HOW I STOPPED BUYING FAST FASHION (and why you should too)

Over the past year, I’ve reevaluated my consumption habits when it comes to fast fashion and have decided that I am no longer buying it. I have always bought new clothes as well as thrifted and vintage clothes, but I never really questioned my own practices until recently. I started educating myself on exactly what goes on in the fast fashion industry, from dangerous and inhumane working conditions for people who make the garments that I buy in stores and online, to detrimental environmental impacts that are killing our planet. I can’t justify buying fast fashion for these reasons alone.

The main point I wanted to make with this video is that this change I’ve made has not had a negative impact on my life at all. Even though I don’t live near a large city with access to cool thrift stores and vintage stores, by shopping on Poshmark I’m still able to buy clothes I want for an affordable price without contributing to the fast fashion industry. I want to explain how I made this switch and how I think it’s doable for most people to shop more sustainably if they put their minds to it.

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♪ Animal Friends (Prod. by Lukrembo)

[workinprogress]

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

[BethInABox]

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 😂

[wendybarker]

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.

[nataliyakovalski]

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.

[AimeeMarsh-my]

I’ve been buying second hand for twenty years! I love Poshmark and estate sales! I rarely buy anything new!

[christinemcglade]

So needed to ponder this huge issue.
Thank you Elanor. 💛

[susanbudd]

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😊🦋🙏🏼

[morganqorishchi]

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.

[sasha]

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

[vietus]

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

[Asynca]

This was such a great video, I'm surprised it doesn't have better reach! Really carefully put together and thought-provoking. Thank you.

[LindaKayHolevas]

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!

[juno]

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.

[tatiana_]

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.

[vanessaprincesssa]

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 :)

[acertree]

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 🤯🧐

[duketrideandture]

Thank you!!! Social Media drives this ‘need’ for the latest styles, you’ve helped women and t our planet with your video.

[angierecovering_clutterer]

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.

[allyoops]

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

[ChristysChannelYall]

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.