The Problem(s) With Sustainable Fashion
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- Опубликовано: 10 июл 2024
- As a sustainable fashion advocate, I'm clearly passionate about the field, but I recognize that there are many issues with the movement-especially when it comes to accessibility, inclusivity, greenwashing, and lack of emphasis on garment worker rights. In this video, I wanted to talk about these issues to hopefully reframe your approach to the movement.
TIMESTAMPS
0:29 - “Sustainable fashion is classist”
2:30 - Lack of Diversity and Inclusion
4:12 - Greenwashing Brands
5:02 - Lack of Emphasis on Garment Worker Rights
7:08 - Balancing Individual and Systemic Change
9:11 - Final Thoughts
RESOURCES MENTIONED
#PayUp petition: payupfashion.com
Blog post version of this video (with sources): imperfectidealist.com/problem...
FIND ME ELSEWHERE
Blog: imperfectidealist.com/
Instagram: / imperfectidealist
TikTok: / imperfectidealist
#sustainablefashion #ethicalfashion #slowfashion
What frustrates me is when people say "don't buy from WISH", while wearing clothing that comes from the same sweat shops, just cost them more money and was advertised as not fast fashion, even though it obviously is.
Price doesn't equal quality, but so many people think it does.
For sure! Even luxury brands often use sweatshops. That's not to say that there aren't better brands, but conventional expensive items definitely aren't always more ethical than cheaper ones.
Exactly.
Tanneries in Italy that supply leather for belts, bags etc., to some of the high-end brands, use forced and underpaid labour. People think it's not hsppening in Europe, but it is.
Illegal African immigrsnts are abused, beaten, forced into 60-70 hour workweeks and basically paid too little to live... if snything st all.
this is one of the biggest reasons i buy from shein, aliexpress, etc. sometimes. the same items made in the exact same factories are being resold everywhere else for 10 times the price just because some asian business dude knows that westerners would pay that much. of course, the answer is still not buying those things at all.
@@stonersirenI think the goal isn’t to justify buying from these places but investing time into finding sustainable options because the cheap stuff is still low quality (same as expensive but low quality stuff) and you deserve nice things that will last a while!!
YESS! This is all so important and well-articulated I had to subscribe right away. Especially loved when you said the words "sustainable" and "haul" are contradictory. Everyone can participate in some way just by making a conscious effort to consume less and SLOW DOWN FASHION. Thank you for this video, you're awesome.
Thank you so much, that's so sweet!
i really appreciate this video lily!! it sucks how a lot of common beliefs about sustainable fashion come from assumptions and the spread of misinformation, rather than actual facts and research. yesterday i was literally thinking about how a lot of people, especially influencers, paint the sustainable fashion movement as inaccessible or classist, with a focus on consumerism - which is the opposite of sustainable. i am also guilty of having that mindset, and in the past i've always focused on buying clothes sustainably (i.e. thrifting) rather than taking care of the clothes i already have. i noticed recently that i view and treat my clothes as disposable because i can "always buy more", and i'm trying to change this.
i also really like the point you made about the statement "there's no ethical consumption under capitalism." i do agree with this phrase, but so often people use it as just an excuse, rather than to discuss exactly what unethical things come as a result of capitalism, and what can be done to fix it. i think the phrase would be much more valuable if it was used in that context. and anyways, it doesn't mean we shouldn't do our absolute best (in the situation we're in) to be as ethical as possible.
also i hope this video blows up because you spoke nothing but truth!! lmao
Hi Anna! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment
You are so well spoken. It’s very strange how so many groups and movements have such great cores and concepts, but are easily plagued by lots of problems. Lord must it be tiring to keep fighting for so many fights in so many circles. Great video!
Thank you for your thoughtful comment!
**sees the trend side of sustainable fashion and feels pressure to live sustainably**
**watches this and realizes I have been living sustainably all along**
rip half my pairs of underwear I have had since middle school and they only still fit me because the elastic wore out like 6 years ago.
Lily, I love that you're always putting in so much effort and writing a detailed blog post as well as uploading a video for those who prefer watching those!
Thank you, Nina! It is a lot of effort hahaha, so I really appreciate this comment and your support and friendship
This video is truth truth truth. You’re one of the few people who actually knows what sustainable and ethical brands are,and what it means to participate. So many “sustainable buyers” shame and guilt trip those who don’t buy “ethical” brands like them.
An I think shaming and guilt trippng others aren’t really helping it’s kinda pushes more people away then letting them decide changing over. They always flaws in movements sometimes but I think we should state the pros and cons and not push away those who are trying to understand what’s going on . An I understand it’s bad on the parts of those who buy those extra amount of clothes but at the same time it’s the faults of those big corporations they started this all they decide to treat workers unfairly and use ways of making such clothing in ways that won’t last long. It’s fault on both sides to me but since it’s hard to get through to certain corporations let’s get to the bad of it all and reach the people if we all try spend much better and ignore and not really support or get the truth of what’s going behind the scenes. It may open eyes if those corporations or force them to change because if people aren’t buying them anymore rich or poor they have to do what’s right or they will be out of business. It maybe a stupid idea and could have another way around but I don’t think it’s any other option.
But I don’t think it’s no other way around exposing the truth and change the way we waste clothing and spend our money. In order to get through this as a whole because if the corporations won’t change we have to make them change.
Great video! I really appreciated your insight into sustainable fashion and your view on how to best use your time! Such a good point!!
Thanks so much! I'm so glad you liked the video and that particular section!!
I really like the way you had this conversation with empathy! On the note about paying workers more and fast fashion being a structural problem, this also intersects with folk who fight against wages going up domestically and abroad because things will be more expensive.
1. We're not entitled to having every clothing item we want for cheap.
2. It's a problem about how much you're being paid if you can't afford to pay for clothing that is ethically produced...
and i strongly dislike how the ethical fashion girls go HARD on people who do shein hauls and basically guilt trip them into thinking they're bad people for supporting child labor, but they never come after ppl who do zara, h&m, and urban outfitters hauls. not to mention idk if princess polly is ethical or not, but literally so many ppl do huge hauls from them and i don't see ppl coming after them? ppl just come after shein and amazon
Or the fact those brands you listed are notorious for stealing other artist’s/upcoming designers work and these types don’t also call that out
I love the video! Super helpful and thank you for your clear and careful insights.
So glad it could be helpful! I tried to address that question you had about system vs. individual changes when talking to your family :) I've been thinking about it a lot myself!
Well said, I applaud 👏🏼
wow! you're so underrated lily! so excited to stick around for your sustainable fashion journey. 🙏
Ahh thanks so much, Chloe!
This video is so important! You've pretty much collated all of the issues about sustainable fashion into one concise video. I love how you're able to articulate that all of those problems are interconnected. Brb gonna show this to all of my friends ❤️
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for sharing
Just found your channel as I begin my journey of understanding more about sustainable fashion, thank you for exciting me that there are people like you out there trying to fight this cause. You touched on so many factors I never even thought about. Looking forward to watching the rest of your channel! xx
i like to sew and I usually sew from thrifted bedsheets and old clothes just because its cheaper, but im curious if you know anything about how sustainable fabric from big stores such as jo-ann or even walmart is? some of it seems to be unreasonably cheap but its hard to tell
Great video! You always bring so much more insight onto important issues.
I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks for being here :)
Thank you so much for bringing up this issue. I often see the argument of price being useD to discredit sustainable fashion. In reality, sustainable production of clothes can't be too cheap. Cheaper items would encourage overconsumption and mindless purchase, which are the real enemies of sustainability. Same with thrifting, where I see people doing "thrift haul", which in a way defeats the purpose of thrifting as a form of sustainable consumption. I experienced this recently when I stop consuming trendy and fast fashion items. When I find myself spending a week just to decide on which handbag to invest in. Because they cost more, I am more aware of what it's made of, who made it and if it would match most of my wardrobe. I am more mindful. So, fast fashion does not only refer to the actual company producing these items, it refers to the entire practice of overconsumption and mindless purchase of clothing imo
Totally agree that overconsumption in thrifting only perpetuates the idea of having disposable closets. Slow fashion is an entire lifestyle and mindset!
i would love if you could do a video on thredup and how expensive it's gotten
I haven't actually ever used ThredUP, but I'll look into this!
All great points and tips!!!
Thanks so much for watching and commenting!
Love your videos. Thank you so much for what you do!
Thank you so much for your sweet comment! Really appreciate it
I love this video! You've so thoughtfully gathered many of the thoughts I've been trying to get my arms around for the past year or so. I think a few aspects of green capitalism that are particularly insidious to me are: the use of "carbon credits" to claim energy neutrality while still relying largely on fossil fuels, the hazardous offrun of dyeing and other processes that cause environmental destruction that are hidden through subcontractors and the use of "organic" and "natural" to hide the ecological devestation of water-intensive crops like cotton. I would also say that as well as garment workers and the materials chosen, we need to also hold those factory workers creating our plastic fabrics, reaping the fields, and adding finishings to clothing in our minds.
Your content has been incredible in my professional life, thank you 💞
Binge watching all your vids!!
wow i breeze through all these sustainable fashion vids, you explained it very well! can you talk about sustainability in handmade fashion next? (the made to orders one that is happening right now)
I work at Marshall’s and we have a plus size section for women’s which go up to W size which is great but it’s odd that we don’t have a plus size section for men... it’s weird
When we think about why fast fashion is indeed fast, it is because we consume so much, so quickly that cheap labour, cheap resources, sold cheaply is the only way to sustain this consumption! If everyone attempted to consume sustainable and ethical brands this quickly, they wouldn't be able to keep up with the pace whilst sustaining their ethos! Hence the term, SLOW fashion. :)
I guess like the Good Place philosophy, just taking realistic steps to be better in areas where we can be.
I mean rather than feel overwhelmed by the impossibility of picking up the burden that corporations are forcing on us due to their own bad practices. Like, its all the consumers fault somehow even though these are the businesses at the top because of zero regulations, we can only do the best we can without the needed regulations that would actually force their hand.
One of my biggest frustrations with supposedly sustainable and ethical brands is when the vast majority of their clothing items contain plastic ( aka synthetic materials). I just don't get how they and consumers are 'fine' with plastic clothing and yet the same people will go on an don about how we have to stop putting plastic in the oceans via water bottles. I'm. It saying plastic water bottles aren't an issue but it's the double standard. They have no problem washing pounds and pounds of micro plastics into the ocean at the same time they are telling everyone else to stop using plastic water bottles. Or they will buy clothes made of conventional cotton ( which so many 'sustainable ' use only conventional cotton and maybe have a black and white t- shirt in organic cotton) and then cry about the injustice of garment workers. When the farmers who grow and harvest conventional cotton are dying from the pesticides or suicide because they've been duped by the very unethical company that owns most of the world's conventionally grown cotton Bayer company bought Monsanto. Materials matter. There are VERY few brands that have only organic cotton and do not use plastic fibres and use non toxic dyes. VERY FEW.
Good points on plastic clothes.....they are just so cheap, natural fibres find it so difficult to compete
I'm actually very conflicted with this topic. I don't want too see anyone exploited however I guess I need more details on how they are treated. Plus, it's hard to demonize fast fashion beans when you see how important their footprint is in some of these communities they hire in. Its really a tough situation with lack of options in those communities and lack of accountability for the companies.
could you possibly make a video on maybe romwe/shein/boohoo/zaful and all of those brands? i think that awareness surrounding their especially awful practices is really something that's not widely known on the internet. people are more likely to think that forever 21 or h&m are the least ethical companies when there are companies that make only a dollar off of a piece of clothing and make it super cheap?? someone has to pay somewhere, so i wish there was more awareness surrounding it. i also know that the majority of these brands can, will, and have stolen from small business creators and used their designs on their websites. i think it's such a huge issue. i'd honestly rather that people bought their clothes from h&m than romwe.
Really great point! I've actually been wanting to make a TikTok about this. I'm not sure I have enough content for a full video, but it's definitely something I wish more people understood!
Do you have any info regarding beauty services? Like nails, eyelash extensions? As someone who does these monthly services I really want to stop but I just like the art of it all… 🥺
In my opinion the biggest issue with sustainable fashion is the promotion of obesity and lack of accountability to one's own health. Capitalist, Socialist and Communist economic systems don't solve the root cause of poverty and economic problems.
I've aæways been sustainable - I grew up in the 80's with a widowed working class mom. She taught me that was how we got by and I just kept doing it.
I'm now 40 and have a 3 year old daughter. Even though I am university educated and could afford it, the only new-from-store things my daughter has, are gifts from others.
There's no need to buy new. Clothes, toys, bikes, home - anything. There's is PLENTY overflowing the world already. A lot have'nt even been used. Stop. Consuming! And stop pretending like people on low income are the ones over consuming and take responsibility!
Hey, I've just stumbled over your channel while researching sustainable running shoes. In general I consider myself relatively conscious about my consumption habits but I too cannot escape the sudden urge to buy some new stuff. So since last year, I've become increasingly more into the whole issue and want to narrow my needs down to a minimum.
Thanks for your videos and can you actually recommend any sustainable and transparent unisex clothing brands?
Greetings and love from Germany :)
Hi Niclas! That's funny, I was planning on writing a post about that at some point :) Good On You has a great list of unisex sustainable clothing here: goodonyou.eco/sustainable-gender-neutral-unisex-clothing/. I hope this helps!
I feel bad for having bought H&M clothings
🎯🙌🏼
PREACH!!!
also, i strongly dislike the argument when people get criticized for doing massive shein shops, and people retaliate with "oh well you have an iphone dont you" oh well you're wearing x product which comes from x brand whihc is also unsustainable".
you can't expect someone to be 100% perfectly low waste and sustainable, and they are allowed to call you out. it doesn't make them a hypocrite, it makes them human. so what if they have an iphone, it's the most common phone brand and it's not their fault apple isn't sustainable. plus an iphone is one item, not 50 different items of clothes that will be thrown out and replaced within the next few months.
and when it comes to criticising clothes, thet person could have owned the item for a long time, they could have bought it second hand, or they could very very rarely ever buy new clothes and ensure not to over consume.
basically what im saying is people aren't hypocrites for calling you out for doing a bad thing, because sustainability doesn't always consist of only buying from sustainable brands, as you said in the video.
Yup, the phone argument is so aggravating! It's just as you've said - they're basically a necessity, and most people aren't overconsuming phones since they're expensive. People love to use whataboutisms on the internet, but the thing is that multiple things can be issues at the same time. And the funny part is that if those people truly cared about phones being produced unethically, they'd also care about hauls.
Completely agree! People always point out the imperfections like it’s an excuse but it’s not! Always see it used against anything eco related, like people having a go at eco-protestors and saying they probably have a car and try a way to call them out as a hypocrite. In the uk here I couldn’t believe it was front page news about one protestor who was ripped into for basically not being a ‘perfect eco warrior’.
Talking about hauls, I did my own video on why these hauls are problematic. Unfortunately these haul videos seem to be very popular so I’ve seen a lot of small youtubers do these videos to try and grow their channel. I hate to see it!
Lily, you are brilliant! Thank you for your videos! I am so grateful to learn from you! Chelsea @theprestonstyle
Wonderful video! I really appreciated your insight into sustainability so let's act together to solve the problem of fashion suitability #Livetree
wait, wait wait how is everlane not sustainable? not being defensive or anything I just want to know the answer
I have a whole video and blog post about it! imperfectidealist.com/is-everlane-actually-ethical/
Greenwashing-dont forget aritzia...