To be fair, expensive doesn’t always mean ethical or high quality. I don’t mind paying the price but I’ve been burned when items have not met the quality the price inferred.
That's true, lots of luxury brands now are producing cheap plastic clothes that are badly constructed. It's quite annoying that nowadays you need to learn how good stitching looks, how buttons should be sewed and how to read material labels to make sure you're not getting ripped off :/
The part of "we forgot how much clothes actually cost" reminded me something that I've been demanding for quite some time: In my opinion every pupil should be required to sew at school at least a T-shirt, so they learn how much time and effort it takes to make one. Teachers also can use this time to teach kids about sustainability and about the benefits and disadvantage of different material (e.g. cotton vs. polyester). If kids learn the value of clothes by simply having made at least one item in their life, their perception will most likely change on clothes, their value and how to take care of them. I know some schools offer sewing classes but, at least where I'm from, I've never heard that they actually made clothes that except like aprons and such. I think ministries should apply this in their education plans.
Sadly, I think the message would be lost on most students anyway, just as arithmetic classes and mathematical logic just vanishes from their brain once they are adults trying to do a simple budget. Them they go on to complain that they were never taught finances and that's why they spend more than they earn every month. Young people value more having access to the latest micro trends than sustainability (or their personal finances).
@@angienicolehernandez104 I think the big difference here is that kids will actually make something with their own hands. In my experience, people will remember things more if they also make something instead of just doing the abstract tasks you do im class. One reason is because you actually can keep something physical. For example I can remember very well when my class went to a stone pit to chisel fossils. That was 20 years ago and I still have my fossils. I also remember my sewing and wood working class more than most maths or language classes.
I think we should call "the discourse" on twitter what it is, a fight. Debates are moderated and not about correctness of your argument but more about how well you argue your case. What people do on twitter is just a bar fight in a trench coat.
I really think that a lot of people aren't able to recognize good quality anymore because bad quality has been so normalized that they are not exposed to a lot of good quality items. Like, I remember someone who didn't know that fabric patterns are supposed to match on the seams or when there's a pocket. Or someone who thought that it's just normal that t-shirts look stretched out and warped after a while and didn't understand why I was looking exclusively for 100% cotton.
Yes!! Or the gauge/density of knitwear. A good quality cashmere sweater should have a tight gauge to help protect the garment from snagging/pilling over time.
So true. I've bought something on Vinted and the seller wrote in the advertisement that it was a wool sweater. When it arrived it just made me cry-laugh a bit, because it was 100% polyester (I know I was a naive buyer in the beginning). They probably thought that "knit" = "wool" or something :S My hope for the general intelligence and the level of motivation of people is getting less and less every year it seems to me. The quality of the app is going down because of it also. People put less and less effort in the descriptions etc., not even a photo of the washing label, or basic measurements. It really bugs me, because the advantage of this app was that you didn't need to talk to the seller (I'm an introvert, I hate having to contact every single buyer personally). But with all these vague descriptions I 'have to' contact them for more info, I hate it!
I am a Bins shopper. It’s honestly amazing how easy it is to pick out quality cloth from the cheap stuff by *feel* alone. Since I’m trying to go fast, I don’t even look at the items. I just plunge my hands in and rifle through until I feel something that stands out. Quality cloth is often stiff, crunchy, scratchy, and sort of “catches” your skin. If the cloth is good cloth, often (but not always) the sewing technique are there too. If it’s slippy, flexible, super soft, or very stretchy, it’s not gonna be worth looking at. Cashmere and silk are often the exception, but it’s easy to get a feel for it and once you find the real thing you won’t be fooled again by polyesters.
7:30 unfortunatelly that's not completelly true anymore.. while in the 80's and 90's they were still creating new (quite) quality clothes that are now sold on ebay for 30+ €, nowadays they're making plastic scraps of fabric that are ending up in thtift stores WAY earlier than it used to be so said stores are being filled with this crappy stuff and the trully vintage pieces are harder and harder to be found (which makes the prices higher and higher as they become rare :")) to round up my point: yes, the state of (not only) sweaters is rather depressing.
Yes, the golden days of thrifting are over. I'm holding on to my vintage sweathers and I hope to keep them for life. The difference in quality is insane, and I'm talking high street brands from the 80s/90s, not luxury brands. Once I lost my vintage sweather and realized it only the following day. I followed my footsteps from the day before, found it dirty on the side of a busy city road, it looked like a car went over it too. It didnt really look like a piece of clothing, so no one took it. I washed it and it looked like new.
Talking about people being mean. It’s literally what I’ve been discussing with my psychologist. She was a bit confused when she realised that all these rude comments upset me even though they are not towards me. So sick of it, it is not a competition who has more shit to say, like stop it, get some help.
Since when did we have a human right to cheap clothes? Of course I understand that there are people in low socio-economic situations who only have access to cheap clothing - putting them aside - it is always upper-middle-class people complaining about how expensive well-made clothing is... while they are drinking out of a Starbucks coffee cup and carrying the latest iPhone. It's a question of priorities, not necessity for them.
I think there is a right to affordable clothes because there’s a dependency created by society to wear clothing (has to be presentable and all, can’t usually go to the gym, library, work or public bottomless or even just shirtless). In the same way there is a need for a car, a studio or 2 bedroom at around $1000usd per bed, a phone for work comms, a computer for government sites and such, etc because of a lack of better transit (bus, walkable, train, etc), no cheaper housing options (like more bedrooms for more roommates or in a “cheap” area which doesn’t exist anymore), a systemic dependence on mobile systems running currently supported software (mobile banking, work, school, etc), and a likewise dependence on desktop OS systems (iOS upcharges for purchases and Android has kinda limited support unless buying an expensive new flagship, many programs only work on desktop, etc). In the same way gas price increases can hurt people a lot, even as they should be driving less from a societal perspective they might be systemically unable to drive less. That said, affordable clothing is like something cute and comfy in your size from the thrift store, something from a regular fast fashion brand or outlet, or something from ultra fast fashion if there are no other size inclusive options available (especially with regard to region such as rural or low wage countries) , and not everything needs to be affordable, especially with tools like screen printing and maker spaces (sometimes available). I do wish I could find some content about how to find things as a 6ft man who dislikes bland, too warm, or uncomfy menswear and wants particular things that are rarely available (everything available seems to just focus on basics that only work for cold places, small people, or don’t want to wear anything interesting, but nothing high cut, full coverage but cool and non catching, or different than the most generic cut possible for a garment (short sleeve top that shows tummy with raised arms but isn’t cropped and looks/feels awkward length and fit)). I think this influencer made a thrift window shopping video to try and show it was affordable, but neglected the sizing challenge for large secondhand items (more rare and thus harder to find, also often same price as new) Edit: the need for affordable clothes means having access to good enough clothes that fit and are socially acceptable, although it gets tough cause so few jobs pay enough to just live even before considering clothing. Affordable doesn’t necessarily mean cheap to buy new though Edit2: I get going outside workout is sometimes an option, but same issue of needing clothes even after the like $5 for a rec center membership, and it’s regularly like 90-100+ F where I live, so outside is often too dangerous and health is a human right (including for workers ofc)
you're making up a person to be mad about. this is so ignorant of the complexities of reality, but it seems like you have to make up a simplified strawman to "defeat" & then feel smart for "taking down".
@@MossTunic I can see why you’d say that, but I don’t claim to have empirical evidence to support what I said; it’s just based off my own experiences and observations with people that I’ve had as a slow fashion designer myself in Ireland. There’s plenty of very wealthy people who are not willing to reallocate their money to ethical fashion and will shop at Zara, but have no problem blowing extortionate amounts of money on the latest technologies, cars, holidays, whatever else. Nothing got to do with trying to take anyone down or feel smart… I think there should be more education on how people can find and access ethical brands.
I really enjoyed this video. One thing I've been seeing in the sustainability discussion is folks focusing too much on the consumption habits of other individuals. I absolutely think that there's a place for individual reflection and reduction of goods. But ultimately we need to be focusing our attention on the companies, policies, and price-gouging allowing for the mass overcreation of poor quality products and artificial pricing. I'm worried the the overuse of the term "overconsumption" being applied to everything, especially when consumers don't always have agency in what/where they're buying, is going to degrade it and lead to cultural fatigue.
corporations absolutely are incredibly wasteful at every step of the way. they get cheaper deals for bulk buying & don't care if the product lasts a long time. in fact, they know these products will need to be replaced quickly & they love that. clothes, home goods, tech, etc etc all used to last for what would now be considered extremely long times compared to today. but now they waste vital materials that quickly fill in more & more landfills. clothes are made of more & more plastic & disintegrate within months. earbuds & other "disposable" tech filled with materials that should be valued enough to only be used in a way we know the product will last a long time instead of being tossed out & replaced when they break again! we know how to make things with long-lasting great quality, we should not be wasting materials that poison our planet and all of us. improved quality should be standard for everyone. we only have one planet, but these wealth hoarder people running these companies do not care because they will always be the last to feel the effects.
Less than a year ago, I bought a merino wool sweater from a sustainable brand (fairtrade, wool ethically sourced) for 150€. I already had to darn holes in it, without wearing that much. On the other side, a vintage wool sweater I bought for 13€ still looks great. Honestly, I will no longer risk buying expensive wool sweaters. Better to buy a more affordable option, and darn it as needed.
I've noticed merino wool I used to buy 20 years ago was much more better quality that I get nowadays, the thickness and smoothness are just too different.
Unless you’re actively out in the real world trying to change policies to hold these companies accountable, talking on twitter achieves nothing. I’m not going to police what people do with their money. Even if a company sees the discourse going on, what’s stopping them from completely ignoring that convo? They’re still gonna sell their cheap quality items if people keep buying them.
about merch: merch directly from the artist is gonna be more expensive than a fast fashion T-shirt bc you're supporting the artist - I understand the frustration with merch being unavailable to some people (esp young fans) but cmon, you are hopefully buying merch bc you want to support the artist. the ethical production just comes on top of that and interesting thing I've seen lately, from Omerch (Swedish merch company, mostly metal bands and founded by a metal artist, in the metal scene merch is a BIG thing), is print-on-demand merch, their online store only makes the merch when you order it, takes a bit longer to ship (but not significantly, I got one in like two weeks) but they avoid making sth that doesn't sell (and issues with sizes running out), cancelled orders often go into a pile that becomes sale product. in person they have some merch selection but you can also put in the order for print-on-demand design - ofc it's different not getting it immediately but I think having this as an option is great (shirts are 30-50 euros in the scene so I don't think Chappel's merch is outrageously expensive)
Its not just fast fashion brands, it’s very nearly everything -even when you get quality you almost always get some other penalty ethically or environmentally. Regarding Coperni, probably one of the least surprising things ever - having worked in the industry for a while now it just perfectly encapsulates attitudes you continually come up against again and again.
👏More 👏 slow 👏 fashion! And let’s stop shaming eachother for wearing out our clothes. Let’s embrace clothing that looks weared IN! Scuffed shoes, scratches on our leather jackets, patched pants, t-shirts gone soft. Polished Casual and Quiet Luxury is such a waste because nothing can stay perfectly crisp forever.
Knitter here! Currently about 40 hours into a sweater, and it’s only about 1/4 done, 100% wool. This isn’t out of the question for me, and this is made out of 100% wool (due to a skin condition i try not to use acrylic for personal use) and materials cost me $150 not including needles, stitch markers, etc. High quality sweaters, and hand-knit ones like Rory’s (the costume designer said herself that it was a handmade sweater) take time and have been used for generations, historically. I could talk about this for literal hours
i dont agree with what coperni did, but i dont think it should be a scandal.. its only 2 euros after all lol. also as someone who sells on vinted, its actually a very easy n painless process and i wouldnt agree to a price if someone made an offer that was too low. the person who does sourcing for coperni probably isnt very rich themselves and was also working w a budget and i understand wanting to instinctively get the best possible deal even if ur buying for ur employer
we know how to make things with long-lasting great quality, we should not be wasting materials that poison our planet and all of us. improved quality should be standard for everyone. we only have one planet, but these wealth hoarder people running these companies do not care because they will always be the last to feel the effects. everyone can live well and we can have amazing advancements in the quality of life for everyone, we just have to stop the prioritization of profits above human life. that should have never been an option for these wealth hoarders, but they've been getting away with it for far too long. the quality of life and products gets worse as the prices go up because we are all being taken advantage of. doing anything besides making money for wealth hoarders (either by spending or being taken advantage of by these meager wages) is not something the government or these wealth hoarders care about. we would be in a better world if our lives didn't depend on money. we are more important than money, the "economy" (completely made up nonsense), or these handfuls of wealth hoarders controling our lives. we deserve better. we can only progress to better together.
We never paid the right price for fashion. When clothes were custom made, only a select few could afford them, industrialisation then outsourcing actually made the ready to wear cheaper and cheaper and large profits bigger and bigger that goes with Introducing synthetic textiles. It is a luxury already to wear something that fits and we like. People are fickle and want different clothes and styles everyday, every moment of the day. When I was young, we had the “Sunday clothing” that one clothing we were putting on for family reunions and celebrations, we didn’t have anything new every time. It was carefully washed and ironed for future uses. And FYI, there is no certification for recycled fibers nor local growth nor ethical exchange only if you trust a brand which, to be honest, is difficult.
I look for a dark mock-neck sweater which will last me longer and not short!: The only option without synthetics mixed in is 100% cotton for 130 €... I had to think twice: Cotton bleaches out and loses form...But what I'd like to say is: It took long to find something not made of plastic and to short! Real Aran-Sweater are pricy! Mina Le has a real good video about it (Title: "clothes are so much worse now"). I recomend to look that video. But making a sweater yourself isn't cheap! And what I have noticed are: People don't know what quality is or how to look for pieces that last... It's all about prices now.
I don’t know any details about the matter, but how do we know the runway shirt is the vinted shirt? I am sure there are multiple old disney T-shirts out there in the world
I think you would so enjoy CJ the X’s latest video essay about how fashion is a language, Jordan Peterson’s shittier taste in his new style, and it touches upon ‘the current state of sweaters’ discourse.
i fully believe that value imputation begins with the consumer, but that only works when we actually have the power to do that without government profiting off these corporations. in a perfect world, our consumer choices would mean the death or rise of companies, and shein would've failed long along because their practices are economically unsustainable without government input.
i definitely agree we should be owning less and spending more on quality items. though i rarely buy anything anymore because i'm spending all my money on fabric 🫢
Love your videos Katie! I just wanted to share an ethical knitwear brand that I love - The Knotty Ones! The artisans are very skilled and the company is very focused on compensating them fairly. The price is reflective of that but I think it’s really worth it if you save up for one! They also recently added a preloved section and they regularly do sample sales of you’re on their mailing list.
I’d pay like a dollar or 5 for a sweater if I kinda liked it, but I already have too many sweaters because my family likes them even though I live somewhere hot and run warm. (Got a bunch of cute ones from my grandpa when he passed.) I’m just not in a sweater buying place (I do want some more light fabric pants for sun protection, but they never sell anything like that in the thrift store near me, at least not in men’s sizing. The thrift stores near me also don’t have try on stalls annoyingly)
I think a lot of the outrage at merch prices is people's entitlement. I went to a concert last week and I paid like €25 for a tank top because I couldn't afford the crew neck at €55 but like... That's okay? We're not entitled to merch lmao. And about the price of sweaters, I'm saving up for a Sheep Inc. sweater that's almost €300. And that's also ok because they are ethical and sustainable and their product is super high quality. But also because I intend to wear that sweater for the rest of my life. I think we all need to realise that nowadays there are two types of clothes (to simplify) clothes meant to last and disposable clothes/fast fashion. They're not the same, don't serve the same purpose, don't take the same amount of work and do not cost the same.
Although I think its such an ugly disney shirt and its bizarre they used it in the show, you pay a market price on vinted, if the person accepted the offer then thats what it was worth.
Wanted to give you a shot but girl your tea is cold. Who cares if someone offered $7 for a $9 old used tee. Girl be frfr. Almost as goofy as your baby ahh mic.
To be fair, expensive doesn’t always mean ethical or high quality. I don’t mind paying the price but I’ve been burned when items have not met the quality the price inferred.
That's true, lots of luxury brands now are producing cheap plastic clothes that are badly constructed. It's quite annoying that nowadays you need to learn how good stitching looks, how buttons should be sewed and how to read material labels to make sure you're not getting ripped off :/
& otherstories and free people are prime examples of this. i cant wrap my head around who is paying the mind blowing prices
Sezane 😩 I love the details and colors but man. Their QC needs to improve
The part of "we forgot how much clothes actually cost" reminded me something that I've been demanding for quite some time:
In my opinion every pupil should be required to sew at school at least a T-shirt, so they learn how much time and effort it takes to make one. Teachers also can use this time to teach kids about sustainability and about the benefits and disadvantage of different material (e.g. cotton vs. polyester).
If kids learn the value of clothes by simply having made at least one item in their life, their perception will most likely change on clothes, their value and how to take care of them.
I know some schools offer sewing classes but, at least where I'm from, I've never heard that they actually made clothes that except like aprons and such. I think ministries should apply this in their education plans.
Sadly, I think the message would be lost on most students anyway, just as arithmetic classes and mathematical logic just vanishes from their brain once they are adults trying to do a simple budget. Them they go on to complain that they were never taught finances and that's why they spend more than they earn every month. Young people value more having access to the latest micro trends than sustainability (or their personal finances).
@@angienicolehernandez104 I think the big difference here is that kids will actually make something with their own hands. In my experience, people will remember things more if they also make something instead of just doing the abstract tasks you do im class. One reason is because you actually can keep something physical.
For example I can remember very well when my class went to a stone pit to chisel fossils. That was 20 years ago and I still have my fossils. I also remember my sewing and wood working class more than most maths or language classes.
I think we should call "the discourse" on twitter what it is, a fight. Debates are moderated and not about correctness of your argument but more about how well you argue your case. What people do on twitter is just a bar fight in a trench coat.
I really think that a lot of people aren't able to recognize good quality anymore because bad quality has been so normalized that they are not exposed to a lot of good quality items. Like, I remember someone who didn't know that fabric patterns are supposed to match on the seams or when there's a pocket. Or someone who thought that it's just normal that t-shirts look stretched out and warped after a while and didn't understand why I was looking exclusively for 100% cotton.
Yes!! Or the gauge/density of knitwear. A good quality cashmere sweater should have a tight gauge to help protect the garment from snagging/pilling over time.
So true. I've bought something on Vinted and the seller wrote in the advertisement that it was a wool sweater. When it arrived it just made me cry-laugh a bit, because it was 100% polyester (I know I was a naive buyer in the beginning). They probably thought that "knit" = "wool" or something :S My hope for the general intelligence and the level of motivation of people is getting less and less every year it seems to me. The quality of the app is going down because of it also. People put less and less effort in the descriptions etc., not even a photo of the washing label, or basic measurements. It really bugs me, because the advantage of this app was that you didn't need to talk to the seller (I'm an introvert, I hate having to contact every single buyer personally). But with all these vague descriptions I 'have to' contact them for more info, I hate it!
I am a Bins shopper. It’s honestly amazing how easy it is to pick out quality cloth from the cheap stuff by *feel* alone.
Since I’m trying to go fast, I don’t even look at the items. I just plunge my hands in and rifle through until I feel something that stands out.
Quality cloth is often stiff, crunchy, scratchy, and sort of “catches” your skin. If the cloth is good cloth, often (but not always) the sewing technique are there too.
If it’s slippy, flexible, super soft, or very stretchy, it’s not gonna be worth looking at. Cashmere and silk are often the exception, but it’s easy to get a feel for it and once you find the real thing you won’t be fooled again by polyesters.
7:30 unfortunatelly that's not completelly true anymore.. while in the 80's and 90's they were still creating new (quite) quality clothes that are now sold on ebay for 30+ €, nowadays they're making plastic scraps of fabric that are ending up in thtift stores WAY earlier than it used to be so said stores are being filled with this crappy stuff and the trully vintage pieces are harder and harder to be found (which makes the prices higher and higher as they become rare :"))
to round up my point: yes, the state of (not only) sweaters is rather depressing.
Yes, the golden days of thrifting are over. I'm holding on to my vintage sweathers and I hope to keep them for life. The difference in quality is insane, and I'm talking high street brands from the 80s/90s, not luxury brands. Once I lost my vintage sweather and realized it only the following day. I followed my footsteps from the day before, found it dirty on the side of a busy city road, it looked like a car went over it too. It didnt really look like a piece of clothing, so no one took it. I washed it and it looked like new.
Talking about people being mean. It’s literally what I’ve been discussing with my psychologist. She was a bit confused when she realised that all these rude comments upset me even though they are not towards me. So sick of it, it is not a competition who has more shit to say, like stop it, get some help.
If they're upset at Chappel Roan's merch pricing, wait till they see Taylor's... sheesh.
Since when did we have a human right to cheap clothes? Of course I understand that there are people in low socio-economic situations who only have access to cheap clothing - putting them aside - it is always upper-middle-class people complaining about how expensive well-made clothing is... while they are drinking out of a Starbucks coffee cup and carrying the latest iPhone. It's a question of priorities, not necessity for them.
factsss
I think there is a right to affordable clothes because there’s a dependency created by society to wear clothing (has to be presentable and all, can’t usually go to the gym, library, work or public bottomless or even just shirtless).
In the same way there is a need for a car, a studio or 2 bedroom at around $1000usd per bed, a phone for work comms, a computer for government sites and such, etc because of a lack of better transit (bus, walkable, train, etc), no cheaper housing options (like more bedrooms for more roommates or in a “cheap” area which doesn’t exist anymore), a systemic dependence on mobile systems running currently supported software (mobile banking, work, school, etc), and a likewise dependence on desktop OS systems (iOS upcharges for purchases and Android has kinda limited support unless buying an expensive new flagship, many programs only work on desktop, etc).
In the same way gas price increases can hurt people a lot, even as they should be driving less from a societal perspective they might be systemically unable to drive less.
That said, affordable clothing is like something cute and comfy in your size from the thrift store, something from a regular fast fashion brand or outlet, or something from ultra fast fashion if there are no other size inclusive options available (especially with regard to region such as rural or low wage countries) , and not everything needs to be affordable, especially with tools like screen printing and maker spaces (sometimes available). I do wish I could find some content about how to find things as a 6ft man who dislikes bland, too warm, or uncomfy menswear and wants particular things that are rarely available (everything available seems to just focus on basics that only work for cold places, small people, or don’t want to wear anything interesting, but nothing high cut, full coverage but cool and non catching, or different than the most generic cut possible for a garment (short sleeve top that shows tummy with raised arms but isn’t cropped and looks/feels awkward length and fit)). I think this influencer made a thrift window shopping video to try and show it was affordable, but neglected the sizing challenge for large secondhand items (more rare and thus harder to find, also often same price as new)
Edit: the need for affordable clothes means having access to good enough clothes that fit and are socially acceptable, although it gets tough cause so few jobs pay enough to just live even before considering clothing. Affordable doesn’t necessarily mean cheap to buy new though
Edit2: I get going outside workout is sometimes an option, but same issue of needing clothes even after the like $5 for a rec center membership, and it’s regularly like 90-100+ F where I live, so outside is often too dangerous and health is a human right (including for workers ofc)
you're making up a person to be mad about. this is so ignorant of the complexities of reality, but it seems like you have to make up a simplified strawman to "defeat" & then feel smart for "taking down".
@@MossTunic I can see why you’d say that, but I don’t claim to have empirical evidence to support what I said; it’s just based off my own experiences and observations with people that I’ve had as a slow fashion designer myself in Ireland. There’s plenty of very wealthy people who are not willing to reallocate their money to ethical fashion and will shop at Zara, but have no problem blowing extortionate amounts of money on the latest technologies, cars, holidays, whatever else. Nothing got to do with trying to take anyone down or feel smart… I think there should be more education on how people can find and access ethical brands.
I really enjoyed this video. One thing I've been seeing in the sustainability discussion is folks focusing too much on the consumption habits of other individuals. I absolutely think that there's a place for individual reflection and reduction of goods. But ultimately we need to be focusing our attention on the companies, policies, and price-gouging allowing for the mass overcreation of poor quality products and artificial pricing. I'm worried the the overuse of the term "overconsumption" being applied to everything, especially when consumers don't always have agency in what/where they're buying, is going to degrade it and lead to cultural fatigue.
corporations absolutely are incredibly wasteful at every step of the way. they get cheaper deals for bulk buying & don't care if the product lasts a long time. in fact, they know these products will need to be replaced quickly & they love that.
clothes, home goods, tech, etc etc all used to last for what would now be considered extremely long times compared to today. but now they waste vital materials that quickly fill in more & more landfills. clothes are made of more & more plastic & disintegrate within months. earbuds & other "disposable" tech filled with materials that should be valued enough to only be used in a way we know the product will last a long time instead of being tossed out & replaced when they break again!
we know how to make things with long-lasting great quality, we should not be wasting materials that poison our planet and all of us. improved quality should be standard for everyone. we only have one planet, but these wealth hoarder people running these companies do not care because they will always be the last to feel the effects.
Less than a year ago, I bought a merino wool sweater from a sustainable brand (fairtrade, wool ethically sourced) for 150€. I already had to darn holes in it, without wearing that much. On the other side, a vintage wool sweater I bought for 13€ still looks great. Honestly, I will no longer risk buying expensive wool sweaters. Better to buy a more affordable option, and darn it as needed.
I've noticed merino wool I used to buy 20 years ago was much more better quality that I get nowadays, the thickness and smoothness are just too different.
Yes!! Your thoughts on the sweater debate were spot on!
Unless you’re actively out in the real world trying to change policies to hold these companies accountable, talking on twitter achieves nothing. I’m not going to police what people do with their money. Even if a company sees the discourse going on, what’s stopping them from completely ignoring that convo? They’re still gonna sell their cheap quality items if people keep buying them.
about merch: merch directly from the artist is gonna be more expensive than a fast fashion T-shirt bc you're supporting the artist - I understand the frustration with merch being unavailable to some people (esp young fans) but cmon, you are hopefully buying merch bc you want to support the artist. the ethical production just comes on top of that
and interesting thing I've seen lately, from Omerch (Swedish merch company, mostly metal bands and founded by a metal artist, in the metal scene merch is a BIG thing), is print-on-demand merch, their online store only makes the merch when you order it, takes a bit longer to ship (but not significantly, I got one in like two weeks) but they avoid making sth that doesn't sell (and issues with sizes running out), cancelled orders often go into a pile that becomes sale product. in person they have some merch selection but you can also put in the order for print-on-demand design - ofc it's different not getting it immediately but I think having this as an option is great (shirts are 30-50 euros in the scene so I don't think Chappel's merch is outrageously expensive)
I wish less people would confuse profit margins with quality in pricing
Its not just fast fashion brands, it’s very nearly everything -even when you get quality you almost always get some other penalty ethically or environmentally. Regarding Coperni, probably one of the least surprising things ever - having worked in the industry for a while now it just perfectly encapsulates attitudes you continually come up against again and again.
👏More 👏 slow 👏 fashion!
And let’s stop shaming eachother for wearing out our clothes. Let’s embrace clothing that looks weared IN! Scuffed shoes, scratches on our leather jackets, patched pants, t-shirts gone soft. Polished Casual and Quiet Luxury is such a waste because nothing can stay perfectly crisp forever.
Knitter here! Currently about 40 hours into a sweater, and it’s only about 1/4 done, 100% wool. This isn’t out of the question for me, and this is made out of 100% wool (due to a skin condition i try not to use acrylic for personal use) and materials cost me $150 not including needles, stitch markers, etc. High quality sweaters, and hand-knit ones like Rory’s (the costume designer said herself that it was a handmade sweater) take time and have been used for generations, historically. I could talk about this for literal hours
i dont agree with what coperni did, but i dont think it should be a scandal.. its only 2 euros after all lol. also as someone who sells on vinted, its actually a very easy n painless process and i wouldnt agree to a price if someone made an offer that was too low. the person who does sourcing for coperni probably isnt very rich themselves and was also working w a budget and i understand wanting to instinctively get the best possible deal even if ur buying for ur employer
we know how to make things with long-lasting great quality, we should not be wasting materials that poison our planet and all of us. improved quality should be standard for everyone. we only have one planet, but these wealth hoarder people running these companies do not care because they will always be the last to feel the effects.
everyone can live well and we can have amazing advancements in the quality of life for everyone, we just have to stop the prioritization of profits above human life. that should have never been an option for these wealth hoarders, but they've been getting away with it for far too long.
the quality of life and products gets worse as the prices go up because we are all being taken advantage of. doing anything besides making money for wealth hoarders (either by spending or being taken advantage of by these meager wages) is not something the government or these wealth hoarders care about. we would be in a better world if our lives didn't depend on money. we are more important than money, the "economy" (completely made up nonsense), or these handfuls of wealth hoarders controling our lives.
we deserve better. we can only progress to better together.
We never paid the right price for fashion. When clothes were custom made, only a select few could afford them, industrialisation then outsourcing actually made the ready to wear cheaper and cheaper and large profits bigger and bigger that goes with Introducing synthetic textiles. It is a luxury already to wear something that fits and we like. People are fickle and want different clothes and styles everyday, every moment of the day. When I was young, we had the “Sunday clothing” that one clothing we were putting on for family reunions and celebrations, we didn’t have anything new every time. It was carefully washed and ironed for future uses. And FYI, there is no certification for recycled fibers nor local growth nor ethical exchange only if you trust a brand which, to be honest, is difficult.
I look for a dark mock-neck sweater which will last me longer and not short!: The only option without synthetics mixed in is 100% cotton for 130 €... I had to think twice: Cotton bleaches out and loses form...But what I'd like to say is: It took long to find something not made of plastic and to short!
Real Aran-Sweater are pricy! Mina Le has a real good video about it (Title: "clothes are so much worse now"). I recomend to look that video. But making a sweater yourself isn't cheap!
And what I have noticed are: People don't know what quality is or how to look for pieces that last... It's all about prices now.
I don’t know any details about the matter, but how do we know the runway shirt is the vinted shirt? I am sure there are multiple old disney T-shirts out there in the world
I think you would so enjoy CJ the X’s latest video essay about how fashion is a language, Jordan Peterson’s shittier taste in his new style, and it touches upon ‘the current state of sweaters’ discourse.
i fully believe that value imputation begins with the consumer, but that only works when we actually have the power to do that without government profiting off these corporations. in a perfect world, our consumer choices would mean the death or rise of companies, and shein would've failed long along because their practices are economically unsustainable without government input.
i definitely agree we should be owning less and spending more on quality items. though i rarely buy anything anymore because i'm spending all my money on fabric 🫢
Love your videos Katie! I just wanted to share an ethical knitwear brand that I love - The Knotty Ones! The artisans are very skilled and the company is very focused on compensating them fairly. The price is reflective of that but I think it’s really worth it if you save up for one!
They also recently added a preloved section and they regularly do sample sales of you’re on their mailing list.
I’d pay like a dollar or 5 for a sweater if I kinda liked it, but I already have too many sweaters because my family likes them even though I live somewhere hot and run warm. (Got a bunch of cute ones from my grandpa when he passed.) I’m just not in a sweater buying place (I do want some more light fabric pants for sun protection, but they never sell anything like that in the thrift store near me, at least not in men’s sizing. The thrift stores near me also don’t have try on stalls annoyingly)
I think a lot of the outrage at merch prices is people's entitlement. I went to a concert last week and I paid like €25 for a tank top because I couldn't afford the crew neck at €55 but like... That's okay? We're not entitled to merch lmao.
And about the price of sweaters, I'm saving up for a Sheep Inc. sweater that's almost €300. And that's also ok because they are ethical and sustainable and their product is super high quality. But also because I intend to wear that sweater for the rest of my life. I think we all need to realise that nowadays there are two types of clothes (to simplify) clothes meant to last and disposable clothes/fast fashion. They're not the same, don't serve the same purpose, don't take the same amount of work and do not cost the same.
Although I think its such an ugly disney shirt and its bizarre they used it in the show, you pay a market price on vinted, if the person accepted the offer then thats what it was worth.
cant believe i am so early ❤
Wanted to give you a shot but girl your tea is cold. Who cares if someone offered $7 for a $9 old used tee. Girl be frfr. Almost as goofy as your baby ahh mic.
yapping is literally in the thumbnail this is what u signed up for
brave words for someone who's either a bot or twelve years old