how pumpkin spice became the epitome of consumerism
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2023
- because I am a fall girly and REFUSE to let the season devolve into fast fashion sweaters and PSL's I'll be sharing the wholesome/ anti-consumer/eco side of fall on the gram (& TT) so find me there ▸▸▸ @shelbizleee (bit.ly/3zNR0DT)
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We really gotta normalize the "having one forever sweater bought as an investment piece from a small business and/or thrifted"
I think that thing is a myth - the sweater will get holes in it and unravel - the more natural the material the quicker, in my experience... Also, where do you live that like one sweater will suffice?
@@lithopheliax61x5I think that can come down to proper cleaning and maintenance. If you’re spot cleaning material and only fully cleaning when necessary it doesn’t wear out as quickly. Wearing layers (as is necessary in most places during the winter) can prevent the sweeter from getting dirty, too. As material gets thin or gets holes, you can patch sweaters or even knit over the area in a matching yarn so it’s seamlessly corrected. They should also be stored in containers that keep bugs out and if possible prevent significant moisture. Synthetic fibers in clothing is a new invention and past generations who relied on natural fibers maintained their clothes significantly longer than we do now. Capitalism and our societies modern values play a role in this but the quality of synthetic fibers most retailers are using don’t keep up appearances and have more seams that fall apart, even with equal maintenance to natural fibers. Aside from recycling pre-existing synthetic fibers, we’re not really in a place to say that these materials are better than natural.
Realistically not one but certainly enough to get by and not depend on laundry to always have a fresh clean one. And of course just keep reusing the sweater until it’s worn out and unfixable.
@@lithopheliax61x5 I think that one more of an exaggeration for the concept. But also I get what you mean - it can be hard to balance living life and taking excellent care of your clothes. I just aim to shittily sew my sweater holes before they get too big -- otherwise I'll have to learn how to patch lmao.
I understand that this message is not directed at my demographic. But I do want to mention how the conversation around sustainability can unintentionally come across as pretty classist.
I'm 35 and I've never been able to afford any "investment" items of clothing. I've always relied on buying fast fashion, clearance items, and thrifted items that I repair and ultimately wear into the ground. Years of use out of items that were engineered to last one season.
It's really really hard to save money when you don't have any.
I know you're not speaking to me. But this type of wording can make it feel like you are.
Also, when thrifting is trendy among higher income people, it really limits lower income people's ability to access high quality items. Thrifting tends to put people with expendable income into this mindset where it's okay to overconsume, because thrifting is better for the environment. Plus, we really do rely on your higher quality hand-me-downs.
So the cycle thrifting becomes super trendy, higher income people start buying up everything which limits supply and increases prices, stores like Urban Outfitters start capitalizing on the trend thereby further limiting supplies and driving up prices, less newer high quality stuff gets donated, higher income people abandon the trend for a bit. Meanwhile, lower income people are trying to make it through the few years of the thrifting trend without an important resource.
I think it's important to clarify what pumpkin spice is; Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Allspice. I know that's a knit-picky detail to bring up, but I feel like part of dismantling all of this polluting modern human behavior is acknowledging/demystifying things. "Pumpkin Spice" is something you can conjure from your spice rack in the first world without specifically buying it as a pre-mixed package; if you look at cooking recipes, going back several hundred years, the ratio differs all over the place depending if in one era Nutmeg was more popular or if Cinnamon was more available. One of the "roots" of how terrible modern consumerism stems from is a lack of education; not higher education - literally just word-of-mouth sharing of knowledge. Pumpkin Spice is a brand; instead of us seeing it as a spice blend that exists outside of needing to consume anything specifically, it has been packaged as a mystery box others must provide for you instead of it being some accessible piece of information that once understood can then be replicated by you as an individual anytime you want it.
I really think the more we just step back and try to learn about our own daily lives more, get a basic grasp of how things are made or function, we start to see things for what they are and not the spiritual identity that's being attributed to them. A well-designed sweater that is both functional and fashionable is, at the end of the day, just an object. You may never want to knit your own sweater, but gaining a sense of perspective about what goes into the creation of a sweater and how a designer either invented a new method or borrowed a forgotten historical method, then empowers you as a consumer to better assess the value of that object to you. Once you know you can make a seasonal spice blend at home; how often do you want to pay someone else to prepare it for you? Maybe there is a bakery that makes a cake exceptionally well and you want to pay them for that service; but maybe if you can easily re-create something at home without impacting your life... Well, having that knowledge might help reduce pollution by a few points.
Same with meat and vegetables. Some people think of food as something they buy at the grocery store, not something that is planted and lives and grows and is harvested.
My grandma grew up in the depression. She told me pumpkin spice was a waste of money & what ingredients you need to make it at home. I never got the ratios right, but if someone already has those spices at home it can be easy to make. I am trying to work with my kids about where things like food, yarn wool ect. Come from. Thanks for your comment. I agree
This 💯 Imagine my surprise to find out you can make your own butter by whipping cream with a handheld blender lol it takes like 10 mins but I had no idea you could do that I just bought it at the store my whole life
@@Yeyee23 in my country, making butter is a common youth group thing. Picture a bunch if kids sitting in a circle outside in a field or forest. A teacher or counsellor is about to give a lecture or demonstration. Before they start, they pur a carton of cream in a clean soda (cola) bottle. Then they give it to the closest kid and tell them to give it a shake and pass it on. Round and round with shakes. At the end of the lecture, the bottle is cut open and the butter served on fresh pita. It isn't a coincidence that the average person doesn't know how to make butter anymore. Industries are quite happy for you to be dependent on them.
Also, the flavour profile of pumpkin pie spice is very culturally dependant. I live in Sweden, and here those spices in pumpkin spice have been used in christmas beverages and food for way longer than the US influence of pumpkin spice. So to me, it just tasted like christmas 🤷♀️😛
Tbh, as an east coast girlie, I hadn’t really thought much about the fact that people in other parts of the country don’t really have “four seasons”.
Ironically, it seems like our fall is getting later and later every year because of climate change. Yesterday it was like 85 degrees in mid September which is wild. They’ve actually started keeping some of the pools open past Labor Day because it’s been so hot.
The fact that these companies keep pushing ✨fall✨ in our faces while that experience actually becomes less and less of a reality feels like a special kind of gaslighting.
Right? I’m a New England girl and our summer showed up just in time for our kids to go back to school in September. A day or two later in the middle of the heat index being 100+ degrees, the PSL hit Starbucks. I don’t even like PSL’s but I’m so tired of the “fall aesthetic “ on the shelves already.
Yeah it’s been like 90 degrees here in western mass…i pulled out all my sweaters and jeans when September hit just to have to put them away…
Exactly, I swam more this month than I did all summer.
Here in NJ everything is normal. Summer wasn't actually that hot and had plenty of rain. It's only the last 2 weeks that we had hot temperatures with humidity. That happens every year for a few weeks, I notice the heat when it comes because I hate it.
In Florida, there are two seasons-hurricane season and not hurricane season. Maybe you'll get lucky and experience a "cold front"
I am in Slovakia and we have Christmas decor in shops already, it's insane. Autumnal decor is about leaves from nature, few branches and whatever you've had for donkey years! Don't be buying new sh*t people. Cherish your sweaters for the memories they bring. Autumn is not about being cute in orange.
Australian here! I went past a shop the other day that already had Christmas decorations out too. Also, the day after Christmas all the shops start stocking Easter items. It's a lot!
Yep USA also has the Christmas stuff up. School just started here and now we gotta think about Christmas?
Last year I tried not buying new decor for the seasons and I was surprised how ok I was with it lol it was nice not having a ton of clutter and spending money on stuff that will only be used a couple times then put away, saved a lot of stress from going in the stores too
Germany here. We also have christmas stuff in some stores here (mostly grocery and tj maxx).
But I worked retail for about two years and it was crazy how people came back every year to buy the same christmas decor shit they bought last year (and then had the audacity to complain about spending money on it because they HAD to get it - like no sis, you did this to yourself. I assure you your kids don't care)
That's also crazy to me - using your kids as an excuse for it? It happens more than you'd think. When I was little we had a box of christmas tree decor my grandma had collected throughout her life and now a lot of people seem to wanna match whatever outdated pinterest aesthetic they saw reposted on Facebook this year.
OH AND THEN they just throw it away????
Buy it and throw it away and then complain when they *need* to buy new stuff like it's the retail emoloyee's fault
Babe, you can store thingssssss
You can reuse things, if they're old and don't look too good anymore you can touch em up or repaint them.
That's a fun activity for the kids! Repainting little pumpkin dudes, there you go, made it fun for the whole family.
It’s absolutely exhausting how capitalism has ruined holidays. Fall season is my absolute favorite and fall has become so short in Montana. I remember how beautiful they were with the changing leaves. They still change but it’s just not the same…reminds you of the global warming problems that capitalism is trying to make you forget. Thank you so much for making this video! So many great points as usual!
Yes, Montana doesn’t even have a fall now. Or if they do it’s less than a week! So sad.
When I lived in NJ, I was beginning to notice the trees didn’t start to change until November, and I don’t remember it being that late as a child
Yes, now before summer was over they started putting Christmas stuff in stores 😢
@@FloatingLeaf1111r u ok?
Ugh climate existential dread
I really wanted to buy the $1 pumpkin yarn decorations at Targets dollar section. I carried it around the store debating weather I needed it or if I wanted it. I just want a small decoration on my work desk that I can put out during fall season and easily be stored away in my desk for the next year.
I asked my husband if I should buy it. He asked the price ($1) and he said sure, go for it. It’s cheap, easy.
I responded with yes, but it’s not necessarily eco friendly. There’s a reason it’s cheap. What if I could make it myself?
I thought about it some more and decided against buying it.
Fast forward, we went to the Goodwill bins this past weekend and I found yarn GALORE in All the fall colors. Burnt orange, green, and off white. Needless to say, I will be making my own pumpkins 🎃 this fall. I watched a crochet tutorial that I can easily follow. I saved yarn that was headed towards the landfill. And, bonus I can make as many pumpkins as I want! 😊
You did the right thing and now that pumpkin will be so much more memorable and special to you!
That's wonderful 😊 This story is so encouraging to me because I'm also working on my buying mindset.
OMG thank you so much for sharing this story with us!! I am also hoping to crochet a pumpkin this year! Can you send me a photo?? I would love to see!
Oh, this is lovely!
I love this idea! I've been wanting to upcycle old worn out flannels and sweaters into pumkins but haven't gotten around to doing it yet. It's definitely hard to resist the temptation when you can easily buy the pumpkins for just $1.
XOXO GG
As a kid, I pleaded with my mom to plant pumpkins in our garden. For years. Finally one fall I noticed the signature vines and leaves in our garden! When the fruit started to grow, I was beyond excited. It looked oblong rather than round, but I figured it would grow into itself. Turns out, my mom had planted butternut SQUASH. 😡 On purpose! A major childhood disappointment.
LOL but this was a cute story!
Ooooooh mom was mean! Lol
If it makes you feel any better: in australia they are called butternut pumpkin. And botanically, they are right about that.
Ooh if we are talking about moms messing up gardens…I have one too. My dad and I used to hunt and fish together. He told me fish guts were good for the soil and he let me have a corner of our yard to bury the heads and stomachs (after I examined the animals last meal of course). One year I planted sweet potatoes and they grew beautifully and this bee (my mother) trimmed all the vines off! Killing my sweet potatoes! 🤬she said she thought it would help them grow back bigger. Side note. We were poor af and we used every part of the stuff we killed and I still have buck skin shoes and dresses from the animals that have lasted 40 years. So most of the memories are good from then minus sweet potato gate.
That would be very disappointing as a child... but butternut squash is yummy. 😋
I live in Peru, in South America. I cringe every time of the year when we are entering *Spring* and I see pumpkins that are not even like our local pumpkins in the fancy supermarkets because people need to live like US people. I just avoid supermarkets during the last months of the year because the amount of seasonal (not *our* season!) stuff being sold makes be so mad.
YIKES!!!! If I saw decor for the opposite season where I'm living, that'll make me really confused and give me a headache!!!!!!
Yesss. As an African Global South girly I feel the same. Why do we have black Friday and winter themed Christmas when we are in summer 🙃
That is insane that they don’t even try to match the season
As a New Zealander in the Southern Hemisphere with our nice grey skinned pumpkins I feel the same way.
Just to point out, a lot of states in America don't have a winter season either. They gave "fake" winters too.
I love the girlies who are going around saying "Oh look the leaves are changing colors in August🍂" Nah girl take a look the leaves are brown and have spots, the tree is infected. 😢
Soooo many trees around here are in distress from the dry spring and summer, it’s really eery. Some have brown leaves already while others didn’t grow any at all 😢
When I think of Fall I think of leaves first. That's what makes me heart happy.
Same here
Me too!
Yes!!
Ditto 🍁🍁🍁
Same
Consumerism as a broken form of community...that's deep...and 100% true. Thanks for pointing that out. Also, Girl Scout cookies are the perfect example of using scarcity mindset to sell shit. THEY'RE NOT EVEN GOOD! And you can get better dupes at the grocery store for cheaper all year round.
girl scout canada cookies are pretty damn good i dunno
yessss
True but idk if Girl Scout cookies are the best example, as a former Girl Scout I think it can be a great organization for teaching kids community building! At least when I was a kid most proceeds stayed local if you want to support :)
@@nataliac3607 fair but also OP was just pointing out that it's a good example of scarcity mindset. not that it's using the proceeds for evil. marketing strategies can be manipulative regardless of if it's in support of good or bad.
I am from and live in New England, and I enjoy fall mostly for SOUP SEASON. It's hard to enjoy hot soup when it's 90°F, so when fall rolls around it's perfect to bring out my favorite recipes. I love to bake during this time of year as well: I start out making honey cake for Rosh Hashanah, then pumpkin bread using my grandmother's recipe, gingerbread, and cranberry muffins.
Honey cake 🤤🤤🤤
Yessssss I love soup season! Soup is also a great eff-you to capitalism since you can eat so well so cheaply with it!
YES. YES. YES. I'm from New England, live in upstate NY now. New England and New York falls are the best falls.❤
Yes!! When she asked what comes to mind when you think of fall, I immediately thought “Soup and grilled cheese” 😆
Off topic but I adore your pfp idk what the story is with it but it looks dope
One thing I'm trying to do to avoid overconsumption is just appreciating things without feeling the need to buy them. You can still appreciate things and not need to buy it. Once you can harness this power, you can protect your wallet, be more grateful and disparage overconsumption. Also with seasonality, I'm trying to embrace the actual seasons, not the products marketed towards us. So for autumn I am looking forward to conkers, acorns, pretty leaves, cooler weather and not the PSL, waves of new autumnal fast fashion etc.
I love taking pictures of things when I'm shopping. Even more so, I love looking through those pictures months later and not feeling like I missed out on the purchase of a lifetime. In the end, it's all just pretty junk.
The only thing I buy religiously every single year is candles. I love re-using my fall and Halloween decor, the fall and Halloween decor that I do buy is off of eBay, Mercari, Poshmark etc and thrift stores I LOVE more than anything, 80s/90s/00s and vintage Halloween decor. There's literally nothing better
I appreciate the Atmosphere more than I do having random crap in my house. If I can emulate the feeling by walking through a store or looking at moodboards, it's not a necessity.
That's what I do... and so many people don't understand and try to persuade me to buy or even offer to buy it for me, which is sweet of course, but... I really can appreciate something without wanting to own it and this is more often the case now than me actually wanting something. Regrettably there are very few people out there who can grasp this concept.
@@thunderheartwoman For Christmas, I've asked my two friends to donate to a food pantry or animal shelter instead of buying me things, but they won't hear of it! I just don't NEED any more stuff. I wish I could get this across to them. It is sad because they are both concerned about animal welfare and adopt from (and donate to) shelters themselves. Sigh.
Fun fact: pumpkins are a “winter squash” that actually grow throughout the summer. They are harvested at the end of summer (fall). They are called a “winter squash” because they store very well and will last/feed you throughout the winter. I am a new gardener that has yet to successfully grow a pumpkin! 😂 Going to try more local/heat tolerant varieties next year.
Edit: I do believe the heat waves and lack of rain are why I don’t have pumpkins this fall. 😢
I Knew they were a squash! I didn't know they lasted very well though. Thanks!
When I think of fall, I think of apples. My parents would take me to the orchard to pick our own every year. I can smell the smell of it in my mind!
Same! I’m from Apple picking country areas.
Me too, my grandma would make buckets of applesauce from her orchard and then later we’d also make cider, and applejack from the cider and apple butter. The kids job would be to pick up the bad apples off the ground and wheelbarrow them out to the woods for the deer and we’d always pick the last plums and some logan berries and have a big cobbler after dinner. Yum!
I watch quite a few housewife vloggers on RUclips and everytime they go decor shopping at Dollar Tree or Target and literally *stuff* their houses full of this stuff, internally I'm screaming "stooooooop!!"
Don’t watch them, they’re doing it for the views.
It drives me crazy. They have every product they use linked in their Amazon storefront, they vlog shopping trips where they spend $80 on impulse purchases, and then they complain about clutter and too much stuff. So they declutter just to refill their closets with more shit. Half the comments are “product link for rug?” “Product link for cup?” “Product link for stroller?” Not to mention the inherent exploitation in the ones that feature videos of their kids. While these channels can have charming content, I can’t see the industry as anything other than harmful (even though I enjoy that style of content sometimes)
I stopped watching so many of them because of their seasonal decorations which implied buying new stuff each time. I only kept two channels were both have stopped buying stuff. The last video of clutterbug was really nice because she went super fall themed without the wastefulness that I was expecting.
This is why I mostly watch minimalist and sustainability channels.
Don't forget the decluttering videos every few months to get rid of all the old stuff from years past!
Halloween is my absolute favorite time of year, but I absolutely refuse to put up any Halloweem decor or do anything "spooky" until October. It annoys me when it's August and people start acting like it's autumn, or when it's Sept 1st and people say "Happy Halloween!" Because it makes it feel so much less... special? As a time of year. If we act like it's fall whenever we want, fall is no longer a special time.
THISSSS . I agree
Istg my neighbors are putting up Halloween decorations already in mid September 😭
Cranberries have a weird story too! They were pretty hated, but a marketing team came in + added sugar and branded it for the holidays/sauces.
i thank golly whoever thought to put cranberries in scones, because i love them things 😋
There was no breeding program in the US for cranberries, so of course didn't taste well. Now there are varieties that are liked by people.
I personally like cranberries because then I don't have utis
Idk, I'm from Russia and cranberry is a part of some traditional recipes here, like drinks and desserts, with added sugar or honey. Can't imagine it being hated on a mass scale😅
For me, I'm FULL ON into Halloween on September 1st, but that's because I despise summer, despite being born in it (late june, when it actually starts). But yes, as a sea level southern californian, we have no seasons where I am. It's summer, lighter summer, mild summer, darker summer, and the popup random "fire season" sprinkled in as well.
Don’t forget thick morning fog summer when the weather is cooler 😂
you mention 'ignoring' and being 'out of touch' with the seasons towards the end there but I think there could be something to be said around climate anxiety with this. Rather than ignoring atmospheric changes, perhaps we are noticing these different weather patterns but there's a sense of wanting to 'make the most' of our experiences of our favourite seasons out of concern that we won't experience them in the same way for much longer
It's really ironic. When there's more seasonal marketing, we become less connected with the seasons of nature.
That's what I think of. In Illinois summers are harsh but shorter now feels like...... the winters are less snow now and more negative zero cold 🥶
i think you are totally right! there is that breath out we take at the "end" of summer, where we are like... okay maybe the climate is okay, maybe everything will be fine... It's unprecedented for us to be worried about the climate. It's not normal behavior for humans to have so much anxiety about something that we cannot control (independently). Our parents certainly didn't have this in their emerging adulthood, and it really feels like young people are the ones who care. So, yes I think this obsession with autumn is indicative of just how much we are trying to cope.
I definitely feel pessimistic about this. I don't think humans have the long-term planning ability to actually address climate change. If we haven't decreased global emissions yet, even though climate science is 50ish years old, wtf are we even doing. Maybe we will just have to pretend seasons in the future. =(
I used to think that losing my grandmother was why all holidays felt off, but now I see the connection from working retail around the time she passed. Not only did I lose the most important person to me, but I started to get pushed into how retail stores treat the holidays. We would get PALLETS of halloween candy in the beginning of August. At first I got the nostalgia dopamine, after about 3yrs of working there it had gotten very tiresome. Then I worked at a decoration/craft store and again, nostalgia dopamine. It hit me very quickly how awful this particular store was for the environment, GLITTER coating the floors, your clothes, hair and skin, Styrofoam packaging all over the place, everything is also wrapped in plastic. Made of plastic- wrapped in plastic. I remember a little chickadee had gotten in the store and was eating the red plastic coated foam balls that look like berries because it thought it was an actual berry. I have since stopped working there because it was just too depressing to watch so many people buy purposeless junk. What a sad effing time we're in.
I seldom actually want the fall decor in stores. But I do think about fall very early because I hate being hot so much. I like to think it is more wishful thinking than anything else for me. When it is pumpkin time, I go to local farms and get mums and pumkins. I can thrift other decor and do up cycles or restoration. There really is no need for people to support all the crazy product experiments and I am so glad you made this video
I will also add that I don't let Christmas or winter solstice holidays into my life until Dec 1. It drives me crazy when people say November is winter. IT REALLY IS NOT. Winter starts December 21st.
I do the last week of November for christmas and yule, but we do like a week off for my sons birthday on the solstice. So it works out to 4ish weeks
That's why I love being obsessed with a season by focusing on what you can DO more than BUY. Focusing on the action instead of the product. Like changing your wardrobe (putting away summer stuff, like in the back of the closet, taking out scarves etc.), foraging mushrooms, harvesting autumn veggies/buying them in the market, sitting under a blanket (the same one you've had for the last decade) and drinking tea/hot chocolate, cleaning your space, watching your favourite movies, inviting friends to cook autumn food together, observing the world around you changing (you can take photos or draw what you see), DIYing something (crochet, knit, collages)... and switching decorations BUT! Make it really meaningful... like for me, i make leaf bouquets, collect chestnuts, and i have two porcelain mushrooms but only because my friend got them and they remind me of her. I only keep it for the given season and then put it away, so that as the year passes i miss it or even forget that i had it and i'm pleasantly surprised when i take it out again.
You dont need another pumpkin. You need one meaningful thing that you take out every year and feel happy that you get to see it again.
And that applies to every single decoration you have - buy it when you're on a trip, DIY something, print out photos, show off your book or music collection... it's what i do as a student with a small space for myself, anything can become an expression of your character or be a meaningful object that people will ask you about when they visit you and you can tell them a story about it. You cant do that with new plastic pumpkins you buy every year!!!
Yes! This is what I've started doing! I switch out my decorations with the seaons (not buying new, just rotating what I have) pull out my pressed fall leaves (so pretty), making pumpkin muffins, switch from lemonde to apple cider, switch to my Fall playlist, pull out my Fall movie list. I have a little terrarium that I switch out to match the season too. lol
I really like it, it keeps the year from blurring together until you wake up & it's December... You know what I mean? I hated that "where did the year go?!" feeling.
@@girllittlemorbid exactly! Switching decorations and "moods" for different seasons really helps to get through these transitions during the year, appreciate the changes and stay in the moment for longer. Especially if late fall or winter are kinda ugly (gray, cold, windy, wet, dark...), all those little things help to look at the world optimistically and create a cozy, friendly reality. Thanks to these decorations and little traditions, you feel excited for every single season, and even when it's tough you're like "I've been there before, this and that helped me get through it, there are reasons to love the place and time I'm in now!"
Btw thanks for your comment, it really made me smile :)
Totally agree with your comment! I also love celebrating each season to the max, but for me that's typically something that happens in the kitchen or it affects the hobbies I pursue.
Yes! I've mentioned picking up leaves and pressing them between sheets of wax paper with an iron for fun and not only did my nieces and nephews not know what I was talking about...neither did some adults. I used to love finding the best, most colourful leaves. I think it's better to do activities in nature during the fall season, so many harvest related things that can connect you.
@@CLJlovesmal Great idea! I haven't done that for years but remember how fun it was.
I'd just like to point out that I live in Brazil, and we're going into Spring. But Starbucks is releasing Pumpkin Spice everything... And we don't even have the Autumn traditions that exist in the USA...
Real fall decorations are wonderful! Heirloom squash and Indian corn, ripe apples and gourds.
Your comment about putting the sweaters away so that they are nostalgic and "new" when the appropriate season comes around: YES. It works. I did this for my Christmas themed clothes when I realized I just had too many to even wear through the Christmas season, and yet I still had the urge to keep buying more. I haven't bought new Christmas clothes in years now and everything feels so nostalgic and wonderful and I treasure these clothes instead of needing more more more. I personally put everything in a box and then get it out come November 1st.
Okay I’m glad this wasn’t just my thought. Like I love October and Halloween and all that but the trendiness of it all and stereotypes are horrible
Maybe just being from the Midwest I see more pumpkin stuff in stores but I associate fall more with apples. Cider, apple pies, caramel apples :)
Me too! I love visiting my local cider mill when it starts to get colder out. Apples, apple cider, and cinnamon donuts are amazing this time of year
I actually keep a seasonal wardrobe myself and it is really nice to pull out all my sweaters and put away all my summer clothes. It's a great way to comb through my clothes too. If I didn't wear something I'm putting away it probably means it has to go
As someone who grew up in Northern Europe, the first few things I think about when I think about fall is "crisp cold air. crunchy leaves under your feet. colorful leaves from the cold air". It's been a weird to see how people adapt things from the U.S. Not that it's wrong, but it is so weird.
Also to note, I have received weird looks for not liking the holidays (Christmas) due to how tricked into capitalism it is. So few classmates have literally gasped when I have said "I don't really like Christmas.. it's too commercial for me." 😅😅
That's the first thing I think of too!!
Wasn't it like a Europe thing generally? Maybe it was way less consumerist back then because it was associated more with religious customs 🤔
I have a base wardrobe, but also 4 different vacuum sealed bags that have "seasonal" clothes to spice up my wardrobe. I still get that exciting rush of getting to open up and refresh my go to outfits every season without buying new clothes constantly
How did you build a base wardrobe? I’ve been trying but I’m a little lost.
Love everything about this video. I'm so tired of people being so oblivious to the destruction happening all around us. They see all of these disasters, but can't seem to wrap their head around the "why" of it somehow. At what point do we wake up???
I live in Ireland, and I feel like in the past transitional seasons have been really well defined here. Spring and Autumn are very wet, often windy, but not super cold just yet. But these past few years the weather has been so affected by climate change, summers have been really changeable, it has stayed warm well into October sometimes. It's very concerning. I very much associate 'fall' with weather, the fallen leaves, the rain, the crisp air. Halloween is more cultural here, having originated in Ireland as Oiche Shamhna (where craved turnips were used instead of pumpkins), so I feel less attached to the capitalist elements of it, but I still see this whole Pumpkin Spice, 'fall decor' stuff seeping in unfortunately.
Yeah same in England. Pumpkin spice flavour/scent is appearing over the last couple of years in products.
This, couldn't agree more although I live in England. The fact that it's still "warm" now really concerns me on an existential level. I just want to wear wellies and not see dead bumblebees on the pavement
My first thought when I hear Fall is Fall Leaves. I live in MA so every fall I get to see the lovely colors ♥
Same!
I actually recoiled when you brought up the pumpkin spice scented toilet paper 😱 that is a yeast infection waiting to happen, I'm disgusted.
Great vid as always ❤
I would love a video about how you are more involved with your community! I try to make friends when I'm out but people are kinda in their own bubble and think you're weird when you talk to them.
SAME! I try to speak to
My neighbors but I mostly see them when they’re coming back from work. Our garages are underground with direct access to houses and people don’t seem to walk or enjoy their gardens in my area 😅 I’m always in my garden with my toddler but we’re mostly alone…
Yes me too!
For me, fall is all about that crisp air. There's nothing here than running through leaves or sipping on a hot cup of tea. I love it. Thankfully, that version of fall nostalgia really doesn't require much - a cozy sweater or fleece, some chai or pumpkin spice tea. I usually buy a pound of loose leaf, and that'll easily last me the season. I did thrift a few sweaters this year because my body is still not back to normal after having my twins in November.
It's spring in Australia. A country that treats pumpkins as a savoury food exclusively. I could get a psl at Starbucks right now.
For everyone who wants to celebrate the beautiful autumn season, have nice stuff and not engage in excessive consumerism: start crafting your own decorations and stuff! It takes longer but every item you crochet, knit, weave, sculpt, paint, embroider, wittle, is not only unique and handmade, it's also considered and yours truly. Arts and craft is also a very relaxing hobby. It's not totally consumption free ofc since you still need materials, but definitely more considered consumption.
I love crafts but it's often just as wasteful as buying stuff new, especially if you go to the big craft stores like Joann's. There are things you can do to minimize the waste like getting second hand yarn or fabric or "up cycling" old stuff.
@BouncyBrown you are rising a good point. I think the more you do from scratch, or from upcycling, the better. Autumn is also a great time to find beautiful leaves and press them to use, or other treasures of nature.
Maybe it's because I'm not from the US but autumn makes me think of leaves becoming red then falling, temperatures dropping, less and less sunlight, things like that.
I’m from the US and I also think of those things when I think of fall
Love the short days
When you say fall/autumn I think of crisp air in the morning, the grass covered in mist and fog hides the light of thr street lights. when you put on your coat and walk through the park. No one is awake yet. Its 7am. You hold your hot chocolate in your hand while the leaves crunch under your boots. You sit down on a bench and read a book (in my case its poems about autumn) ❤❤❤ I LOVE THIS SEASON!
Edit after finishing your amazing video:❤
I was a consumer but since a year I planned out my own capsule wardrobe with about 51 items in total (including bags and jewellery) and donated things I dont wear anymore. Bc all these years I never knew my own style and bought random pieces of clothing that Id throw out after a year. Now I have a wardrobe for all seasons and higher quality items. I still bought stuff from H&M but only if it was exactly what I wanted for the capsule wardrobe and I intend to wear these items I have right now forever-
We are going thru a heat wave aswell here in Latvia and I noticed also the size of the pumpkins here shrunk a loooot. Probably bc its so hot aswell. 😢 Its sad to see all these beautiful seasons slowly dissappear bc nobody in power seems to care. Yeah, they talk about it but do nothing. Empty words and promises. I hope next year more people will become aware and stop supporting shit like Shein, etc... (Like all our Thrifts here are drowning in Shein items, which I do NOT buy. Even second hand. Its disgusting to have everything ruined by cooperate greed, consumerism and selfishness) Humans can be so cruel to our precious planet :(
In the Falkland Islands, it feels like Mother Nature skips Autumn. You wake up one day towards the end of summer, look out of the window and you're like, 'OK, its winter now.' 😂
I'm from NYC area. Your islands must be nice. I believe your near Argentina.
I think many years ago my parents friends son was on a special mission near your islands. At the time he couldn't tell anyone where he was.
I’m from the Yorkshire dales, and this always happens to me too lol
I love pumpkin spice and fall. However, I miss when starbucks released the fall menu in September. I liked waiting all year for the release because it made it more special for me idk :/
What comes to mind for me when I think of fall: the smell of the air first off, the sound of the leaves, "witchy" type stuff (for lack of better word), Mabon, and Samhain.
This video was for me because I am a FALL girly; like September 1 through December 1 I “celebrate” fall. One thing I do to try to keep from over consuming is I make an Amazon list of fall/Halloween decor or whatever that I “want” and see if I can find it secondhand. Most of the time when I go back and review the list I delete a lot of it off because it wasn’t as cute as I originally thought.
I should definitely do that to reduce my consumption.
i LOVE fall. back in the 90s, my mom got a big, cozy sweater at a thrift shop. every fall, i get that same sweater out and wear it multiple times a week until it finally warms up in spring and it goes back into storage. THAT is fall nostalgia and i look forward to that sweater every year🧣
Random side note about growing pumpkins, have you ever tried Seminole pumpkin? I'm in FL and it's the most heat hardy squash, you can even grow it over our crazy wet and hot summers.
Personally I love the taste of pumpkin spice 😂
I don't decorate seasonally though and if I ever did, I would thrift items and store them for reuse every year.
Ironically, it is likely the places that are most closely tied to the seasons now - the ones with the most true nostalgia - that also have the highest desires to cling to these cultural manifestations. Being a New England millennial, I acutely feel the human side of this. I love having distinct seasons and I do feel real nostalgia when I break out the same gear year after year. (It's generally just more practical to change over your clothes every year - those bulky coats just get in the way in July). As a result, I feel real loss every year I have fewer of the clear, magical frigid days in February (breathtaking in multiple senses). This loss of course makes me want to escape into Christmas cookies and other cultural attributes - to manifest the feels if the weather won't do it for me. Our cultural evolution needs to happen faster. More cookies in winter, less man-made snow.
When I think about fall the first thing that comes to mind is the yellow, red and brown colors of leaves. The way they crunch when im walking on them. How it used to be the most perfect acclamaited weather not too hot or too cold (sadly probably wont be a thing anymore). Looking forward to the big feast of Thanksgiving. I don't like coffee so I never knew what the big deal of pumpkin spice was.
Im thankful that im crafty and the thought that "hmm i can probably make that" stops me from purchasing seasnal decor. Not that craft supplies cant also be wasteful, but at least handmade items stick around for a lot longer
For me: fall makes me think of Halloween and the autumnal equinox! I’ve always adored the season.
I like that you mention fomo marketing. I realized awhile back that I was no longer doing things for my own enjoyment, but to post on social media. I was so concerned with making my life look exciting and like I was doing all of the fun things you’re supposed to do. Taking pictures was no longer about capturing memories but bragging to other people. Now I try to just take photos to keep on my camera roll and things are just so much more enjoyable without the pressure!!
I hate it here in Texas for SO MANY REASONS - HATE IT - but when my teen goes back to school in the middle of August I AM ALL ABOUT FALL and pumpkin spice. I can't help it! It soothes my soul inside my apartment even when it's blazing hot outside. Now, I don't have a ton of fall decor and I'm mindful about what I buy, but I am a basic bitch when it comes to fall and Christmas.
That little pumpkin place was very cute, I’ve never been to a pumpkin patch that wasn’t just a field of growing pumpkins, but maybe that’s because they grow well here? My name being Autumn meant that people used to occasionally buy me things with “my name” on them in the fall. Now I have to ask people not to because I end up with so much crap because it’s everywhere. It gets worse when the Christmas stuff comes out and the fall stuff goes on sale, even if I tell people not to, they cannot seem to help themselves.
When I think of Fall, I think of falling leaves. Maybe cause in mid September I switch to my autumn leaves plates that I got from my grandma after she passed. Nothing gets me more excited for fall than eating off of my beautiful autumn plates/bowls.
I struggle with weather-related depression during summers--along with a lot of climate anxiety--which is made worse by living in a hot area
And the earlier and earlier pushing of fall aesthetics/decor/PSLs just makes it worse. When fall leaves and pumpkins and sweater weather and cozy pumpkin spice lattes and etc etc etc are in stores at the start of *August*, which is still firmly in the summer, when it's still in the 100+ degrees and there's no end to that in sight, it just makes me feel awful. Like there's an entire month where I feel like I'm holding my breath waiting for the world to match the products (which is a mindset I have to get out of for *sure*)
Mental health counselor here. Your psychological explanations around FOMO and nostalgia are fire 🔥🔥🔥
To me, fall means going to a farm to pick pumpkins and going to renaissance festival. The best fall decorations are just a few gourds from the grocery store, several of which are edible!
Living in New England, what makes me think of fall primarily is the changing of the leaves and the cool, crisp air. That's all I want in life. I look forward to it every year. Summer is too hot, winter is too icy, spring is good, but autumn is *chef's kiss*. And it really is getting shorter; everyone here seems to notice it whether they care about climate change or not. It'll be a tragedy if we lose it, and hopefully more and more people will do what they can to protect it. I know I need to take more steps to do so if I'm being honest.
Its actually crazy you uploaded this video today!! I live in Athens / Greece currently 30 celsius / 86 f sunny no fall to be seen yet. and I went to Starbucks to get a coffee before work and yes pumpkin lattes and fall decoration in a city we still go to the sea and we as culture and tradition do not celebrate fall or Halloween or anything such!!! Its crazy!
love your videos as always. When i think of fall i do think of pumpkins, but also apples🍎 and colorful leaves 🍁 and cool breezes, boots and sweaters, and the perfect weather to not need heating or AC (i'm in new england). I don't really like the pumpkin spice crap, but i do enjoy baking with pumpkins, and looking at them since they're so cute. Try watermelons in Texas instead, it's too cold to grow them up here in Maine, but we grow pumpkins pretty well. On climate change, all my squashes did terrible this year, because it was so cold and rainy for all of June. They didn't even make it past that.
i'm going on a tangent and rant about of why seasons are when they are, because it bothers me. Currently the dates are determined by the amount of daylight vs darkness (obviously determined by the tilt of the earth). Yes the names are switched if you're in the southern hemisphere. "Midsummer" June 20th-ish, is the day with the most daylight, but also the first day of the season of summer/summer solstice. Autumn and Spring Equinoxes are days with equal day and night. Winter Solstice has the longest night, Dec 21st-ish, and 'technically' the first day of winter. But these should not be starting points of seasons, they should be the middle points of seasons. If you look at the Celtic Pagan calendar then winter/the dark quarter/Samhain Season, begins on Nov 7th-ish, often celebrated on Oct 31st. This should be the beginning of Winter. Winter Solstice then falls in the middle of the season. Spring would start at Imbolc, Feb 2rd-ish, and go until May 5th-ish (Bealtane). Summer, would go until Aug 7th-ish (Lammas), then Autumn until Nov 7 (Samhain, Halloween, End of the Year). This makes sense to me! The Equinoxes and Solstices should be in the middle of seasons. In New England at least, if you listen to the birds and insects, and watch the trees, you can see when this happens. Crickets usually start in early august, and stop in the beginning of November. Birds start chirping more in the beginning of February, and its when most people actually notice the days don't feel so dark. And that weird groundhog thing we do in the US comes from Imbolc too. At least this way MidSummer and MidWinter actually fall in the middle of their seasons.
I'm not trying to justify why Pumpkin Spice is available earlier, but I am personally ready to do fall things in August. But also there is overlap, it's not like in one day the weather changes from summer to fall.
Rant over thanks for coming.
I really just want to say thank you for explaining what seasons are and when Fall really is. Its been grinding my gears for years hearing people saying its fall the second September hits.
I'm 38 years old. I graduated high school in 2004. It does not seem that long ago. The other day I was trying to think of what if any ways that people decorated for fall back then. Maybe people put wreaths on their doors, but I don't remember people having fake pumpkins and leaf garlands everywhere. Fall was the crisp in the air, a sweatshirt and the smell of someone burning leaves in a barrel in their backyard. Fall was walking home from school and hearing the dry leaves being dragged down the sidewalk by the wind.
Thanks so much for this video. I’ve always loved fall, but I’ve felt more and more uneasy about its commodification. The horrible part is that I live vicariously through influencer videos, looking at hauls of the latest fall decor all while not buying it because it’s unsustainable. I’ve also noticed a worrisome trend of women cranking up the air conditioning mid-august and putting on cozy sweaters. It’s just wrong.
As a midwesterner fall = colder weather and needing a sweater 🤷🏼♀️ I do get one or two PSL each year though. The rest of it at the store you can keep 😂
Love your point on seasonal consumerism fostering more disconnection from actual environmental seasonal cycles. Seen so many vids of people making jokes about wearing their new knit sweaters in the summer heat because "it's fall." Which just shows that we can buy our way into cognitive dissonance. I wonder if people would start to naturally realize that the seasons aren't what they used to be if stores stopped carrying cinnamon pinecones every year. The concept of seasons become more nostalgic as they become less predictable and familiar. People can synthesize the season with products the less it actually feels like fall outside.
As an european who lives in Spain, my mind is blown every single year when I see people decorate their house for fall and buy fall themed EVERYTHING
Oh really!? I live in Barcelona and I have never seen that!
I love the way you talk and how you connect topics. For me your videos are the perfect balance of both useful information and fun. Love your channel and the message you’re putting out🫶🏻
John Hodgman always says, "nostalgia is a toxic impulse." Though I don't think he is referencing consumerism, he is more speaking to living your life to get back the feelings of the past (impossible). The fact that nostalgia can be used to manipulate us by marketing strengthens his point. Just a thought.
One thing I want to add is the joy of a handmade autumn! Instead of going out and buying a bunch of fall socks and sweater I am making my own. Even knitting as intensely as I do, I will only be able to knit one sweater and maybe two pairs of socks before autumn is over. And once it's over I will treasure those garments forever as I spent dozens of hours working on them. I also plan on making my own orange/cinnamon garland and utilizing foraged goods as decor. You don't have to spend a load of money to have a cozy fall! And I think making things myself that are tied to the seasons makes me appreciate autumn all the more.
Ooh I LOVE Tiffany Ferg's work! Always brings joy to see great creators supporting each other
My family has decorated for fall as well as christmas every year since I was a kid, it’s always been a pretty big event. We all partake and usually something is being baked or we have lots of seasonal snacks all day. But the decorations we have are 20+ years old, some of them are even my mothers grandma’s (my great grandma’s) from when she was a kid. The amount of excitement and nostalgia I get every single year is unmatched, I look forward to it for months, mostly because it’s not only about the decor but the experience I get to have with family. I can’t wait to pass these items and traditions down to my own kids one day. I pray they will never feel the need to buy any fall/ christmas decor lol
Love this video essay style you've been doing!
Thank you for making a video on this! It’s so important.
this video is an absolute masterpiece, everything you say is so articulate, i love it!!
amazing, informative video! i would love to learn more about how being community focused has changed your life. the section of the video where you pointed to individualism as the reason why people feel the need to engage in these trends to find a community was so interesting. it’s so fascinating (for lack of a better word. maybe also terrifying) that individualism is pushed, yet community is what’s hard-wired into our brain, so while attempting to be individuals we also seek out community. would love to see a video on this!!
My husband and I went to the ceramics shop and I painted a little leaf trinket tray for our wedding bands and he painted a ghost holding a pumpkin! So fun to have decor items that will come with a memory now each year we pull them out.. I’ve been scouring my thrift stores for a Halloween or Christmas throw blanket because I always have blankets on my couch and I’m so tempted to buy a themed one but I’m holding out.
As someone who grew up in the north, and less urban areas in the north at that, first thing fall brings to mind is the changing colors of the trees. I think that’s probably true for most people who grow up in areas with strong fall colors. Turning colors, cooler weather, shorter days, corn, apples, pumpkins. Food wise my first fall thought is probably apple cider.
wonderful video, eye opening in many ways. especially appreciated the part you added while editing about our need for community and how consumerism is artificially replacing human connections. I learned a ton, and I love your content!
Shelby! You're literally always speak exactly how I feel. Thank you for putting into words the reason why this is a problem! ❤ Great to know there are people like you!
I was anticipating this video, so glad you're talking about it. The editing in these videos get better every week, I swear, and with the different sounds! Love it, thanks Shelby! My husband and I decorate every fall with decorations his mother saved, combined with things we bought when we first met. We tried shopping last year but the prices were to much and made us realize we have plenty to use.
Also, super interesting video. Your points and how you connect them - I was soo invested!
I'm so happy you included the psychology of all of it! 😊
I love your rants.
This is my favorite video of yours yet!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you for covering this!! The idea of artificial fall and manufactured nostalgia is scary. I started seeing the PSL stuff in mid to late August as well, and I'm thinking that the hype for consumerism surrounding fall comes at us from so many layers.
There's back to school shopping for example. I think my Fall semester started in late August, and there were tons of deals and promotions for that. Then there's Labor Day with all of its big blowout sales. I think that's the perfect segway to the fall hype, because if you're doing all your back to school shopping, you may as well stop at Starby's for a PSL then buy a bunch of new chunky sweaters for the new school year, and hey get some cute fall decor for your room while you're at it!
Shelby im so glad i have found your channel seriously ❤. You are very informative and knowledgeable and very honest and thats what im looking into while being minimalist for almost 4 years and environmentally reasons are my top priority while also this has helped me a lot financially
I live in a rural town so when I think of fall the first thing that comes to mind is harvest season- But yeah that does indeed involve a lot of squash, so pumpkin included, there’s also apples, and corn. Oh and soup. I always spend all summer eagerly awaiting soup season I love soup. Pumpkin (and other squash) goes great in soup. And baked goods
You are amazing, thank you for the video
I love pulling out my autumn jumpers when the weather starts to get colder ❤
I find it interesting how there seems to be a trend of replacing reality with artificial in this video. A sense of detachment.
Pumpkin spice is detached from the context of pumpkin pie and added to various things.
Pumpkins are detached from being a food in favor of becoming a symbol that can be sold.
My personal favorite example you gave that I didn't consider is the concept of nostalgic clothing. That the nostalgia of an old fall sweater replaced with the idea of buying a new sweater every year.
And the largest one of the very concept of Fall itself being replaced with an artificial Fall that begins and ends as it pleases.
I really miss having 4 seasons. I'm not even sure if we'll get Fall this year. Summer was the hottest yet and I find myself begging that we get some relief before it's back to the heat again.
I resonated so much with this video!! Thank you for this informational video
I really enjoyed this deep dive!
Yes! Get a vacuum seal bag and put your winter clothes in it for safe keeping. It's SO fun to forget about clothes and refind them
This video really made me think about how fall marketing is capitalizing on our nostalgia for falls with cooler temps while at the same time contributing to making fall-like temps during the fall season more unlikely in the long run
This video was so reassuring!! Glad to know my husband and I are not the only one that talk about these things 🙏❤️
This is amazing. You are amazing. Thank you for doing this research and sharing!
Thank you for the idea for this video, and making this video with this message!
Thank you for making me feel like I'm not the only one who was horrified to see Halloween decor in stores at the beginning of August 😱 My favorite things about fall are the natural changes: the fall color, pumpkins and apples from my local farm, etc. It's one of the many things that keeps me committed to sustainability--I don't want to see fall continue to heat up and be unpredictable
I'm more concerned about Christmas Creep. I should not be seeing Christmas trees in August or September. Goodness forbid they start playing Christmas music in October...
@@TuesdaysArt that's definitely of concern too. I've seen a number of stores having overlap of Halloween and Christmas decor at the end of August (?!?!)
You should do a bit about Party City. All the useless seasonal stuff they sell end up in bins. I see them dumping and cutting up tons of Halloween costumes no one purchases each year.