I am having a problem figuring out what is NOT fast fashion. Even expensive designer labels are made in sweat shops. Especially the ones made for outlet malls
Allbirds treats their workers well and doesn'tpollute environment, they even do regenerative farming. You definitely can make successful bussiness with ethics. They just don't try because they think they can sell people lies that Birikin bags aren't made in sweatshops but by true artisans
Other ethical brands are Vieja, Rich & Sporty, SmartWool, Ewa Minge, Elementy and NISZA is a good Polish brand that will sew you clothes that will suit to your silthuette you just need to send them size of your hips, torso etc..
Hey :) I haven't used it in a while but GoodOnYou is a really useful website/online directory for clothing brands. They specifically focus on what different companies ethical and environmental practices are and have fairly in depth reviews. You can also filter through companies on the website based on price, clothing type (sports, skirts etc), where they ship to, and the ratings GoodOnYou gives. Which is quite useful if you're looking for a specific piece that you want to buy but don't know where to buy from. It's less useful if you live in a country that has expensive international shipping (like me lol) since lots of smaller brands aren't on there yet but it has a really good database all the same
An insightful video 🙂 I worked at a Goodwill for 2 years, and I saw the absurd amount of clothing that gets filtered through every hour. It really took the magic out of clothes shopping for me. You realize that something that seems one of a kind and special in the store has just been arranged that way, and if it was hanging in a thrift shop it would just fade into the 50 other orange shirts or denim pants they have. I almost exclusively shop secondhand now because I've seen how much waste is out there and I want to be a part of the solution, not the problem. If you meet someone with a fast fashion problem, try and get them to volunteer at a thrift chain for a week and they'll quickly understand 😂
A thoughtful well-considered video. Thank you Elanor. Have been a thrifter for 40 years, largely due to a love of high quality statement pieces which I wore to work, while on a budget. In retirement, 90% of my garments are thrifted and I love every one of them, however it's obvious that thrift stores are inundated with fast fashion items, most in poor condition because they were not made to last, and which have little prospect of a life in someone else's wardrobe. Statement high quality garments are becoming rare. Finally, I keep a cap on my wardrobe with a one in/one out policy, which means no new hangers, air between garments which I can see at a glance, and liberation from the burden of orphan garments that don't serve or work with others in my wardrobe. It's taken a lifetime to get to this point, and in my 70s can create more outfits from a small wardrobe than I ever could swamped by abundance. I think in some ways shopping may have filled a deeper need in me and it was time to let it go.
This is a very insightful comment. Thanks for sharing your perspective. I totally agree with you about thrift stores declining. I feel like even 5-10 years ago I was able to find higher quality pieces, and now it is mostly fast fashion at the end of its life. I feel the same way about shopping filling some kind of psychological need in me. Although I'm 23 and obviously have my entire working life ahead of me, I almost feel like the pandemic and being forced to spend most of my time at home for the past 3 years has simulated that same feeling you got from your retirement. It's caused me to realize that I need much less than I have and forced me to be more intentional about what I bring into my wardrobe. I bet you have some absolutely amazing pieces in your wardrobe!
Great and thoughtful video. It is devastating to see how much waste people produce. I have been trying to decrease my buying as well and only buy clothes I actually need or only buying things I really love. Just started a poshmark closet too to try and resell my unwanted clothes.
I agree! My wardrobe is a great place to start! Goodwill is my main source of clothing. I buy underwear and bras new but from discount stores. I’m not a flashy dresser, but I manage to find very nice things - often still with tags. I wonder if we could revive some of the old ways of using old clothes - rag rugs, quilts, cleaning cloths etc. It’s a great creative challenge - one closet, one household at a time. Thank you for your soul searching message😊🦋🙏🏼
I love that idea of reviving old textiles that you mentioned. I know how to sew but my mom is a really talented seamstress. We have talked about getting old vintage quilts and making them into puffer coats. It is a laborious process, but I think those unconventional textiles that you mentioned would make gorgeous garments!
HOW I STOPPED BUYING FAST FASHION (and why you should too). Interesting and engaging video. I support your video Watched the video on May 18, 2023 very like. Thank you
This was a well made video that I think will really help your channel grow. I like how you not only addressed the problem of fast fashion, you helped explain how to actually shop wiser for oneself. Over consumption is a mental health problem, imo. People don’t know how to love themselves from the inside out, therefore they’re always looking for “things-stuff” to fill the voids. Its certainly an issue that goes far deeper than any solution I can come up with. Personally, through my meditation/spiritual practice & my commitment to being of value to this planet during my time on it (including no longer being a consumer of fast fashion), I can only hope that others will find the love they’re seeking from within. From their higher power or their God, whatever that looks like for them. New sub here! Thanks!
As an Uzbek-American I was oddly happy to see you mention sweatshops in Uzbekistan, even in passing. We rarely get mentioned in these sorts of videos, but the problem of Chinese companies exploiting the poorest parts of the country for labor even cheaper than they could get in China or neighboring countries is very real. Even worse, a lot of the people being exploited are immigrants from Afghanistan and Bangladesh fleeing war and global warming induced flooding, meaning they don't have permanent residences (many live in condemned buildings), have nothing but the clothes on their backs and don't speak Uzbek and so they can't report it to the police if they're being abused physically or s*xually by employers or are victims of wage theft. I've made a promise to myself never to buy anything, even second-hand, that was made in my father's country. I thrift most of my clothes and sew the things I don't thrift so I'm not contributing to the problem. Yes, one person may not fix the world, but that doesn't mean we have to join in and make a bad problem worse. Two wrongs don't make a right.
Thank you for sharing this insight. I agree with everything you said. This comment prompted me to do some more research on Uzbekistan because it is a country and region I don't know much about. What a beautiful country with a rich and interesting cultural history. I hope I get to travel there someday. It is devastating that so many people are being abused and exploited there. Thank you again for your comment
@@elanornadorff Uzbekistan and a lot of Central Asia are overlooked, so thank you for doing research into us. The USSR polluted and destroyed a lot of Central Asian countries' environments, and now fast fashion companies are exploiting the region for labor for both cotton and manufacturing. Global warming and conflict leads people to flee to Central Asia for their own safety, only to end up in even worse conditions. People are dying, women and children are assaulted, men are forced into slave labor conditions picking cotton, and the world just seems not to care? I hear so much about South Asian exploitation, and nothing about Central Asian exploitation (and of course West Asian exploitation is also underdiscussed, but Georgia, Armenia, etc. are also being taken advantage of during their economic crises right now; let us not forget their suffering). It really means a lot to me that you care about the suffering of people even in overlooked parts of the world. As Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. said, injustice is injustice, no matter where it happens. Thank you for caring about people. It's rarer than you'd think.
I felt a bolt of reality when you said that there are more clothes circulating than people who need them⚡😳 🤯!! I tried to make a donation to the charity shop last week but they said that they were completely full and can't take donations at the moment. It's mind blowing when you stop and think about it 🤯🧐
i’ve been shopping second hand since middle school when my mom told me we couldn’t afford outlets. since then she’s got a promotion, but the habit, or should i say hobby, remains. personally, thrifting is a hobby. it keeps things out of the landfill, so if you want to see your actions like that; you should
Absolutely great video - I am currently writing a paper for my Journalism Diploma on the effects of Fast fashion on the environment and I am listening to this. You are really ispiring me right now :)
Thank you so much for watching! I'd love to read your paper if you feel comfortable sharing it! Feel free to email it to me (elanornadorff@gmail.com) if you want to!
@@elanornadorff Thank you so much for answering me! ❤️ I’d love to share my paper with you, but it is written in Bulgarian, because I am Bulgarian, yay 😁 And I know my language is not widely spoken. Buut, I’ll see what I can do, maybe I can share some of the images from the paper with you on Gmail and some explanations as to what I’m talking about on the page. Thank you for offering to read it! That was so sweet and a confidence boost for me :) ❤️ As I said, your video greatly inspired me and I loved that I got to talk to you through this comment. I will also be adding this link in the Bibliography page of my work ☺️ I wish you all the best, your videos are great! ⭐️
During pandemic I learned knitting After making a few projects I was able to make a beautiful dress that I wear most of the time during the summer. I getting so many compliments and I love every little detail about it. I’m taking a very good care about this dress so it last me longer. I’ve also purchased a sewing machine and hoping to learn this craft as well. I know making your own clothes is not for everyone but that could be a great solution against fast fashion issues for those who enjoy the process.
I agree! My life is too fast paced right now to devote much time to it, but as I get older I hope to knit and sew more of my own clothes. It is a great skill to have!
i completely agree. once i actually learned how harmful the fast fashion industry was, i never went back. i last bought a fast fashion item in september of 2021. all the clothing pieces i've acquired since then (four in total) have been thrifted. i feel happy when i think about the fact that i'll never give my money to a fast fashion brand ever again. i don't have an enormous amount of clothes, but i still do have a lot of clothes that i don't wear (some of them because i simply don't like the style anymore, some of them because they were bought for me and i had no say in choosing them, some of them because they never fit me (very stupid indeed) ). so now i'm starting the process of selling the ones i know aren't for me, and trying to utilize the clothes that i do have, but am not utilizing enough - after all, the most sustainable thing we can do is utilize the clothes that we do own, wear them for a long time, and then repurpose them when they aren't wearable anymore. or, in short : keep textiles out of landfills, as much as possible. NB : do NOT donate really worn clothes/textiles when you find that they aren't wearable anymore, because they too will end up in landfills since they cannot be successfully resold. find a way to repurpose them : make them into cushion stuffing, plushie stuffing, or make a patchwork instead. until you figure out a way to repurpose them, DO NOT throw them away : just keep them in a box somewhere until you find a purpose. if you manage to do so, you will have successfully kept a piece of fabric from landfills.
I agree with all of your points and appreciate how conscious you are about your own clothing consumption. I plan on making a follow up video about your great point you bring up about what to do with clothes you don’t want anymore. It is hard to know under what circumstances it’s appropriate to donate, where to donate, and how to reuse or repurpose clothes as well. Thank you for watching!
This really resonated with me. Thank you for taking the time to create this thoughtful content that has the capacity to change how people feel and shop.
I enjoyed watching your film. I am a minimalist and I don’t clothing shop very often. I’m petite and stuff just doesn’t fit me very well. Opposite problem from you, everything is too long, arms and legs. I’m 50 and it took me until about the last 5 years to realize that I would rather have just a few really nice items that fit me well than a whole bunch of crappy quality clothes. I completely changed how I shop. Now I look for exactly what the item is I want, try to buy it secondhand, but if I can’t I shop from a handful of places that I’ve researched to the best of my knowledge are sustainable. I also try to look on places like Etsy for things people hand make. I just do not like the stuff that I used to purchase from places like TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, ect. It all just falls apart and looks terrible too quickly.
@@elanornadorffAllbirds is good ethical brand. Their wool boots are carbon neutral and sheep are well cared for. They have ZQ certificate so they aren't even killed for food
This video is amazingly done! Also as someone who has an entire dressing room that's still running out of space, you've definitely inspired me to change my ways ❤
I sell on poshmark, I learned quickly that you have to share your closet multiple times daily because search results are based on most recently shared. Also you do need to expect things to sit for up to a year waiting for the right buyer, they do come, and this goes right along with your slow fashion mindset, you will occasionally have fast sales, but most are slow - don't give up
Thank you for mentioning this. You are very right. As a consumer I know I will save items and wait months to actually purchase them. You’re so right that it’s all part of the slow fashion mindset
This is a great video. I am a Posh Ambassador 2. It takes a while to get regular sales but it’s really worth it. I have a teen who is a costumer. My closet is getting taken over by his stuff that wears and then he wants a hole new style. I think I would be able to afford his clothing habits with out Poshmark. My other two kinds are more like me and will wear something until it’s worn out.
Thank you for bringing more awareness! This is why I invested in a color- and bodytype analysis. So now I can work on building a capsule wardrobe. I never was a huge clothing shopper, but I did buy a lot I ended up never wearing and I wanted that to stop. Knowing your colors and silhouettes makes shopping so much easier and less time consuming. No mistakes anymore. And I don’t buy what I don’t need… I only shop for the gaps in my wardrobe.
I'm from a country where alot of people in many areas still have no clothes to wear or they simply can't afford. But we have big industries of clothing manufacturers with off course cheap labour and poor work conditions. It amazed me alot that there's huge society imbalance in the world. 🇵🇰
I am in the U.S. and I have bought towels and sweatpants and sweatshirts made in your country. I didn’t know it was a country with the cheap labor and poor working conditions. The quality of the cotton was good so I liked the products made there. 😢
@@zaraali1740True. And jeans from there will never paint your skin because thwy simply cannot allow any water waste in country that faces water shortages
Great video. As an ex-pat from middle class UK living now in Chile, I can tell you that what is classed as fast fashion for the West, is not fast fashion for poorer countries. Chile is not a poor country, but the distribution of wealth is terrible i.e. there is a small number of people at the top earning all the money; the majority of people here are poor and earn very little in comparison. To them, shops like H&M are a life-saver. The clothes they can afford are not fast to them...they keep them and wear them completely out. Personally I shop secondhand here simply because it is actually impossible to find good quality clothes in the shops here. The second hand stuff coming from the US is much better quality.
You don't have to feel very guilty. Vast majority of luxury brands like Gucci, Armani, Channel etc. produce in sweatshops even tho companies can allow themselves to pay more to their workers. There are ethical brands like Allbirds who truelly do good job at producing good clothes while not polluting environment.
This was a really fun and well-made video and I relate a lot. I'm a fan of shopping on Poshmark and Thread-up for similar reasons. I love that I can get high-quality items for so cheap but I have gotten shoes that are too small, clothes that are too worn and pilling, etc. It comes with the territory in a way. Better than buying brand-new fast-fashion! I've also purchased second-hand designer shoes that I coveted 15 years ago but couldn't afford then. I think If we all bought less and bough more second-hand then hopefully retailers would slow their production down to match the decreased demand. I would LOVE to see a return to 2-4 seasonal collections in the future.
I have done the same thing with buying designer. Figuring out how to shop second hand has allowed me to own brands I could never afford otherwise. I totally agree about the return to 2-4 seasonal collections. That would make me actually excited about new fashion again!
Buying anything on ebay or postmark is the best way of being sustainable. Cuz they already been passed around retail to retail or consumer to consumer. And now you’re getting the best prices and make better use of your money and items.
Your video is amazing! I truly get down when it is trash pick up day because I don’t like to know that I am contributing to adding trash into our beautiful planet, I love clothing and lately I have been working on my consumption in general, I found out that Honduras and the Philippines have a program that ships a huge box of clothing for only $100, but the caveat is that they need more summer clothing over winter, so you might want to get in touch with someone from those countries and truly help others, since in poor countries clothing is very expensive, I hope it helps, best wishes
I appreciate this vulnerable video. I want to address one point. Yes, these men and women are working in oftentimes horrible conditions. However, if you actually talk to them most of them are so proud and grateful to have a job that pays their food each day. They often say that if their wages were higher , then hundreds of thousands of people would be out of work and begging for food. What seems undignified to us can bring a tremendous dignity to them because they are not beggars. Unfortunately, Nothing is black and white and there are no easy solutions like “just buying less” in order to solve these great economic challenges. But, I still believe that we should not be buying at the rate we are across the board on everything we are consuming because of the other factors you discussed. Thank you for the challenge to the status quo. We continually need this!! ❤
Shopping is an addiction. Even thrift shopping. You say your clothes make you happy, but your search for external ways to make you happy internally will never result in true happiness. You will always seek it from the outside until you look within. It doesn't matter what you wear. It really doesn't. This video just kind of sounds like an ad for Poshmark.
Consumerism is a problem, but not as much as overproduction. Thrifting is great and helps a little. But ultimately the biggest impact for the planet is to lessen overproduction of clothes.
how do you think we could actively fight against this except just not buying the clothes? something i think about is even if i don’t buy it, it’s still being processed :-(
I hear you and I often feel the same way. I think when you look at any successful social movement in the past (civil rights, women’s rights, etc.) the people at the forefront of those movements were able to reach a consensus with each other (despite differences in their beliefs) about what they wanted to change and were then able to mobilize to do something. I think we haven’t even reached the stage of consensus yet. I go on UA-cam and tiktok and am bombarded with normal, middle class people doing massive Shein hauls without a care in the world. That has to change. I think changing our individual consumption habits and encouraging people around us to do the same would go a long way. And not engaging with that kind of content on the internet. It needs to become socially unacceptable to buy fast fashion even at the volume that “regular” people buy it. Then from there I think we can do a lot - mass boycotting, protesting, etc. Based on some recent events I feel hopeful that garment workers in the US and abroad will be more empowered to unionize their workplaces, but that is definitely uncertain. Overall I think for people in my position it would go a long way to stop or cut back on buying fast fashion and encourage people around us to do the same.
I wish we could take excess clothing, combine it with plastic waste and some type of invasive plant and create a new type of building material to offset building supply shortage, so we can create viable and affordable housing for the homeless, low income, veterans and the elderly population I know it’s just a dream, but sometimes good dreams do come true…
But Allbirds is a good brand that doesn't pollute environment and pays workers fair payment and workers and workers are safe because they produce in South Korea
No idea why this video was recomendet to me. I have barely nothing to do with fashion and wear black most of the time. I really like your style and the way u approach thinks. The Problem might be that no matter what we do in this society, as soon as we try to acomplish something, the ecologic footprint rises! Just try to imagine the waste a productioncompany generates, while shooting a comparetivly short 90 Minutes Sunday evening Movie. Trust me it`s a lot. I guess in rertrospect you could sum it up like this: "Yes, the planet got destroyed. But for a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of value for shareholders". Anyway thanks for your Documentary, i enjoyed watching it. Greetings from Switzerland.
Hi. In the basement. Do you realise, yes you always have lots if nice clothes. But, but, honestly look at You, how are You dressed? Yes in jeans and a long sleeved t shirt? Get what i am saying, you live simply. Like me and everyone else???...we do not need stuff? Do we? Because we live mostly casually. Ha haha...and Yet Me Too. The difference with Me, i have made nearly all my Clothes, out of top quality sale fabric, that are classic styles and fit me. Thats why i keep my clothes, they are worthy of me. They are Quality not Quantity...thanky...
May I be super, super honest? I am sick of this type of contrived talk. "My skinny priviledge", "we are killing the environment", "fast fashion is evil", and 50 other things you've said - none of which were your idea, you are simply parroting them. (Have you even truly reflect on them, or is everything you say based on something you've watched or read about?) And ALL THAT GUILT that comes with these notions. [sighs] Look, honey - I know you mean well. You want to do your part to help the planet. But getting rid of most of your clothes will do nothing for the environment, or for the Asian seamstresses that barely get paid. Throwing away what you have (or selling, giving away - doesn't matter) will not recover the money you already put into it (selling online takes time; and time is money), it will not make less work for those seamstresses, it will not do a thing except make you feel foolish and wasteful. (Well - you might feel righteous, but then you are lying to yourself.) I suggest you start treating yourself more kindly; see those regretful purchases as life lessons, and move on. And do not feel that you are condemned to only buy on Poshmark forever, otherwise you are going against your principles... that is a load of BS.
But there are ethical brands like Allbirds that don't risk lives of their workers, pay them fairly, don't pollute environment and they even do regenerative farming that enriches soil and reduces green house emisions
I am having a problem figuring out what is NOT fast fashion. Even expensive designer labels are made in sweat shops. Especially the ones made for outlet malls
Allbirds treats their workers well and doesn'tpollute environment, they even do regenerative farming. You definitely can make successful bussiness with ethics. They just don't try because they think they can sell people lies that Birikin bags aren't made in sweatshops but by true artisans
Other ethical brands are Vieja, Rich & Sporty, SmartWool, Ewa Minge, Elementy and NISZA is a good Polish brand that will sew you clothes that will suit to your silthuette you just need to send them size of your hips, torso etc..
Hey :) I haven't used it in a while but GoodOnYou is a really useful website/online directory for clothing brands. They specifically focus on what different companies ethical and environmental practices are and have fairly in depth reviews.
You can also filter through companies on the website based on price, clothing type (sports, skirts etc), where they ship to, and the ratings GoodOnYou gives. Which is quite useful if you're looking for a specific piece that you want to buy but don't know where to buy from.
It's less useful if you live in a country that has expensive international shipping (like me lol) since lots of smaller brands aren't on there yet but it has a really good database all the same
Yup! Always wanted to wear Anthropologie until I read the label and everything is made in China
Or you can just stop buying new clothes
An insightful video 🙂 I worked at a Goodwill for 2 years, and I saw the absurd amount of clothing that gets filtered through every hour. It really took the magic out of clothes shopping for me. You realize that something that seems one of a kind and special in the store has just been arranged that way, and if it was hanging in a thrift shop it would just fade into the 50 other orange shirts or denim pants they have. I almost exclusively shop secondhand now because I've seen how much waste is out there and I want to be a part of the solution, not the problem. If you meet someone with a fast fashion problem, try and get them to volunteer at a thrift chain for a week and they'll quickly understand 😂
A thoughtful well-considered video. Thank you Elanor. Have been a thrifter for 40 years, largely due to a love of high quality statement pieces which I wore to work, while on a budget. In retirement, 90% of my garments are thrifted and I love every one of them, however it's obvious that thrift stores are inundated with fast fashion items, most in poor condition because they were not made to last, and which have little prospect of a life in someone else's wardrobe. Statement high quality garments are becoming rare.
Finally, I keep a cap on my wardrobe with a one in/one out policy, which means no new hangers, air between garments which I can see at a glance, and liberation from the burden of orphan garments that don't serve or work with others in my wardrobe. It's taken a lifetime to get to this point, and in my 70s can create more outfits from a small wardrobe than I ever could swamped by abundance.
I think in some ways shopping may have filled a deeper need in me and it was time to let it go.
This is a very insightful comment. Thanks for sharing your perspective. I totally agree with you about thrift stores declining. I feel like even 5-10 years ago I was able to find higher quality pieces, and now it is mostly fast fashion at the end of its life. I feel the same way about shopping filling some kind of psychological need in me. Although I'm 23 and obviously have my entire working life ahead of me, I almost feel like the pandemic and being forced to spend most of my time at home for the past 3 years has simulated that same feeling you got from your retirement. It's caused me to realize that I need much less than I have and forced me to be more intentional about what I bring into my wardrobe. I bet you have some absolutely amazing pieces in your wardrobe!
Great and thoughtful video. It is devastating to see how much waste people produce. I have been trying to decrease my buying as well and only buy clothes I actually need or only buying things I really love. Just started a poshmark closet too to try and resell my unwanted clothes.
So needed to ponder this huge issue.
Thank you Elanor. 💛
I agree! My wardrobe is a great place to start! Goodwill is my main source of clothing. I buy underwear and bras new but from discount stores. I’m not a flashy dresser, but I manage to find very nice things - often still with tags. I wonder if we could revive some of the old ways of using old clothes - rag rugs, quilts, cleaning cloths etc. It’s a great creative challenge - one closet, one household at a time. Thank you for your soul searching message😊🦋🙏🏼
I love that idea of reviving old textiles that you mentioned. I know how to sew but my mom is a really talented seamstress. We have talked about getting old vintage quilts and making them into puffer coats. It is a laborious process, but I think those unconventional textiles that you mentioned would make gorgeous garments!
I’ve been buying second hand for twenty years! I love Poshmark and estate sales! I rarely buy anything new!
That's amazing! Estate sales are definitely underrated!
HOW I STOPPED BUYING FAST FASHION (and why you should too). Interesting and engaging video. I support your video Watched the video on May 18, 2023 very like. Thank you
This was a well made video that I think will really help your channel grow. I like how you not only addressed the problem of fast fashion, you helped explain how to actually shop wiser for oneself. Over consumption is a mental health problem, imo. People don’t know how to love themselves from the inside out, therefore they’re always looking for “things-stuff” to fill the voids. Its certainly an issue that goes far deeper than any solution I can come up with. Personally, through my meditation/spiritual practice & my commitment to being of value to this planet during my time on it (including no longer being a consumer of fast fashion), I can only hope that others will find the love they’re seeking from within. From their higher power or their God, whatever that looks like for them. New sub here! Thanks!
As an Uzbek-American I was oddly happy to see you mention sweatshops in Uzbekistan, even in passing. We rarely get mentioned in these sorts of videos, but the problem of Chinese companies exploiting the poorest parts of the country for labor even cheaper than they could get in China or neighboring countries is very real. Even worse, a lot of the people being exploited are immigrants from Afghanistan and Bangladesh fleeing war and global warming induced flooding, meaning they don't have permanent residences (many live in condemned buildings), have nothing but the clothes on their backs and don't speak Uzbek and so they can't report it to the police if they're being abused physically or s*xually by employers or are victims of wage theft. I've made a promise to myself never to buy anything, even second-hand, that was made in my father's country. I thrift most of my clothes and sew the things I don't thrift so I'm not contributing to the problem. Yes, one person may not fix the world, but that doesn't mean we have to join in and make a bad problem worse. Two wrongs don't make a right.
Thank you for sharing this insight. I agree with everything you said. This comment prompted me to do some more research on Uzbekistan because it is a country and region I don't know much about. What a beautiful country with a rich and interesting cultural history. I hope I get to travel there someday. It is devastating that so many people are being abused and exploited there. Thank you again for your comment
@@elanornadorff Uzbekistan and a lot of Central Asia are overlooked, so thank you for doing research into us. The USSR polluted and destroyed a lot of Central Asian countries' environments, and now fast fashion companies are exploiting the region for labor for both cotton and manufacturing. Global warming and conflict leads people to flee to Central Asia for their own safety, only to end up in even worse conditions. People are dying, women and children are assaulted, men are forced into slave labor conditions picking cotton, and the world just seems not to care? I hear so much about South Asian exploitation, and nothing about Central Asian exploitation (and of course West Asian exploitation is also underdiscussed, but Georgia, Armenia, etc. are also being taken advantage of during their economic crises right now; let us not forget their suffering). It really means a lot to me that you care about the suffering of people even in overlooked parts of the world. As Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. said, injustice is injustice, no matter where it happens. Thank you for caring about people. It's rarer than you'd think.
UAE also enslaves people by stealing passports from their migrants.
I felt a bolt of reality when you said that there are more clothes circulating than people who need them⚡😳 🤯!!
I tried to make a donation to the charity shop last week but they said that they were completely full and can't take donations at the moment.
It's mind blowing when you stop and think about it 🤯🧐
i’ve been shopping second hand since middle school when my mom told me we couldn’t afford outlets. since then she’s got a promotion, but the habit, or should i say hobby, remains.
personally, thrifting is a hobby. it keeps things out of the landfill, so if you want to see your actions like that; you should
Thrifting is the best! Thank you for watching:)
Absolutely great video - I am currently writing a paper for my Journalism Diploma on the effects of Fast fashion on the environment and I am listening to this. You are really ispiring me right now :)
Thank you so much for watching! I'd love to read your paper if you feel comfortable sharing it! Feel free to email it to me (elanornadorff@gmail.com) if you want to!
@@elanornadorff Thank you so much for answering me! ❤️
I’d love to share my paper with you, but it is written in Bulgarian, because I am Bulgarian, yay 😁 And I know my language is not widely spoken. Buut, I’ll see what I can do, maybe I can share some of the images from the paper with you on Gmail and some explanations as to what I’m talking about on the page.
Thank you for offering to read it! That was so sweet and a confidence boost for me :) ❤️
As I said, your video greatly inspired me and I loved that I got to talk to you through this comment. I will also be adding this link in the Bibliography page of my work ☺️
I wish you all the best, your videos are great! ⭐️
This was such a great video, I'm surprised it doesn't have better reach! Really carefully put together and thought-provoking. Thank you.
Thank you so much for watching! ❤️❤️
During pandemic I learned knitting After making a few projects I was able to make a beautiful dress that I wear most of the time during the summer. I getting so many compliments and I love every little detail about it. I’m taking a very good care about this dress so it last me longer. I’ve also purchased a sewing machine and hoping to learn this craft as well. I know making your own clothes is not for everyone but that could be a great solution against fast fashion issues for those who enjoy the process.
I agree! My life is too fast paced right now to devote much time to it, but as I get older I hope to knit and sew more of my own clothes. It is a great skill to have!
Well fitting clothes will always make good impression
i completely agree.
once i actually learned how harmful the fast fashion industry was, i never went back. i last bought a fast fashion item in september of 2021. all the clothing pieces i've acquired since then (four in total) have been thrifted. i feel happy when i think about the fact that i'll never give my money to a fast fashion brand ever again.
i don't have an enormous amount of clothes, but i still do have a lot of clothes that i don't wear (some of them because i simply don't like the style anymore, some of them because they were bought for me and i had no say in choosing them, some of them because they never fit me (very stupid indeed) ). so now i'm starting the process of selling the ones i know aren't for me, and trying to utilize the clothes that i do have, but am not utilizing enough - after all, the most sustainable thing we can do is utilize the clothes that we do own, wear them for a long time, and then repurpose them when they aren't wearable anymore. or, in short : keep textiles out of landfills, as much as possible.
NB : do NOT donate really worn clothes/textiles when you find that they aren't wearable anymore, because they too will end up in landfills since they cannot be successfully resold. find a way to repurpose them : make them into cushion stuffing, plushie stuffing, or make a patchwork instead. until you figure out a way to repurpose them, DO NOT throw them away : just keep them in a box somewhere until you find a purpose. if you manage to do so, you will have successfully kept a piece of fabric from landfills.
I agree with all of your points and appreciate how conscious you are about your own clothing consumption. I plan on making a follow up video about your great point you bring up about what to do with clothes you don’t want anymore. It is hard to know under what circumstances it’s appropriate to donate, where to donate, and how to reuse or repurpose clothes as well. Thank you for watching!
Wow. That was fascinating. Great Job, Elanor. You're so good at this. I can't wait to see what you make next. Thank you! H
Thank you for watching, Hal!
This really resonated with me. Thank you for taking the time to create this thoughtful content that has the capacity to change how people feel and shop.
Thank you!!! Social Media drives this ‘need’ for the latest styles, you’ve helped women and t our planet with your video.
Great video!! Took me 50 years to figure this out. Your way ahead of me.😊
I enjoyed watching your film. I am a minimalist and I don’t clothing shop very often. I’m petite and stuff just doesn’t fit me very well. Opposite problem from you, everything is too long, arms and legs. I’m 50 and it took me until about the last 5 years to realize that I would rather have just a few really nice items that fit me well than a whole bunch of crappy quality clothes. I completely changed how I shop. Now I look for exactly what the item is I want, try to buy it secondhand, but if I can’t I shop from a handful of places that I’ve researched to the best of my knowledge are sustainable. I also try to look on places like Etsy for things people hand make. I just do not like the stuff that I used to purchase from places like TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, ect. It all just falls apart and looks terrible too quickly.
What sustainable brands do you buy? I would like to support more independent brands that are truly sustainable but it can be hard to find
@@elanornadorffAllbirds is good ethical brand. Their wool boots are carbon neutral and sheep are well cared for. They have ZQ certificate so they aren't even killed for food
This video is amazingly done! Also as someone who has an entire dressing room that's still running out of space, you've definitely inspired me to change my ways ❤
I'm glad to know I'm not alone in that:) Thanks for watching!
I sell on poshmark, I learned quickly that you have to share your closet multiple times daily because search results are based on most recently shared. Also you do need to expect things to sit for up to a year waiting for the right buyer, they do come, and this goes right along with your slow fashion mindset, you will occasionally have fast sales, but most are slow - don't give up
Thank you for mentioning this. You are very right. As a consumer I know I will save items and wait months to actually purchase them. You’re so right that it’s all part of the slow fashion mindset
@@elanornadorffif you want to drop clothing faster, you can post the same items on multiple platforms, but I know it can be a lot of work.
This is a great video. I am a Posh Ambassador 2. It takes a while to get regular sales but it’s really worth it. I have a teen who is a costumer. My closet is getting taken over by his stuff that wears and then he wants a hole new style. I think I would be able to afford his clothing habits with out Poshmark. My other two kinds are more like me and will wear something until it’s worn out.
Thank you for bringing more awareness! This is why I invested in a color- and bodytype analysis. So now I can work on building a capsule wardrobe. I never was a huge clothing shopper, but I did buy a lot I ended up never wearing and I wanted that to stop. Knowing your colors and silhouettes makes shopping so much easier and less time consuming. No mistakes anymore. And I don’t buy what I don’t need… I only shop for the gaps in my wardrobe.
I'm from a country where alot of people in many areas still have no clothes to wear or they simply can't afford. But we have big industries of clothing manufacturers with off course cheap labour and poor work conditions.
It amazed me alot that there's huge society imbalance in the world. 🇵🇰
I am in the U.S. and I have bought towels and sweatpants and sweatshirts made in your country. I didn’t know it was a country with the cheap labor and poor working conditions. The quality of the cotton was good so I liked the products made there. 😢
@@ChristysChannelYall The quality of fabric, stitching here in Pakistan is no doubt upto the point... But labour are not being paid fairly.
@@zaraali1740True. And jeans from there will never paint your skin because thwy simply cannot allow any water waste in country that faces water shortages
Great video. As an ex-pat from middle class UK living now in Chile, I can tell you that what is classed as fast fashion for the West, is not fast fashion for poorer countries. Chile is not a poor country, but the distribution of wealth is terrible i.e. there is a small number of people at the top earning all the money; the majority of people here are poor and earn very little in comparison. To them, shops like H&M are a life-saver. The clothes they can afford are not fast to them...they keep them and wear them completely out. Personally I shop secondhand here simply because it is actually impossible to find good quality clothes in the shops here. The second hand stuff coming from the US is much better quality.
You don't have to feel very guilty. Vast majority of luxury brands like Gucci, Armani, Channel etc. produce in sweatshops even tho companies can allow themselves to pay more to their workers. There are ethical brands like Allbirds who truelly do good job at producing good clothes while not polluting environment.
This was a really fun and well-made video and I relate a lot. I'm a fan of shopping on Poshmark and Thread-up for similar reasons. I love that I can get high-quality items for so cheap but I have gotten shoes that are too small, clothes that are too worn and pilling, etc. It comes with the territory in a way. Better than buying brand-new fast-fashion! I've also purchased second-hand designer shoes that I coveted 15 years ago but couldn't afford then. I think If we all bought less and bough more second-hand then hopefully retailers would slow their production down to match the decreased demand. I would LOVE to see a return to 2-4 seasonal collections in the future.
I have done the same thing with buying designer. Figuring out how to shop second hand has allowed me to own brands I could never afford otherwise. I totally agree about the return to 2-4 seasonal collections. That would make me actually excited about new fashion again!
@@elanornadorff yes! We would have to be patient and anticipate the new collections instead of having them shoved at us from every angle
This was a great video and I appreciate that you put so much effort into it.❤
Please donate, don’t try to sell, it might be painful but you’ll feel better about your decision.
Reminds me of what it felt like working consignment retail
Hi. I have stopped buying making clothes, for 15years. I only buy k mart shoes on sale max $15.00.
Oh boy one rabbit hole into another rabbit hole
Buying anything on ebay or postmark is the best way of being sustainable. Cuz they already been passed around retail to retail or consumer to consumer. And now you’re getting the best prices and make better use of your money and items.
Your video is amazing! I truly get down when it is trash pick up day because I don’t like to know that I am contributing to adding trash into our beautiful planet, I love clothing and lately I have been working on my consumption in general, I found out that Honduras and the Philippines have a program that ships a huge box of clothing for only $100, but the caveat is that they need more summer clothing over winter, so you might want to get in touch with someone from those countries and truly help others, since in poor countries clothing is very expensive, I hope it helps, best wishes
I appreciate this vulnerable video. I want to address one point. Yes, these men and women are working in oftentimes horrible conditions. However, if you actually talk to them most of them are so proud and grateful to have a job that pays their food each day. They often say that if their wages were higher , then hundreds of thousands of people would be out of work and begging for food. What seems undignified to us can bring a tremendous dignity to them because they are not beggars. Unfortunately, Nothing is black and white and there are no easy solutions like “just buying less” in order to solve these great economic challenges. But, I still believe that we should not be buying at the rate we are across the board on everything we are consuming because of the other factors you discussed. Thank you for the challenge to the status quo. We continually need this!! ❤
Shopping is an addiction. Even thrift shopping. You say your clothes make you happy, but your search for external ways to make you happy internally will never result in true happiness. You will always seek it from the outside until you look within. It doesn't matter what you wear. It really doesn't. This video just kind of sounds like an ad for Poshmark.
Awesome
Consumerism is a problem, but not as much as overproduction. Thrifting is great and helps a little. But ultimately the biggest impact for the planet is to lessen overproduction of clothes.
I really have cut back.purses and shoes too.
Sounds like A GREAT WISE choice u made
Great video and very impactful! What is your poshmark closet name?
Thank you for watching! It's @elanornadorff
What are some good qualities clothing brands?
how do you think we could actively fight against this except just not buying the clothes? something i think about is even if i don’t buy it, it’s still being processed :-(
I mean talking about it already helps a little bit :) But other than that... good question! 🤔
I hear you and I often feel the same way. I think when you look at any successful social movement in the past (civil rights, women’s rights, etc.) the people at the forefront of those movements were able to reach a consensus with each other (despite differences in their beliefs) about what they wanted to change and were then able to mobilize to do something. I think we haven’t even reached the stage of consensus yet. I go on UA-cam and tiktok and am bombarded with normal, middle class people doing massive Shein hauls without a care in the world. That has to change. I think changing our individual consumption habits and encouraging people around us to do the same would go a long way. And not engaging with that kind of content on the internet. It needs to become socially unacceptable to buy fast fashion even at the volume that “regular” people buy it. Then from there I think we can do a lot - mass boycotting, protesting, etc. Based on some recent events I feel hopeful that garment workers in the US and abroad will be more empowered to unionize their workplaces, but that is definitely uncertain. Overall I think for people in my position it would go a long way to stop or cut back on buying fast fashion and encourage people around us to do the same.
I wish we could take excess clothing, combine it with plastic waste and some type of invasive plant and create a new type of building material to offset building supply shortage, so we can create viable and affordable housing for the homeless, low income, veterans and the elderly population
I know it’s just a dream, but sometimes good dreams do come true…
But Allbirds is a good brand that doesn't pollute environment and pays workers fair payment and workers and workers are safe because they produce in South Korea
No idea why this video was recomendet to me. I have barely nothing to do with fashion and wear black most of the time. I really like your style and the way u approach thinks. The Problem might be that no matter what we do in this society, as soon as we try to acomplish something, the ecologic footprint rises! Just try to imagine the waste a productioncompany generates, while shooting a comparetivly short 90 Minutes Sunday evening Movie. Trust me it`s a lot. I guess in rertrospect you could sum it up like this: "Yes, the planet got destroyed. But for a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of value for shareholders". Anyway thanks for your Documentary, i enjoyed watching it. Greetings from Switzerland.
Thank you so much for watching!
Stopping the video to buy a shepherd denim jacket 🥹
Yesss they’re so cozy and classic!
Hi. In the basement. Do you realise, yes you always have lots if nice clothes.
But, but, honestly look at You, how are You dressed? Yes in jeans and a long sleeved t shirt? Get what i am saying, you live simply. Like me and everyone else???...we do not need stuff? Do we? Because we live mostly casually. Ha haha...and Yet Me Too. The difference with Me, i have made nearly all my Clothes, out of top quality sale fabric, that are classic styles and fit me.
Thats why i keep my clothes, they are worthy of me. They are Quality not Quantity...thanky...
Thrift stores are full of fash fashion clothing, and can be a lot worse with over consumption.
Invite your friends over and let them have whatever they want of those clothes. ❤ it will help you get rid of some if it, promised!
positive comment for the algorithm
Applaud you for buying vintage! Very curious what you think is systemically racist about the US?
May I be super, super honest? I am sick of this type of contrived talk. "My skinny priviledge", "we are killing the environment", "fast fashion is evil", and 50 other things you've said - none of which were your idea, you are simply parroting them. (Have you even truly reflect on them, or is everything you say based on something you've watched or read about?) And ALL THAT GUILT that comes with these notions. [sighs] Look, honey - I know you mean well. You want to do your part to help the planet. But getting rid of most of your clothes will do nothing for the environment, or for the Asian seamstresses that barely get paid. Throwing away what you have (or selling, giving away - doesn't matter) will not recover the money you already put into it (selling online takes time; and time is money), it will not make less work for those seamstresses, it will not do a thing except make you feel foolish and wasteful. (Well - you might feel righteous, but then you are lying to yourself.) I suggest you start treating yourself more kindly; see those regretful purchases as life lessons, and move on. And do not feel that you are condemned to only buy on Poshmark forever, otherwise you are going against your principles... that is a load of BS.
Thanks for watching my video! The way I see it is that being kind to the earth and the people I share it with is a way of being kind to myself.
But there are ethical brands like Allbirds that don't risk lives of their workers, pay them fairly, don't pollute environment and they even do regenerative farming that enriches soil and reduces green house emisions