The whole "natural look" that ethical clothes shop sell annoy me so much. Just because I want to wear ethical clothes doesnt mean I want to look like that
This is so true. Years ago when hemp fabric was first becoming somewhat available, I wanted to try it out but the only things made from it were like "hippie style" drawstring pants, kaftans, etc. It's a perfectly versatile fabric and could be made into jeans, jackets, all sorts of things, but the limited styles just were not my cup of tea.
Amelia Díaz Cortez that is a whole mood, now I mostly buy second hand and sew them into something I like. A lot of those sustainable brands are either expensive af or everything looks very specific to one style
My only issue with this topic is the concept that thrifting has become "trendy". Goodwill, Salvation Army, thrift stores etc are geared toward less fortunate people. I also think we should get away from fast fashion, however my family was homeless for two years while I was trying to finish college and because my neighborhood has become really gentrified over the past few years, I couldn't even afford to shop at any thrift type stores. They've all become basically "boutiques" full of overpriced clothes geared toward hipsters and people from the suburbs moving into our area. Wal-Mart was my only option at that point. Of course I'm not gate keeping thrift stores. But i think poor people should still be able to access them.
This happened around downtown Dallas but goodwill stores never changed their prices and small family owned thrift stores also kept everything fairly cheap
I shop a lot at Value Village and Goodwill in my college town but now that I've moved back home because of covid, I've been thinking about bringing my business to the vintage shops and second-hand boutiques in my town so I don't take clothes from others. I feel like second-hand shops keep the sustainable shopper market separate from thrift stores. I also think it's important for people who shop for fashion instead of necessity to donate their old clothes to Goodwill or other thrift stores. I'm curious what ya'll think about this!
Can we talk about the large amount of re-sellers buying tons of clothes from thrift stores to sell for lowkey ridiculous prices online? I understand unique clothing/cool finds and paying for what you want if you love the piece but finding an oversized black Hanes sweatshirt, cutting off the bottom half of it & selling it for $40 on depop is a little ridiculous. Idk I have mixed feelings, I understand it can be very lucrative and support the seller but also could be bought from the thrift store from someone who needs a sweatshirt!
ty!! i resell on depop bc im a broke college student lol but i made a deal w myself to only do it if i find really unique or rare items, or *actual* vintage items. some of the prices people set are ridiculous!
the things in my depop are clothes that i have found in my house with tags still on that i try to sell before donating. the only thing i’ve thrifted and sold is a hello kitty alarm clock.
@@sadiem8994 same! That's what the platform started as, selling your gently used items for a little bit of extra cash haha. Also I found a hello kitty alarm clock & sold it on ebay years ago lol it was too cool to pass up but I'm not a big fan. Bet it was the same kind of clock 😂
It’s an issue even at a garage sale. I used to work at an antique market where those sellers would buy $100 furniture and flip it for $1000. Now you go to a thrift store same thing sellers buy the good stuff and someone who really needs the clothes miss out.
As someone who is labeled as “plus size” at a size 14/16, sometimes fast fashion is the only option I have. While I try to shop at thrift stores as much as I can, I live in SoCal where the thrift stores are very picked over and/or seriously overpriced because they’re aware that people are just buying to resell online. I used to feel really guilty about going into places like Forever 21 to buy something that I’ve been looking for, but I’ve realized that it’s okay every once and a while (especially if it’s a last minute thing or a special event). Thank you for bringing up the thing of people going into the plus size section to just buy “oversized” items for trends be I’ve noticed a lot of people don’t ever mention that.
I live in NorCal and the thrift stores RARELY have anything in my size (18/20) and what I do find is either super damaged or something that resembles a potato sack..
Omg same! SoCal here and I can rarely find something to wear from a thrift store 😔 you literally have to know the stores schedule to figure out their shipments where I am!
This is a great article on plus size people and fast fashion! I feel plus sized people are quite scrutinized for buying fast fashion when that is literally one of our only options. www.refinery29.com/amp/en-gb/plus-size-fast-fashion-sustainability
This! I buy exclusively second hand for my tops for about 2 years now, but my Jeans are both from H&M, because I never find a simple pair of black skinny jeans in my size second hand.
As someone who is the same size, and super tall (36" inseam) I feel you. I cannot find trousers, or anything long sleve that is 1 big enough and 2 long enough. It makes me sad, but like seriously, I have to be able to wear clothes... So I will try to buy what quality I can, and just buy less...
I disagree. You can boycott and just decide you don't need more clothes. Cause if we're honest, we all have full wardrobes. None of us needs more clothes. Very easy to Boykott. If someone really needs something, they can always get it second hand or somewhere else from the place they boycott.
ExpressYoSelf Yeah, some of us buy clothes because we need them, because our old ones wear out. I live in the Caribbean, and my options are very limited. There are no second hand stores here, and the clothes I can afford are all poorly made, mostly synthetic fast fashion. I am good at sewing, but unfortunately most fabrics available here are also synthetic. The cost of shipping and customs makes online shopping unattainable for me. I would love to support sustainable clothing manufacture, but it’s just not something I can afford to do.
@@angelikabatwoman not necessarily I lost 57kgs I had literally no clothes the only way I could afford getting anywhere near a usable closet I had to shop at SHEIN
Individuals can only do so much. Yes, the actions and decisions we make are important and impactful, but with the current policies and institutions in place (I can only speak about the US), it's impossible to be 100% ethical and sustainable. We waste too much energy attacking each other (not that Sarah has done that in my opinion). Businesses, corporations, and institutions need to be held accountable. We need to make sure that the people in positions of power are making the necessary changes because they're ultimately the ones who can push these companies to change their business practices. This is an election year y'all! Just saying!
yes this! companies have effectively shamed consumers for their choices when it's companies that essentially make choices for what we need to buy. In order to really dismantle this system it needs to come from both consumers and companies themselves.
This is exactly what I've told people shaming people for not being vegan/buying fast fashion. Tf is Tiffany from Delaware gonna do when the COMPANIES are the ones producing unethically and polluting the environment? When lockdown started and the Earth started to heal~~, it wasn't because of the individuals not going out solely. It was big factories not working therefore not polluting. It makes 0 sense to shame consumers when ultimately they're just complying with what the ads and companies push them to. Are the consumers responsible for what they buy? absolutely. but like you said, there's only so much individuals can do
There’s a phrase leftists use when talking about this sort of thing. It’s called “There’s no ethical consumption in capitalism” and that’s exactly why the shaming of individuals don’t work because it doesn’t and diverts attention away from the things that are actually harming the planet: corporations.
Yeah, this exactly. Too many of us internalize the idea that we the consumers must bear the brunt of ethical responsibility, when really this responsibility should be spearheaded by the CORPORATIONS.
with all the political stuff going on I’ve been trying to avoid certain fast foods & restaurants that support anti lgbtq+ organization or don’t have good work ethics such as Wendy’s, Chick fil’a, ect. but I have the privilege to choose where to eat and some people can’t afford that. A lot of fast food places do need to improve but people shouldn’t be shamed for eating there if it’s one of their only options.
I pretty much never eat out-but I didn’t know Wendy’s was anti lgbtq+! Is Chic fil’a still anti lgbtq+ organizations? I thought they got called out on it in 2017 or ‘18 and stopped the donations?? But-same. I’ve also stopped listening to music and purchasing books/films created by people who are anti lgbtq+, have been involved in sexual harassment or/and racist activity.
Amber Reid yeah I think unfortunately it came out very recently that they still donate. At one point Wendy’s 4 for 4 would feed me for two days so I feel people not wanting to support but not being able to. But yeah I taught myself to make a chick fila sandwich at home lol
I’m not sure about where Wendy’s stands for lgbtq+ rights, I more so base their company on how they treat their workers and child labor (if you’d like more info please see D’angelo Wallace’s video on them)
I think people really underestimate how difficult the whole size thing is. I'm usually a 14 or 16 in jeans. Most fast fashion stores still include these sizes in their "straight size" merchandise. I can't tell you how many sustainable clothing stores I've looked at where they stop at a size 12 and label what is realistically a 12 as a 2x. I also happen to love thrifting and it's shocking how few options are available at a size that's only just barely plus sized. I've been trying to thrift a good pair of shorts since last summer and there's literally nothing other than knit grandma shorts in my size at any of my local thrift stores. I shudder to think how people larger than me deal with this.
Yes! And like, underwear, especially bras? With my cup size, I need actual support. The flimsy bralettes I see in a lot of sustainable clothing stores really don't cut it.
I think it's because of people who have difficulty finding clothing in their size are less likely to donate it. Especially with pants. I know I won't donate my jeans, I wear them until they fall apart to postpone having to buy new ones :D
Unpopular opinion but I see a LOT of people who are privileged and capable of making more ethical choices use those who are less privileged than them as a scapegoat to argue against boycotting unethical practices. Many people who are more than capable of making better choices claim that they refuse to participate in boycotting slave labor, animal cruelty, and environmental degradation because that type of lifestyle is not universally accessible. Just because something is imperfect doesn't mean we shouldn't do our best. We need to examine ourselves and our capabilities and do the work before we speak for others and their abilities. I'd rather see more promotion of accessible ways of making better choices in our world than a whole bunch of people throwing in the towel and say it's not worth trying because it's not perfect.
This!!! I see this alot with really well off influencers , talking about how not everyone can afford to buy less fast fashion, amazon,... so they don't promote it (which is absolutely true) when they have the privilege to do so. It really saddens me and made me step away from alot of them
I think this is so important!! I really liked what she said in this video but more and more I am seeing these injustices and discrepancies as excuses rather than motivation to work on making other options more accessible while holding ourselves and privileged people around us accountable. I also think this is not a subject that can have much parting on the back to feel better about ourselves in places where it isn’t deserved.
Word. This relativizing can become so dangerous as it allows unethical producers/consumers to dismiss any kind of criticism as classist (ableist, racist, you name it)
hit the nail on the head! I try to remind people when I talk about stopping buying from Amazon! I always try to say that if Amazon is the only way you can get something and you absolutely have to use it - that's what it's for. Obviously before the pandemic things were easier but living in Seattle seeing so many people just buy stuff from Amazon multiple times a week because they're obsessed with Prime drives me crazier than most things.
Actually after you talked about Amazon I deleted my prime and even got a library card since i mainly used them for book stuff. Thanks for educating me about it much appreciated :)
Thank you for this. My partner and I are almost entirely house bound and also living on a very tight budget. Amazon is literally our only choice for most things. They are apparently stopping amazon pantry now and this means we won’t be able to have a lot of stuff anymore as buying from individual sellers is more expensive and we can’t get to actual shops
exactly. one of my problems from getting away from amazon was it is a place that has a ton of items and tons of reviews so it was super easy to find what i want and make sure it was good quality. i then saw a video that basically said to use amazon to search for what you want, but go to the retailer's website to actually buy the thing. i had a "why didn't i think of that?!" moment and now that's what i do lol.
I would love to avoid Amazon completely and try as much as I can to do so, but being disabled and in a rural area it's difficult to get some things without going through them. I feel like disabled people get left out of these kinda of conversations a lot so I'm glad you're opening up the video for comments.
Yes! I came to the comments to see if someone would mention disability. Personally, my chronic pain means a lot of more environmentally friendly options are inaccessible to me. It can be because I don't have the energy to actually go all the way to a store where these things are sold, or because I can't spare the time and energy it would take to wash and maintain them. Single use/convenience/disposable items can be a literal lifesaver for disabled people and I'd love to see it talked about more often.
@@emilyboj omg same! I have chronic pain and I can't go to a thrift store (we only have 2 local stores) and online thrifting isn't a option because shipping is really expensive and I have a really, really small size. I would love to see people talk about this!
Same. I hate how as individuals we're held to this extremely high standard of creating less waste and buying only ethically sourced products yet corporations that create majority of pollution and exploit workers get a pass? At the end of the day, these places have more than enough money to make things better but they actively choose not to because of money and effort. As consumers, we are at the mercy of these companies because a lot of the time they're our only option. This goes double for those of us that are disabled 😣
Omet same. I use a wheelchair and need soft clothes I can sit in all day. Medical costs keep me from buying ethically all the time. I favor Etsy for my goth and cyberpunk stuff plus my Wiccan supplies now and then but not my essentials. Those are forever 21, Target and eBay. I do sew my own clothes but I can’t do it every time I need something because of pain or the materials might be more expensive than something from China.It’s hurtful to get judged for doing my very best.
Thrifting in America seems way more accessible. In the UK we have very small, cluttered charity shops. Even when I volunteered in one and had first dibs of the clothes in my size, it was still very rare to find anything suitable for an 18-30 year old (it's all grandma clothes) I've also heard a lot about thrift stores in America becoming gentrified. When privileged people are driving demand for higher prices in the very places designed for the less fortunate, that is clearly a problem. I have almost completely boycotted fast fashion by simply buying less and shopping at local/independent companies (the clothes are slightly higher priced but are good quality and last a lot longer). Buying less at the end of the day is the most sustainable thing we can do.
I'm over 30 and old lady clothes are such BS. Not even actual grandmothers look good in them. Whoever sets the standard that women should start dressing like toddlers again after a certain age obviously hates women and wants us all to look ridiculous.
I am Italian and in our thrift shops we find a lot of British garments!! A lot of leather jackets, the people of the thrift shop say that you have more and better leather garments/jackets than us, because your are richer . I find it very funny! But I like your stuff
I really love the quote that RUclips Shelbizlee uses at the end of all her videos. "You can not do all the good the world needs, but the world needs all the good you can do." That's been super encouraging to me as I have been working on being more mindful about what I am purchasing and where.
i try my best to be sustainable but it’s just so hard when you’re not an adult yet bcos my family isn’t trying to be sustainable. i try to give them more info on fast fashion and other things but they just don’t seem to listen or care.
I totally get it! I stayed pescatarian, even though I wanted to be vegetarian, longer because it was convenient for other people especially when I still lived at home. just go easy on yourself and know you’ll make significant change when you’re out on your own!
im 20 and i still feel you. i dont need anymore clothes, im actually trying to get rid of clothes. the only things i buy brand new are socks and underwear. but my grandma is a shopoholic and keeps buying me weird tshirts... like just the other day she bought me one with a joke about coding (i dont code), one with a starwars quote (i watched the movies a couple times when i was like 10?), and one from a movie that i actually like, but i just have so many tshirts. and its not like she doesnt know me, ive lived with her for 3 years and she was basically took the place of my dad growing up. i talk to her all the time about issues with fast fashion and sustainability (not being pushy, i stick to things we agree on. like child labor, quality control, economical issues, etc)
@@somedude172 yeah I told my mom and sister last year to stop buying me clothes because I just have so many and they did listen to me and the majority of my gifts weren't clothes
Sarah can you talk about how eating healthy and eating ethically is also a privilege. It was just today that I felt so embarrassed because a kid from my highschool bagged our groceries, which was a cart full of cheap, microwave meals that cost a dollar each and other cheap unhealthy food. My siblings and I all are overweight because we eat processed and fast food and it honestly really sucks. It's hard to lose weight because I can either choose to buy one salad for 5 dollars which is one meal or 5 microwave meals which lasts a day and a half.
I feel your pain! Eating healthy does cost more. Are you able to garden at all? Even if you can only do a container garden, may I suggest growing your leafy greens? That alone is making a big difference for me. I’m almost to where I can pick and sauté some leafy greens everyday. And it’s not hard to get variety...mustard seeds from the spice section will grow you some mustard greens, beet tops will grow you beet leaf greens. Even radish greens are edible. Spinach and lettuce and kale and chard are easy to grow in containers as well. It’s not a fix-all solution, but we do what we can with what we have, yeah?
Karen Ramnath I agree that gardening is definitely a great option. However, my parents are not expert gardeners grow vegetables and only 30-40% of the vegetables they grow turn out well, so unless you are good at gardening, growing your own vegetables can be expensive too (waste of water). And some people live in apartments. The internet is a great place for cheap meal ideas. Potatoes, carrots, canned tomatoes, onions are really cheap. The cheapest cut of meat is pork, unfortunately, chicken and beef can be expensive. You could buy whole chicken which is cheaper, but you might have to learn to cut it up into pieces. Best of luck to you and your family ❤️
Maryam Iqbal Best of luck to you too! I know there is never a perfect solution that fits everyone. The important thing is to do the best we can with what we’ve got. Yes, cutting up a whole chicken can be an experience, definitely a learning curve there! 😂
@@haidenkoff1963 Thats a good point but were a family of 5, buying enough romaine lettuce and ingredients isnt going to be much cheaper. Also our fridge can only fit so much and we can only go shopping once a week so we have to buy enough good to feed 5 people but will fit in the white fridge we have and no we dont have a pantry.
I had a bio teacher who focused on conservation and one of the things I loved about his class was that he discussed conservation through the lens of someone who was poor. Rather than focusing on ultimatums or unrealistic behavior changes, he provided information on cheaper and sustainable alternatives to normal day stuff (like reusing one use plastic ziploc bags or conditioners multiple times, using vinegar as a cleaning product, smart use of your garden-- planting veggies and plants that are native to the environment to help the local ecosystem and that also help keep animals away from the produce you're planting, etc) Because he directed it towards the audience (most of us low income) it really helped me make smarter more sustainable decisions about how I do things. For a long time, I barely tried eating or doing things sustainably because it seemed so impossible given my situation, but he made it seem more realistic.
Yes!!! As a disabled person, there’s multiple facets that make second hand shopping an issue for me. Firstly, most second hand stores are not physically accessible to people who use wheelchairs like myself. The asile are squishy and sometimes the clothes is just sitting on tables that you can’t see nor reach. Secondly, I have very limited energy to look through pieces of clothing for hours upon hours to find stuff I like and that fits. Thirdly, I could use online thrift/second hand shopping but the shipping costs can be astronomical, especially living in Canada with most of the stuff shipping from the states. I’m on disability because I can’t physically work so my money is limited, most of it going to medical costs that aren’t covered leaving little for fun things. This is a great discussion! Thank you for making this ☺️
I have the same barriers and was just going to write a comment, but you've covered most of what I was going to say. I have sensory processing issues and value village is a nightmare for me. My city has other cute thrift stores, but none of them are physically accessible because I'm a power chair user. I usually buy new clothes from websites that have free shipping and returns because I rarely have the energy to go to stores in person. Anyways, I'm super happy to see this video! :)
ive seen especially on tik tok, thinner people altering plus size clothes they've got at thrift stores, and plus size people being like "hey, a plus size person might need that" and people get up in arms saying "it's thrifting they're allowed to do what they want!!" but then those same people turn around and try to tell us that we need to drop fast fashion all together, like which one is it? if you buy the clothes we can wear ethically then where else are we supposed to go? it's also a style thing, like an example, i have to wear business casual clothes for work and often times, you can't find that kind of stuff at thrift stores in plus size, at least near me, and anywhere that carries plus size clothing in that style, ie Torrid, is way overpriced. there is like, walmart as well, but i know that's not everyone's thing. as much as i would love to drop shein, it's really one of my only options and im so glad you made this video calling it to attention
The whole "just buy secondhand" really always annoyed me. I live in Brooklyn and there are zero average quality, reasonably priced, secondhand stores around me at a feesable distance from me. Honestly if a city like ny has a lack of reasonable secondhand stores wth can people in rural/suburban areas do?
Dude I got my one and only cozy reading chair (that has minimal damage) at a thrift store for like $15-a new one would’ve been $150+, now I am not planning on getting a new chair unless this one is somehow destroyed. Also found one of my most worn hoodies at a garage sale for $2 and have had it for like 10 years now. Some people do HAVE to secondhand because of their only being able to afford items at super low cost. This is why it’s so important to avoid treating thrift shops as though they are fast fashion shops (or to purchase items secondhand and then resell online for profit-unless you’re only shopping thrifted items in super rich neighborhoods or it is your only means of income). Only buy what you need.
thrift store bikes are fantastic. facebook marketplace and websites like that are also great. they're usually cheaper than bikes that you'll find at walmart or target and if you get a vintage bike it will probably be more durable and better quality overall. i'm a bike mechanic and i've found the most cost effective way to get a decent bike is to buy secondhand. sometimes a walmart or target bike is the only option, but i always make sure to check craigslist and fb marketplace first so i can get the best bang for my buck.
Hey, as someone from a developing country, I would like to contribute my pov. Like someone in the comments said, individual efforts can only go so far, personally I think the idea of completely boycotting a huge company with whatever objective (end sweatshop workers exploitation, end contamination due to the clothing industry) feels a little unrealistic. However, you mentioned being more mindful of the number of clothes you thrift and I feel like this is a more attainable and impactful goal individuals can have. I live in Guatemala and as a country so close to the US we experience exploitation from foreign clothing companies, environmental contamination due to clothing manufacturing, and also when people in the US feel like they don't need their clothes anymore and donate them or throw them in the garbage MOST of those tossed clothes end up back in Guatemala and other developing countries! for us to deal with this waste, in countries that probably don´t have proper waste management (including mine). Which is why I believe that being more mindful of the amount of stuff (not just clothe) we buy is far more beneficial. (sorry for my long-ass comment and for my broken English). P.S: Also, this isn't criticism or anything I just thought of sharing the fast fashion impact from another point of view. PPS: exactly what you said in the end! :)
I think this is a super important video. Like I’m plus sized in NZ and if I don’t shop fast fashion I have no clothes at all. I’ve never had a style because all I can do is try not to be naked.
@@kawaiikoibito3268 no. I live in NZ. Almost no where has plus sized clothes. we don't have many places to thrift from, and there's no plus size clothing in the thrift shops that do exist.
There's also the option of making your own clothes, however, not everyone has the knowledge, equipment (for example, sewing machine), time to learn or to produce said clothes. I've heard in some places new fabric can get expensive, so there's that.
Yes! I hear SO MANY people saying "it's so much cheaper to make your own clothes" but I've almost never found that to be the case when shopping for fabric 😞
@@broadwaylover5384 Fabric alone is expensive, and it definitely is not cheaper if you are someone who needs to purchase clothes that are specialized (being tall and plus sized are the problems that always stopped me from making my own clothes when I was younger). You also have to consider the cost of patterns and any extra items they would need to make the clothing item (buttons, zippers, snaps, lacing, ect.). While making you're own clothing is a great idea in theory, it really isn't cheaper like most people think.
Thank you! It's a lot easier as a plus-size person to buy from fast fashion. I actually buy from Romwe (I know people hate them but I only really buy men's clothing because it's more comfortable) I've never had a bad experience tbh but I can't afford to buy from indie/thrift brands. I've had people in my life shame me from buying from fast fashion, and it makes me feel awful. This was a well-spoken and awesome video.
Thank you for responding maturely in regards to the comments on your fast fashion video. It seems a lot of people think fast fashion is the only “evil” but in reality, they buy so many other things that are manufactured in almost the exact same way. Personally, fast fashion is the best way for me to dress reasonably in my style, the stores near me are either way to expensive or sell a style that’s...not me. I’m lower middle class, so I can’t regularly shop at stores like forever 21 or rue21 *while* getting my parent’s moneys worth. Thrifting down south isn’t a sustainable clothing source either, every item is either out of style, worn out, etc, and sometimes you *can* get lucky, but it’s rare where i live. And don’t get me started on depop, so many people say it’s “ethical” meanwhile the only clothes i can find are ridiculously overpriced 🤷🏽♀️
I just recently had to break my fast fashion boycott because of almost every reason you listed lol. I needed to buy nice pants for a job interview and couldn't find any at my local thrift store (wore a mask and social distanced) to fit me because the plus size section is basically one rack. I only found one pair of nice pants on depop in my size and they were $40 and I couldn't wait for them to be shipped anyway, nor could I afford/wait on a sustainable brand because the interview was happening the next day. So, I made the decision to quickly (and safely) run in to a store and buy new pants. Half of me hated having to do it, but the other half of me knew that I needed them and wasn't going to have any other option.
I really wish I could regularly shop secondhand on sites like Depop or Etsy but shipping to Canada is inSANE, especially from the US (where majority of sellers are located). Not to mention the surprise import fees that are the same cost as shipping or more... I actually feel guilty when I shop on these sites because 1/4-1/2 of what I spend is just going towards shipping/fees and I don't earn enough to justify the cost.
I used to buy stuff from Depop. Never again - it's way too easy for sellers to scam you, and Depop doesn't care. I had a seller grossly misrepresent an item and who refused to do anything about it. Depop wouldn't help. When I left an honest negative review, she started threatening me (which was scary because she knew where I lived). She got the review removed and tried to get Depop to ban MY account. I told them to delete my account because I was done with their terrible service.
This video made me think a lot... I haven’t gave up fast fashion completely (mostly because of pants, shoes and underwear) but I’m trying to not shop at all when is a matter of shirts, jackets and top-wear in general. I generally pick Outlets or Thrifting as options (and living in Bucharest, there’s a lot of options here for that, is a good city if you are into thrifting). Once I saw a comment of one person from USA in another video saying that since thrifting became a big thing online, thrift stores started to rise the prices because there was more demand and now they couldn’t afford even the thrifted clothing, that’s a point that I think might be worth mentioning when is a matter of, at least, overconsumption. Where I live that’s not happening because culturally, Romanians tend to not shop at secondhand unless they can’t afford fast fashion (so the prices tend to be low), but I wonder how much this is affecting the price in other places. Generally when there’s more demand of something, prices tend to rise and is important to consider that to not overconsume. Another thing I want to mention from my personal experience as a youtuber: I used to do fashion content before and I used to take fast fashion sponsor deals regularly. It was the only way I could gain enough to sustain myself with my channel (since views in Latin American countries tend to pay considerably less than in USA, Canada, UK or Australia) Sponsors for Spanish speaking creators are very limited unless you have mostly a Spanish audience , which the majority of Latin Americans don’t. Currently I switched my content to movie reviews, I get better views and watchtime so I don’t take those deals anymore to sustain myself, but I think that might be one the reason why, at least in Spanish speaking RUclips, ethical fashion hasn’t become that big of a trend among youtubers. I’m pretty sure many creators might be aware of the problems of fast fashion, but afraid of loosing sponsors (even tho, working as a RUclipsr is a privilege itself) Your video was great as always💕
When we take into account that there is a surplux of thriftable clothing that gets donated yet never sees the shelves of a thrift store, i think the owness is on the thriftstore that they are the ones rising prices when they have more clothing to offer but just dont. I couldbe wrong ofc and there are regional differences but this thought has been floating aroubd in my head recently. Now thrifting clothing isnt going to work forever, as in yhe future someone needs to produce the clothing aswell, but thats why we also need to lessen income equality, which will lead to most people being able to afford good quality long lasting items, aswell as having a cultural change from changing your clothes often to mainly purchasing clothing when nessesary.
(Also when i talk about income inequality i also mean the global income inequality, as we want to make sure that the people most likely creating fast fashion can also thrive, but talking about how we could systematically help them is prolly above my paygrade)
I was just thinking about the topic of sustainability and privilege and I'm so glad to see this video! Adding on something that I thought of during this video is also how for some disabled people second-hand stores can be difficult to shop at. It can be difficult for people to stand or look through clothes for a long period of time. Most thrift stores I go to have narrow aisles which can make it hard for those using wheelchairs. Smells and texture can negatively affect those with sensory issues or OCD. Accessibility for disabled people is a problem in a lot of stores but thrift stores can often be the worst
I’m legally blind and I struggle interest stores, I still try, but they’re absolutely never organized by anything so it’s impossible to find what I’m looking for half the time
I think you are never Ill intended. I think you truly just want to raise awareness and it does help me to watch your videos to make conscious decisions and make minor life changes that will make an impact over time!
Yes! I recently discussed the privilege that comes with "activism" with my mom due to a ex-friend of mine going on a rant on his IG. He said a lot of things that I thought came from a privileged place despite him telling people to check their own privilege. It left me uncomfortable and kind of upset as he had such a narrow minded point of view despite claiming he was on a path of "spiritual enlightenment". In my own life, I try to live a little more sustainably, but I will never be perfect. I have a chronic health condition that makes eating a vegan diet all the time unsustainable to my body, but I sure as heck will down a vegetarian/vegan meal whenever my body can! Using glass Tupperware, reusable ziplock bags, and metal straws are tiny ways I can help be more sustainable. Pushing your stance isn't all or nothing and I think people need to remember that when they preach certain things.
One of my biggest problems with veganism that I see people promote is that they completely ignore people who physically cannot sustain that kind of diet. I often hesitate to even try certain vegan alternatives because my body is very sensitive to foods. However I know people and have read accounts of people saying the can never be full vegan either due to allergies or other health conditions.
Another barrier to shopping sustainably that I’d like to highlight is disability. I’m disabled and I’m very lucky to be able to afford shopping with sustainable brands online and have times where I might be able to thrift for very short periods of time with lots of breaks. But like I said, I’m lucky, that level of access is a privilege. A lot of disabled people live in absolute poverty due to systemic discrimination and also might not be able to “just go thrifting”.
if I see one more thin person buy plus sized clothing from a thrift store to alter it i'll lose my mind 😌 thank you for the video sarah!! i find this topic similar to the topic of food deserts within the vegan community!! the more privileged people are just aware that not everyone has the same accessibility as them for something as simple as buying fresh fruit, perhaps we can start to have discussions like the ones you brought up in the video
I hate it when they crop up the plus-sized tops of any kind because it's unfair and can ruin it's worth. Also, could ruin beautiful graphic t-shirts that have so much potential as themselves. 😔 I'm a petite person that is skinny and never cropped up plus-sized clothing of any kind in my life. I could found clothing that I love without going to the plus selection.
@@blackandredteddybear2584 I shop at men's section for oversized clothing because of this reason. Plus size clothing look weird on because I'm small but men's clothing solves it all. Plus most graphic tees are in the men's section anyways.
My thrift stores are the exact opposite and have almost nothing small enough for me so I have to continue wearing the same pants from Ross I've had for 5 years lol
You're a young male. I'm guessing you can eat 3,000 calories a day and not get fat. Wait until you hit old age and start gaining weight and you get a pregnany belly. You will understand how much women struggle to stay slim.
I would love it if non-natural branded deodorants started having this option. I hate natural deodorant. It ALWAYS gives me a rash and I end up smelling like sweat mixed with whatever scent it is and it's not pleasant.
@@camillefaith2005 have u tried native? it worked well for me at least and i have pretty bad bo. They also have a baking soda free version that might be the irritant in deodorant.
I've been unwillingly ethical and sustainable because i live in a shitty third world country and money is only enough for food. I always wear second hand men's clothes, i customize them by painting them, cropping the shirts, wearing the pants highwaisted, and men's clothes are SO much better than women's! Right now i'm wearing a shirt that a friend of my mom's gifted me, it was her husband's (he never wore it) i cropped it, painted it, and made it my own, and i'm wearing old, ripped, stained sweatpants that were my brother's, and i wear them on my waist, and they look pretty cute, even though i only wear them at home as pijama pants lol
I really appreciate this video, especially after a few of your last ones which didn't touch on this specific issue. A lot of people preach sustainability on the consumer level without understanding the systems which prevent a lot of people from being able to access or afford sustainable clothing. Truly the accountability needs to be on the sides of the brands, we need to vote for and encourage policies which make sure that fast fashion brands can't operate the way they currently do. It is great to be sustainable on an individual level, obviously, but always important to remember that bigger change ought to be done as well
For me its kinda a 'do they have my size?' thing, as an overweight person^^ But I wear the clothes until they fall apart :) gotta love EMP for their cool clothing and size availability
As someone who barely has any money to spend on clothing, dressing sustainably is a little hard, but I still prefer to save up and buy LESS higher quality stuff rather then MORE "fast fashion" items
I shopped a lot of fast fashion stores when I was a teenager because me and my friends would go to the mall and walk around for hours, but the only store we could afford to buy from was a fast fashion store. And even then, I could usually only afford one shirt at a time. I think the clothes I bought really made me feel happy and like myself and I would still be wearing them if they hadn't deteriorated in the year I wore them lol. Once I was older and had more money and agency to buy my own clothes I started seeing your videos and others talking about how bad fast fashion is, so I've limited how often I shop at fast fashion stores. Sometimes I do still buy clothes there though. At my job we wear black button downs and there's $14 button downs at h&m that I will buy when I need more. That's the kind of consistency you can't get from a thrift store and a price you can't get at at the ethicsl stores. I don't feel that bad about it, because there's really no other option.
It was also really important for me when I heard people talking about how privilege effects thrifting. And the more I think about it the more I agree. You often can only find one or two items of clothing you want at a thrift store, and depending on where you live really affects the clothes you can get. In my rural town I can rarely find what I was looking for, But when I go to Austin and visit my family the thrift stores there have sooooo much high quality clothing because of the city.
I loved this video, Sarah!!! As someone who is low income, I don’t have a car and I don’t always have the time to go thrifting I do appreciate this. I remember going thrifting for stuff since I was little and a ton of my clothes are thrifted. When I do buy new clothes, I rarely buy something that I’m not going to wear over and over because I can’t afford to do that. I will wear those clothes and repair them until I can’t wear them anymore. 🥰🥰🥰
I appreciate the shit out of this video because I consistently see sustainable, vegan content creators NOT acknowledging their privileges and it pisses me off. Thank you for this!
Recently I went to Salvation Army with my boyfriend and was amazed by how much niche clothes they had (I got a green long coat for 7 dollars!!). Later I found out from a friend that Salvation Army has done some pretty atrocious things (allowing several women to die in their own homeless shelters). Basically what I’m trying to say, is how do you feel about thrift stores that have cruel practices (especially Salvation Army)?
I love this. I live in a very small town in Alberta, Canada. No thrift stores, nowhere to just go and buy something that is ethical or sustainable. Shipping is very expensive to where I live and can take months to get here! So this video made me feel a lot less guilt for not always being as sustainable and ethical as I could be. Thank you. 😊
Thrifting can be a great option to be more sustainable, but the popularization of thrifting culture among privileged populations leads to the prices raising and thrifting becoming less accessible. It’s so frustrating because the majority of clothes in thrift stores ends up in land fills after it is not purchased. With fast fashion being purchased so rapidly, second hand clothes are not a finite resource. Which means even MORE people should be thrifting in order to be sustainable, yet purchasing from thrift stores is now reserved for people with privilege. Maybe this could be remedied by individuals selling used clothes at fair prices to members of their own communities, which I’ve seen a bit more of recently. The most sustainable option will always be repurposing items that are already in your closet or wearing clothes that friends or family members have outgrown. Anyways I really love your videos and I’m glad to see you’re acknowledging how privilege/race intersects with sustainability!!!!!!
i've been thrifitng ever since i was little bc my family had to, over the years i've seen the prices go up and up to the point where its barely even worth it anymore unless theres a sale. i walked in the other day and nearly all the bags were priced at $20-$40 which barely seems worth it for something that is used and often not even in good condition. that being said most of my clothes like 95% in my closet are thrifted, but if i want to find some white sneakers for example that don't have stains on it im just going to buy it new. the brand may not be the most ethical, but i know how to take care of my things to last, and if i no longer need it i rather sell it directly to someone who does. i feel like shopping in general whether thrifting, sustainible brands, or fast fashion should be done with a more conscious mind of buying less and being aware of the materials things are made out of bc buying 5 shirts at the thrift store just bc they're $3 still isn't sustainable if you're only going to wear two of them before "redonating" the rest. that's if it ends up back in the thrift store at all.
this is such an important topic! im a trans guy and I keep looking for clothes in thrift stores but i never find anything that's my size because where I live the thrift stores barely even have any clothes for men so clothes in the smaller sizes are almost impossible to find and it's really disheartening to see people judging others for stuff like that when we can't exactly change it. thanks for making a video about it Sarah!
YUP. Yup yup yup thank you for saying it! I think about this a lot (especially as it pertains to the beauty community). I've seen a lot of negativity around "dupe" products, and it's frustrating because - I see how one could perceive "dupes are stealing art". But at the same time, criticizing dupes and limiting people to only - say, a $200 palette - that is its own type of problematic! I think it boils down to we should do the best we can but never judge others. Great vid!
true! people with less money deserve to buy themselves nice things or things they want too. if someone wants to wear eyeshadow they shouldn't feel bad for not spending $70 on 1 palette
Tbh I don't have the money to boycott fast fashion. My style is also kinda special so it's hard to find clothes I like outside from Korean brands. So I only buy items I absolutely love or need and avoid shopping new clothes often.
oh my god thank you!!! i feel like there are some youtubers that straight up shame people who don't shop sustainably made fashion 100% of the time and it is in my opinion elitist. i just simply don't have the money to buy new things from sustainable stores and in my country, there also isn't such a big thrift culture like in the us. cheap thrift stores are usually full of rly ugly stuff and more expensive thrift stores with better clothing are, well, pretty expensive. i try to shop second hand as much as i can and choose retailers that are rated better on the good on you app, but i still buy fast fashion from time to time because some pieces i just can't find anywhere else. i also rly don't love the style of most sustainable stores. it's not super ugly, but clothing should reflect who i am, and this doesn't reflect that at all!!! i don't wanna spend hundreds of dollars (which i don't even have) on something i don't like!!
it's all about sacrifices and compromises. what are you willing to sacrifice/compromise, whether you're rich or poor. what are your priorities? how do they affect everyone? effort/convenience? i was below the poverty line for over 15 years, but i refused to compromise on animal welfare for flavour - so eating beans over takeaway. i felt as though others had the privilege of ignorance or not caring. everyone has the privilege of free will to a certain extent, whatever the circumstances.
Though true, it does get more difficult when family isnt supportive of certain decisions. I wanted to join the boycott on strawberries because of the brand's terrible work ethics and how they treat their workers and I even mentioned it to my parents but the next day they bought 5 boxes from that brand. (It wasnt necessarily in malice the prices was really good and they said they forgot). As long as people are living under the same room as people who are not at all supportive of your moral stance it's nearly impossible for you to make an active change. Good on you though for maintaining your values regardless of your situation 🙌🏻🙌🏻
it’s not all about sacrifices and compromises. if a person has to sacrifice a balanced and varied diet to be able to eat plant based, buy organic, buy ethically, boycot, etc., that’s not a sacrifice anyone should be asked to make. that person needs more money. it’s that simple. now it’s great for you that you have been able to make priorities you feel great about but for a lot of people it’s not just about compromises.
Not always. Some people are on such a tight budget that they can’t afford any choices at all, it’s literally a constant struggle to find things cheep enough to not even manage 2 meals a day or even to eat at all every day. Also, finance is not the only issue. For example my partner and I are severely disabled and if we have a day without carers for any reason (like if they take a day off sick) then literally the only way we can have a meal is to get takeaway food delivered and when choosing where to order from it has to be just where ever is cheep. Also we both have complicated dietary needs due to our health conditions. Most people do have choices, yes, but it’s naive to think there aren’t people or occasions where someone is honestly backed into a corner with only one feasible choice and we shouldn’t judge people’s motives when they feel they have to make a certain choice. We do not know their situation.
beans and other legumes are also way cheaper than fast food too; i grew up in a 4 child household and the cost of some McDonald's for my family of 6 was enough to buy enough beans to feed us all several times over
Gabe Angel im not judging anyone - ive been that person backed into a corner for a long time. im just saying if something becomes important to you, you will try to find a way to make it a priority. my issue is when those choices are regarded as privilege, when in fact it is a sacrifice or a compromise.
I want to quit fast fashion so badly but its really difficult in the uk, we dont have thrift shops, our only choice is charity shops which you can find some good things in but its very difficult escpecially where i live and depop, where i usually shop, is becoming more of an expensive business place now.
Though most of my clothes are from charity shops, have you tried kilo sales (especially if you like vintage clothes) they’re touring companies that assemble in cathedrals and town halls etc.. where you get 1 kilo of clothes for £15. It’s extremely cheap and affordable - I got 7 or 8 pieces last time for £30
I also live in the UK however there are thrift fairs all over the UK Pre loved Kilo does loads so you pay 15 pounds per kilo of clothing or ones where every piece of clothing has a fixed price eg. £3 for shirts. You can find these online facebook is good some have a £1 entry fee but before lockdown there were events like that every week I was so happy to discover it. I got great stuff to the one I went to
These comments and this video made me realize that i dont have this privilege. I wish i could stop buying from amazon but thats just sadly not the case for me. I wish i could stop buying from fast fashion but i cant. Its even a privilege for me to go to a mall once a year and be able to buy fast fashion.
I've been stressed recently as I need to buy some clothes (like jeans) that I can wear with any sort of tshirt and shoes etc. Just a basic clothing item for the everyday. But with all that's going on with boycotting big brands I feel bad for shopping from them. It's not like I can't afford these expensive second hand vintage jeans (as it's a one off item) on these second-hand shops or websites, it's just I'm very conscious about my money, I feel nervous spending around £55 for some funky jeans (which probably won't fit me due to the usual case of my thighs being to big or the waist being too tight). Also I have around £20 worth of vouchers for new look and I don't know if to just not spend them?! Plus I want to save my money so it can go towards things like a car when I'm older. That really sounds like a poor excuse, but I'm also going into sixth form next year (it's equivalent to junior and senior year in the US) and we have to wear our own clothes, but, they all have to be formal as if we work an office job. I'm 16, don't have a job due to corona, and I don't think I can afford a whole wardrobe of "smart" clothing without having to buy from places like H&M. My mum has offered to pay but even then she can't afford stuff that isn't from H&M either. Basically I feel guilty for buying clothing from these places but at the same time all these good friendly brands are quite expensive. I would love some suggestions on where to shop if anyone has any! Sorry for the rant! xx
Also most of the clothes I wear are already fast fashion, I didn't know any better up until recently. Yes I knew what the concept was, I just didn't realise the extent of it. All my clothes I wear I have owned for years at a time or I wear them till they're practically useless, I hate going shopping anyway for new things, it stresses me out. However, I've always felt insecure for wearing the same t-shirts or skirts when seeing my friends. I feel like I have to apologise as they always seem to be wearing new, nicer clothing. But at the same time I can't bring myself to buy fashionable clothes that are at an expensive price unless I'm offered by people such as my dad (which is rare) or if I get lucky at Christmas. Overall I think that teens feel the need to constantly keep up with fashion, which is unhealthy and tiring. Especially when you see celebs literally wear an outfit once and then never see them wear it again! It's ridiculous and kind of puts pressure onto the youth that you have to look a certain way, especially when you start seeing your friends do it too!
Yes!!! I have been trying to say this for the past year but nobody will listen to me. 😅 Also, it really frustrates me that thrifting has become SO trendy and is being used for “clickable content” because thrifting is often the only way many people can get new clothing. I used to be one of those people. I was on one income in my family and wanted new clothes but thrifting had become trendy and my size was NEVER available. Then I’d go on RUclips and see size 0 youtubers shopping in the large section because they “want baggy clothes that are huge on them” 🙄 and so I’d be stuck wearing the same clothes with baby stains on them lol. I don’t own thrift stores, of course, and I love that people are trying to be more sustainable. It’s just the trend that’s bothersome, because I’ve seen so many youtubers admit they never even wear the clothes they thrifted for a RUclips video.
i think my biggest issue is the /amount/ of unnecessary clothes that many people buy. if we just stripped back to only buy what we need we will be able to save money for that item from a sustainable brand. i see that not everybody is able to save money but instead of buying say four shirts for a combined 20$ over the span of a month or a year you could invest in a good, lasting one for 30$ that will outlive eight of those cheap shirts. i am not there yet myself but i believe many struggles are only in our head.
Thank you SO much for pointing out the issue with availability of plus size clothing in second hand stores!!! When I was in college, jeans from WalMart were a rare major luxury; anything above that was an impossibility. I spent years wearing clothing that did not fit properly because if I could find something to squeeze into or something that was baggy but not totally falling off I had to deal with it. My first suit jacket for my first internship had to come from a second hand store, and it didn't fit right. Clothes, especially professional clothing, that doesn't fit right affects how people look at you and can affect career mobility. Ill fitting clothing can also actually cause health issues as well, such as abscesses.
I personally don’t use Amazon anymore. However I do keep my account (not prime) for emergencies or to support a business that may only be able to sell on Amazon. I made this decision after reading a post on supporting black owned and small businesses. It was a response to something. If I find it, I will post it. I believe in shopping less. Going for alternatives when and where possible but know that you shouldn’t feel guilty if you had to buy that book on Amazon. Maybe Amazon is the only way you can support an out of state or out of country business.
Thank youuuuu! As a disabled person (chronic pain) with sensory issues, there’s particular fabrics I can’t handle and I can’t afford ethical underwear or basics. I thrift all my nice clothes for the most part and always have (being poor ftw), but my basics are fast-fashion. I always feel guilty, so it’s really nice to hear someone bringing this issue up. My number one tip for anyone else in the same boat is learn how to repair clothing! That way you can wear your clothing until it’s literally falling apart :)
I’m disabled, I have Dysautonomia and if I go into a store and try clothes on I have to be standing up for a very long time, which is just not possible for me because I could pass out. The pandemic makes it worse of course, but even without it I can’t. Online sustainability doesn’t work for me either because I live in a country where the post doesn’t work, if you buy from a company that delivers through our national mail, it WILL get lost. Thanks for this video Sarah, I feel like a burden on the planet for having to buy fast fashion but I’m trying to stop the guilt and this helped a lot!
I just had an interview on Friday that was confirmed the day before. I was back home visiting my parents to dogsit their new puppy. I had to go find the cheapest interview clothes that would work because I was between paychecks. I ended up getting a top and pants from H&M. I felt guilty but I knew it was all I could do at the time. Thank you for reminding me that I’m doing my best but sometimes it doesn’t have to be all or nothing if it doesn’t work for you!
Off topic but I would love to hear you read some paranormal stories( like the ghost one you did) or just scary stories in general! It would be fun if you made it into a series, love your channel 😊
Sarah, I respect and appreciate how you are always extremely self-aware and honest. Nobody is perfect, and like you said, doing the best you personally can is what we should aim for! Thank you for your wisdom and rawness!
My boyfriend makes the very valid point that charity shops are really bad for men, some don't even have a mens section. I also recognise that my size means that I can pick up clothes in charity shops really easily, most things fit me with no problems and this isn't the case for everyone
When you become bigger than a European size 40 almost everything you find in thrift stores is very ugly. It's usually the pattern and fabric that is so awful it's beyond saving even with a thrift flip. I'm a size 44-46 and I can't imagine someone bigger than me finding anything worth buying unless they really don't care about the way they look. It takes me about 2 hours to look through the whole thrift store. Sometimes I don't come out with anything especially when the prices are lower per kg. We live in such a looks focused society and looking like a slob or wearing granny clothes (I don't even think grannies look half decent in granny clothes) won't get you respect.
Honestly just reaffirmed why I subscribed to you so many years ago, you come across genuine to me, recognising your privilege in an honest way, it really is not an easy thing to do but videos like this actually opened my eyes to the harms of fast fashion and I've reduced so much
I've been thinking this for YEARS! Avoiding fast fashion entirely is difficult for many, just like going entirely vegan is difficult for many. Even shopping at thrift stores isn't always a solution for people, especially if they only have Goodwills or Salvation Armies in their area. Growing up 20 years ago my mom shopped at Goodwill all the time and it was DIRT. CHEAP. Over the last few years since thrifting has become "trendy" the prices at big second-hand stores (especially Goodwill) have SKYROCKETED to the point where they're basically on-par with Walmart's prices. And if people have the option to buy either second-hand clothes or brand-new clothes that are literally the same price point ofc they're going to choose to buy fresh new clothes that will probably fit them better. It's not an excuse to not try to be sustainable at all, but accessibility is always important to keep in mind!
i'm so happy to see you talk about this! it's somewhat frustrating seeing affluent people preach to underpaid people and their families about sustainability, fast fashion, buying organic food, etc., as if we are unaware that fast fashion, fast food, and things of the like are bad. not all of us can afford to buy from your suburban organic grocers, yk?
I do think we should always be kind and keep in mind that boycotting fast fashion may not be possible for everyone. However, I know personally when I used to buy fast fashion I would always make the excuse "sustainable clothes just aren't my style" or "I'm trying my best, people are imperfect!" but actually I really wasn't trying my best; I just wanted to appear ethically conscious to myself and others. I see a lot of RUclipsrs do this where they'll talk about how important sustainability is and then do a Primark sponsorship. When you point this out to them they'll say "I'm trying my hardest"; except usually they're middle class, standard size girls living in central London by themselves/with friends but according to their insta they still shop fast fashion literally every week. There needs to come a point where we hold people accountable and stop accepting bad excuses. This obviously doesn't apply to the many people that have a genuinely good excuse but the rest of us need to start making some sacrifices. Lives are more important than cute clothes, people, and quitting fast fashion involves giving up a lot of things and buying a lot less.
I’m so glad you made this video. I decided to eliminate fast fashion from my wardrobe after watching a video of yours two years ago, but it felt next to impossible being a size 20, living in a town of mostly elderly people, making minimum wage ,and being disabled ( I can’t drive). I felt immense guilt. I had so many old and ruined clothes that needed replaced, but I could hardly afford fast fashion. Plus sized ethical fashion was rare, still not always big enough for me, and ridiculously expensive! The only thrift stores I can walk to don’t carry plus sizes either. But I still don’t want to support unethical brands. Instead, I decided to focus on a minimal wardrobe where everything works together very well, avoiding any trends that won’t age well. I focused on learning to sew and repair. I learned how to turn some slightly too small thrift finds into my size. And even though finding my size second hand is very rare, I always check every store I can visit first before ultimately resorting to fast fashion. I can’t wait until ethical fashion is affordable and more size inclusive, but until then I’m trying my best to make the most use of what I can, and shopping with a purpose. I’m not perfect, but I’m trying, and I’m happy with what I’ve achieved
It's hard to find things in thrift stores as well, I've seen like some people get a lot of clothes from them some that obviously dont fit them, just so they can make a thrift flip video. Like that could have fit someone that actually doesn't have a lot of money.
When you brought up shipping, I was so grateful someone understood that because I live in PR, and there aren't many thrift stores if any and a lot of times you're just lucky if they can even ship here since we are overseas. A lot of times you have to settle for the stores you can get
Something I think people forget about too is that fast fashion isn't just bad for the environment but that the workers are so poorly treated and paid. I understand there are barriers for people to sustainable clothing (whether it be new or secondhand) but sometimes it's hard for me to empathize with people defending fast fashion due to the humanitarian issues. I still understand the privilege of being able to boycott, especially because I find good thrift clothes in my size but idk...it's a difficult situation.
well, yeah i think defending the industry is bad. but make no mistake - a lot of people feel bad about buying fast fashion as well. where i live, the only very few second hand stores there are are more expensive than all of the fast fashion outlets (also we have like. 1 small secondhand store) . i can only afford to shop at h&m, primark or c&a. another problem: size. i was looking online for a store in my city where i could buy a really durable jeans that i could wear for years - no luck. none of them had even remotely plus - sized options in their whole store. so, i went to primark where i know they have my size (even tho its the biggest they have, and they dont fit me well either bc i have disproportionally big hips, ass and thighs) and bought a tretch jeans for 20 euro that were probably made by a child in bangladesh or something. and i HATE it. but what am i supposed to do? the whole industry needs to change.
I love this video and agree with so many things you mentioned, but I also think we have to think of the core issue here which is overconsumption. I recently made a video about the privilege of thrifting and how it pushes marginalized communities out of the market, so those who NEED to thrift can't anymore!
So glad to hear someone talk about the privilege of online ordering ❤ It's pretty expensive where I live, even withing our small country. Especially during the corona peak (it's pretty ok here rn) hearing "just order groceries delivered" all the time got old fast :/ Things larger than an envelope are sent to lockers in malls, libraries etc and since people were ordering more things than usual, the things I had to order (like medication) got redirected to lockers far from my home. We're lucky that the pandemic has slowed down so much here, but it sure made it obvious how dependent we are on physical stores.
Thank you for covering this! I recently went to reunion after a month of graduation and had a old classmate ask me where I bought my clothes and told the whole group to try not buying fast fashion after I gave my answers. I know she meant well, but I felt really bad and questioned my buying habits. I went home doing a ton of research and ended up overwhelming myself and frustrated about my limitation to buy ethical brands and going out to search for alternatives. I am from a very low income family and I am still struggling to find stable income since the current COVID-19 situation has made it harder to look for a job. I sacrifice a lot of my money to preserve it for my family so this was small thing that gave me joy. I love fashion and some of those cheap options had best helped me feel comfortable in expressing myself and being confident when I usually don’t have that luxury. I don’t shop often, but shop once and maybe twice a year whenever I really need something. I just felt my confidence shot down after then reunion incident, so this is very comforting to hear that others understand the circumstances. On the bright side, I do thank that person for allowing me to reflect remind myself where my money is going to. From this point, I’ll try my best to slow down on fast fashion and find better alternatives (like thrifting) once the pandemic clears up. I hope I can find a good paying job and slowly to buy from more ethical brands. So while I did feel bad about what had happened, it has also given me another reason to do my best to get to the point where I can do all those things properly for a good cause 😊
I'm not someone that buys clothes regularly (hell, I think I buy one new shirt and one new pair a pants every other year), but it's so good to hear about people being more sustainable and trying to minimize the damage fast fashion brings.
I’m glad you covered this. It annoys me when people act entitled and snooty about people buying cheap brands. We don’t all have funds to buy designer, organic, expansive brands. It’s middle class preachiness. That being said, I think it’s important to highlight the brands that are bad, just so people are aware and can make decisions for themselves if they can afford to go elsewhere.
I'm literally about to do a speech on fast fashion for my online public speaking class. You've been a great help in my research!!! I'm still practicing it right now so I won't be able to watch this until afterwards lol. Xoxo
another spot on video, well done Sarah. I always advocate for buying second hand but unfortunately some people, for various reasons, don;t even see that as an option. For me, that's the only option in the last few years. Keep up the good work, you are a true inspiration!
I’m not sure at what point I stopped shopping at fast fashion stores, but I do know it was because of your videos. I’ve been purchasing a lot of pre-owned “new with tags” clothing. I’m now getting better quality clothing for about the same price or a little more. Thank you for the information, you are definitely making a difference here.
I really appreciate u making this video and allowing ppl to add on. I'm trying to do everything I can cuz I am privileged and I know that some cannot afford to be sustainable. Another really annoying thing is how some parents are really strict about being sustainable. For example, my parents won't let me thrift no matter how much I try to explain it to them. It sounds crazy and I agree, but it's hard to convince adults who lived in a diff generation. A lot of parents will say "iTs DiRty" or smthn else like that and it sucks that they have to be so close minded :(. But I definitely agree w u on the styles of sustainable brands bc most of them just aren't it for me and I really want to feel confident in the things I wear. Hopefully we see less giant shein hauls and people who have the resources buy more sustainable clothing products. It would also be nice to see more sustainable brands that specialize in trendy/fashionable clothes that would appeal to consumers more :) remember that we have to hold the company accountable and not the consumer!!
So true. I shop at Ross and DDs discounts because we can't afford to shop ethically. I will when I can tho, and i dont want to gatekeep thrifting, but we used to shop goodwill and thrift stores before it became popular and now theres hardly any nice clothes or cheap enough clothes. At least the books aren't bought out. Please reconsider thrifting in disadvantaged neighborhoods, try to thrift in a way that doesnt harm those who really need it. It really bugs me when people shop fast fashion when they dont have to because it's terrible. I wish I didnt have to Edit- I am in no way saying not to thrift because it's a good thing to do and a lot of clothes get dumped but please try to choose thrift stores thoughtfully but I also understand if you just like the clothes more from thrift stores, I'm not going to attack people for thrifting
thank you for making this video, sarah. to be honest, your video about shein did rub me the wrong way because i’m someone who frankly just doesn’t want to spend a lot of money on my clothing if i can avoid it and also can’t afford to buy from sustainable clothing companies at this point in my life. it made me feel bad and guilty for not being able to sustainably shop all of the time. but i think this video was a great way to flip the script for this series and help people realize that no matter how you shop you are affecting someone or something else in the world. like you said, all we can do is our best!
I love this video so much!! I see so many privileged influencers scapegoating low income or plus sized people when it comes to fast fashion and it's so ridiculous. Low income people, buying what they *need* (and who are already wearing their clothing as long as possible!) are not consuming beyond their means. Plus sized people who have no size options in sustainable clothing are not consuming beyond their means. Not to mention how both groups have been affected by the gentrification of second hand stores. Yes we can all do our part but we also need companies to clean up their act. Really nuanced take Sarah, I always appreciate how thoughtful and well-spoken your content is.
Thanks for saying this, i hadn't shop fast fashion for 6 years and had never shop any ultra fast fashion but i live in México an understand many of this shops are the only way to go for many people and families. I even have friends who know about pattermaking, fabrics, styles and how high quality clothes are made but cant afford to have the majority of their clothes from reputable brands . And as an emerging fashion designer the pressure to be a sustainable brand is huge! i couldn't even afford to get into an ethical fashion brand incubator when i got selected by them but i make small batch and made to order romantic style garments that have some really minimal impact because i only sell local; it drives me insane the unrealistic high expectations put on small brands to be ethical when sometimes you have dozen of other priorities, like paying employees a decent wage. We are doing our best to be creative and create fashion. Also a ethical brand has to be ethical from design conception to end of life for garment, using organic cotton doesnt make a garment ethical.
Yes! I have such a hard time finding things that fit me/I can afford so It’s so so so important that we continue to call out these sustainable brands and push for plus size as well as reasonable prices and a wide range of styles!!
Thank you for making this video. I was one of those people who commented on your last video about how the ability to boycott stores like Shein.com is a privilege. This video brings a lot more nuance to a conversation that we're having more and more as a society. Having these open discussions and finding solutions to these different problems is what I think will help society move forward to a more sustainable future.
The whole "natural look" that ethical clothes shop sell annoy me so much. Just because I want to wear ethical clothes doesnt mean I want to look like that
This is so true. Years ago when hemp fabric was first becoming somewhat available, I wanted to try it out but the only things made from it were like "hippie style" drawstring pants, kaftans, etc. It's a perfectly versatile fabric and could be made into jeans, jackets, all sorts of things, but the limited styles just were not my cup of tea.
truu. we wanna look metal af while being sustainable.
Amelia Díaz Cortez that is a whole mood, now I mostly buy second hand and sew them into something I like. A lot of those sustainable brands are either expensive af or everything looks very specific to one style
Check out Lucy and yak, I can't recommend them enough and they are also quite medium in price
Thats why I purely try to buy vintage (and also sometimes deadstock).because I love that look
My only issue with this topic is the concept that thrifting has become "trendy". Goodwill, Salvation Army, thrift stores etc are geared toward less fortunate people. I also think we should get away from fast fashion, however my family was homeless for two years while I was trying to finish college and because my neighborhood has become really gentrified over the past few years, I couldn't even afford to shop at any thrift type stores. They've all become basically "boutiques" full of overpriced clothes geared toward hipsters and people from the suburbs moving into our area. Wal-Mart was my only option at that point. Of course I'm not gate keeping thrift stores. But i think poor people should still be able to access them.
This ^^^^
Yes!! Sometimes my thrift store is more expensive than something brand new at Ross or Walmart. Insane!
This happened around downtown Dallas but goodwill stores never changed their prices and small family owned thrift stores also kept everything fairly cheap
Deadset. 10 years ago, a well made coat could go for about $5-$10 for genuinely being great quality.. now that same coat would go for like $60.
I shop a lot at Value Village and Goodwill in my college town but now that I've moved back home because of covid, I've been thinking about bringing my business to the vintage shops and second-hand boutiques in my town so I don't take clothes from others. I feel like second-hand shops keep the sustainable shopper market separate from thrift stores. I also think it's important for people who shop for fashion instead of necessity to donate their old clothes to Goodwill or other thrift stores. I'm curious what ya'll think about this!
sarah is like the cool teacher who doesn't teach boring lessons and teaches us actual things going on in the world
she would be the type of teacher who doesn't dock points on late work because of how understanding and loving she is.
The type of teacher all the boys have a crush on.
Can we talk about the large amount of re-sellers buying tons of clothes from thrift stores to sell for lowkey ridiculous prices online? I understand unique clothing/cool finds and paying for what you want if you love the piece but finding an oversized black
Hanes sweatshirt, cutting off the bottom half of it & selling it for $40 on depop is a little ridiculous. Idk I have mixed feelings, I understand it can be very lucrative and support the seller but also could be bought from the thrift store from someone who needs a sweatshirt!
ty!! i resell on depop bc im a broke college student lol but i made a deal w myself to only do it if i find really unique or rare items, or *actual* vintage items. some of the prices people set are ridiculous!
the things in my depop are clothes that i have found in my house with tags still on that i try to sell before donating. the only thing i’ve thrifted and sold is a hello kitty alarm clock.
@@v.anessa1451 yes I agree I do the same thing!
@@sadiem8994 same! That's what the platform started as, selling your gently used items for a little bit of extra cash haha. Also I found a hello kitty alarm clock & sold it on ebay years ago lol it was too cool to pass up but I'm not a big fan. Bet it was the same kind of clock 😂
It’s an issue even at a garage sale. I used to work at an antique market where those sellers would buy $100 furniture and flip it for $1000. Now you go to a thrift store same thing sellers buy the good stuff and someone who really needs the clothes miss out.
As someone who is labeled as “plus size” at a size 14/16, sometimes fast fashion is the only option I have. While I try to shop at thrift stores as much as I can, I live in SoCal where the thrift stores are very picked over and/or seriously overpriced because they’re aware that people are just buying to resell online. I used to feel really guilty about going into places like Forever 21 to buy something that I’ve been looking for, but I’ve realized that it’s okay every once and a while (especially if it’s a last minute thing or a special event). Thank you for bringing up the thing of people going into the plus size section to just buy “oversized” items for trends be I’ve noticed a lot of people don’t ever mention that.
I live in NorCal and the thrift stores RARELY have anything in my size (18/20) and what I do find is either super damaged or something that resembles a potato sack..
Omg same! SoCal here and I can rarely find something to wear from a thrift store 😔 you literally have to know the stores schedule to figure out their shipments where I am!
This is a great article on plus size people and fast fashion! I feel plus sized people are quite scrutinized for buying fast fashion when that is literally one of our only options.
www.refinery29.com/amp/en-gb/plus-size-fast-fashion-sustainability
This! I buy exclusively second hand for my tops for about 2 years now, but my Jeans are both from H&M, because I never find a simple pair of black skinny jeans in my size second hand.
As someone who is the same size, and super tall (36" inseam) I feel you. I cannot find trousers, or anything long sleve that is 1 big enough and 2 long enough. It makes me sad, but like seriously, I have to be able to wear clothes... So I will try to buy what quality I can, and just buy less...
boycotting in general is only possible if ur financially privileged and is not the solution to our problems
I disagree. You can boycott and just decide you don't need more clothes. Cause if we're honest, we all have full wardrobes. None of us needs more clothes. Very easy to Boykott. If someone really needs something, they can always get it second hand or somewhere else from the place they boycott.
The montgomery bus boycott didn't consist of people with cars.
ExpressYoSelf Yeah, some of us buy clothes because we need them, because our old ones wear out.
I live in the Caribbean, and my options are very limited. There are no second hand stores here, and the clothes I can afford are all poorly made, mostly synthetic fast fashion. I am good at sewing, but unfortunately most fabrics available here are also synthetic. The cost of shipping and customs makes online shopping unattainable for me.
I would love to support sustainable clothing manufacture, but it’s just not something I can afford to do.
@@angelikabatwoman not necessarily I lost 57kgs I had literally no clothes the only way I could afford getting anywhere near a usable closet I had to shop at SHEIN
Individuals can only do so much. Yes, the actions and decisions we make are important and impactful, but with the current policies and institutions in place (I can only speak about the US), it's impossible to be 100% ethical and sustainable. We waste too much energy attacking each other (not that Sarah has done that in my opinion). Businesses, corporations, and institutions need to be held accountable. We need to make sure that the people in positions of power are making the necessary changes because they're ultimately the ones who can push these companies to change their business practices. This is an election year y'all! Just saying!
yes this! companies have effectively shamed consumers for their choices when it's companies that essentially make choices for what we need to buy. In order to really dismantle this system it needs to come from both consumers and companies themselves.
THIS IS IT CHIEF
This is exactly what I've told people shaming people for not being vegan/buying fast fashion. Tf is Tiffany from Delaware gonna do when the COMPANIES are the ones producing unethically and polluting the environment? When lockdown started and the Earth started to heal~~, it wasn't because of the individuals not going out solely. It was big factories not working therefore not polluting. It makes 0 sense to shame consumers when ultimately they're just complying with what the ads and companies push them to. Are the consumers responsible for what they buy? absolutely. but like you said, there's only so much individuals can do
There’s a phrase leftists use when talking about this sort of thing.
It’s called “There’s no ethical consumption in capitalism” and that’s exactly why the shaming of individuals don’t work because it doesn’t and diverts attention away from the things that are actually harming the planet: corporations.
Yeah, this exactly. Too many of us internalize the idea that we the consumers must bear the brunt of ethical responsibility, when really this responsibility should be spearheaded by the CORPORATIONS.
with all the political stuff going on I’ve been trying to avoid certain fast foods & restaurants that support anti lgbtq+ organization or don’t have good work ethics such as Wendy’s, Chick fil’a, ect. but I have the privilege to choose where to eat and some people can’t afford that. A lot of fast food places do need to improve but people shouldn’t be shamed for eating there if it’s one of their only options.
I knew about chick fil a but not wendys! I’ll have to do some research! Thanks for the info!
I pretty much never eat out-but I didn’t know Wendy’s was anti lgbtq+! Is Chic fil’a still anti lgbtq+ organizations? I thought they got called out on it in 2017 or ‘18 and stopped the donations??
But-same. I’ve also stopped listening to music and purchasing books/films created by people who are anti lgbtq+, have been involved in sexual harassment or/and racist activity.
Amber Reid yeah I think unfortunately it came out very recently that they still donate. At one point Wendy’s 4 for 4 would feed me for two days so I feel people not wanting to support but not being able to. But yeah I taught myself to make a chick fila sandwich at home lol
I’m not sure about where Wendy’s stands for lgbtq+ rights, I more so base their company on how they treat their workers and child labor (if you’d like more info please see D’angelo Wallace’s video on them)
Madafan art didn’t know D’angelo did a video on the subject, I’m new to his videos but looove them! Will def/ check it out! Thanks!
I think people really underestimate how difficult the whole size thing is. I'm usually a 14 or 16 in jeans. Most fast fashion stores still include these sizes in their "straight size" merchandise. I can't tell you how many sustainable clothing stores I've looked at where they stop at a size 12 and label what is realistically a 12 as a 2x. I also happen to love thrifting and it's shocking how few options are available at a size that's only just barely plus sized. I've been trying to thrift a good pair of shorts since last summer and there's literally nothing other than knit grandma shorts in my size at any of my local thrift stores. I shudder to think how people larger than me deal with this.
Just wanted to quickly say that I love your pfp! Amazing game 😊
www.refinery29.com/amp/en-gb/plus-size-fast-fashion-sustainability
I think this would be a great read for you!
Another issue is the price. Most ethical plus size fashion is so fucking expensive
Yes! And like, underwear, especially bras? With my cup size, I need actual support. The flimsy bralettes I see in a lot of sustainable clothing stores really don't cut it.
I think it's because of people who have difficulty finding clothing in their size are less likely to donate it. Especially with pants. I know I won't donate my jeans, I wear them until they fall apart to postpone having to buy new ones :D
Unpopular opinion but I see a LOT of people who are privileged and capable of making more ethical choices use those who are less privileged than them as a scapegoat to argue against boycotting unethical practices. Many people who are more than capable of making better choices claim that they refuse to participate in boycotting slave labor, animal cruelty, and environmental degradation because that type of lifestyle is not universally accessible. Just because something is imperfect doesn't mean we shouldn't do our best. We need to examine ourselves and our capabilities and do the work before we speak for others and their abilities. I'd rather see more promotion of accessible ways of making better choices in our world than a whole bunch of people throwing in the towel and say it's not worth trying because it's not perfect.
This!!! I see this alot with really well off influencers , talking about how not everyone can afford to buy less fast fashion, amazon,... so they don't promote it (which is absolutely true) when they have the privilege to do so. It really saddens me and made me step away from alot of them
I think this is so important!! I really liked what she said in this video but more and more I am seeing these injustices and discrepancies as excuses rather than motivation to work on making other options more accessible while holding ourselves and privileged people around us accountable. I also think this is not a subject that can have much parting on the back to feel better about ourselves in places where it isn’t deserved.
Word. This relativizing can become so dangerous as it allows unethical producers/consumers to dismiss any kind of criticism as classist (ableist, racist, you name it)
Exactly! Everyone with the privilege to boycott should.
I agree ☝️ from the animal cruelty standpoint, it’s what I’m doing by being vegan
hit the nail on the head! I try to remind people when I talk about stopping buying from Amazon! I always try to say that if Amazon is the only way you can get something and you absolutely have to use it - that's what it's for. Obviously before the pandemic things were easier but living in Seattle seeing so many people just buy stuff from Amazon multiple times a week because they're obsessed with Prime drives me crazier than most things.
Whoo hooo! It's Abby!
Actually after you talked about Amazon I deleted my prime and even got a library card since i mainly used them for book stuff. Thanks for educating me about it much appreciated :)
Thank you for this. My partner and I are almost entirely house bound and also living on a very tight budget. Amazon is literally our only choice for most things. They are apparently stopping amazon pantry now and this means we won’t be able to have a lot of stuff anymore as buying from individual sellers is more expensive and we can’t get to actual shops
exactly. one of my problems from getting away from amazon was it is a place that has a ton of items and tons of reviews so it was super easy to find what i want and make sure it was good quality. i then saw a video that basically said to use amazon to search for what you want, but go to the retailer's website to actually buy the thing. i had a "why didn't i think of that?!" moment and now that's what i do lol.
I don't know about Americans, but as an small town girl from Finland I have meber needed Amazon. Plus they never sell anything to my country
I would love to avoid Amazon completely and try as much as I can to do so, but being disabled and in a rural area it's difficult to get some things without going through them. I feel like disabled people get left out of these kinda of conversations a lot so I'm glad you're opening up the video for comments.
Also from a rural area-i hear ya, friend
Yes! I came to the comments to see if someone would mention disability.
Personally, my chronic pain means a lot of more environmentally friendly options are inaccessible to me. It can be because I don't have the energy to actually go all the way to a store where these things are sold, or because I can't spare the time and energy it would take to wash and maintain them.
Single use/convenience/disposable items can be a literal lifesaver for disabled people and I'd love to see it talked about more often.
@@emilyboj omg same! I have chronic pain and I can't go to a thrift store (we only have 2 local stores) and online thrifting isn't a option because shipping is really expensive and I have a really, really small size. I would love to see people talk about this!
Same. I hate how as individuals we're held to this extremely high standard of creating less waste and buying only ethically sourced products yet corporations that create majority of pollution and exploit workers get a pass? At the end of the day, these places have more than enough money to make things better but they actively choose not to because of money and effort. As consumers, we are at the mercy of these companies because a lot of the time they're our only option. This goes double for those of us that are disabled 😣
Omet same. I use a wheelchair and need soft clothes I can sit in all day. Medical costs keep me from buying ethically all the time. I favor Etsy for my goth and cyberpunk stuff plus my Wiccan supplies now and then but not my essentials. Those are forever 21, Target and eBay. I do sew my own clothes but I can’t do it every time I need something because of pain or the materials might be more expensive than something from China.It’s hurtful to get judged for doing my very best.
Thrifting in America seems way more accessible. In the UK we have very small, cluttered charity shops. Even when I volunteered in one and had first dibs of the clothes in my size, it was still very rare to find anything suitable for an 18-30 year old (it's all grandma clothes)
I've also heard a lot about thrift stores in America becoming gentrified. When privileged people are driving demand for higher prices in the very places designed for the less fortunate, that is clearly a problem.
I have almost completely boycotted fast fashion by simply buying less and shopping at local/independent companies (the clothes are slightly higher priced but are good quality and last a lot longer). Buying less at the end of the day is the most sustainable thing we can do.
Cancer research is starting to do superstores where I think everything is £5. Also, preloved kilo is amazing!!
@@ali-ct3vn we stan preloved kilo!
I'm over 30 and old lady clothes are such BS. Not even actual grandmothers look good in them. Whoever sets the standard that women should start dressing like toddlers again after a certain age obviously hates women and wants us all to look ridiculous.
I am Italian and in our thrift shops we find a lot of British garments!! A lot of leather jackets, the people of the thrift shop say that you have more and better leather garments/jackets than us, because your are richer . I find it very funny! But I like your stuff
I really love the quote that RUclips Shelbizlee uses at the end of all her videos. "You can not do all the good the world needs, but the world needs all the good you can do." That's been super encouraging to me as I have been working on being more mindful about what I am purchasing and where.
i try my best to be sustainable but it’s just so hard when you’re not an adult yet bcos my family isn’t trying to be sustainable. i try to give them more info on fast fashion and other things but they just don’t seem to listen or care.
I totally get it! I stayed pescatarian, even though I wanted to be vegetarian, longer because it was convenient for other people especially when I still lived at home. just go easy on yourself and know you’ll make significant change when you’re out on your own!
im 20 and i still feel you. i dont need anymore clothes, im actually trying to get rid of clothes. the only things i buy brand new are socks and underwear. but my grandma is a shopoholic and keeps buying me weird tshirts... like just the other day she bought me one with a joke about coding (i dont code), one with a starwars quote (i watched the movies a couple times when i was like 10?), and one from a movie that i actually like, but i just have so many tshirts. and its not like she doesnt know me, ive lived with her for 3 years and she was basically took the place of my dad growing up. i talk to her all the time about issues with fast fashion and sustainability (not being pushy, i stick to things we agree on. like child labor, quality control, economical issues, etc)
@@somedude172 yeah I told my mom and sister last year to stop buying me clothes because I just have so many and they did listen to me and the majority of my gifts weren't clothes
Sarah can you talk about how eating healthy and eating ethically is also a privilege. It was just today that I felt so embarrassed because a kid from my highschool bagged our groceries, which was a cart full of cheap, microwave meals that cost a dollar each and other cheap unhealthy food. My siblings and I all are overweight because we eat processed and fast food and it honestly really sucks. It's hard to lose weight because I can either choose to buy one salad for 5 dollars which is one meal or 5 microwave meals which lasts a day and a half.
so true, and i am sorry you have to go through that! everyone should have access to good food! it shouldn't be a privilege thanks for bringing this up
I feel your pain! Eating healthy does cost more. Are you able to garden at all? Even if you can only do a container garden, may I suggest growing your leafy greens? That alone is making a big difference for me. I’m almost to where I can pick and sauté some leafy greens everyday. And it’s not hard to get variety...mustard seeds from the spice section will grow you some mustard greens, beet tops will grow you beet leaf greens. Even radish greens are edible. Spinach and lettuce and kale and chard are easy to grow in containers as well.
It’s not a fix-all solution, but we do what we can with what we have, yeah?
Karen Ramnath I agree that gardening is definitely a great option. However, my parents are not expert gardeners grow vegetables and only 30-40% of the vegetables they grow turn out well, so unless you are good at gardening, growing your own vegetables can be expensive too (waste of water). And some people live in apartments. The internet is a great place for cheap meal ideas. Potatoes, carrots, canned tomatoes, onions are really cheap. The cheapest cut of meat is pork, unfortunately, chicken and beef can be expensive. You could buy whole chicken which is cheaper, but you might have to learn to cut it up into pieces. Best of luck to you and your family ❤️
Maryam Iqbal Best of luck to you too! I know there is never a perfect solution that fits everyone. The important thing is to do the best we can with what we’ve got. Yes, cutting up a whole chicken can be an experience, definitely a learning curve there! 😂
@@haidenkoff1963 Thats a good point but were a family of 5, buying enough romaine lettuce and ingredients isnt going to be much cheaper. Also our fridge can only fit so much and we can only go shopping once a week so we have to buy enough good to feed 5 people but will fit in the white fridge we have and no we dont have a pantry.
I had a bio teacher who focused on conservation and one of the things I loved about his class was that he discussed conservation through the lens of someone who was poor. Rather than focusing on ultimatums or unrealistic behavior changes, he provided information on cheaper and sustainable alternatives to normal day stuff (like reusing one use plastic ziploc bags or conditioners multiple times, using vinegar as a cleaning product, smart use of your garden-- planting veggies and plants that are native to the environment to help the local ecosystem and that also help keep animals away from the produce you're planting, etc)
Because he directed it towards the audience (most of us low income) it really helped me make smarter more sustainable decisions about how I do things. For a long time, I barely tried eating or doing things sustainably because it seemed so impossible given my situation, but he made it seem more realistic.
Yes!!! As a disabled person, there’s multiple facets that make second hand shopping an issue for me. Firstly, most second hand stores are not physically accessible to people who use wheelchairs like myself. The asile are squishy and sometimes the clothes is just sitting on tables that you can’t see nor reach. Secondly, I have very limited energy to look through pieces of clothing for hours upon hours to find stuff I like and that fits. Thirdly, I could use online thrift/second hand shopping but the shipping costs can be astronomical, especially living in Canada with most of the stuff shipping from the states. I’m on disability because I can’t physically work so my money is limited, most of it going to medical costs that aren’t covered leaving little for fun things. This is a great discussion! Thank you for making this ☺️
Omg I never thought about how small the isles at thrift stores are and how that can be for people in wheelchairs
I have the same barriers and was just going to write a comment, but you've covered most of what I was going to say. I have sensory processing issues and value village is a nightmare for me. My city has other cute thrift stores, but none of them are physically accessible because I'm a power chair user. I usually buy new clothes from websites that have free shipping and returns because I rarely have the energy to go to stores in person. Anyways, I'm super happy to see this video! :)
ive seen especially on tik tok, thinner people altering plus size clothes they've got at thrift stores, and plus size people being like "hey, a plus size person might need that" and people get up in arms saying "it's thrifting they're allowed to do what they want!!" but then those same people turn around and try to tell us that we need to drop fast fashion all together, like which one is it? if you buy the clothes we can wear ethically then where else are we supposed to go?
it's also a style thing, like an example, i have to wear business casual clothes for work and often times, you can't find that kind of stuff at thrift stores in plus size, at least near me, and anywhere that carries plus size clothing in that style, ie Torrid, is way overpriced. there is like, walmart as well, but i know that's not everyone's thing. as much as i would love to drop shein, it's really one of my only options and im so glad you made this video calling it to attention
My roommate loves Torrid, but even she says she only buys from them like once or twice a year because of their prices.
Sometimes they have sales online and clearance items. A while ago they even had free shipping for a brief time
The whole "just buy secondhand" really always annoyed me. I live in Brooklyn and there are zero average quality, reasonably priced, secondhand stores around me at a feesable distance from me. Honestly if a city like ny has a lack of reasonable secondhand stores wth can people in rural/suburban areas do?
I’m so glad someone is speaking on this
i buy EVERYTHING at thrift stores- clothes, room decor(paintings, statues, etc.), a bike, jewelry, etc. there is so much good stuff
Roman Sun Solo second hand is basically 95 percent of everything I get, except for groceries and underwear. Everything else, second hand.
Same! I grew up poor and still we don’t have a lot of money at its honestly the best finding stuff good you can afford without taking a loan lol
Same except for underwear and trousers (I'm kinda REALLY tall)
Dude I got my one and only cozy reading chair (that has minimal damage) at a thrift store for like $15-a new one would’ve been $150+, now I am not planning on getting a new chair unless this one is somehow destroyed. Also found one of my most worn hoodies at a garage sale for $2 and have had it for like 10 years now.
Some people do HAVE to secondhand because of their only being able to afford items at super low cost. This is why it’s so important to avoid treating thrift shops as though they are fast fashion shops (or to purchase items secondhand and then resell online for profit-unless you’re only shopping thrifted items in super rich neighborhoods or it is your only means of income). Only buy what you need.
thrift store bikes are fantastic. facebook marketplace and websites like that are also great. they're usually cheaper than bikes that you'll find at walmart or target and if you get a vintage bike it will probably be more durable and better quality overall. i'm a bike mechanic and i've found the most cost effective way to get a decent bike is to buy secondhand. sometimes a walmart or target bike is the only option, but i always make sure to check craigslist and fb marketplace first so i can get the best bang for my buck.
Hey, as someone from a developing country, I would like to contribute my pov. Like someone in the comments said, individual efforts can only go so far, personally I think the idea of completely boycotting a huge company with whatever objective (end sweatshop workers exploitation, end contamination due to the clothing industry) feels a little unrealistic. However, you mentioned being more mindful of the number of clothes you thrift and I feel like this is a more attainable and impactful goal individuals can have. I live in Guatemala and as a country so close to the US we experience exploitation from foreign clothing companies, environmental contamination due to clothing manufacturing, and also when people in the US feel like they don't need their clothes anymore and donate them or throw them in the garbage MOST of those tossed clothes end up back in Guatemala and other developing countries! for us to deal with this waste, in countries that probably don´t have proper waste management (including mine). Which is why I believe that being more mindful of the amount of stuff (not just clothe) we buy is far more beneficial. (sorry for my long-ass comment and for my broken English). P.S: Also, this isn't criticism or anything I just thought of sharing the fast fashion impact from another point of view. PPS: exactly what you said in the end! :)
I think this is a super important video. Like I’m plus sized in NZ and if I don’t shop fast fashion I have no clothes at all. I’ve never had a style because all I can do is try not to be naked.
Are u being sarcastic?
@@kawaiikoibito3268 no. I live in NZ. Almost no where has plus sized clothes. we don't have many places to thrift from, and there's no plus size clothing in the thrift shops that do exist.
Yes omg! And idk about everywhere but in Wellington op shops are sooo expensive
There's also the option of making your own clothes, however, not everyone has the knowledge, equipment (for example, sewing machine), time to learn or to produce said clothes. I've heard in some places new fabric can get expensive, so there's that.
Yes! I hear SO MANY people saying "it's so much cheaper to make your own clothes" but I've almost never found that to be the case when shopping for fabric 😞
Yes, exactly!
@@broadwaylover5384 Fabric alone is expensive, and it definitely is not cheaper if you are someone who needs to purchase clothes that are specialized (being tall and plus sized are the problems that always stopped me from making my own clothes when I was younger). You also have to consider the cost of patterns and any extra items they would need to make the clothing item (buttons, zippers, snaps, lacing, ect.). While making you're own clothing is a great idea in theory, it really isn't cheaper like most people think.
Thank you! It's a lot easier as a plus-size person to buy from fast fashion. I actually buy from Romwe (I know people hate them but I only really buy men's clothing because it's more comfortable) I've never had a bad experience tbh but I can't afford to buy from indie/thrift brands. I've had people in my life shame me from buying from fast fashion, and it makes me feel awful. This was a well-spoken and awesome video.
Thank you for responding maturely in regards to the comments on your fast fashion video. It seems a lot of people think fast fashion is the only “evil” but in reality, they buy so many other things that are manufactured in almost the exact same way. Personally, fast fashion is the best way for me to dress reasonably in my style, the stores near me are either way to expensive or sell a style that’s...not me. I’m lower middle class, so I can’t regularly shop at stores like forever 21 or rue21 *while* getting my parent’s moneys worth. Thrifting down south isn’t a sustainable clothing source either, every item is either out of style, worn out, etc, and sometimes you *can* get lucky, but it’s rare where i live. And don’t get me started on depop, so many people say it’s “ethical” meanwhile the only clothes i can find are ridiculously overpriced 🤷🏽♀️
I just recently had to break my fast fashion boycott because of almost every reason you listed lol. I needed to buy nice pants for a job interview and couldn't find any at my local thrift store (wore a mask and social distanced) to fit me because the plus size section is basically one rack. I only found one pair of nice pants on depop in my size and they were $40 and I couldn't wait for them to be shipped anyway, nor could I afford/wait on a sustainable brand because the interview was happening the next day. So, I made the decision to quickly (and safely) run in to a store and buy new pants. Half of me hated having to do it, but the other half of me knew that I needed them and wasn't going to have any other option.
I really wish I could regularly shop secondhand on sites like Depop or Etsy but shipping to Canada is inSANE, especially from the US (where majority of sellers are located). Not to mention the surprise import fees that are the same cost as shipping or more... I actually feel guilty when I shop on these sites because 1/4-1/2 of what I spend is just going towards shipping/fees and I don't earn enough to justify the cost.
have you looked into ebay, or thredup. im not sure if those are better or not but the shipping might be more reasonable
I always make sure to only shop stuff in Candad for this reason. Don't wanna realize too late that gorgeous jacket is 30 dollars shipping
I think there's a Canadian version of Poshmark, and I've had great success with Poshmark for unique but affordable second hand stuff.
I used to buy stuff from Depop. Never again - it's way too easy for sellers to scam you, and Depop doesn't care. I had a seller grossly misrepresent an item and who refused to do anything about it. Depop wouldn't help. When I left an honest negative review, she started threatening me (which was scary because she knew where I lived). She got the review removed and tried to get Depop to ban MY account. I told them to delete my account because I was done with their terrible service.
This video made me think a lot... I haven’t gave up fast fashion completely (mostly because of pants, shoes and underwear) but I’m trying to not shop at all when is a matter of shirts, jackets and top-wear in general. I generally pick Outlets or Thrifting as options (and living in Bucharest, there’s a lot of options here for that, is a good city if you are into thrifting). Once I saw a comment of one person from USA in another video saying that since thrifting became a big thing online, thrift stores started to rise the prices because there was more demand and now they couldn’t afford even the thrifted clothing, that’s a point that I think might be worth mentioning when is a matter of, at least, overconsumption. Where I live that’s not happening because culturally, Romanians tend to not shop at secondhand unless they can’t afford fast fashion (so the prices tend to be low), but I wonder how much this is affecting the price in other places. Generally when there’s more demand of something, prices tend to rise and is important to consider that to not overconsume.
Another thing I want to mention from my personal experience as a youtuber: I used to do fashion content before and I used to take fast fashion sponsor deals regularly. It was the only way I could gain enough to sustain myself with my channel (since views in Latin American countries tend to pay considerably less than in USA, Canada, UK or Australia)
Sponsors for Spanish speaking creators are very limited unless you have mostly a Spanish audience , which the majority of Latin Americans don’t. Currently I switched my content to movie reviews, I get better views and watchtime so I don’t take those deals anymore to sustain myself, but I think that might be one the reason why, at least in Spanish speaking RUclips, ethical fashion hasn’t become that big of a trend among youtubers. I’m pretty sure many creators might be aware of the problems of fast fashion, but afraid of loosing sponsors (even tho, working as a RUclipsr is a privilege itself)
Your video was great as always💕
Danna no sabía que estabas en contra del fast fashion. Que genial 💕
When we take into account that there is a surplux of thriftable clothing that gets donated yet never sees the shelves of a thrift store, i think the owness is on the thriftstore that they are the ones rising prices when they have more clothing to offer but just dont. I couldbe wrong ofc and there are regional differences but this thought has been floating aroubd in my head recently. Now thrifting clothing isnt going to work forever, as in yhe future someone needs to produce the clothing aswell, but thats why we also need to lessen income equality, which will lead to most people being able to afford good quality long lasting items, aswell as having a cultural change from changing your clothes often to mainly purchasing clothing when nessesary.
(Also when i talk about income inequality i also mean the global income inequality, as we want to make sure that the people most likely creating fast fashion can also thrive, but talking about how we could systematically help them is prolly above my paygrade)
I was just thinking about the topic of sustainability and privilege and I'm so glad to see this video! Adding on something that I thought of during this video is also how for some disabled people second-hand stores can be difficult to shop at. It can be difficult for people to stand or look through clothes for a long period of time. Most thrift stores I go to have narrow aisles which can make it hard for those using wheelchairs. Smells and texture can negatively affect those with sensory issues or OCD. Accessibility for disabled people is a problem in a lot of stores but thrift stores can often be the worst
I’m legally blind and I struggle interest stores, I still try, but they’re absolutely never organized by anything so it’s impossible to find what I’m looking for half the time
I think you are never Ill intended. I think you truly just want to raise awareness and it does help me to watch your videos to make conscious decisions and make minor life changes that will make an impact over time!
So true. I feel guilty by not being more economically conscious but I literally can’t afford more sustainable options half the time.
Yes! I recently discussed the privilege that comes with "activism" with my mom due to a ex-friend of mine going on a rant on his IG. He said a lot of things that I thought came from a privileged place despite him telling people to check their own privilege. It left me uncomfortable and kind of upset as he had such a narrow minded point of view despite claiming he was on a path of "spiritual enlightenment".
In my own life, I try to live a little more sustainably, but I will never be perfect. I have a chronic health condition that makes eating a vegan diet all the time unsustainable to my body, but I sure as heck will down a vegetarian/vegan meal whenever my body can! Using glass Tupperware, reusable ziplock bags, and metal straws are tiny ways I can help be more sustainable. Pushing your stance isn't all or nothing and I think people need to remember that when they preach certain things.
One of my biggest problems with veganism that I see people promote is that they completely ignore people who physically cannot sustain that kind of diet. I often hesitate to even try certain vegan alternatives because my body is very sensitive to foods. However I know people and have read accounts of people saying the can never be full vegan either due to allergies or other health conditions.
8 months late, but you may get a kick outta AwakenWithJP.
Another barrier to shopping sustainably that I’d like to highlight is disability. I’m disabled and I’m very lucky to be able to afford shopping with sustainable brands online and have times where I might be able to thrift for very short periods of time with lots of breaks. But like I said, I’m lucky, that level of access is a privilege. A lot of disabled people live in absolute poverty due to systemic discrimination and also might not be able to “just go thrifting”.
if I see one more thin person buy plus sized clothing from a thrift store to alter it i'll lose my mind 😌 thank you for the video sarah!! i find this topic similar to the topic of food deserts within the vegan community!! the more privileged people are just aware that not everyone has the same accessibility as them for something as simple as buying fresh fruit, perhaps we can start to have discussions like the ones you brought up in the video
Seriously it is so frustrating seeing people buy cute plus sized clothes and cut them all up to fit. Like y'all got enough options. We have very few
I hate it when they crop up the plus-sized tops of any kind because it's unfair and can ruin it's worth. Also, could ruin beautiful graphic t-shirts that have so much potential as themselves. 😔
I'm a petite person that is skinny and never cropped up plus-sized clothing of any kind in my life. I could found clothing that I love without going to the plus selection.
@@blackandredteddybear2584 I shop at men's section for oversized clothing because of this reason. Plus size clothing look weird on because I'm small but men's clothing solves it all. Plus most graphic tees are in the men's section anyways.
My thrift stores are the exact opposite and have almost nothing small enough for me so I have to continue wearing the same pants from Ross I've had for 5 years lol
You're a young male. I'm guessing you can eat 3,000 calories a day and not get fat. Wait until you hit old age and start gaining weight and you get a pregnany belly. You will understand how much women struggle to stay slim.
I saw native now offers zero waste deodorant, the packaging is like cardboard and completely compostable. Might make the switch just cuz of that
yes! definitely going to purchase those next
Omg tomie 🥰
yes i use native and i was so excited when i heard about that! I hope they can use all of their scents zero waste soon!
I would love it if non-natural branded deodorants started having this option. I hate natural deodorant. It ALWAYS gives me a rash and I end up smelling like sweat mixed with whatever scent it is and it's not pleasant.
@@camillefaith2005 have u tried native? it worked well for me at least and i have pretty bad bo. They also have a baking soda free version that might be the irritant in deodorant.
I've been unwillingly ethical and sustainable because i live in a shitty third world country and money is only enough for food. I always wear second hand men's clothes, i customize them by painting them, cropping the shirts, wearing the pants highwaisted, and men's clothes are SO much better than women's! Right now i'm wearing a shirt that a friend of my mom's gifted me, it was her husband's (he never wore it) i cropped it, painted it, and made it my own, and i'm wearing old, ripped, stained sweatpants that were my brother's, and i wear them on my waist, and they look pretty cute, even though i only wear them at home as pijama pants lol
YESS! I feel like so many "sustainable influencers" don't talk about this enough. Thank you!
I really appreciate this video, especially after a few of your last ones which didn't touch on this specific issue. A lot of people preach sustainability on the consumer level without understanding the systems which prevent a lot of people from being able to access or afford sustainable clothing. Truly the accountability needs to be on the sides of the brands, we need to vote for and encourage policies which make sure that fast fashion brands can't operate the way they currently do. It is great to be sustainable on an individual level, obviously, but always important to remember that bigger change ought to be done as well
For me its kinda a 'do they have my size?' thing, as an overweight person^^
But I wear the clothes until they fall apart :) gotta love EMP for their cool clothing and size availability
Not gonna lie, I don’t know about half of these brands or products until she talks about them 😂
Same here
As someone who barely has any money to spend on clothing, dressing sustainably is a little hard, but I still prefer to save up and buy LESS higher quality stuff rather then MORE "fast fashion" items
I shopped a lot of fast fashion stores when I was a teenager because me and my friends would go to the mall and walk around for hours, but the only store we could afford to buy from was a fast fashion store. And even then, I could usually only afford one shirt at a time. I think the clothes I bought really made me feel happy and like myself and I would still be wearing them if they hadn't deteriorated in the year I wore them lol.
Once I was older and had more money and agency to buy my own clothes I started seeing your videos and others talking about how bad fast fashion is, so I've limited how often I shop at fast fashion stores. Sometimes I do still buy clothes there though. At my job we wear black button downs and there's $14 button downs at h&m that I will buy when I need more. That's the kind of consistency you can't get from a thrift store and a price you can't get at at the ethicsl stores. I don't feel that bad about it, because there's really no other option.
It was also really important for me when I heard people talking about how privilege effects thrifting. And the more I think about it the more I agree. You often can only find one or two items of clothing you want at a thrift store, and depending on where you live really affects the clothes you can get. In my rural town I can rarely find what I was looking for, But when I go to Austin and visit my family the thrift stores there have sooooo much high quality clothing because of the city.
I loved this video, Sarah!!! As someone who is low income, I don’t have a car and I don’t always have the time to go thrifting I do appreciate this. I remember going thrifting for stuff since I was little and a ton of my clothes are thrifted. When I do buy new clothes, I rarely buy something that I’m not going to wear over and over because I can’t afford to do that. I will wear those clothes and repair them until I can’t wear them anymore. 🥰🥰🥰
yes that’s amazing! 🖤
I appreciate the shit out of this video because I consistently see sustainable, vegan content creators NOT acknowledging their privileges and it pisses me off. Thank you for this!
Recently I went to Salvation Army with my boyfriend and was amazed by how much niche clothes they had (I got a green long coat for 7 dollars!!). Later I found out from a friend that Salvation Army has done some pretty atrocious things (allowing several women to die in their own homeless shelters). Basically what I’m trying to say, is how do you feel about thrift stores that have cruel practices (especially Salvation Army)?
^^This.^^
They are a big example I point out to people when I say that just because you are thrifting, does not mean you are shopping ethically.
Starting this video with that “where is the lie” call out, is exactly why I love your content! 💜
I love this. I live in a very small town in Alberta, Canada. No thrift stores, nowhere to just go and buy something that is ethical or sustainable. Shipping is very expensive to where I live and can take months to get here! So this video made me feel a lot less guilt for not always being as sustainable and ethical as I could be. Thank you. 😊
Thrifting can be a great option to be more sustainable, but the popularization of thrifting culture among privileged populations leads to the prices raising and thrifting becoming less accessible. It’s so frustrating because the majority of clothes in thrift stores ends up in land fills after it is not purchased. With fast fashion being purchased so rapidly, second hand clothes are not a finite resource. Which means even MORE people should be thrifting in order to be sustainable, yet purchasing from thrift stores is now reserved for people with privilege. Maybe this could be remedied by individuals selling used clothes at fair prices to members of their own communities, which I’ve seen a bit more of recently. The most sustainable option will always be repurposing items that are already in your closet or wearing clothes that friends or family members have outgrown. Anyways I really love your videos and I’m glad to see you’re acknowledging how privilege/race intersects with sustainability!!!!!!
i've been thrifitng ever since i was little bc my family had to, over the years i've seen the prices go up and up to the point where its barely even worth it anymore unless theres a sale. i walked in the other day and nearly all the bags were priced at $20-$40 which barely seems worth it for something that is used and often not even in good condition.
that being said most of my clothes like 95% in my closet are thrifted, but if i want to find some white sneakers for example that don't have stains on it im just going to buy it new. the brand may not be the most ethical, but i know how to take care of my things to last, and if i no longer need it i rather sell it directly to someone who does.
i feel like shopping in general whether thrifting, sustainible brands, or fast fashion should be done with a more conscious mind of buying less and being aware of the materials things are made out of bc buying 5 shirts at the thrift store just bc they're $3 still isn't sustainable if you're only going to wear two of them before "redonating" the rest. that's if it ends up back in the thrift store at all.
this is such an important topic! im a trans guy and I keep looking for clothes in thrift stores but i never find anything that's my size because where I live the thrift stores barely even have any clothes for men so clothes in the smaller sizes are almost impossible to find and it's really disheartening to see people judging others for stuff like that when we can't exactly change it. thanks for making a video about it Sarah!
YUP. Yup yup yup thank you for saying it! I think about this a lot (especially as it pertains to the beauty community). I've seen a lot of negativity around "dupe" products, and it's frustrating because - I see how one could perceive "dupes are stealing art". But at the same time, criticizing dupes and limiting people to only - say, a $200 palette - that is its own type of problematic! I think it boils down to we should do the best we can but never judge others. Great vid!
true! people with less money deserve to buy themselves nice things or things they want too. if someone wants to wear eyeshadow they shouldn't feel bad for not spending $70 on 1 palette
Tbh I don't have the money to boycott fast fashion. My style is also kinda special so it's hard to find clothes I like outside from Korean brands. So I only buy items I absolutely love or need and avoid shopping new clothes often.
oh my god thank you!!! i feel like there are some youtubers that straight up shame people who don't shop sustainably made fashion 100% of the time and it is in my opinion elitist. i just simply don't have the money to buy new things from sustainable stores and in my country, there also isn't such a big thrift culture like in the us. cheap thrift stores are usually full of rly ugly stuff and more expensive thrift stores with better clothing are, well, pretty expensive. i try to shop second hand as much as i can and choose retailers that are rated better on the good on you app, but i still buy fast fashion from time to time because some pieces i just can't find anywhere else. i also rly don't love the style of most sustainable stores. it's not super ugly, but clothing should reflect who i am, and this doesn't reflect that at all!!! i don't wanna spend hundreds of dollars (which i don't even have) on something i don't like!!
For all people, who think there are thrift stores everywhere. I live in Qatar and there’s literally not a single thrift store in A COUNTRY.
I just find it really tiring that everyone is obliged to apologize for everything nowadays.
it's all about sacrifices and compromises. what are you willing to sacrifice/compromise, whether you're rich or poor. what are your priorities? how do they affect everyone? effort/convenience? i was below the poverty line for over 15 years, but i refused to compromise on animal welfare for flavour - so eating beans over takeaway. i felt as though others had the privilege of ignorance or not caring. everyone has the privilege of free will to a certain extent, whatever the circumstances.
Though true, it does get more difficult when family isnt supportive of certain decisions.
I wanted to join the boycott on strawberries because of the brand's terrible work ethics and how they treat their workers and I even mentioned it to my parents but the next day they bought 5 boxes from that brand. (It wasnt necessarily in malice the prices was really good and they said they forgot). As long as people are living under the same room as people who are not at all supportive of your moral stance it's nearly impossible for you to make an active change.
Good on you though for maintaining your values regardless of your situation 🙌🏻🙌🏻
it’s not all about sacrifices and compromises. if a person has to sacrifice a balanced and varied diet to be able to eat plant based, buy organic, buy ethically, boycot, etc., that’s not a sacrifice anyone should be asked to make. that person needs more money. it’s that simple.
now it’s great for you that you have been able to make priorities you feel great about but for a lot of people it’s not just about compromises.
Not always. Some people are on such a tight budget that they can’t afford any choices at all, it’s literally a constant struggle to find things cheep enough to not even manage 2 meals a day or even to eat at all every day. Also, finance is not the only issue. For example my partner and I are severely disabled and if we have a day without carers for any reason (like if they take a day off sick) then literally the only way we can have a meal is to get takeaway food delivered and when choosing where to order from it has to be just where ever is cheep. Also we both have complicated dietary needs due to our health conditions.
Most people do have choices, yes, but it’s naive to think there aren’t people or occasions where someone is honestly backed into a corner with only one feasible choice and we shouldn’t judge people’s motives when they feel they have to make a certain choice. We do not know their situation.
beans and other legumes are also way cheaper than fast food too; i grew up in a 4 child household and the cost of some McDonald's for my family of 6 was enough to buy enough beans to feed us all several times over
Gabe Angel im not judging anyone - ive been that person backed into a corner for a long time. im just saying if something becomes important to you, you will try to find a way to make it a priority. my issue is when those choices are regarded as privilege, when in fact it is a sacrifice or a compromise.
I want to quit fast fashion so badly but its really difficult in the uk, we dont have thrift shops, our only choice is charity shops which you can find some good things in but its very difficult escpecially where i live and depop, where i usually shop, is becoming more of an expensive business place now.
Though most of my clothes are from charity shops, have you tried kilo sales (especially if you like vintage clothes) they’re touring companies that assemble in cathedrals and town halls etc.. where you get 1 kilo of clothes for £15. It’s extremely cheap and affordable - I got 7 or 8 pieces last time for £30
I also live in the UK however there are thrift fairs all over the UK Pre loved Kilo does loads so you pay 15 pounds per kilo of clothing or ones where every piece of clothing has a fixed price eg. £3 for shirts. You can find these online facebook is good some have a £1 entry fee but before lockdown there were events like that every week I was so happy to discover it. I got great stuff to the one I went to
mate thrift stores are charity shops it's like the same thing just different names 😂
These comments and this video made me realize that i dont have this privilege. I wish i could stop buying from amazon but thats just sadly not the case for me. I wish i could stop buying from fast fashion but i cant. Its even a privilege for me to go to a mall once a year and be able to buy fast fashion.
I've been stressed recently as I need to buy some clothes (like jeans) that I can wear with any sort of tshirt and shoes etc. Just a basic clothing item for the everyday. But with all that's going on with boycotting big brands I feel bad for shopping from them. It's not like I can't afford these expensive second hand vintage jeans (as it's a one off item) on these second-hand shops or websites, it's just I'm very conscious about my money, I feel nervous spending around £55 for some funky jeans (which probably won't fit me due to the usual case of my thighs being to big or the waist being too tight). Also I have around £20 worth of vouchers for new look and I don't know if to just not spend them?! Plus I want to save my money so it can go towards things like a car when I'm older. That really sounds like a poor excuse, but I'm also going into sixth form next year (it's equivalent to junior and senior year in the US) and we have to wear our own clothes, but, they all have to be formal as if we work an office job. I'm 16, don't have a job due to corona, and I don't think I can afford a whole wardrobe of "smart" clothing without having to buy from places like H&M. My mum has offered to pay but even then she can't afford stuff that isn't from H&M either. Basically I feel guilty for buying clothing from these places but at the same time all these good friendly brands are quite expensive. I would love some suggestions on where to shop if anyone has any! Sorry for the rant! xx
Also most of the clothes I wear are already fast fashion, I didn't know any better up until recently. Yes I knew what the concept was, I just didn't realise the extent of it. All my clothes I wear I have owned for years at a time or I wear them till they're practically useless, I hate going shopping anyway for new things, it stresses me out. However, I've always felt insecure for wearing the same t-shirts or skirts when seeing my friends. I feel like I have to apologise as they always seem to be wearing new, nicer clothing. But at the same time I can't bring myself to buy fashionable clothes that are at an expensive price unless I'm offered by people such as my dad (which is rare) or if I get lucky at Christmas. Overall I think that teens feel the need to constantly keep up with fashion, which is unhealthy and tiring. Especially when you see celebs literally wear an outfit once and then never see them wear it again! It's ridiculous and kind of puts pressure onto the youth that you have to look a certain way, especially when you start seeing your friends do it too!
Yes!!! I have been trying to say this for the past year but nobody will listen to me. 😅 Also, it really frustrates me that thrifting has become SO trendy and is being used for “clickable content” because thrifting is often the only way many people can get new clothing. I used to be one of those people. I was on one income in my family and wanted new clothes but thrifting had become trendy and my size was NEVER available. Then I’d go on RUclips and see size 0 youtubers shopping in the large section because they “want baggy clothes that are huge on them” 🙄 and so I’d be stuck wearing the same clothes with baby stains on them lol. I don’t own thrift stores, of course, and I love that people are trying to be more sustainable. It’s just the trend that’s bothersome, because I’ve seen so many youtubers admit they never even wear the clothes they thrifted for a RUclips video.
i think my biggest issue is the /amount/ of unnecessary clothes that many people buy. if we just stripped back to only buy what we need we will be able to save money for that item from a sustainable brand. i see that not everybody is able to save money but instead of buying say four shirts for a combined 20$ over the span of a month or a year you could invest in a good, lasting one for 30$ that will outlive eight of those cheap shirts. i am not there yet myself but i believe many struggles are only in our head.
Thank you SO much for pointing out the issue with availability of plus size clothing in second hand stores!!! When I was in college, jeans from WalMart were a rare major luxury; anything above that was an impossibility. I spent years wearing clothing that did not fit properly because if I could find something to squeeze into or something that was baggy but not totally falling off I had to deal with it. My first suit jacket for my first internship had to come from a second hand store, and it didn't fit right. Clothes, especially professional clothing, that doesn't fit right affects how people look at you and can affect career mobility. Ill fitting clothing can also actually cause health issues as well, such as abscesses.
I personally don’t use Amazon anymore. However I do keep my account (not prime) for emergencies or to support a business that may only be able to sell on Amazon. I made this decision after reading a post on supporting black owned and small businesses. It was a response to something. If I find it, I will post it. I believe in shopping less. Going for alternatives when and where possible but know that you shouldn’t feel guilty if you had to buy that book on Amazon. Maybe Amazon is the only way you can support an out of state or out of country business.
Thank youuuuu! As a disabled person (chronic pain) with sensory issues, there’s particular fabrics I can’t handle and I can’t afford ethical underwear or basics. I thrift all my nice clothes for the most part and always have (being poor ftw), but my basics are fast-fashion. I always feel guilty, so it’s really nice to hear someone bringing this issue up. My number one tip for anyone else in the same boat is learn how to repair clothing! That way you can wear your clothing until it’s literally falling apart :)
I’m disabled, I have Dysautonomia and if I go into a store and try clothes on I have to be standing up for a very long time, which is just not possible for me because I could pass out. The pandemic makes it worse of course, but even without it I can’t. Online sustainability doesn’t work for me either because I live in a country where the post doesn’t work, if you buy from a company that delivers through our national mail, it WILL get lost. Thanks for this video Sarah, I feel like a burden on the planet for having to buy fast fashion but I’m trying to stop the guilt and this helped a lot!
I just had an interview on Friday that was confirmed the day before. I was back home visiting my parents to dogsit their new puppy. I had to go find the cheapest interview clothes that would work because I was between paychecks. I ended up getting a top and pants from H&M. I felt guilty but I knew it was all I could do at the time. Thank you for reminding me that I’m doing my best but sometimes it doesn’t have to be all or nothing if it doesn’t work for you!
Off topic but I would love to hear you read some paranormal stories( like the ghost one you did) or just scary stories in general! It would be fun if you made it into a series, love your channel 😊
I just ordered some native, thanks for the code!!
Awesome! 💙
Sarah,
I respect and appreciate how you are always extremely self-aware and honest. Nobody is perfect, and like you said, doing the best you personally can is what we should aim for! Thank you for your wisdom and rawness!
My boyfriend makes the very valid point that charity shops are really bad for men, some don't even have a mens section. I also recognise that my size means that I can pick up clothes in charity shops really easily, most things fit me with no problems and this isn't the case for everyone
When you become bigger than a European size 40 almost everything you find in thrift stores is very ugly. It's usually the pattern and fabric that is so awful it's beyond saving even with a thrift flip. I'm a size 44-46 and I can't imagine someone bigger than me finding anything worth buying unless they really don't care about the way they look. It takes me about 2 hours to look through the whole thrift store. Sometimes I don't come out with anything especially when the prices are lower per kg. We live in such a looks focused society and looking like a slob or wearing granny clothes (I don't even think grannies look half decent in granny clothes) won't get you respect.
I love the message of this video and how much you stressed the importance of trying to be more ethical instead of striving for absolute perfection!
Honestly just reaffirmed why I subscribed to you so many years ago, you come across genuine to me, recognising your privilege in an honest way, it really is not an easy thing to do but videos like this actually opened my eyes to the harms of fast fashion and I've reduced so much
Native is the best!! I also tried a million and one cruelty free deodorants before finding them and I will never use anything else! ❤️❤️
🙌🙌🙌
I've been thinking this for YEARS! Avoiding fast fashion entirely is difficult for many, just like going entirely vegan is difficult for many. Even shopping at thrift stores isn't always a solution for people, especially if they only have Goodwills or Salvation Armies in their area. Growing up 20 years ago my mom shopped at Goodwill all the time and it was DIRT. CHEAP. Over the last few years since thrifting has become "trendy" the prices at big second-hand stores (especially Goodwill) have SKYROCKETED to the point where they're basically on-par with Walmart's prices. And if people have the option to buy either second-hand clothes or brand-new clothes that are literally the same price point ofc they're going to choose to buy fresh new clothes that will probably fit them better. It's not an excuse to not try to be sustainable at all, but accessibility is always important to keep in mind!
i'm so happy to see you talk about this! it's somewhat frustrating seeing affluent people preach to underpaid people and their families about sustainability, fast fashion, buying organic food, etc., as if we are unaware that fast fashion, fast food, and things of the like are bad. not all of us can afford to buy from your suburban organic grocers, yk?
I do think we should always be kind and keep in mind that boycotting fast fashion may not be possible for everyone. However, I know personally when I used to buy fast fashion I would always make the excuse "sustainable clothes just aren't my style" or "I'm trying my best, people are imperfect!" but actually I really wasn't trying my best; I just wanted to appear ethically conscious to myself and others. I see a lot of RUclipsrs do this where they'll talk about how important sustainability is and then do a Primark sponsorship. When you point this out to them they'll say "I'm trying my hardest"; except usually they're middle class, standard size girls living in central London by themselves/with friends but according to their insta they still shop fast fashion literally every week. There needs to come a point where we hold people accountable and stop accepting bad excuses. This obviously doesn't apply to the many people that have a genuinely good excuse but the rest of us need to start making some sacrifices. Lives are more important than cute clothes, people, and quitting fast fashion involves giving up a lot of things and buying a lot less.
I’m so glad you made this video. I decided to eliminate fast fashion from my wardrobe after watching a video of yours two years ago, but it felt next to impossible being a size 20, living in a town of mostly elderly people, making minimum wage ,and being disabled ( I can’t drive). I felt immense guilt. I had so many old and ruined clothes that needed replaced, but I could hardly afford fast fashion. Plus sized ethical fashion was rare, still not always big enough for me, and ridiculously expensive! The only thrift stores I can walk to don’t carry plus sizes either. But I still don’t want to support unethical brands. Instead, I decided to focus on a minimal wardrobe where everything works together very well, avoiding any trends that won’t age well. I focused on learning to sew and repair. I learned how to turn some slightly too small thrift finds into my size. And even though finding my size second hand is very rare, I always check every store I can visit first before ultimately resorting to fast fashion. I can’t wait until ethical fashion is affordable and more size inclusive, but until then I’m trying my best to make the most use of what I can, and shopping with a purpose. I’m not perfect, but I’m trying, and I’m happy with what I’ve achieved
It's hard to find things in thrift stores as well, I've seen like some people get a lot of clothes from them some that obviously dont fit them, just so they can make a thrift flip video. Like that could have fit someone that actually doesn't have a lot of money.
When you brought up shipping, I was so grateful someone understood that because I live in PR, and there aren't many thrift stores if any and a lot of times you're just lucky if they can even ship here since we are overseas. A lot of times you have to settle for the stores you can get
Something I think people forget about too is that fast fashion isn't just bad for the environment but that the workers are so poorly treated and paid. I understand there are barriers for people to sustainable clothing (whether it be new or secondhand) but sometimes it's hard for me to empathize with people defending fast fashion due to the humanitarian issues. I still understand the privilege of being able to boycott, especially because I find good thrift clothes in my size but idk...it's a difficult situation.
well, yeah i think defending the industry is bad. but make no mistake - a lot of people feel bad about buying fast fashion as well. where i live, the only very few second hand stores there are are more expensive than all of the fast fashion outlets (also we have like. 1 small secondhand store) . i can only afford to shop at h&m, primark or c&a. another problem: size. i was looking online for a store in my city where i could buy a really durable jeans that i could wear for years - no luck. none of them had even remotely plus - sized options in their whole store. so, i went to primark where i know they have my size (even tho its the biggest they have, and they dont fit me well either bc i have disproportionally big hips, ass and thighs) and bought a tretch jeans for 20 euro that were probably made by a child in bangladesh or something. and i HATE it. but what am i supposed to do? the whole industry needs to change.
oh but i just wanted to add- im only buying clothes like once in six months, and only if i need something specific. so i try to keep it down anyway.
It is also a privilege to live in a straight sized and able bodied when thrifting!
I love this video and agree with so many things you mentioned, but I also think we have to think of the core issue here which is overconsumption. I recently made a video about the privilege of thrifting and how it pushes marginalized communities out of the market, so those who NEED to thrift can't anymore!
So glad to hear someone talk about the privilege of online ordering ❤ It's pretty expensive where I live, even withing our small country. Especially during the corona peak (it's pretty ok here rn) hearing "just order groceries delivered" all the time got old fast :/ Things larger than an envelope are sent to lockers in malls, libraries etc and since people were ordering more things than usual, the things I had to order (like medication) got redirected to lockers far from my home. We're lucky that the pandemic has slowed down so much here, but it sure made it obvious how dependent we are on physical stores.
Thank you for covering this! I recently went to reunion after a month of graduation and had a old classmate ask me where I bought my clothes and told the whole group to try not buying fast fashion after I gave my answers. I know she meant well, but I felt really bad and questioned my buying habits. I went home doing a ton of research and ended up overwhelming myself and frustrated about my limitation to buy ethical brands and going out to search for alternatives. I am from a very low income family and I am still struggling to find stable income since the current COVID-19 situation has made it harder to look for a job. I sacrifice a lot of my money to preserve it for my family so this was small thing that gave me joy. I love fashion and some of those cheap options had best helped me feel comfortable in expressing myself and being confident when I usually don’t have that luxury. I don’t shop often, but shop once and maybe twice a year whenever I really need something.
I just felt my confidence shot down after then reunion incident, so this is very comforting to hear that others understand the circumstances. On the bright side, I do thank that person for allowing me to reflect remind myself where my money is going to. From this point, I’ll try my best to slow down on fast fashion and find better alternatives (like thrifting) once the pandemic clears up. I hope I can find a good paying job and slowly to buy from more ethical brands. So while I did feel bad about what had happened, it has also given me another reason to do my best to get to the point where I can do all those things properly for a good cause 😊
I'm not someone that buys clothes regularly (hell, I think I buy one new shirt and one new pair a pants every other year), but it's so good to hear about people being more sustainable and trying to minimize the damage fast fashion brings.
I’m glad you covered this. It annoys me when people act entitled and snooty about people buying cheap brands. We don’t all have funds to buy designer, organic, expansive brands. It’s middle class preachiness. That being said, I think it’s important to highlight the brands that are bad, just so people are aware and can make decisions for themselves if they can afford to go elsewhere.
I'm literally about to do a speech on fast fashion for my online public speaking class. You've been a great help in my research!!! I'm still practicing it right now so I won't be able to watch this until afterwards lol. Xoxo
yay! you’re gonna kill it 🖤
@@sarahhawkinson ahhhh I'm nervous but thank you so much ily 😭😭😭
another spot on video, well done Sarah. I always advocate for buying second hand but unfortunately some people, for various reasons, don;t even see that as an option. For me, that's the only option in the last few years. Keep up the good work, you are a true inspiration!
I’m not sure at what point I stopped shopping at fast fashion stores, but I do know it was because of your videos. I’ve been purchasing a lot of pre-owned “new with tags” clothing. I’m now getting better quality clothing for about the same price or a little more. Thank you for the information, you are definitely making a difference here.
I really appreciate u making this video and allowing ppl to add on. I'm trying to do everything I can cuz I am privileged and I know that some cannot afford to be sustainable. Another really annoying thing is how some parents are really strict about being sustainable. For example, my parents won't let me thrift no matter how much I try to explain it to them. It sounds crazy and I agree, but it's hard to convince adults who lived in a diff generation. A lot of parents will say "iTs DiRty" or smthn else like that and it sucks that they have to be so close minded :(. But I definitely agree w u on the styles of sustainable brands bc most of them just aren't it for me and I really want to feel confident in the things I wear. Hopefully we see less giant shein hauls and people who have the resources buy more sustainable clothing products. It would also be nice to see more sustainable brands that specialize in trendy/fashionable clothes that would appeal to consumers more :) remember that we have to hold the company accountable and not the consumer!!
Excited to try the deodorant! Just purchased my pack!
Love to hear this!
So true. I shop at Ross and DDs discounts because we can't afford to shop ethically. I will when I can tho, and i dont want to gatekeep thrifting, but we used to shop goodwill and thrift stores before it became popular and now theres hardly any nice clothes or cheap enough clothes. At least the books aren't bought out. Please reconsider thrifting in disadvantaged neighborhoods, try to thrift in a way that doesnt harm those who really need it. It really bugs me when people shop fast fashion when they dont have to because it's terrible. I wish I didnt have to
Edit- I am in no way saying not to thrift because it's a good thing to do and a lot of clothes get dumped but please try to choose thrift stores thoughtfully but I also understand if you just like the clothes more from thrift stores, I'm not going to attack people for thrifting
thank you for making this video, sarah. to be honest, your video about shein did rub me the wrong way because i’m someone who frankly just doesn’t want to spend a lot of money on my clothing if i can avoid it and also can’t afford to buy from sustainable clothing companies at this point in my life. it made me feel bad and guilty for not being able to sustainably shop all of the time. but i think this video was a great way to flip the script for this series and help
people realize that no matter how you shop you are affecting someone or something else in the world. like you said, all we can do is our best!
I love this video so much!! I see so many privileged influencers scapegoating low income or plus sized people when it comes to fast fashion and it's so ridiculous. Low income people, buying what they *need* (and who are already wearing their clothing as long as possible!) are not consuming beyond their means. Plus sized people who have no size options in sustainable clothing are not consuming beyond their means. Not to mention how both groups have been affected by the gentrification of second hand stores. Yes we can all do our part but we also need companies to clean up their act. Really nuanced take Sarah, I always appreciate how thoughtful and well-spoken your content is.
Thanks for saying this, i hadn't shop fast fashion for 6 years and had never shop any ultra fast fashion but i live in México an understand many of this shops are the only way to go for many people and families. I even have friends who know about pattermaking, fabrics, styles and how high quality clothes are made but cant afford to have the majority of their clothes from reputable brands . And as an emerging fashion designer the pressure to be a sustainable brand is huge! i couldn't even afford to get into an ethical fashion brand incubator when i got selected by them but i make small batch and made to order romantic style garments that have some really minimal impact because i only sell local; it drives me insane the unrealistic high expectations put on small brands to be ethical when sometimes you have dozen of other priorities, like paying employees a decent wage. We are doing our best to be creative and create fashion. Also a ethical brand has to be ethical from design conception to end of life for garment, using organic cotton doesnt make a garment ethical.
Yes! I have such a hard time finding things that fit me/I can afford so It’s so so so important that we continue to call out these sustainable brands and push for plus size as well as reasonable prices and a wide range of styles!!
Thank you for making this video. I was one of those people who commented on your last video about how the ability to boycott stores like Shein.com is a privilege. This video brings a lot more nuance to a conversation that we're having more and more as a society. Having these open discussions and finding solutions to these different problems is what I think will help society move forward to a more sustainable future.