we need to talk about fashion (no, not fast fashion)

[@HeisenbergFam]

93% brands not paying garment workers a living wage is insane, companies being greedy is sadly a timeless classic

[@davidalves6813]

I remember the time I commented something similar on a video related to how green products have turned premium somehow. I got a response from a dude saying that those workers should change jobs instead of demanding a better wage. Crazy world

[@jakejanssen4319]

The foreign countries they manufacture in could force them to pay fairly, but their corrupt officials are being bought off by corporate money

[@brigidia8218]

@@davidalves6813 it’s so disconnected.

[@manwhoismissingtwotoenails4811]

@@davidalves6813 ah yes if I live in a country with such bad labor laws that inhumane companies are attracted to that area i should just work for another inhumane company.

[@louise2209]

The fashion industry indeed do take some of the blame, however, if it wasn’t for public demand for cheap, affordable clothing, then we may not be discussing this issue or any other issue that comes with fast fashion. (That doesn’t mean there wouldn’t be any issues obviously, money is the root of all evil as they say). I’m not innocent when it comes to desiring low price tags, plus apart from not being very good at making clothes, the materials can also add up, so I try to just make my clothes last longer. Doesn’t help that the quality of things have reduced in recent years making that task also more difficult.

[@shaeanthony1288]

I believe there is a German saying along the lines of "we are too poor to buy clothes this cheap", with the idea that a more expensive item may stand the test of time, where an item that costs less may fall apart or fail sooner. Unfortunately it seems that cost and quality don't always correlate in this modern world.

[@Grrranola]

Like the Boots Theory from one of Terry Pratchett's books. "The reason that the rich were so rich ... was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. A really good pair of leather boots cost fifty dollars. But an affordable pair of boots, which were sort of OK for a season or two and then leaked like hell when the cardboard gave out, cost about ten dollars. ... But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet."

[@shaeanthony1288]

​@@Grrranola I see this often because I work with people who are unhoused. People are not sheltered and cannot afford to buy clothing or shoes so they end up relying on clothes from drop-in or support centres. Nothing can be reworn because there is no way to wash them, things are often stolen, and it leads to this cycle of never having clothes that fit, are functional or comfy. Thanks for sharing this quote, it helped me connect to yet another issue with clothing. It's a resource that is hard to access depending on where you are standing on the social ladder.

[@francookie9353]

There's also a similar saying in German: "If you buy it cheap you buy it twice." That alludes to the same thing. Unfortunately I'd say that *used* to be true, but nowadays you can't really trust price to mean quality, unless it's a less well-known brand and the price is very high.

[@crystallineautumn]

I agree that now higher prices many times do not mean better quality. Many of the higher priced items still use poor quality fabrics that are not going to last much longer than their cheaper counterparts, so why bother spending more?

[@francookie9353]

@@crystallineautumn I'd argue certain things are worth spending more on and also worth investing research time into them, to know where price actually does = quality

[@Andrewism]

I really appreciate the exploration of the library economy in this! Thanks for the shout.

[@snowyetie8799]

Fun anecdote, my sister does the thing of « community wardrobe » with here friends and she’s just 12, so if she came can come up with that idea and execute it means that there is probably a possible future in it.

[@blackisntdarkenough]

I had this too, in college! It works if everyone is respectful of the items. Unfortunately, the public is not known for having that respect for shared resources...

[@snowyetie8799]

@@blackisntdarkenough i mean yeah obviously, but it clearly works for public libraries why couldn’t it work for clothes to (with some sort of monetary punishment)

[@パガイ]

​@@blackisntdarkenough In my experience, the public is famously respectful of shared resources, it's usually errant individuals and weirdo teenagers who get a kick out abusing or defacing common utensils.

[@anony1596]

Wow that's lovely. My parents would've never allowed that 😂 I couldn't even borrow video games.

[@ryanh7167]

​@@パガイ can you please give examples where the public is careful with shared resources that are also valued and scarce? Libraries are a poor example because in many cities libraries really only see use by

[@lauraigla6319]

Ive been a professional seamstress for a decade now, and its so frustrating to me to hear people say, "make your own clothes!" This solves nothing. It creates the same waste that was quoted earlier in the video because you still need to buy all the materials. Unless you're lucky enough to source vintage fabric, whih is very difficult to do. Yes, its very fun. But its still just as wasteful as buying new clothes and costs more. Thrifting and altering clothes is all I can come to.

[@maria-wu7us]

I think it helps in an incredibly limited way. I want to try to make most things I need this year. Instead of going out and buying off the shelf. So I truly practice slow fashion. Not only do I buy fewer things, but they don't just materialize in front of me, and they take time and effort to come to life. But this alone does not outweigh buying the textile plus materials. At least for textiles, I will take care to educate myself on materials and production methods to make sure I'm making a little bit of improvement. Something better than just buying cheap fabric by the yard. You don't jump into this to be cost effective... it's not possible. I am also looking into buying thrift garments that are on their last legs to re-use the fabric if possible. That's a good way to get vintage textile. Might mean taking a garment away from someone who could have otherwise used it unchanged though.

[@rachael5025]

not only that but being a seamstress takes skill and time to learn that skill and the resources needed to make the clothes! not everyone wants to painstakingly hand sew and sewing machines cost money. its not as simple as make your own wardrobe.

[@Elspm]

I think most people cannot possibly make their own clothes at the pace of fast fashion. So there's something to be said for people really having to slow down and think about what goes in to constructing a garment.

[@nadiam926]

​@@Elspm exactly. And I think for someone with a certain mindset, making your own clothes could help you appreciate what goes into making a garment, as well as choose pieces more intentionally. Versus, choosing something you don't need, that you know will fall apart.

[@sugarcomadreams]

Hey, i'm just chiming in to let you know that as a seamstress you do not produce as much waste as a fast fashion brand simply because you KNOW WHO EACH PIECE IS GOING TO. Fast fashion produces without destination. You dont make 50,000 garments a day on the off chance that someone will think to buy it.

[@adrianvasquez4351]

Hand-me-downs are a sort of example of 'Library Economy' fashion. For a long time my mom was giving my clothes that I grew out of to her friends who had younger kids which they would fit.

[@gaebren9021]

Yea, we used to do that in the 70's when I was young.

[@weird-guy]

We poor people are being doing that for decades.

[@timpauwels3734]

Same with me. I was always tall for my age, so my mother would hand down my school uniform to other mums for my classmates to wear in the following years when they grew to fit the clothes.

[@13hehe]

My favourite piece that I get the most compliments from is a hand me down from when my mom was a young girl, she was so shocked I wear it to this day, and laments "Had I known you would love my 20 year old wardrobe so much I wouldn't have thrown away most of my old clothes"...

[@arol1644]

I love hand me downs, I recognize that’s probably bc I never really needed them, so it was a rare occasion when someone would gift me their clothes. A lot of my favorite clothes belonged to mom, I love that they’re vintage, that I couldn’t find them in a store anymore, and they hold a lot of sentimental value.

[@Ykoz2016]

I’m a bit older and I find it funny that when we talk about buying less, about pulling back from over consumption, people see the next step as “soulless minimalist neutral capsule wardrobes lacking in self expression.”😂😂😂 If you look at the stats involving fast fashion and clothing consumption over time you can see how rapidly it’s increased in just the last 20 years. But even 80 years ago fashion was still fashion. There were seasons and collections and innovations. There was self expression and trends and shopping dates. There was color. It was just LESS. Less often, less items each time, slower trends/ change. I know it’s human instinct to over correct. I know it’s seems to have gone too far (not seems, it has, it’s gone off the rails) and so the only solution is a dead stop. Dead stop and reverse. But if you try that you will fail. Fail to convince everyone. Fail to convince the majority. A good example is people trying to eat healthier or exercise more. We all know the biggest mistake is to overcommit, try to do too much too soon, try to be suddenly perfect and fail. In the same sense we need to start pulling back in steps. Buying less. Keeping longer. Even if we just reverse to how it was 20 years ago it would be a huge win. We wouldn’t be finished but we would be heading in the right direction. And I say this as a minimalist. A thrifter. Who also makes my own clothes or fixes up old thrifted items falling apart. Who barely shops and has 6 pairs of shoes I wear till they fall apart. I’m not saying this because I have a hard time stopping personally, but instead I’ve spent a lifetime fighting to convince others. The ones that aren’t so idealistic. The ones who just hear us telling them they have to enjoy life even less. I can remember when the average teenage girl only shopped 4 times a year. Once a season. And each time she would get a couple new items to add to/ replace the ones she already had. Right now, compared to what I am seeing, this would be such an improvement. Just my very unoriginal two cents 😂🤷‍♀️❤️

[@PikaPika-nk6yu]

Exactly! Especially in the developed countries, there is so much focus on hyperconsumerism that they dont even realise that there can actually be a middle ground, everything in moderation instead of going on either extremes. The problem is and always will be overconsumption, be it thrifting or buying brand new clothes.

[@bia8610]

4 times a year? Where I live it was about 2 pieces a year, if much. There wasnt so much money to spend on this. Also, clothing used to last more I think.

[@kandyappleview]

Very much this! Everything has a balance, even consumption. Growing up as an 80s baby, i went school shopping and summer shopping. And one Easter outfit. That's it. As an adult, I still occasionally get hand-me-downs from big sis. A large part of this is the idea that we need to keep up with trends. A few years ago I realized how much in my closet was only there because I had to have something of a certain color or style for the group I was in. Now I only buy something because I absolutely love it and love how I feel and look in it. And I've bought far less that way, AND since truly wanted what i bought, I'm more likely to actually wear it more than twice.

[@sammsowell]

i wouldn't say its unoriginal. i appreciated your perspective looking at the issue from both your own indivual perspective (convinced of the need for change) as well as the larger societal perspective (we cant even get everyone to agree that climate change is a problem, much less convince everyone to go minimalist). in that regard, i think it is a good idea to focus on incremental change. Maybe we should focus on guiding other individuals back to where our consumption levels were 20-30 years ago, while simultaneously demanding significant cuts from large coporate chains, as well as placing more responsiblity on coporations for the proper reuse and recycling of their clothing products.

[@Ykoz2016]

@@sammsowell 💯 agree with all of this! (And thank you) 👍

[@kslaney4161]

I think another important shift that needs to happen is that people need to start learning how to mend clothing they already have and take proactive care of garments. So even if folks have the time, money or resources to make their own clothes, they can avoid throwing out clothes prematurely. Of course, so much modern fashion is not made with the same quality as vintage pieces but taking care of them will at least extend the life.

[@mikeciul8599]

Yes! Visible mending can also serve the purpose of making clothes colorful, unique, and personalized.

[@HerWanderlust]

Yes! I love visible mending-over time my clothes just become more mine/me

[@buttcheekspeppersprung6758]

Even modern fast fashion can last years as long as you know how to properly wash your garments, and be able to replace some seams/zippers/buttons. I got my favorite blouse from Forever21 literally 10 years ago, and am lucky to still fit into it. All it ever needed was a small seam fix here and there and air drying.

[@abunlover]

Yes, even simple things like buying shoe glue! I just thrifted a beautiful pair of embroidered heels for $10, but the insole was coming up. I had shoe glue from mending another pair of shoes and just cleaned up the area and glued it back together. Obviously they're not perfect but I can extend their life and enjoy them, and they're still far comfier than any new fast fashion heels.

[@CeCe1066]

Agree completely! At that point its a mindset shift. Some people use “old” clothes as an excuse to buy new stuff. And our society’s obsession with overconsumption and buying more/new things will always be the downfall. People wont want to fix up their old clothes if they have the mindset of “i can now buy something new!”. But still, now with more emphasis on slow fashion, basic mending/sewing skills, thrifting, etc. i think people are slowly starting to change their “consuming” mindset to a more “content” mindset. Hopefully😇

[@catvalentine4317]

I advise everyone to do a no-buy year for clothes! Or at least a few months I'm doing this in 2023, and cannot believe it's already been 4 months. I started because, while I was only buying thrifted or fair fashion clothes (roughly 5 pieces per season), I felt trapped in consumerism - browsed vinted as procrastination, consumed a lot of fashion content etc. Now, I have to get creative with my old clothes or sew something if I desire something new. And it has totally changed the way I view style and especially trends. It's such a good and freeing experience. I kinda feel like I have an excuse to not care about trends for a whole year if that makes sense. And in the morning, it's more a 'that'll do' than careful curation - unless I really want to. But I don't feel pressured just because I'm a woman anymore.

[@henryfleischer404]

It takes me 4 months just to find something good to buy, and even then I feel like I'm getting a lot of clothes.

[@Sasha-zw9ss]

I haven't even noticed doing exactly that this year, lol. So glad I don't outgrow clothing anymore, so I only really have to shop if the old thing is in a completely unwearable state.

[@weird-guy]

Some rookie numbers I buy clothes with intervals of at least 5 years😂

[@бронза.вафля.конус]

Lol. Didn't realize this wasn't normal. Longest I've gone was 3 and a half years. I still have and wear clothes from when I was 10. (And this is despite being like 50 lbs heavier??? I always wonder, was I this heavy in primary school, or were my clothes just huge?¿)

[@maiaraandrade1952]

​@@бронза.вафля.конус You're right, our clothes were HUGE! I think the cut was larger and our mothers bought some numbers up to last longer.

[@crystalwaters8581]

I don’t understand why thrift shops have significantly raised their prices despite there being way more than enough clothes being donated

[@karolinakuc4783]

Not all but places like Goodwill

[@katc2040]

​@karolinakuc4783 no, it's all places. My local thrift stores are starting to markup and stop doing discount prices on many pieces

[@crystalwaters8581]

@@karolinakuc4783 goodwill definitely over charges on things

[@automatic5]

​@@katc2040same. im positive its because of resellers. when thrifting started to become trendy, i gradually noticed the prices of pretty much any thrift store i went to (local or chain) going up and up. it's ridiculous. i can literally find better deals at the mall than at the thrift store now, that's how bad its gotten.

[@LGrian]

The quality of stuff coming in has tanked. It’s all fast fashion garbage that only lasts a few wears, and the resellers do snatch up most of the good vintage pieces.

[@notaperson9831]

I get this gross feeling about the whole thrifting community. Due to resellers and influencers, thrift shops have increased their prices significantly and the low income people who need to shop there have a much harder time now. Not to mention all the good stuff is taken and marked up 300% or more to sell on depop.

[@Bojoschannel]

The same has happened here in Mexico to a lesser extent, the prices aren't that high but there is this "craze" about thrift shop outfits that has driven the price up and what used to be extra income for people with need for it and accesible clothing has basically become a hobby for middle class to upper class people

[@saturationstation1446]

people have been scalping thrift stores for rare tech stuff etc and reselling the stuff they get there for a profit too.

[@saturationstation1446]

not to mention, a lot of thrift stores get most of their stuff donated to them by people who only donate it assuming it will end up helping those less fortunate

[@notaperson9831]

@@saturationstation1446 yep, then the store makes an insane profit because they get their product *for free*. This is why I hate goodwill as a company.

[@MoGoNicole]

I think it is important to put more attention on the corporations that CHOOSE to increase the prices because of popularity. Yes, I understand resellers can be annoying, but Goodwill, Salval, and other places are the ones who are making second-hand shops less accessible.

[@SunflowerKidAugust]

You can have a capsule wardrobe that isn't basic. Especially when we're talking about things like aesthetics. If you typically dress in a specific aesthetic whether that be one that's already mainstream or one that's kind of a mixture of everything that makes up you that's your capsule. A capsule wardrobe is just a limited number of pieces of clothing that you can mix and match Andre wear if your dressing in a specific aesthetic then everything you own should be able to mix-and-match fairly well. Of course we have things like costumes or fancy outfits that we wear on occasion. These can be shared items or things that we went but it doesn't hurt to have one or two special items that you own if you're wearing them more than once a year

[@sarbearr4]

Been looking for this comment❤

[@sundiva7642]

I live in Nigeria and there's this stuff called "orkrika" or "bend down select" and it's basically buying second hand or even third hand clothes that have been shipped from abroad cus people no longer wear them or things in thrift shops that didn't sell or things like that. In Ghana it has a term called "the dead white mans clothes". It's something that most people actually do that it's not really looked down upon unless you're in a higher class but it wasn't really looked as yunno.... aspirational. But some people often find themselves buying and claiming they bought it from a store. Now that tiktok and Western culture is more accessible to us on a deeper level, it's been repackaged and called thrifting and now people are opening online thritf stores and it's cool lol.

[@weird-guy]

I saw a documentary about this i think it was from DW, most still end up in landfills, the answer is less consumption but that’s to much for our monkey brain I guess .

[@ny_hai]

Any third world contry is like that.

[@Sarah-with-an-H]

When I worked at a clothing store we’d regularly box up the clothes that where in clearance for a long time. I was aware these clothes went to resellers so that the company I was working for could at least break even on the cost to make these clothes nobody wanted.

[@monochromicornthetuna4256]

I’m Nigerian and I was going to comment something similar. My best friend and I were talking about how Instagram thrift shops are springing up daily and it’s just bend down select clothes sold at a higher price. Worst still because now buying thrifted clothes is getting so expensive that you might as well just get it first hand. The day I saw an Instagram thrift store selling cheap rings from Ali Express for more than five times the price I didn’t even know how to feel.

[@Carmen-cl5ny]

The most sustainable clothes are the ones who are already in your wardrobe . Just stop buying, and try to create new looks with the clothes you already own. I use a lot of my mother's old clothes (old, like, from the 80s) from when she was my age,or my aunt's and I love them. I feel better knowing that she used so many times that clothes, but that I will be able to use them again as many times. The quality it's so good, that I know that new clothes can compare to this old ones.

[@katfoster845]

What if you fluctuate in weight and size? Or stuff breaks eventually.

[@fenty2945]

@@secret_senshiThat’s not the only solution lol, this is why people don’t consume in a ethical/sustainable way. Y’all back people up into a corner

[@mayam9575]

My college sort of has this! It's called the swap shop and all clothing items have an assigned point value, pants are 5 points tank tops are 2. You can bring in clothes you no longer like and then get new clothes. I go sometimes with my friends and its really fun and easy.

[@naolucillerandom5280]

It would be awesome if my college could have that. We already have a "student market" online group, mostly for selling snacks. I might suggest this to the class rep, he knows people in the student council so we might be able to make it a thing 😂

[@PokhrajRoy.]

I’ve heard an actual fashion designer mention that fashion can be one of the most waste producing industries out there.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

@@waterissogood I could be wrong but it was Masaba.

[@Ukraineaissance2014]

It doesnt susprise me, the manufacturers are pretty much one stage off making clothes that eat themselves after a few months so you have to buy more.

[@jellyfish_bubbles]

I have a capsule wardrobe but it's pastels and colors!! So it doesn't have to be boring- people are just very uncreative😅 Try a minimalist wardrobe just use colors and styles you love only and not just like!

[@catvalentine4317]

That sounds sooo beautiful! Did it just build up like that or did you set a conscious intention to have a capsule wardrobe?

[@naninuna7440]

this! I don't even like most of my clothes I'm donating most of it

[@thevestica]

Absolutely! I don't have a lot of clothes, but I know how to use them, how to mix and match, and it's fun, different and sustainable!!

[@stephanie3812]

came to mention the same thing! you can definitely have a capsule wardrobe which isn't beige and basic, but one that suits your niche style and you genuinely enjoy

[@caffe1n8ed]

Yea! I have a dark, gothy capsule :)

[@spiffygroove]

i love the clothes library concept!! i think these already exist on very small scales. for example, my mom, three sisters, and i are all similar sizes in clothes, and whenever i need something particular to wear that i don’t have, the first place i go to is their closets. all of us frequently borrow from each other and have very communal closets and it really reminds me of the library idea! it’s absolutely possible if we reframe our mindset towards goods and services to create a strong community rather than individual.

[@KarolYuuki]

Yeah, I definitely did that when I lived with my family. It's reallt good, specially when you need something for an specific occasion.

[@ryanh7167]

Okay, so now consider this when you have a shared closet with people you don't know, or even better, know but don't like. How do you go about this process when you don't trust the people who are sharing this closet with you to take care of the clothing you rely on?

[@Iquey]

In a way, Poshmark is a clothes library if you filter for very low prices. Anything that costs $8-25, you're basically paying for the time for the person to go to the post office and ship it. Not much else profit wise... So every low-price posher who doesn't source clothes just for Poshmark as a business, is a clothes librarian. Anything people sell between $3-15 is usually at a loss.

[@boopyvacaine]

My problem with sewing your old clothes as opposed to thrifting is that the most polluting part of producing clothing is making the fabrics. So while making your own clothing is less exploitative it can be almost as polluting as buying it new. Of course if you wear it for a longer amount of time that's still a step forward but I don't believe that handmade clothes are automatically sustainable.

[@NouriaDiallo]

There are dead stock and vintage fabric, second hand bed linens and table cloth... And the time spent cutting, fitting, finishing gives a better idea of the work involved in a piece of quality clothing, making it more likely that it will last...

[@junebuggy8498]

If you can creatively and attractively mend clothes and salvage cloth from those that can't be mended, then yeah, I would say knowing how to sew could decrease your environmental impact a lot. If you're using new cloth from the fabric store then yeah, valid point.

[@niethierbos]

it will also change some things on old clothes that make them last longer or have a new life also deadstock/vintage fabric exists. fabric can be made in eu country where we can push for better regulations.

[@boopyvacaine]

@@niethierbos I am not against sewing or altering your own clothes but I don't think it can replace trifting in a large scale. In order to sustainable sew you still need to trift your fabrics in which case it just becomes trifting with extra steps. Sure, you can refashion your own clothes but at some point they would be too worn out and you would need to trift new fabrics.

[@karolinakuc4783]

Hemp and linien ulike cotton and rayon (tencel, modal, cupra, viscose) are not as polluting. And to not pollute with synthetic dyes you can buy white and dye yourself with natural dyes like indigo plant, kosheline red or side to get yellow. You have 3 basic colours which you can mix to achieve any colour you want. Curious fact is that with indigo dye you can get colours you would not get using synthetic dyes

[@Toribell1928]

As someone who has always had to thrift for money reasons, it’s extremely annoying to have all the high quality clothing just gone now because it became cool. I remember getting made fun of for being poor as a kid then in college getting tons of compliments for my thrifted clothes. I’m not trying to gatekeep thrifting obviously but I do wish people were more thoughtful about their “thrift hauls” and also what they donate to thrift stores (recycling is a great alternative)

[@Sarah-with-an-H]

I suggest checking out estate sales

[@automatic5]

​@@Sarah-with-an-Hthose are harder to find than regular thrift stores. certain flea markets will sell clothes for a reasonable price tho

[@Sarah-with-an-H]

@@automatic5 It depends where you live. If there’s a significant elderly population in your area you have better odds of running across estate sales.

[@NotreDanish]

18:43 the point about environmentalism not having to be a negative “taking things away” but instead about “making things better, cleaner, and safer for the future” is so so so important for changing the minds of people who don’t already support these kinds of concepts

[@whuwhaaa2]

I don't disagree with anything said in the video but my issue is that I live in an environmentalist echo chamber online. While I encounter people who willing to explore these concepts online, rarely do I encounter them in my physical social environment. It may just be because I live in a largely rural section of northern New York but when I bring these subjects up in public, I almost never receive a positive reception. At best, I encounter people who agree with me, but have no real intention or perhaps no ability to take meaningful steps to reorienting our societies. Our communities are so fractured geographically that just leaves me feeling even more depressed about opportunities. Its proving to be so difficult to get society to take even baby steps in the right direction. What we do is no longer an obstacle in my mind, but rather how we achieve it. I do not want to come across as a doomer though so have keep fighting and have a peaceful day dudes.

[@amanda_ash]

I’m put off by so much of the stuff that’s supposed to be ethical/eco-friendly. It’s often so bland and itchy looking. It feels goopy, I can’t help but to associate it with new-age woo woo. It has been a struggle to keep my own style/identity while trying to minimize my impact. I probably need to break and finally start making my own clothing…sigh.

[@SH-cm5hw]

The tough thing about making your own which means buying a pattern about 10-15 dollars. Which you then have to cut to size so you can really only use the pattern for that one size now. Then buy the fabric which if you can thrift fabrics can save you a lot, but buying new fabric (which I often find boring) is another 10 ish dollars. THEN you now have to construct this piece which for a jacket has taken me multiple days. So 20/25 dollars for a piece plus the time you put in. It really shows how CHEAPLY fast fashion is being made. I don’t write this to discourage but just to kinda give perspective I guess because I was like “oh I’ll just make my own” and didn’t realize how involved it can be

[@coastalshenanigans4413]

​@S H well I mean you don't have to buy patterns, you can make them too. also if you do buy a pattern and don't want to just cut out one size, you could trace the size you want on different paper then it won't ruin the pattern.

[@katzenoma7503]

Also an easy way to start making your own clothes is thrift flipping, the amount of different garments you can make from a simple oversized men’s shirt is insane! It’s also a lot cheaper to buy a men’s shirt than actual fabric… so less financial risks are involved if it doesn’t turn out the way you imagined it. Especially as a total beginner this took away a lot of anxiety for me atleast.

[@eloise305]

@@SH-cm5hw I recommend thrifting patterns from charity shops, especially if the shape of the garment you want to make is from 60s-90s theres loads out there for super cheap! But if you are buying a pattern from a smaller business, then at least you know they're able to set an income for themselves that they can survive on.

[@SH-cm5hw]

@@coastalshenanigans4413 yea, I think I could try it once I’m better at the whole process in general but even with the cuts it’s very overwhelming at times 🥲

[@sophiafeist6211]

Is a thrift store not already a library of clothes? You buy something used for less money than it cost to make or acquire new (usually), you wear it as long as you need it, and then you donate it or sell it back to a thrift store so it can have another life in the community. If you make sure to complete the cycle, then you've basically rented a garment for however long you wanted it. Maybe we need to focus on making clothing donation and resale standard practice (and make sure more donated clothing ends up in stores, rather than being sent to landfills). I loved the video! I really enjoy hearing you think through issues, and clothing and fashion are so important to creating a more sustainable but still beautiful world.

[@annaselbdritt7916]

getting a basic sewing machine was an expensive investment, but also one of my favourite investments of all time. I don't sew nearly as much clothing as I thought I would, but I have sewn SO many kitchen towels, bags, pouches, etc. random textile items for practical use, and I love that I'm able to do that, and has helped so much with home organisation and such. Last night I made a small drawstring pouch for a new phone charger cable I had bought, so it could be separate in my bag and not get tangled up. And I can have pouches and bags of good quality linen and other textiles with durable textures, rather than the flimsy cotton or even polyester that many cheap bags are made of. Also I've fixed torn up clothing so many times, or hemmed dresses/pants and so on. Wooh!!

[@cozycasasmr4510]

The fabric that we used to make our clothes is made by underpaid workers too, it makes me feel very defeated when I learned that as someone who sews most of their wardrobe. It's bad for the environment too. I mean it's still better than buying fast fashion but we need to talk about that more, those workers need justice too

[@haniyyahn]

I can sew quite well - from a family of sewers. In the past I have made my own clothes. CONS: It takes many hours over several days to make a quality garment (something not made for show, as on Project Runway but made to last). 2) Sewing is quite expensive. The fabrics and notions can mean that a single simple item could cost upwards of $30 in materials. The more interesting or clean (fancy prints and finishes, pure organic cotton for example the fabric is extremely expensive). Fancy notions such as the hidden zippers that are standard on skirts and dresses are much more expensive than the kind of simple zippers that are on most jackets and pants. 3) Less variety. Fashion brands, even fast fashion brands, contract with textile mills to create fabrics each season. This means a richness of color, texture and prints that you will not find at most fabric stores, even online. A good example of what I mean regarding what is available to manufacturers but not the home sewer would be J. Crew. You can pretty much find any color you want for any item on their site and loads of refreshing patterns. 4) I dont know how much environmentally better this method is. The fabrics are still being produced using mega liters of water, creating loads of pollution in poor nations like China, India and Pakistan and are still shipped thousands of miles to the fabric store. And all of this without many of the benefits of economies of scale that may be occurring with garment manufacturer. Right now the system for home sewers and knitters is a luxury add on organized for hobbyists and for specialty sewing as for wedding dresses and special occasion clothes. As such, it is likely wasteful (and is certainly more costly) in ways that even the garment industry is not. At every turn, we deal with not what's best for us as individuals or the Earth but with what capitalism dictates 5) the clothes one makes at home or even has a seamster make tend to be quite customized. This means that their reuse value is limited. Manufactured garments come in standard sizes that (if they have your size) make them easier to fit and with standard features that also make them easier to wear. I can sew s favorite dress, made to fit my body perfectly that therefore no one else can wear once I'm done with it. 6) Most of us are used to and benefit from knit garments (by this I mean jersey and other stretchy fabrics found in t-shirts, leggings, yoga pants, etc). The changeover to knit garments from the wovens that were ever present in much of the 20th century have allowed for faster and simpler garment manufacture and also easily accomodate lots of different body shapes given that they stretch to fit. Those garments are harder to sew well with common machines, threads and needles. The variety of knit fabrics is also limited in fabric stores. 7) It is not always easy to figure out the fibers and finishes used on fabric you buy off the bolt. Those markings are often missing from the bolts - whereas with manufactured garments you need only read the tag. So, if it matters to you what you are actually putting on your skin or how that fiber is produced (a lot of the fiber production I'd pretty toxic) then there is no ready info. MENDING AND ALTERING - In terms of sewing, I would like to see people learn to mend/repair and alter their clothes so that they can wear them until they csn no longer be worn. If we were in the 1930s, many people would be making or having their clothes made locally. They mended their clothing and dresses were "made over" (altered, added onto, upscaled) when fashions changed or when you wanted something "new" to wear. Our views would need to change though overall re "fashion" which honestly is a capitalist and individualistic creation. We would need to be happy with smaller wardrobes and less turnover of our garments. Maybe the individual expression will have to come more from accessories (easier to make) than entire garments (this to your comment on the capsule wardrobe) - though there are capsule wardrobes made for styles other than that Ralph Lauren/Michael Kors beige, white, blue jeans style.

[@Jared-Marcelo]

It is a very utopian concept. The economic library focuses a lot on the greedy behavior of large companies, however, it ignores our own concept of self. As much as humans belong to a community, we are also individuals who like to keep our objects and possessions.

[@pendragon2012]

I like your emphasis on sustainability while still prizing human expression. Your videos ask the tough questions and don't just revert to simplistic answers and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it! Every time I get important stuff to think about and wonder about. You're complicating my life--in the best possible way! Have a great week, Alice!

[@naya4607]

the clothing library is really good, but I immediately went to cleanliness. Dealing with pit stains, sweat, laundry detergent residue (most ppl use wayyy to much), dandruff, lice, bedbugs, etc

[@karolinakuc4783]

You can get rid of lice by using pesticides. Chlorella should cleanse body of most toxines. Lents with it and raw organic vegetables are the most healthy thing

[@automatic5]

yeah, that all sounds rly gross. no thanks

[@MeTalkPrettyOneDay]

Making my own clothes (sustainability is a secondary reason for me) has been a lesson in quality. Anything i make that i really like gets abused like crazy. Im contantly learning tips and tricks of how to reinforce my garments to last through hundreds of washes. My goal is to make things i can still use a decade or two.

[@christineantal5045]

Something I try to do with my wardrobe is what i would call "catch-and-release thrifting." If I find I don't wear an item as much as I thought I would, instead of tucking them away in a closet or selling them for more money, I re-donate them to the thrift store where I found them. I think of it as sort of "replenishing the well" so that somebody else can enjoy these things again, and perhaps more so than I did. In the process of doing this I get to try on a lot more items for longer, and see how they look with various parts of my wardrobe. If I dont like them it's usually no major financial loss for a shirt or dress that was only a few bucks. I think it also encourages me to take better care of stuff, and has helped me narrow down what sort of things I like to wear.

[@nikotatara4185]

i've been thrifting since i was 15, i used to be a professional sewist for five years, i've been in the punk scene for many years, my mother is kind of an "influencer" on the slow fashion side of instagram, and this vid still got me thinking!! the library economy is sooo intriguing. i saw someone else say in the comments that making your own clothes creates just as much waste, but there are ways around that. i thrift all my sewing material, or get hand me downs bc people know i sew. & especially since im in the punk scene, i use my fabric scraps in all sorts of ways, like adding more patches to my jackets or crust pants. im in the middle of making a quilt right now with old scraps. i use my thread cut offs to stuff little pillows and stuffed animals. i saw a video on instagram of a small clothing brand making their zero waste purses where they include those thread cut offs in the final piece in a visible way. if it's in your own hands, you have the power to cut down on the waste or even abolish it!!!!

[@BelleChanson0717]

As someone who has a very "nonstandard" body, to the point where I struggle to find off-the-rack clothing to fit me, the whole clothing library idea is an immediate no for me, and I think for anyone who also has a body that deviates from what is considered a "norm". I either make my own clothes or have my garments tailored to fit me properly. I just... don't own a huge amount of clothing and try to make sure I buy clothes that are high quality and will last a long time. And a capsule wardrobe doesn't have to be boring and beige! It absolutely can be if that's your vibe, but I personally love lots of color. I also have neutrals for mixing and matching, but I will never have a wardrobe without plenty of pink!! I think the key is to be content with less. The most sustainable option is always what you already own. We don't need to be on the bleeding edge of fashion. We can cultivate our own personal style, independent of trends. That's always made me happier, anyway!

[@CampingforCool41]

Just because you personally might not like or be able to use a clothes library doesn’t mean it’s not a good solution for most people. No one would stop you from continuing to make your own clothes. Plus, if there wasn’t a profit motive involved you might find that there would actually be better support for clothing sizes and shapes outside of the majority. The current reason it’s hard to find clothes that fit you if you have a more unique body shape is because companies can’t make as much money with a smaller demographic of people.

[@katfoster845]

I'd be reluctant to use a clothes library or similar. Firstly, I'm an unusual size. I am 4'10 and not especially skinny. I want clothes that fit and look good. Petite in fashion terms exclusively means short. It does not mean skinny or extra small. I'm not interested in suggestions of places that make clothes in an XXXS or something, it's irrelevant to the discussion. I wouldn't expect a clothes library would have things in my size. If it did, I doubt they'd have things that I actually like. I hate beige. I hate grey. I rarely wear neutrals. I like colourful prints, but no neons. I'm extremely picky with the clothes I like and I'm unwilling to compromise on my style.

[@LorettaBangBang]

As a fashion design graduate who dealt with this topic for years, thrifting is the no 1 thing we can do right now, full stop. - reduces demand for new - diverts garments from landfill (for a while) - accessible to fashionistas that can’t imagine self-restraint in dressing The package using resources is not really a necessary argument when compared to the resources new stuff needs. The fact that thrifting is the best solution WITHIN the existing system is not a drawback, it is its strength. Yes, in the meantime we need to build a fair trade circular economy. But until then we also need solutions.

[@PinPinKula]

lol.. what? a fashion designer or a communist activist? get real, please. Leave the politics to thos who are paid to do it cause we all know your dealing with it just cause you will never design for a living.

[@Bl4k3.]

my main thing is people end up treating thrift stores like the mall. having huge hauls and such, where when i am in need i cannot afford a huge thrift haul and must only buy one or two things that i must have for work, or for recreational fashion. spending in excess at the thrift store takes away from the people who need thrift stores prices for necessity. i actually have found many thrifts have almost the same priced pieces as buying those pieces new!

[@koolix8345]

literally almost all the clothes i own are thrifted, but personally i dont like the idea of a library economy. i dont want to get clothes just for later to return them or have 50 other people who wore it before me. if im thrifting something its mine im not taking care of a piece of clothing just to return it later? also what do we do with people who steal the clothes from the "library"? people who dont return them? lose them? ruin them? its not a good system

[@Vizivirag]

Same for me. Clothes for special occasions are ok (like bridal dress) but please let me actually own my everyday work clothing! I already wear my clothes until unrepairable.

[@oNanemo]

Last year I visited Turku, a city in Finland, and I was surprised to realize that a *lot* of clothing shops had a rental system (a lot of those shops are advertised as second hand). Basically the shops were divided into small sections, each containing about 20 items of clothing (including bags and shoes), and you could rent the entire rack for a month. In some shops, the racks were created & belonged to the shop, and in others, they had been created by individuals lending their own clothes (and getting some of the profit). In some shops, you could buy individual items from the racks, and in others it was rental only. I thought it was a really good idea, to just get about 20 new pieces of clothing just for a month, if you love the idea of changing wardrobe regularly. Your video reminded me of this.

[@aimeewoodworks]

I love Leena Norms!!! I was so pleasantly surprised to see the two of you talking!

[@architectsneedunions]

Hi Alice, thanks for another great video! The last image in the solarpunk sequence with the high-rise buildings with trees going up along the facades is the Bosco Verticale in Milan. It may look cool, but that project is absolutely not a good example of solarpunk. It's luxury apartments in a financial district full of new construction. Also I've heard that the trees and shrubs constantly need to be replaced because the planters are all quite small and the planners weren't really paying attention to what plants they were ordering, and whether they can survive such exposed conditions. I see the Bosco Verticale mentioned quite often as an example of futuristic ~green~ design but it's really just incredibly expensive greenwashing.

[@ellendonald9625]

I used to volunteer in a shop that was similar to the "library of clothes" idea. People exchanged clothes donations for points which they used to purchase clothes from the shop.

[@xXNekou]

Leena Norms is a queen 💕 I dress alternatively so that makes me look at clothes at brands like H&M or Zara and go "omg this looks soooooo boring, there's nothing here for me", but unfortunately last couple of years I've been seeing fast fashion (and by that I mean popping out a new collection every two weeks) creeping into some alternative clothing brands as well. I try to be more and more conscious of what I buy, I will still buy new clothes sometimes (from alt brands), but generally I try to thrift and also support small businesses/individual makers (on Etsy for example), and yes, those clothes can get very expensive (compared to Primark or H&M) BUT I know that when I buy them I help someone pay for food and rent, and not just add a new zero to a white male billionaire's account :)

[@crystallineautumn]

I am so disappointed that now most of the clothing on Etsy isn’t even made by individual small scale makers anymore. Most of it is bought from other places and just resold on Etsy. Etsy used to have rules around things being vintage or handmade, and now it’s basically that you can just sell anything that you want on there. It’s really hard to find clothes on there now that are actually handmade or made by an actual small business. 😔

[@xXNekou]

@@crystallineautumn I get what you mean, but there are still many great bussinesses on Etsy, I think you just gotta be a bit more careful when looking for stuff, especially with clothing it's easy to spot dropshippers, first off the pictures usually give it away (they all use same types of pictures, and the pics are not great quality, you can also double check through google where the picture comes from originally), but if you're unsure just check reviews and check where the seller is based - if it's China, then avoid it.

[@dachshunds2676]

I feel like with a library-model for fashion we'd see a shift toward clothes incorporating a lot more size-adaptive elements, like having hidden drawstrings somewhere, or featuring more wrap-like styles etc. Its interesting to think about how fashion could shift to fulfill those new needs that come up. In my city we have "bike workshops" where people can use shared tools to take care of their bikes and i think it'd be fun to have something similar for clothes, with materials for altering clothes and maybe a handful of more educated sewists being around a workshop to help people or teach mending skills.

[@celebrityguest.9530]

LOVE that you brought up that andrewism video about the library economy!!! i may be biased since i work at a library but it's SUCH a good idea. i think ideally i'd really like to organize a clothing swap or something like that with other trans people (like.. i have skirts i'm sure some trans woman would probably appreciate idk) and i'm also incredibly fond of the idea of really really free markets, i don't think any happen in my area and i'm not quite a community organizer but like, things like that are really cool to me and it's a shame not many people talk about them !!

[@aderita209]

I am a fashion designer, I actually made my thesis in business about a sustainable business, the idea is making clothes for non binary people like me that are not boring or beige or has no shope. So I bought vintage fabric and made the collection and sew everything, learn a lot, but mostly how hard it is to make clothes in general, never mind making something hard like a blazer, the hours and hours you spent. So I know the struggle and I deeply feel the pain of every worker that gets exploded and gets paid like 0.20 cents an hour or less, it’s not fair. And if people would have an idea of the effort that goes into making clothes I think they would change their minds about fast fashion. But to my point was I made my business plan and had the numbers I knew it was going to be extremely hard to try and make that business work. Were I live people won’t pay you what the clothes are actually worth, and the fabric is not cheap, and I would have to make more clothes to gain something. So at the end I decided that I was not going to go through with that, because I was not going to be able to make really sustainable. And when most fashion companies tell you they are sustainable, it’s a lie, they can keep somethings in check but a real sustained company is the one that doesn’t make clothes. So now I give sewing classes and is cool to see how people want to make their one clothes, in the future I would like to give free classes to people that really need this skill, but in this capitalist society that seems unlikely.

[@weird-guy]

This why I think a better solution to give away the clothes you don’t want anymore to someone you know, they choose what they want and give the rest to someone they know and so on, and second part is reduce your own consumption of new clothes.

[@aderita209]

@Weird guy yes that is actually great and I have done that. Some friend are non binary or trans and they can't find clothes that fit them or they like, so I just gave them some of my clothes that were new or that actually just don't wear anymore.

[@PinPinKula]

lol, another looser.. get youself some apparel manufactuing handbook and learn the real shit.. most operator sew staight seams and they learn that on the job in days..

[@natashialefay]

I got into this topic a lot over the last years and it’s truly quite hard to realize your own bad habits and then change them. inspired by a capsule wardrobe I now stick to my 100-Pieces Rule for my entire wardrobe, this includes accessories, shoes etc but not socks and underwear. i know i only like a few colours beside the basics of black and off-white and they are a specific shade of green and a little bit of purple. i found out that I love handmade linen garments and now I have my (in my opinion) very versatile wardrobe of 100 pieces for the whole year and I never get bored of anything. when i buy something new (which happens rarely these days) I part with something else. and before I buy something I ask myself „is it truly better than what you already own?“ usually it isn‘t because I‘ve worked long on my collection and i truly love and feel confident and happy with the pieces I ended up keeping.

[@merefinl6914]

I've stepped away from the idea of seasonal fashion purchases since the pandemic started, and it is remarkable how little I actually need. Many of my clothes are from high school, and I have Forever21 pieces that have lasted me almost 10 years now. I don't give them much special treatment, but I do try to be light on detergent and avoid putting more delicate fabrics in the dryer. Once something has deteriorated (aka is full of holes) I put it in a scrap fabric bag for future use. I'm trying to approach my purchases with a better eye for quality and longevity, and avoid buying synthetic fabrics as much as possible. Ideally everything I add to my wardrobe should last me 20 years, not 10, and be something I'm genuinely happy to wear. It's always a work in progress.

[@LauraOtermat]

My clothes wear out even when I'm the only one who wears them, so I don't think a clothing library would work for me.

[@geniej2378]

I’m trying to streamline my wardrobe to only pieces I love. 3 things which have helped the most: picking a colour scheme (2-3 neutrals and 2-3 pops of colour), picking out 3-4 silhouettes (Pinterest really helped here, plus sticking to my “best” neckline for tops and dresses); and lastly always looking at the materials and care label to make sure I can look after the garment

[@colonelweird]

I absolutely did not expect the video to go in the direction it did, but I'm grateful. I almost skipped it entirely -- my own fashion rarely varies beyond jeans & black t-shirt, so I don't think about the topic much. But seeing fashion in the context of essential larger changes in culture, politics, and economy was very enlightening. The ending almost gave me a sense of hope, but as soon as I felt it, my anxiety increased. I'm afraid to hope and there are so many things trying to make it impossible -- but I know it's essential. Thank you for the reminder.

[@lisaburke7506]

In defense of the capsule wardrobe, while many magazines and some bloggers will have one think that minimalism and capsule wardrobing is about sticking to neutrals, simple shapes, and single material fabrics this is in fact false. As a member of several online minimalist communities (à la Facebook and Reddit), this lifestyle and it's aesthetics are diverse. There are colorful and eclectic minimalists and there are capsule wardrobes that live "beyond the beige", lol. Mine certainly does as jewel tones and oranges pair best with my complexion. Almost anyone can switch to minimalism and retain their unique aesthetic, or find one like I did via simplifying. So much of my non-minimalist life was quintessential American--doing way too many things at once. My wardrobe reflected that. Now, I have an intentionally designed (color filled) home and wardrobe that reflects me rather than trends.

[@stef1005]

Just dropping by to say that my absolute favourite clothes are the hand-me-downs I have from my parents. The pieces are well preserved, altered, tailored if needed. My friends and I share our wardrobes lots so that we can have a bigger pool to experiment with outfits, but not everything fits everyone. I find that my mom's garments, whose body composition I inherited, always fit nicely. Most pieces they have given me are outerwear, denim, sweaters and accessories, that look as if you found them in H&M today (only cooler and way better quality). You can express yourself just as successfully with timeless and more "basic" pieces and I will die on that hill!

[@radaliendesigns]

In my hometown, there has been a lot of interest in clothing swaps. They're happening so frequently, it almost feels like the clothing library you advocated for in your video. Right now, everything that doesn't get taken gets donated by the event hosts, but with a little bit of work (post-swap storage and inventory tracking would be the main things I can think of), I can see it becoming a more formal mobile clothing library.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

More than dropping frames, Alice is dropping content. That’s more important. #Priorities

[@nootics]

well, when it comes to sustainability, dropping frames might be the way... using the internet's large platforms, especially video platforms with high fidelity isn't exactly green with the amount of datacenters that need a lot of resources to be built as well as to keep running

[@micosstar]

(: exactly!

[@appa609]

​@@nootics Data centers are not really that important on the scale of total energy consumption: something like 2% of emissions, and already totally electrified. As we green the grid, we green the internet. Adding computing power is probably helping us solve climate change more than it's hurting rn.

[@ryanh7167]

​@@appa609 how do you figure that adding computing power is helping us solve climate change? It's not like that computing power is being directly used to solve grid level energy production problems. It's being used primarily in a Non-zero sum fashion where we are adding to the total number of hours of leisure consumption that require an external power source rather than taking them from a non-green friendly system to a green friendly system.

[@justsomeguywithoutamustang6436]

@@ryanh7167 it can help, it doesn't solve it. The more you can create efficient computing power, the more you lessen energy consumption. That's the reason why we have smartphones to begin with, you must realize where this comes from and how we reached this point.

[@sagathestoryteller7920]

I worked at Goodwill for a little over a year and I saw firsthand the chaos of resellers. They would come in everyday or every other day and break the rules the store set up, harass employees, and buy cart fulls at a time sometimes at the end of the day meaning we had to stay late. Some resellers were good, I remember there was a man who would come in with his ten year old son who was always polite and wasn't around a lot. My ex would buy and resell sports equipment, that was pretty good too. Resellers were genuinely difficult to deal with.

[@crowberrystudio]

ahhh high school me was dreaming up these exact things -- clothing libraries, tool libraries, seed sharing, skill sharing (not the website but the actual doing things for people in exchange for them doing something for you with the possibility to teach each other things along the way) I like thrifting as a better option in the current system, but it would be amazing to have more community "free stores" and make that catch on so when people were done using something they could bring it there so someone else could use it. or go there to repair things for free. this kind of thing exists near where i live, on some small islands with pretty progressive/hippy cultures. sometimes there is a free store near a recycling drop off location so that people can take their recycling but divert the things from trash that can still be used. thank you for making this hopeful video so we can dream of a better future!

[@ralz97]

Solar punk visuals are pretty, BUT the two towers with trees growing from the balconies in Milan are super greenwash-y: to manage the load of the trees, the building has an f-ton of reinforced concrete that these trees would never offset. Also, the SP aesthetic always involves a lot of glass, which is super bad at keeping warmth in cold months and keeping cool in winter. There is also this thing called the sand mafia, who DW made a video about, look into it. I get fashion is a hot and sexy topic, but the building industry is responsible for 40% of the global co2 emissions. Any aesthetic that suggests demolishing the old and building anew is sus to me.

[@HerWanderlust]

Ooh such an interesting line of thought. Glad you brought this up! Gonna go look into this

[@pozol5542]

yesss i love the collab with Leena! and i share a lot of your observations on thrifting; when i was in middleschool/highschool i was basically addicted to thrifting and i would buy items i wouldn't even wear later just because they were "good finds". i am working on my bachelor thesis right now and I'm still struggling to get rid of the thrifted items. i am simply drowning in them. social media, the contemporary pop-culture and the fashion industry promote the need to own so so many clothes, to own all the unique pieces, to never wear the same outfit twice. its not only not sustainable but also so tiring. i wouldn't say i have a capsule wardrobe right now, but i definitely limited the amount of clothing i own, so its no longer a "collection", but just a wardrobe of comfortable pieces i can rely on. the clothes i wear are no longer a mental burden and when i buy anything new (which is very very rare, maybe 2-4 times a year) i only buy from (rather expensive) sustainable brands. i don't want to make impulsive decisions, but rather well informed ones. i try to not only think about the aesthetic, but also the sustainability and workers rights.

[@veronicamilroy]

The suburb I live in has a 'buy nothing' group, and as part of that we have a lending library, where people can 'host' items at their home (not limited to clothes, could be power tools, sewing machines, craft/party supplies, anything you can think of!) and it's such a great system. For example, I work as a classical singer so have quite the wardrobe of fancy dresses/outfits, which I loan out to people for school formals (''prom" for those not from Australia!), parties, fancy events etc etc. Obviously they're limited to people who are the same size as me, but it's so helpful particularly for teens who just need a fancy dress for one day.

[@magilicious14]

Love what Hannah said about how she grew up thrifting with her mom often out of necessity but also because of the beauty we can find in vintage and thrifted items. So cool to see thrifting being a uniter within families. I'm fortunate that my mother is also a crafty woman who sews, reupholsters, stains/paints, builds, you name it. Just for an example, she took the old barn door from my Grandfather's farm and put it on a roller system and suspended it over a doorway. She also took an old french door and turned into a desk for me by attaching table legs that she found on the side of the road and recycled wood from the beams in her Dad's barn. I use these skills on a daily basis as I'm an artist and an art educator and love to expose my friends to the joys of thrifted and crafting.

[@KatharineOsborne]

I make a lot of my clothes now. I think sewing can be intimidating and have a bit of a start up cost, but it’s also a lot of fun. For those who can afford it, I encourage you to give it a try. It’s going to be a bit hard in the beginning and you are going to make mistakes but keep at it, keep practising and you will get there. I started in lockdown making masks like Leena and having a small project like that (repeated a lot of times) builds up your skill. If you have dogs or small children, practice by making clothes for them. I’m at the point where I’m making my own patterns. It’s great because I can make exactly what I want in exactly the fabric I want (always biodegradable, and I usually try to get ethical fabric made close to me, and sold locally. It’s a lot easier to source ethical, sustainable fabric than it is garments).

[@HerWanderlust]

Something I do is thrift good quality sheets comforters curtains etc and use those as the starting fabric for making things

[@madeleinecorreia6374]

loved the video ! the library of clothes reminds me a bit of the app by rotation. it’s rooted in a similar idea of people sharing the clothes that they have with others, people pay to rent them out and then give them back, making sure theyre in the same condition as the start. maybe ideally the ‘clothes library’ would be accessible in a different way & people would be able to keep the clothes for a long amount of time, but this seems like a good start. i know it’s a lot of people use by rotation for special events to rent out more formal clothes that they don’t have since they wouldn’t get used a lot, which makes so much sense when thinking about the value of a sharing community that views other people’s needs as linked to their own

[@gabic6470]

orthodox jewish communities (in ny and other parts of the U.S specifically) sorta have libraries for clothes! they’re called “gemachs” and there’s ones for baby/kids clothes, wedding dresses, wigs (cuz married orthodox jewish women cover their hair) and there’s non clothes ones too for chairs for events and books and stuff. usually they’re run by a woman in the community and sometimes there’s a fee but it’s usually for cleaning/upkeep and not to bring in a profit since it’s a community service basically

[@lidu6363]

After thinking about it for two minutes, "library" concept for clothes would not work for two reasons. One, unlike books and their content, neither fashion trends nor the pieces of clothing themselves are long-lasting. Two, unlike books, you have to maintain clothes with washing, ironing, etc.. where would be the perceived responsibility when buying new clothes is often cheaper than professional cleaning? Actually, third reason: Seasonal clothing. Where would be the warehouses to store all the winter jackets after spring came around? After thinking about it for five minutes, it's also something we're already doing. In my familly, clothes get hadnded down between siblings, cousins, nephews or nieces... I grew up wearing mostly hand-me-down wardrobe. But who can afford to do that other than a large family who also has a family house to store it? So there's a barrier to it as well... (Not to mention that I had huge inferiority complex because can you imagine attending high school in clothes bought for your seven years older sister? ☠️☠️☠️)

[@renatapittol309]

I use clothes my mom used to wear at my age in the late 80s and 90s, that are extremely on trend and get lots of compliments, and it's INSANE how I cannot find clothes the same quality or design that aren't overpriced in a store or a second hand shop

[@snowyetie8799]

16:50 this is such an interesting idea. It reminds me of a bartering system that native people used to do, the idea that if you have to much of one thing exchange it for something you need. Of course this won’t work on the large scale of our planet. But even if we need to adapt the idea to our life it will always be better than what we have now. Also I can’t sew shit, so the idea of just needing to cook lots of food for some to have clothes in exchange delights me.

[@thecarlosolmo]

Do we get to consider the difference between the usufruct of books and the ones on clothes? Not only do your clothes affect your identity in a way that I don't see it coming to practical terms at the moment that one changes clothes several times a day, but also there's a matter of hygene that doesn't work remotely similar on both kinds of items. Also theres an issue about the respect for the public item, I don't imagine the life expectancy of a communitarily used-piece of clothe being too long. I see the problem with the fashion industry, but if I find that, if trying to convince people for the creation of a public bank system where financial burdens are commonalyzed is hard, convincing them of creating a system in which what you are wearing today was wored yesterday by your neighbour is gonna be seen as nonsense. I would rather point out in the direction of benefiting the local industry and charging those ones pollluting and mass producing than having to depend on these kind of community-shared clothes.

[@ticianafernandes6687]

I totally agree! Clothes are very personal, I would much rather own less items than have to share my closet

[@off6848]

@e.e. Water evaporates and finds its way back to the ocean..

[@Vizivirag]

Yes! Something like this could work (and actually works in my country) for things like bridal dresses, ballgowns, Halloween costumes, and actor's or dancer's costumer for theater performance. But, for like, a T-shirt I wanna go to the marketplace? My work clothes to use public transport and wear them all day long? Thanks but no thanks.

[@margaritavallejos7472]

I’m 32 and I can’t think of any time on my life were I have put a piece of clothing in the trash. I’ve always made sure my used clothes have a new owner

[@bear8767]

I feel like it's still possible for people to express themselves through a capsule wardrobe. Just like how the cycle of thrifting (buying, thrifting, reselling, etc.) uses energy and resources, so would a library system that requires switching clothes out with people in your community. It would also work significantly less efficiently in rural areas. While it's true that many capsule wardrobes today lean into a very specific style, wardrobes have been limited much longer than they have been limitless. Prior to the mid-1900s, most people only had a select number of clothes. The modern mentality of expressing yourself through many different outfits is not inherent to self-expression.

[@sarahnelson8836]

The issue with this is then you get up charged for fabric (which may also have been made immorally) and you have to have the time to gain the skills to sew so it’s not really accessible or “fixing the problem” The problem is about how you are seen in “old” clothes. How things that are worn or patched are “bad” and must be hidden otherwise how can you be taken seriously? We need to look at not just fashion but the function of clothes themselves to solve the problems around making them - even ethical brands often don’t design clothes to be easily mended or to wear in rather than out.

[@SarahJo]

I've been thinking a lot about this type of thing as I've been learning to knit and crochet. I'm knitting my very first sweater while watching this video and just thinking about how I'm designing this sweater to be a forever piece, something I wear for the rest of my life because it's exactly what I want and it expresses who I am. I genuinely think the rise in popularity of making your own clothes, wither it's through knitting, crochet, sewing, etc. is a great thing and will help a lot of people get to a place of thinking more about clothing in a positive way.

[@brigidia8218]

love it so so much! what’s really helped is knitting while i listen to podcasts :)

[@SarahJo]

@@brigidia8218 yes! I've been doing audio books, it's heavenly!

[@brigidia8218]

@@SarahJo nothing like it honestly :) i love letting my hands work while letting my mind wander looking out the window! and then i have a scarf! there’s so much beauty in the mistakes, too. ugh i love hobbies.

[@morganqorishchi8181]

I have never had a "haul" from a thrift store. I get individual pieces that I can see myself wearing for a long time, modify to fit me easily (I'm a short man) and I often get fabric from thrift stores. Being able to make things that fit me or modify old people clothes into something that is tailored for me is satisfying and also has slowed my consumption level. I'm not overconsuming, I'm carefully consuming with the future in mind.

[@englishfromthegroundup]

While a society where we've implemented a "clothes library" and have sufficient mutual aid infrastructure to cover all of our creative and accessibility needs sounds utopian given our current situation, it's important to remember that the alternative to radical action is inevitable ecological disaster. Thanks for the video, always gives me new ideas to think about. Also I love @Andrewism's work, it was awesome to hear him featured in this video!

[@jonasholzer4422]

I recently visited a clothes swap party organized by Greenpeace. You could bring a few pieces and take a similar amount of other things back home. I immediately loved it. I could see people find my unloved clothes and being happy about them and I found some great pieces too. It's easy it's fun and it's free

[@longsai94]

I am fully with you that we need to change the whole system around how we see clothes and fashion! One thing I was sceptical with was your view on minimalist wardrobes, as your idea of this system is more based around the minimalist asthetic rather than the mindset. Having a more minimal wardrobe has helped me a lot with being more creative in how I style my outfits, being more frugal with what I have and use my clothing way more often. People should be able to express their individuality, but maybe having dragshows as an example is not the best idea because they are wearing costumes, not everyday clothing? You're also mentioning indigenous and traditional clothing, but as I see it, the fashion in these cultures and countries are very collectivist, not individualistic in their style. For example, the traiditional clothing in my country, Norway, the "Bunad" is very similar in its shape and form, just different to show which part of the country you're from. Maybe the problem with fashion today is that we have too much choice and show too much individualism, so we end up with closets filled with clothes we barely use because we have no proper guideline on how to dress, and we don't know our own true style. So we just keep on buying and fall victim to fast fashion trends because we trust others to tell us what we should wear. When you look back at historical paintings/photos/sculptures, everyone is basically wearing the same thing, just with little changes here and there to show off their individuality. Humans have mostly lived with a minimalistic closet through history (maybe except from the upper class), based on the function of the clothing, the available resources, their culture and the current fashion. I'm just thinking maybe having some kind of uniform is not too bad to minimize this rapid consumerism we see today.

[@doriangray2001]

I totally agree with this, do we really need to express our individuality with every single piece? And how many pieces does one need for expression?

[@INES-mz3zu]

They also showed their individuality by making the thing that will set them appart, not buying the brand that is selling this idea to them. I don't agree with uniformity, because needs of different people globally are vastly different, and based on these needs, we will create clothes that satisfy the need for their utility (probably by tech advancemet, developing new textiles), and will be customizable. It is impossible to go back to the same uniform we had prior, because the tech advancements, and the way we approach product development, and also, trends do resurface, but don't mistake the ephemeral trends for a new constant.

[@longsai94]

@@INES-mz3zu Agree, but there has never been a universal uniform. The inuits have a very different uniform than the buddhist monks for example, based on their climate and cultural background. Customizable clothes is a good idea. For example, my Bunad has been sewn with extra fabric so I am able to expand it. I got it when I was 14 (I am now 29), so the seamstress who made it for me understood that my body would change, and planned for that in the process. We really cherish our traditional clothing as it is very expensive (starting at around 2000 dollars new), cultural and many times inhereted from our family members. So we chose to repair it and take good care of it rather than see it as disposable. This is how we should view clothing to be more sustainable. And I think there are multiple way to show individuality. You can make things yourself as you said. Or you can have items which you have inhereted from family and friends, for example having some rings inhereted from your mother or grandmother. They will mean a lot more to you than some cheap rings bought in a fast fashion shop. Or it might be a piece of clothing from a trip you had that means a lot to you and has a lot of memories and stories attached to it. I think the more meaning we attach to our clothes and accessories, the more we cherish them and take care of them.

[@__-vb3ht]

Alice: "If you told the queer community that from tomorrow they only get to have a capsule wardrobe, it's not going to work" Meanwhile Lesbians: "The government mandates 3 pairs of cargo pants and 5 flannel shirts per person? Shit, where am I going to get two extra shirts?"

[@tymondabrowski12]

Really? So who are all those blue haired and colorfully and interestingly dressed girls? Are they all bi? Can't be straight, surely... /joking

[@appa609]

In reality, you accumulate too many flannel shirts and wear through too many cargo pants.

[@catvalentine4317]

Nah, les and loves fashion here

[@henryfleischer404]

Well, the way my sister dresses makes a lot more sense now. I wonder how her girlfriend dresses.

[@NatalieMadeThis]

In Australia the uniform is 3 pairs of Suk pants and 5 fun button downs

[@appa609]

Good thing I don't buy clothes because I'm poor. I get to live an eco-friendly morally virtuous existence wearing ten year old t-shirts I got for free from a conference in high school

[@frostbitten41]

Thanks for making another informative and thought provoking video! I like the intent, but I'm a bit skeptical about the clothes libraries for two reasons: One, how to avoid the 'Tragedy of the Commons', where people treat the library clothes with less care because they are personally less responsible for the garment over its lifetime. Second, how to avoid 'Rent Seeking' where every aspect of society becomes a 'pay to play' subscription service. A good example of this is the car rental industry which has a similar branch model, and where people treat cars 'like a rented mule', and the rental companies replace their stock every year.

[@inazerega]

Great job on this video! Although I have to disagree on your point that sharing goods leads to more care. If you’ve ever shared a house with strangers, you’ve certainly noticed that people don’t care as much for shared belongings because they don’t belong to them. Also because no one else is taking care of them anyways. In my home I scrub my pans and pots until they shine because they’re the fruit of my hard work and because they’re mine.

[@Mia-gp6hz]

capsule wardrobe feels like a uniform that can also look outdated in some years. I believe in buying clothes that you really like and mirror your style and personality, avoid buying the same things several times (e.g. nobody needs 3 different beige blazers) and wear everything until it gets damaged beyond reparation possibilities (e.g. you can sew an open seam but if there are more big holes then its okay to throw it away or cut the fabric into cleaning towels for example). We all need less than we own and should buy more targeted from brands who are sustainable.

[@steph5630]

Really great food for thought! I studied textile design and also have been figuring out my style in charity shops and thrift shops over the years. I only buy clothes second hand! I'm loving the trends around people enjoying doing visible mending of their clothes, I'm darning my partner's jumper today actually. I'd also say to everyone, if you want to take this one step further, j recommend reading Alice Fox's latest book I think is called Wild Textiles? And Jenny Dean's book Wild Colour. The first explores the actual processes in taking things from plant fibres to textiles (Alice Fox makes textile threads from plants in her allotment, it's really cool!) and the latter explores using plants as natural dyes, doing away with toxic chemical dyes. Some combination of this library idea, plus those in the industry who have the skills to work on textiles changing their practices to help keep the library fresh and vibrant and mended, as well as making new pieces sustainably with the skills to use plant waste and plastic waste and natural dyes. Also, natural dyes are so cool! If you're interested in them I recommend checking out India Flint's work.

[@cloudthief8918]

Haven't watched the whole video yet, but I just wanted to say that the whole sudden focus on the evils of fast fashion seems like a deliberate distraction from the near universal damages the fashion industry does as a whole, fast or slow.

[@aaronhoy3410]

@Cloud Thief I mean really you could also turn around & say that focusing on the fashion industry is just a distraction from the damages & harms caused by industry across-the-board. Content creators create content related to things they know about or at least are interested in & they to some degree pay attention to what's trending when it involves one of those topics to try & capitalize on the trend. Or at least when they upload content often enough to be capable of catching trends.

[@weird-guy]

The answer is simple, less consumption but KZbinrs are in the business of sales.

[@CampingforCool41]

I mean it’s because “fast” fashion is exponentially more destructive than “slow” fashion (whatever that even means in this world considering most big brands are fast fashion)

[@anni1348]

​​​​​​@@CampingforCool41 No, Its not. Most High end expensive brands produce in the exact same factories in India, China, Bangladesh and Turkey, with the exact same terrible working conditions and low payment, they produce right next to Fast Fashion brands like H&M, Primark, Shein and Zara, for example Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Levis, Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton, Supreme and Ralph Lauren have been found to do that. Also brands like Gucci produce under bad conditions in Chinese factories set in Italy, because made in Italy sounds better. Whats also pretty common is that expensive brands would have their clothes mostly produced outside of Europe and America, like in China or Bangladesh, but they would the last part of their clothes get finished in an European country, because then they can label it as Made in France, even tho 90 percent of the production was in China. Also most Fashion Brands, expensive and cheap, don't know where exactly their clothes come from, they know the factories that stitch the clothes together, but they don't know where the material came from (which exact cotton, polyester or woll farm) and how the animals and workers there where treated. They also don't know how the material was prepared and colored (what chemicals where used), before they went to the stitching factory. So there is a lot of intransparency with all fashion brands, expensive included. Also expensive brands maybe have less collections, but as soon a collection is sold and they have leftovers, they use artificial shortage, which means they rather destroy the leftover clothing, instead of selling them cheaper in sale, because that would weaken the value of this brand, since everything that appears rare is more expensive.

[@doubleleterlady]

My local library (the one for books) also holds a once a year prom dress swap for girls and a tux swap for boys. In the USA we have a formal dance for teenagers at their school called prom, and the dresses are often only worn once. My community college has a free shop for professional clothes open to graduates to help them find a job. I think these are steps in the right direction.

[@juliak1615]

I just LOVE seeing you collaborating with Leena, her work is incredible and refreshing!

[@cicadeus7741]

I'm known in my town for wearing everything thrifted. I just don't have the money to shop at fashion stores, and new items just don't last. I fix my clothes, tailor when I gain/lose weight, and if I end up not wearing them they go right back to the same charity store I get them from, with no change and a little profit for the store. With how crazy the seasons in Aussie mountains are, and how much my size fluctuates, my wardrobe turns over about 60% per year. But my oversize or stretch items, I've had for 4-7 years. But I make a point of never buying new material, my fabric is secondhand, my clothes are secondhand, even the thread I fix items with is secondhand. Undergarments are all I pick up firsthand. There's so many good, usable, beautiful clothes out there.

[@viktoriavadon2222]

As a plus size woman, my worry about a library of clothes is similar to that of thrifting: how do I find items that fit me well?

[@eli1098]

as a bigger person ive also ran into these problems and I'm tryna find some solutions too, there's a huge issue of plus size people not getting the variety and quantity in clothing options like smaller people do. i think it might be a matter of we need to start curating our own spaces/connections to fill the gaps, like seeking out other plus size people to start trading clothes with irl or online, learning to sew ourselves, or trading skills with people who can sew

[@simrana2916]

Many manufactures atm produce clothes that are smaller than the most common size in their society so maybe with a library there might be a larger collection of clothes for plus size people?

[@rebeccassweetmusic4632]

@@eli1098 As a big girl, I approve of this! I once got some cute outfits from a plus-size person I used to know and the clothes are so cute and actually fit. I also just recently thrifted some clothes from ThredUp. I sought out some plus-size creators on KZbin to see how thrifting on ThredUp has worked for them and was amazed. I love ThredUp because of its wide size range

[@malypavel25]

14:32 I am sorry, but in my experience, if a resource belongs to everybody, most people are gonna waist it. They never do if they have to pay for it. It doesnt extend everywhere, but you can expect it in most places.

[@imanebb6050]

Hi Alice, it is my first time commenting on your video that I really enjoy watching! I really enjoyed this one because I worked in the garment industry in Paris so I feel concerned about this topic, thank you for talking about it. I would like to join the debate! I believe the idea of a garment library is quite interesting but with a lot of questions raised. First I believe it is important to define what and how libraries work and see if that it can be applied to clothes manufacturing industries and to which one of them ( ready-to-wear, luxury industry or not, bespoke and haute couture…) and also think of the environmental, labor (will it it be a lose or win for small designers/artisan/seamstresses/tailors etc.) and financial impact of that kind of system (should it be fully financed by the government like libraries in France for example, or open to investors) because the fabrication of clothes is more expensive than books. In my opinion, expressing ourselves is important but living in an era where trends last a few weeks I wonder if it is a true desire of self expression or just desire to be different, to be seen. Fashion has allowed hidden communities to be seen ( and then to be stolen from them but it is another debate), it is a way to be bold and creative and it is amazing. But I feel that nowadays, people have the urge to be and feel different and special. As if, as individuals living a life that nobody has ever lived and will never live is not enough to be special. People have to be more, to inspire others to be like them and at the same time, keep enough distance to be different from them. It is competitive as its base, and might encourage consumption and capitalism. I think the problem might be rooted in the way, we, people see ourselves and the world (we are a part of) and the relationship we are building with this world. We shall not be anxious to be basic or to have an extravagant look, as we should not care to dress “feminin” or “masculin”. We also shall not overlook the environmental impact, there is a real urge to buy less and change our way of consumption. Having basics that are made with quality fabrics and good finishing touches is important to keep them as long as possible. And then from time to time buying items that we are fond of and SURE to wear several times for the next few years, even if this product is expensive or not. Perhaps that way, it might be more emotionally valuable, and keep it longer. I can also understand that some people need to express themselves, to reflect who they are for professional and/or personal purposes. They have the possibility to ask for local seamstress or tailor to help them make the clothes they want. The price will depend on the size of your project and sometimes, it can be cheaper than buying from big luxury ( because you do not pay for the name and publicity). If it is still expensive, people can learn how to sew via lessons or tutorials on youtube as said in the video. If people do not have time to do that, there is the creative solution of upcycling clothes. It takes less time than doing a whole garment and can be cheaper. It also can be completed by renting services for clothes that we need to make financially accessible for young people that are usually the consumer of fashion and fast fashion brands, but also for poor families that are also one of their targets. We also might not forget people with special needs due to some disabilities. That is a long comment! Lol We have many options to improve in the Fashion industry, those can lead to making it more creative ( that is a criticism I often hear that nowadays compared to decades ago, it lacks it) and more meaningful in a world where climate change issues are central. I would like to conclude that it is also important to do a deep introspective job with ourselves. Clothes won’t solve deep problems in our life, if it does, usually, it’s temporary pleasure. People can be deeply attached to a jean but it’s because there is a memory/ story behind it, those are the garments that matter. Now we have to learn how to choose and transform them to be memorable. Thanks for those who read the whole comment and merci Alice pour tes vidéos toujours au top!

[@TheBlondeNinjaXD]

YESSS! I love this collab. Leena Norms is fantastic! And I watch a lot of channels that collab with Andrewism as well!

[@emberurban]

I love all of these ideas. As a mom to 3 young kids I've tried to think about how a library economy would work for them. The “take care” part is difficult when you just want kids to be free to be kids. I'd love to hear suggestions. For now, I think thrifting may be the best choice for their clothes.

[@MrFreezFree]

"From each according to his ability to each according to his need"

[@Shyllard]

Additional point: thrifting as a male - at least where I live - is almost impossible. I would really like to get into it, but it is always a disappointment since I rarely find anything that fits (I have a very generic body-type) and when I can, those clothes cost more than similar ones in fast-fashion. Which is sadly not an affordable option for me.

[@Nova_the_starcatcher]

I personally cant thrift usually, for reasons you said - I'm plus size simply because im tall, and struggle to find clothes that fit that are new. I try to buy clothes mindfully but it is frustrating having a non average sized body

[@ana-morgana]

I've heard before the phrase "private sufficiency, public luxury" to describe this kind of vision of the future that focuses less on ideas of having to give up luxuries but instead move them into common ownership

[@polarfoxgirl]

Random thing, but I really relate to what Leena said about "vegetarian journey" of going from not eating meat because of environmental/health reasons to rediscovering my childhood disgust for it.

[@strangeaelurus]

How is your comment from 2 days ago? Is that like a KZbin membership thing or something

[@ritarosa6824]

Right, how is your comment so old?

[@Vizivirag]

That's weird, I neves was disgusted by meat as a child. Vegetables, however... the bitter soapy taste improved a lot, but the consistency in some cases... also a lot of fruits. No juice with fruit pieces for me still.

[@brenda0006]

I think the library of things is a good idea, but I'm not sure about fashion, maybe certain things, but as someone who didn't grow up with a lot of things, I feel really attached to most of my clothing, and I don't think I'd want to share my favourite pieces. But I like the idea of doing stuff to receive stuff, like I receive a handmade sweater if I do the equivalent time of something in return.

[@whatsleft100]

I have had clothing from shops such as Great Plains, Dorothy Perkins and the surf labels Roxy, Billabong etc, that has lasted in wearable condition for up to 15 years. Then I'll buy something made since 2010, and it lasts less than a year. It feels like, overall clothing standards have fallen. I thought the 2008 financial crash would slow the fashion industry down to quality and style over fashion and quantity. Instead, there has been an increase in cheaper, nastier and unethically made clothing. Clothes libraries combined with durable capsule wardrobes sound like a way forward. We need to keep using more durable /sustainable materials in clothes production, such as is currently done with hiking clothing and textile forward-thinking trials of clothing made from pineapple waste. Urban environments can be as hostile in temperature dysregulation as the countryside , i basically want more tailored clothing made out of camping clothes materials. These are easier to wash and dry too! I love the idea of slow style , made to order not produced to throw away , I hope to see more of that in the future.

[@elisaesperante6805]

Getting a Vinted ad right before this video was WILD 💀

[@drzeworyj]

as someone who is a knitter, I can certify that a lot of wool/yarn is moved to and from China for chemical processing and dying, creating huge toxic residues in local rivers. given that 99% of wool comes from Australia or Latin America and is most consumed in Europe or the US, the logistic trail it leaves behind is enormous. there are ethically sourced or produced skeins, and many knitters are dedicated to buying them, but they will cost you a small fortune. sure, you can pay 200€ for a sweater you knitted yourself, but it won't make for 24 different self-made outfits to post on your blog unless you have a lot of money. the perk is that self-made clothing is good quality and adjustable, so it is supposed to last a lot. same thing would go for textiles - many aren't ethically sourced, not to mention the GOTS certificate that prevents child labour, etc. upcycling is a much better solution in this case, but it does not render very good results in knitting.