop my wardrobe, trying things on and, importantly, I take photos of the outfits and label them in my phone.
Then whenever something comes up, I have gone through the process and I can just pick up and go.
That's an awesome idea !
this is such a great idea whoa!!
Genius!
That's so smart
If you want to be able to brag about getting an item for cheap, the most satisfying way of doing that is "THANKS! I THRIFTED IT FOR £2"
This. I loved telling people yeah I got these vans for £10 on eBay and them being like wtf I paid £70 for them 😂.
I know, right? It’s such a superficial fact but I feel so badass every time it happens
"Thanks! I shop at this place where you pay by the kilo!" often gets some looks. People are really suprised that you can get nice things there.
I recently got a part-time job at a used clothing store and my favorite part is getting to curate my "staff picks" section. I put anything I would buy but either doesn't fit me or I know I wouldn't get use out of in there and I love seeing my favorite colors and textures all in one place. It makes me so happy when someone buys something from that section.
Oh my god that's so cool, I love that personal touch! It's my favorite thing especially when I go to garage sales or something to see that the people actually care about the things
I feel so deeply seen by free dopamine from library ebooks. There is nothing more exciting than the email saying your book is available early
I go on shopping trips to clothes shop, but I leave my money at home. I realised that trying on a bunch of clothes is the part of fast fashion I found the most fun. Trying on clothes in retail stores makes me better at shopping secondhand because I learn what fits me and what I like. And I don't fall into the trap of buying a bunch of stuff secondhand online just because I wanna try it all on. I get it out of my system and make sure every actual purchase is meaningful.
It feels a little bit hypocritical to enjoy going to fast fashion stores when I disagree with them so much, buuut the way I see it is I may as well make use of them while they exist as long as I don't buy from them.
This is such a good tip!
I do this too! I will go in and browse and take note of what's new, what I like etc and then keep the pics/notes for reference for when I look through vinted or for when I'm designing stuff (which my mam can later bring to life, as she's a seamstress! yes, i'm lucky 😉)
This is brilliant! It's an interactive activity that's totally free.
That is actually a very good tip! While our second-hand stores aren't this good yet, we can use the other stores for this part. There are a lot of drift stores that don't even have dressing rooms - not to mention the way the store is organised that can make finding things easy or hard.
same! I try to either thrift, alter something I already have or even make stuff that I see in shops!
The whole thing about people assuming "asking for help meaning you're hard on money" really got me because
Normalising this for people who *do* have money, makes a general reduction on judging people who genuinely are without. I love
A woman from dance class compliment my dress. I said I thrifted it. She gave me a mortified look as if I was a victorian maiden from noble but low on the luck family who has to do morally reprehensible things to keep the facade but too naive not to announce that publicly
lol, yeah once I told someone I got my shirt second-hand and they said "second-hand i've never heard of that brand" 🙄
On the subject of hiding clothes from yourself- here in Italy we have a thing called "Cambio Armadio" (translates to "change of wardrobe") which is when you put away your winter clothes and bring out your summer ones! I wouldn't say it's a "tradition" per se but basically everyone here does it, usually around the end of April. It's very practical because our seasons are still pretty defined so it wouldn't make sense to have all your clothes out year-round, and also it's an opportunity to figure out what you might want to give away!
i tried to quit fast fashion but being neurodivergent i have a lot of sensory issues around clothes and if i find something that fits and feels right i need the option to buy it 5 times and that's just not possible with buying second hand. but having all of these sensory issues also means that when i find something that's just right i will wear it to absolute death
Same here! I buy fast fashion sometimes but wear it for years , I have items ten years old or more at this point!
Yes!!! This is why I can't buy clothes online, which seems to be a lot of ethical brands.
I know what you mean. I love thrifting but one problem with it for me is people donating clothes they've washed in some toxic smelling detergent or fabric softener that stinks and gives me a migraine. I can't always wash it out so I've had to redonate a few items due to this. A lot of those detergents are toxic, carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting so I wish they'd be banned. Mild detergent and white vinegar is all anyone needs for laundry.
Leena having a sponsor is more like "goodness finally" instead of skip XD I am genuinely so happy you got this match ^^
Xxxx
100% agree on the hiding your clothes thing. Getting my old clothes out when the seasons change makes clothes that I've owned for years and years feel so exciting and novel somehow.
I had this whole period where I was VERY against fast fashion, so much so that I cannot even walk into a Primark without feeling yuckk. I've read too many articles about how poorly the workers get paid, how they don't even get breaks, how they have no windows etc
Then the pandemic hit and I got a job in government and I started needing office clothing. I was super broke, and counting pennies for a few years at this point.
Without even thinking about it I went into H&M and got myself a nice pink blazer.
Now I'm not that broke anymore and I started getting ads for Shein. My colleague loves Shein and told me it's amazing what all you can get from Shein. I even downloaded the app but still couldn't purchase it for some reason.
Then I met up with an old friend of mine (we have similar values) and suddenly I realized, oh shite, this is why I haven't committed to buying anything yet. That, plus the fact that I'm still too frugal to buy clothes just like that.
I just deleted the app on my phone thanks to this video and will try to find similar clothes elsewhere
Good job!!
I'm getting out of a buy-nothing year and running out of clothes, and it's tempting to 'just go and get what I need'... But I'm straight-sized, and have easy needs, so there's no reason why I can't go drifting with a friend some day. Besides I need to decorate my new home... So I need to go drifting soon regardless.
I am in a similar 'counting pennies' situation and got lured into ordering from Shein. I did order a couple of times, because there are so few plus size stores in my country as well.
I sent back most of what I ordered each time cause it was shapeless, too short or bad quality. I kept a few things but when wearing them longer I realized they were very uncomfortable. 100% synthetic fibers means the clothing is not breathable and you start sweating.
I avoid Shein like the plague now because besides the obvious moral objections the quality is just super poor. I wish I had realized earlier.
I've still got fast fashion pieces in my wardorbe, but some of them I've owned for 17 years now. So. I guess they are now slow fashion. I like making my own things, but when I can't fit into something or I no longer fond a piece of me is 'me', I like giving them to friends or offering them to my local 'cost nothing' group. Selling is my last step. If I do buy something it needs to be a thing I can't make, be sourced responsibly and be ready to last for as long as it can. :)
Taking on sewing has been such an eye-opener. The amount of time, effort and money it takes for me to sew just a t-shirt or a very simple dress makes it super clear that fast-fashion (and other fast consommable items) cannot be made by respecting either the planet or the workers.
In the hypothetical conversation with yourself complimenting your dress, I thought you were going to say “thanks, it has pockets” because that is always the response everyone desires for everyone. More pockets!!!!
P.s. I highly recommend learning how to insert pockets in all your garments. Skirts and dresses are the easiest to do!!
@@theonlyenekoeneko Morgan Donner and Bernadette Banner here on youtube have videos about inserting pockets into clothes! I'm just starting to learn how to do this so that I can have good pockets on every item of clothes
Thanks for being such a good influence on me Leena < 3 Your videos have single-handedly changed my approach to shopping and consuming over the past few years
Best thing I've done to get away from fast fashion is volunteer at a charity shop. I love not knowing what my next find will be and having clothes you don't see on every other person and when I get bored I donate back. Plus I got an actual job in a charity shop which I love and feel I've found my happy place career wise after years of working in Primark.
If you need the reward / collection aspect that you lose from loyalty cards - go to a local small business like a cafe, they usually have a lil points stamp card! My local board game cafe has one and it feels like a reward for doing good every time I complete one. Supporting somewhere I love and enjoying their coffee ❤️
Yes! And I love the points about really understanding how much effort and cost goes into making a garment and we so often devalue our clothing and don’t think about that. I knit and all the time people tell me I should make an Etsy shop - I always have to remind them the sweaters would be hundreds of dollars and people aren’t just gonna be willing to pay that. I think understanding the labor that goes into garments will also help us care for them more long term, if you understand someone had to work hard to make it, maybe we will not be so casual about throwing it away or discarding it
Ooh I very much love a clothing swap party! Some of my favourite items I have scored from these! Did one with my housemates and all their friends way back when, and have done them again since transitioning which is a whole new level of fun because ✨gender euphoria✨
Normally we do it like a lil auction if more than one person liked it and it was paper-scissors-rock battles until the victor got the item 😂
This sounds like a lot of fun!
when I get the urge to spend online I go and donate to a charity specifically ones like world vision where you can "buy" someone something like a beehive for example of but from their website so it scratches the same itch
Wow! That is so smart! Thank you:)
These videos have helped me so much. I always have bought a decent percentage of my clothes second hand but it took me a while to get over the idea of 'cheap' clothes from places like kmart I'm now at the point where I only but socks and underwear from these places and get the rest of my clothes as ethically as I can. The advice that really stuck for me was trying to see my wardrobe the way I see my book collection. It's not something I have to rush out and 'complete' with loads of cheap items right away, but something I can curate and look after and rewear/reread again and again. I've also really tried to get into the mending part of the hierarchy recently and it's made a big difference because I feel proud of those mended clothes and wear them more often.
Felt a thrill when I saw you're wearing a cute dress you made yourself, and how you styled it with your flower earrings and great lipstick. "It's Leena! She's fab to listen to." 🥰👍
I’ve notice personally since starting to detach away from fast fashion, that a majority of fast fashion clothes I see in stores just aren’t appealing at all to me anymore. I feel all the products are just a bit fugly, especially when you factor in the stolen designs, green washing, low paid store and factory workers, and so on…
I’ve also changed my spending habits and then thoughts surrounding them. I used allocate £50 a month to buying new clothes, which is absolutely bizarre to me now. I then decided to shrink that spending down to just one new garment a month, which had to come from either a charity shop or an online resell store. A year on from making this change, I buy a new price of clothing once every 3 monthsish, and I definitely feel like I’m enjoying my clothes way more than before. I’ve always been really creative with my clothing so it wasn’t necessarily an issue of unimaginative restyling, my issue was that I had put an imaginary pressure on myself to keep buying new clothes. I think that pressure had come from my teenage years, and ideas surrounding fashion, so making that change in mindset has not only been super lovely to my bank account and the environment, it has also made me feel more grown-up.
It’s called shopping fashion more ethically sweetie ✨💅👠
Side note: it’s taken me exactly 12minuets and 49seconds to realise that Leena wasn’t wearing bread-roll earrings, but instead a lovely pair of roses.
As an art teacher, I approve your message of encouraging the spirit of sharing. 😁👍🏻
Leena is actually the only creator whose ad segments I watch - I feel like being so open and honest about which brand deals you accept means I genuinely feel like the ads are relevant and ethical! Nice one Leena :D
Walking through a haberdashery "just to absorb colour without having to pay" is not an experience I can relate to unfortunately XD
I love the idea of hiding things from yourself! I fell upon the idea after Covid, when I had to move quickly and put a lot of stuff in storage lol, but now I do it on purpose.
size inclusive sustainable clothing brands for men is a huge problem! They don't exist! That's the problem :D
I manage to buy stuff online because brands usually have my size my husband's body is different from the beauty standard, so finding stuff for him is a struggle :(
Another tip for sewing: Check your local buy/sells for sewing machines! I was looking to get a cheap one and a coworker recommended that and I found an older machine for only $45!! Had to buy bits for it but still cheaper then new and I helped someone fund their move and keep it out of the landfill!
Sewing machines are also repairable! Like if your machine doesn't work like it should, you can find someone to repair it quite easily
How to build a wardrobe you will actually wear was my gateway drug to your channel. Love it so much x
I like hiding clothes seasonally because of the joy of reuniting. My issue is that I end up buying things I already own bc I forgot I had it! I have yet to solve this issue. Thanks Leena!
Also, my university has a sewing machine available to students in the Maker Space, maybe others do too?
Maybe you could take pictures of all your items before storing them and create a Google doc with a brief description and the photos so you can search the document to find the exact pic you're looking for? (e.g. labeling "green sweater")
I think the point about additional costs is a good reminder - Recently I went and bought a fast fashion party dress for a night out. I was really excited about it cause I genuinely don't have anything else like it, but I was unsure how much I would wear it after that night since it was so different from my other clothes. I then made the silly mistake of ironing the cheap polyester material, and it shrunk weirdly in some places. I wore it for the night but was so uncomfortable I now know I will never wear it again. I feel guilty seeing it in my closet, and now need to figure out if it's even worth donating with the condition it's in.
From now on I will remember to ask around from friends or give myself time to shop secondhand before an event (if I genuinely need something "new"). Hopefully next time I can save myself the $50 and handful of guilt!
Love this video!! I would definitely add mending for the clothes you have too or taking clothes from your friends and altering them to make them fit you perfectly. These skills have helped me a lot!
more like aSUS, AM I RIGHT?!
"it will blow your mind so hard, you won't be able to put all the bits back in" - overall best quote from yet another awesome video
Changing the conversation is such a smart and unique point, I haven’t heard of that one before. I also like it because it’s completely free way to be more sustainable. It’s so true that speaking about aspects of the garment’s appearance/construction or memories associated with it allows for much more interesting dialogue!
After trying Depop I found it so hit and miss (some things would be amazing and then others would end up not fitting, not looking anything like their pictures ect) so it didn’t feel like it was fixing the problem as then I was ending up with clothes that I wouldn’t wear and I’d wasted the money/shipping ect and still ended up with an item I then had to find a new home for.
I’ve now set my goal as owning a mostly me-made wardrobe. I’ve taken up knitting and have learned how to make lots of different items this way (which is super slow fashion as it can take me weeks/months to knit myself a jumper for example) and I’m also teaching myself how to sew. I’m allowing myself purchases at the moment which I can’t make myself, but try to go as sustainable as possible, and always look in charity shops/second hand places first.
I really think learning to make clothes is a good tip for giving up fast fashion, I didn’t really understand just how poisonous fast fashion was until I started putting myself in the shoes of garment makers. The idea that after those hours and hours making something I’d be paid so little that a shop could make a profit selling it for £10 just baffles me.
For me, it's been quite easy to give up fast fashion because I always found it stressful and not that fun anyway. I like to make as many of my clothes as I can. But I still have problems with hoarding yarn or fabric because I see something beautiful and know I want to make something with it but it takes me years to get round to using it 🤦♀️ I think some of these tips are gonna be helpful for that problem as well, for instance I've started not going to my haberdashery to browse because I always buy something and it would be good to try and find a community to swap yarn I'm not going to use with 😅
I really love and appreciate your advice, the last one has literally opened something in my brain. I have some old clothes that have been with me since middle school, and I was actually thinking about getting a sewing machine just to be able to modify them a little bit - maybe I should also try sewing a garment from scratch? Just to understand the work that goes into making clothes
Me and my college friends go thrifting. We’re all plus sized and have a fixed budget, and it’s a great way to try different looks sustainably while staying frugal.
I like to sew and I sew very slowly. Overtime I've struggled with putting too much responsibility on myself to sew everything, instead of buying, out of fast-fashion guilt. What I've learned though, overtime, is that really I think most of us are good at making one thing we would wear. That is to say there is a difference between what you'd like to wear and what you are ultimately good at making yourself. Just because you can finish a project doesn't mean you'll be happy with the results; just because I could make a fitted bodice dress doesn't mean I'll be happy with the quality of what I can do versus a professional.
The solution I've found is really zeroing in on that zone of what can I make WELL and then actually WEAR, accepting there are categories of things I don't want to make because I know I wont like them (and wont wear). For me, I am really happy with making elastic-waist skirts and modifying otherwise finished clothing (adjusting hems, adding decorative bits on top). I just know, because I've tried, that I can't make the kinds of blouses and tops I'd then go on to wear proudly; ever time I've tried I've not been as happy as when I just bought one. So I think it's really important, in order to avoid waste on a larger scale, to try and honestly acknowledge what you're just always going to have to source passed the sewing machine.
If everyone just made one category of thing they liked to wear, I think that would make a huge impact. Maybe you don't sew, buy all your clothes; but you made all your own bead necklaces? Right there you're cutting back.
I've also found some categories of clothing I can't source through thrifting; t-shirt dresses have sort of been a major new trend lately and those really changed my lifestyle positively (tuck it into your bottoms, or wear under overalls/jumper dresses and then continue to wear that t-shirt dress to bed as your nightgown; thus eliminating needing to own sleepwear besides a plush robe). By contrast, every other style of clothing I want I can either thrift or make, so I don't beat myself up for t-shirt dresses. It's just really important to try and avoid falling into a purity spiral and to aim for your personal best.
If you get to know what colours and shapes you personally like wearing and feel good in, that releases you from the pressure of buying new things to "stay in style".
Yesss use that artistic impulse to try new hairstyles and makeup!!! Still editing my avatar and it is so fun 🤩
Fashion video ? Leena ? Avoiding fast fashion ? Here you go, take my thumb up!
Gosh, i genuinely did think that some clothing could be completely factory made... I've gone second hand for quite a few years now, and I still didn't realize the extent of what goes into every piece of clothing.
I agree with everything, yet coming from a different country I have ooooone comment re the switching shopping/browsing/big dept stores with things like going to a museum, gallery, library or smaller independent stores… Everything shuts at 5pm in the UK apart from big shops! So for a lot of people that wanna do something nice after work… well you’re either hitting the high street, going to a massive fast fashion shop or dept store or just straight down to the pub.
It would make a massive difference if these places opened later and stayed open later!
You are so so so right. As a European living in the UK, I don't understand why more people don't talk about the fact that if you're working a 9-5 job in the UK, eeeeeeeverything is closed by the time you finish work and there's nothing to do
@@sigridsimmen Exactly!
This is weird. So all these services are up just for pensioners?
In Finland, libraries are open until the evening, at least self-service. I don't know about museums, I've never tried to visit one during the week.
@@raapyna8544 Exactly. I've had a variety of issues trying to get to high street stores, post offices or libraries after work as many would close at 5.30 and I would have to bolt there after finishing work at 5. During the pandemic when working from home, I no longer had the convenience of spending my day in the office close to shops and would struggle to even get to a pharmacy as they would close right after 5. The only museum where I live is open 10-4. When would a working person ever be able to go to it? Most things are only accessible on the weekends for working people in the UK (unless you have flexible hours or an extended lunch break).
I was raised by frugal parents who emphasized getting the "best deal" aka getting something that costs less, waiting until an item goes on sale, getting BOGO deals at the grocery store even if you don't necessarily need to restock on that item, etc. I rewear a lot of my clothes anyway, so when I started looking into "slow" and more sustainable fashion, I've had a hard time reframing my thinking about what is "expensive" and what exactly I'm paying for. A lot of times these items are high quality and last a long time (ideal for my rewearing!), so even though it costs more than, say, Old Navy, I am still getting a good deal because of how long they will last through wear and washing.
you always manage to spark something in me to get me thinking further and i‘m just so happy to see you starting these important conversations… that’s the spirit we need 🌟
This makes me smile because I think I've never been a fast-fashion person. I've always been wary of those shops, I don't like what's in them and how it's presented! Don't get me wrong, I bought from fast-fashion more than once, but it's never been a hobby.
For me the transition was so smooth. I wear my mom's and my mother in law's and my grandma's old clothes (and there are quite a few pieces I've kept for years in my closet because I didn't like them at the time and now I love them to bits!). I also try to shop at Vinted only when I need something precise. It's been so long since I've been to a shop, i genuinely dont remember it.
Leena, I just wanted to say I love how kind and thoughtful you are. Understanding the positive side of why someone might buy clothes (a creative outlet and self-expression) was such a helpful thing to hear, and I believe that kindness will do more to help change behavior than the shaming route. Thanks for being you and sharing this online! Your videos fill me with joy and help me take small steps towards what I consider to be a better me ❤
I was on the brink of complaining why you’re not showing a B-roll of the full dress you are wearing! 😂 So glad that your channel is about actionable steps too. I’m off to the dress video now.
My 8 year old clothes from college are literally falling apart now. I found a couple of local stores (not lux designer) that make printed blouses and dresses - I’m surprised at how high quality they are! It’s so funny and ironic that the fast fashion stores are now so bland and boring compared to the local shops when the initial selling point of Zara etc is to always be fashionable.
I really like thrifting. I also borrow clothes from my family or get old things from my friends. I really wanna learn how to sew things, but I'm super clumsy, luckily my mom can help me out. I struggle the most with my love for jeans, because it's hard to get them second hand in my size. I also struggle with finding non-fast fashion socks and underwear that I just can buy in the store, cause I don't like online shopping.
This is very specific to me but as a gamer, i have found i can explore my creativity with fashion through games like the sims. You can download custom content clothing, accessories and hairstyles online for free and it honestly gives me the same thrill of shopping but without any costs and i can play with different looks in the click of a button
Same 😂 I literally just made a Lookbook in sims for my UA-cam channel 😅 I absolutely love that I can play with fashion that way😍 downloading custom content is so addicting though 😅
@@diamondcentury21 it really is, my laptop storage be struggling for real 😂 I probably spend more time organising my cc than using it lol
some clothes i bought a few years ago from when i started thrifting started wearing out recently and i briefly considered learning how to sew, but 1) i have no interest in it and 2) i don't have the time to accumulate the sheer expertise needed to know how to make or mend my clothes, so i've been taking them to a place that does alterations and repairs. the first time i went in to get velcro patches removed and resewn, the bill came up to way higher than i expected (despite going in knowing it would be pricier than i expect). i had a brief moment of "why would that be so expensive??" even after the seamstress explained that they would have to remove the stitches for total of 4 strips of velcro before sewing the new ones on. i really had to think about how i saw sewing then, and how growing up, my grandmother would do it for in her spare time when she visited, so in my mind, i definitely saw it as domestic = cheap = it shouldn't cost THIS much, when in fact there's so much that goes into knowing what and how to mend something and how to operate a sewing machine. i also think the staff there get a lot of people walking out or asking the same question out loud so they're always so apologetic, but now, i'm just like, "i love this item of clothing, and you're going to keep it alive for me, so i'll pay however much you deserve."
Loved this video! I always wondered why I didnt have as much of an attachment to fashion when I was younger and recently I realised it's because I spent all of my childhood playing fashion games on the internet
I'm kind of glad that I haven't liked the fashion for many years now. So I barely ever find anything that I want in shops. Not that I go looking much either. I mostly shop second hand, or sew things myself these days.
I relate so much to the creativity part. Not having a specific creative hobby is what built the habit of browsing ASOS and HM in me. What is helping me overhaul this horrific pattern is my life savior Vinted, which is also way funnier being full of funky second hand stuff, but ofc I am also trying to find different past times. When it comes to how my creativity works in relation to fashion/how I present myself to the world, Vinted has been life changing tho, because I feel that no matter how many new hobbies I might find, I'll always love to collect clothes and re invent my presentation.
This has been a goal I've been working towards for a while with less success than I would like. Today I made a step by unsubscribing from all of the brand emails I get constantly, as well as blocking the accounts on social media so I don't get ads from them. I'm such a sucker for the ads and I fall for exactly what they want me to, so blocking them and removing that constant reminder entirely will help curb the temptation, I think.
I’m still really struggling with the cognitive dissonance and temptation of fast fashion shops. I have been gaining weight for a few years so I do need new clothes that fit. I love Vinted and buy a lot of my clothes from there but find charity shops are just full of size 10 fast fashion from 15 years ago which doesn’t appeal to my style. I rewear outfits a lot and try to stick to classic pieces rather than microtrends. Tbh I wish fast fashion brands would all just disappear and take the choice away!
watching these videos, i feel like a tourist on a safari. there's this thing i still can't quite get is like why would a person just buy new things all the time. to me that is something quite incomprehensible. it takes forever for me to decide to "welcome" a new piece into my wardrobe and my life and then i just go on wearing it till it literally falls apart.
so i went about my life buying things only when i really really had to and then i moved to [portugese backwater] and woe is me: there is nothing to buy here that would fit me that isn't h&m. like literally. i can't buy from local brands because i am too tall and nothing fits or i don't even like it as it is waaaaay to colourful and/or revealing. i needed tropical summer appropriate clothes and i couldn't find anything that would work. most places don't deliver to here and if they do about half the time things get lost.
went to the capital basically to shop for clothes (horror), turns out they don't even import all sizes from major eu brands. so i ended up going to h&m to buy shirts. great.
i suppose this is a long way to say thay sometimes depite people's best efforts, you're still stuck with buying things from brands/companies whose policies you religiously disagree with.
now I just hope those 2 shirts last a long ass time.
As an artist, I like to create beautiful things and be surrounded by beautiful things. When I used to see something beautiful, I just had to have it. Now, most of the time, I try to appreciate things and admire their beauty without feeling the need to acquire them. It is harder when you find a gem in an op shop, but at least it is far more sustainable! 💚💚💚
My moms' friends' daughter once had a breast enlargement surgery, and bought a few new braws in advance. They ended up not fitting her new size, so I got like 5 brand-new braws for free! So thankful for them even considering passing them along.
Thank you so much for this video Leena! It's made me feel a little better about where I'm at currently with fast fashion :)
One way I still get that shopping kick is video games - specifically in my case the sims! There is so much free player made content (custom content/cc) you can download and it really is like shopping online, you add it to your basket, then you try it on your sims, see if it works for your game / is actually good quality, possibly return it (delete it) etc etc :)
Another point on the subject of "changing the conversation": Drop "where did you get it?" from your phrase rotation. A good substitute is "Is there a story behind your necklace?".
I used to always ask people what store they bought their cute clothes at. Asking about stories is so much more personal, makes interesting conversation, and the people I've spoken to have loved being asked that.
"Where did you buy it" is such a weird thing to ask, I never understood why people ask it, as if if they went to that shop they would still find it? Because the collections change so quickly, and rarely anything I wear is bought in the recent 6 months. So even if it's a 'slow fashion' brand, they have at least two seasons per year, and it's not going to be there anymore.
I enjoy the fact that you always talk about "affordable" in the new way. Meaning you talk about affordable being not just actually affordable but less expensive in the long run bc you won't spend more money in short bursts. I worked in the mall for 7 years and can confirm all the things you're saying with marketing tactics. My area of expertise was visual merchandising, using placement and trends and SIGNAGE to pull people in. I can't really borrow things bc I'm smaller in height than all my friends and more muscular lol but I do find myself reaching for Depop or wanting to go to a thrift store before wanting to go to the mall, a large store or venture into the internet.
Unfortunately with switching jobs so much in the last two years (thanks covid!) and starting college, professional wardrobe shopping has been a necessary evil for me but since watching your channel I just find myself thinking a bit more before I buy things. Not just the standard "do I need it" or "do I have something like this already", but more of "is this practical" and "will this work for more than one day?"
Loved the video! i do a few of those things, and they work!
When i shared a flat with a friend we shared most of the clothes and usually customize them, during crazy afternoons with the living room full of clothes, sewing thingys, fabric pieces ... totally recommend :)
Don’t let you clothes speak for you -- that point hit deep for me!! Thanks Leena ;)
I recently went through the horrifying situation of having Covid and needing a dress for the day after I got out of quarantine. I scoured online and I literally couldn’t find anything that I liked from fast fashion. I bought one dress from the devil Bezos and as soon as it came I instantly regretted it and returned it since it was a piece of shit. Ended up wearing some thing that I already had in my closet and that whole experience reminded me why I fucking hate shopping haha. I think that was my first fast fashion purchase in well over a year. The things that I still struggle to buy are underwear workout clothes and swimsuits.
I had the exact same experience recently. Stressing out finding a new dress for a wedding because my size had changed, and I ended up wearing a jumpsuit I already had!
Every time I break down and buy something from Amazon or Shein, i always regret it and return it.
Not sure where you are or if these match your budget/style, but I really like Knickey for ethical undies and Athleta (which is fair trade) For athletic wear.
Speaking of Liverpool, in their old Topshop flag ship store the UKs biggest second hand clothing store has opened. Feels very full circle
you've got some genuinely good points here and they work not only in terms of clothes and fast fashion.
i barely shop so I can't relate to the clothes part but i still relate to a lot of these points, esp this "detach emotions from brands" this really made me think cuz im definitely attached to a few food chains and restaurants because of emotions.
One of the things that blew my mind was when I realised that every clothing, bras and all, are made by some person. Like I have been sewing for ages but that was the final mind block I had. I haven't made any bras yet because it's a biggish project, but I might.
YASSS LEENA!!! Implementing and sharing this brilliant advice ASAP! 👏👏👏
Could you do a video on what happens to clothes when they get donated to charity shops? I used to think it was always a good idea but I know sometimes they get sold to other countries which impacts their tailoring industries, or sometimes they go to landfill. I’d love to know how common this is!
So interesting - I’m constantly buying clothes as that dopamine hits just right - I’ve transitioned fully to Vinted now and haven’t bought anything that wasn’t second hand in over a year which is better than I was doing - I guess the need for ‘new’ might actually be more of an need to reflect inward and figure out why I’m not content with a wardrobe full of clothes that I like a lot and fit... hmm your don’t let your clothes speak for you definitely is food for thought!
Wow! not bought new in over a year that's really good start!
I quite fast fashion when I was 16. I’m now 20, and looking forward to a decade of sewing, charity shops and hand me downs!
You're wearing the dress you made!! Yesssss :DD
The place i live and in my community, a lot of people shop second hand. 98 percent of the time when I get a compliment im like thanks its from (thrift shop). Also friends get together once in a while and we do clothing swaps :) which is awesome because stuff gets a new life and its all free!
Its definitely a process and nuanced. I do buy 'fast fashion' still, but do try to find some of what I need in charity shops. Often my wants are too specific to find anything there but I do try. 99% of the time, I only buy things I need and been planning for a long time, sometimes up to a year or so. I also take into account materials too, try to stay away from polyester if possible. I recently bought pajamas from Primark, and felt ashamed. But it was a very informed purchase as I had only bought one pair of summer pajamas since I gained weight a few years ago, partly in the hopes that I would lose it e.e. I try to at least be very careful with my clothing purchases that means I buy much less... even though I feel guilty sometimes for buying things made with cheap labour.
I found your channel maybe a month or so ago and I just love it so much. So much great, friendly, funny and entertaining content. Thank you so much for creating this and for being the person that you are! I have refrained from asking this for weeks now. Not really sure why, but can you tell us more about these amazing giant flower earrings you wear in so many of your videos? I've already done Google searches and looked on Etsy to no avail. I'm particularly in love with the red ones. Pretty please do share. Love them so much! Thank you for this and all the awesome videos you have made over the years. It's so fun to have this giant catalog of older content to watch and enjoy. ❤️
She mentioned in a previous video that she made those earrings herself!
All my camera gear is from MPB. They're an awesome sponsor. Great work.
And the video is awesomely informative as well. 😀
Such a quality video!! Thank you! :) loved the sponsor as well, very in line with your vibe
Do you consider underwear fast fashion? I literally don’t know any sustainable underwear brands and wouldn’t want to buy it second hand
I started making my own clothes and mostly just wanted to come down here and say that my goal used to be to make them look "professional" i.e. like fast fashion clothes and now I reached a point in my sewing where fast fashion looks rubbish compared to what I made for myself XD
I have a few videos on my channel about my clothing journey if you want to see any more :)
I'm near the end of my first trimester and have been super tempted to hit up fast fashion shops for maternity wear/new clothes as I'm on a budget and most of my pants no longer fit. This video is a great reminder to be intentional about my buying, to buy secondhand wherever I can, and to rethink my wardrobe - wearing dresses and oversized trees with leggings, sewing stretchy panels into old jeans and attending clothing swaps or shopping closets of friends who have been recently pregnant.
Thank you Leena!! You're so lovely, your videos have been helped take my mind off morning sickness and exhaustion. 💕💕💕
Some drift stores have a lot of maternity clothes! It's a smart thing to cycle because you wear it for such a short time.
I feel like as teenagers and in my 20's me and my friends were so good at borrowing each other clothes. We literally used to say yay we have twice the wardrobe now. It was always so fun seeing what your mates had!! Before I do a wardrobe cull I always send photos to my best friend incase she wants soemthing first haha. So fun!!
So many fresh ideas in this video. Thanks!
Loved this Leena! I’m already a way into my journey on giving up fast fashion but I had a sneaking suspicion this would be full of things I hadn’t considered and I was right!
Just wanna come here to leenas comment section and say u guys are fun
STOP I know my childhood computer has hundreds of saved screenshots of those pixelated dolls wearing different outfits.
I think being too big to shop off the rack has actually helped me not consume fast fashion. That, and I just plain hate shopping for clothes in general 🤷🏻♀️