influencer culture is normalising some messed up behaviour and it's hurting us

the spectrum of overconsumption goes from shopping for luxury goods like groceries to buying new shein dresses for every occasion. I say, unfollowed any creator romanticising either
shein report: www.publiceye....
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reacting to my 2012 fashion blog: • reacting to my 2012 fa...
SHEIN IS MUCH WORSE THAN ALL OTHER FAST FASHION BRANDS // here is why: si=npRMC2lXCGvhGjIZ
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[@MMHay16]

Thrift stores *are* getting more expensive, but I also think there's an aspect of people who have been "influenced" thinking "why would I buy this secondhand for $8 when I can buy it new on shein/temu/amazon for $5??" The ultra fast fashion is impacting people's expectations of price and then they have no awareness of what it actually costs to make something ethically / buy something that was made ethically

[@midnightsun1429]

Exactly exactly!! I find myself thinking that way sometimes too! Esp when going out... Junk food is so much cheaper than real food. But this girl's videos are so so helpful, they keep me grounded lol

[@thisoneT]

Yes, I've thought this exactly!

[@irenero8932]

Also I get mad with some thrifstores. They try to sell things expensive when in that time they would have sold four items..

[@tinkthestrange]

True, but thrift stores don’t produce the clothes, they get their product for free and should be able to manipulate the prices to not be more expensive than stores that either pay to produce or buy from producers. I can buy at Walmart, Marshall’s, Ross, etc for cheaper than goodwill nowadays. Other thrift stores are doing better though

[@terrie3957]

One advantage is that at thrift stores its a lot more obvious that a real human is deciding the prices, and often one who doesn't know what good craftsmanship is. So if you know the difference between a cheap and an expensively made garment is better than the pricer, you still find great deals, and you only need to go to a competing store, usually not downtown, to find way cheaper. Contrast to stores who's prices are made by corporate office statisticians who you will never outsmart.

[@rachelcoleman7436]

Overconsumption is the biggest problem - people buying way more than what they need. Years ago I decided that I did not have the finances, interest, or time to keep up with trends. I opted for second hand and have tried very hard to buy only what I need and what I like without being influenced by trends. As a result, I feel better in my clothes, my home is decorated with things I love, my bank account is healthier, and I have left feelings of inadequacy about what I don't have behind. I get to decide what I like and what I spend my money on - no one else, least of all a big corporation, has any say in this.

[@Anna_ForFutureAdventures]

Yeees, 100% yes! I especially love the last sentence! There is so much empowerment in consuming consciously! ❤❤❤

[@carolbonnett7409]

Well done! 😊

[@carolbonnett7409]

I REALLY Love this video Gittermary ❤ the best in A long time& I Love your frankness & sense of humour, lol. I have Never watched any of those influencers you are talking about & have always hated fast fashion & or following trends. :) I do however have trouble buying to many second hand clothes though I am very selective on style & materials IE: linen, cotton etc, but I have been doing the buy one get rid of one but I also did another big haul getting rid of things I just don't wear anymore or have growing out of. WELL DONE for an excellent thought provoking video. 😁😁🤩😀😀🇦🇺🇳🇿

[@Snazzyzazzy99]

I'm a single income household with a kid, I buy all my stuff second hand. Garage sales, thrift stores, fb marketplace. You'll get so much better quality stuff than shein can provide and you're not contributing to waste and slave labor.

[@michellehughes896]

So true! Me too.

[@ecofriendlyadventures5154]

Not a single income household, but bought the vast majority of my baby girls clothes from Vinted or charity shops, and 2 big recycling bags of 2nd hand stuff from one of my best friends.

[@GoldenTherapeuticStyling]

Same and same!

[@rikkemeek1506]

Everytime i see people do Shitmu hauls i alway go to the comments and link your videos of why we shouldn't buy from S&T.

[@Gittemary]

now THIS is activism 😎🫶

[@brifren2]

So do I, and I do the same with Justine Leconte's brilliant videos about the truth about fast fashion and those horrible companies.

[@sustainfem]

Oh wow, I need to do this! Great idea.

[@Celebrinthal]

Shitmu 😂 oh boy isn't that accurate

[@GoldenTherapeuticStyling]

Shitmu😂brilliant

[@amandakarlsson4343]

My biggest issue with hearing ”I got it from shein” is that it’s usually from people I know should be able to afford better quality stuff. I’ve started to assume they just don’t care about how their clothes are made and how it impacts everyone in the production line and the planet…

[@seltzermint5]

same, I admit it takes my perception of the person down a notch or two when they say that. And when something's proclaimed to be thrifted or vintage it takes them up!

[@irenero8932]

@@amandakarlsson4343 my cousin is having a kid and she is tight on budget. I showed her the Micolet app and you can get new with tags cothes for kids for 1-2€. Probably way cheaper than Shein. For adults is more difficult and worn out. But kids, easy peasy.

[@qiaramcneill]

What stood out to me the most was "It's not a human right to be able to buy cheap, trendy clothing." And I loved that you highlighted worker exploitation and caring for them. I try my best to be as conscious of a consumer a possible but this helped me to be reminded of my why. Thank you so much ❤

[@Polinavorn]

We’re just so far removed from the slavery of the global south that it feels like a cultural shock to learn the privilege of having tons of cheap new clothes constantly means slavery

[@applesandparachutes3086]

I was introduced to shein for the first time by a former friend who was the sweetest, kindest person. She mentioned that she had gotten a ton of clothes for only $20 and I was like "Wow, sweet! Wait, but who made them?" And she just shrugged.

[@ChronicVillainy]

Thank you for this video. Totally agree with these huge shein/temu hauls being such an issue. I've been seeing influencer culturure and overconsumerism overtake online hobby/nerdy/fandom spaces too. Huge bookhauls, buying multiple limited editions of the same books, buying all the anime/manga merch because it's from a certain IP rather than just the item or two that you genuinely like, getting and hoarding more video games or boardgames than you can ever play, buying multiple Switch consoles because there's another cute limited edition, getting rid of perfectly functioning tech because your gaming setup needs to match aesthetics. It's also in stationary, art supplies, craft supplies, warhammer, I could go on. People chalk it up to 'let people like things' or 'just have poor impulse control lmao' or'no etgical consumption under capitalism'. I'm getting increasingly alienated that online spaces are increasingly more about buying and showing off the thing, rather than talking about and sharing the thing and connecting through it. It makes me sad. :( It's so normalized these days. All those enormous hauls did make me consider my own consumption habits and decide to consume less/appreciate what I have more, so there's that at least. I'm no saint, but better late than never!

[@nataliawineland34]

I feel like somewhere along the line "fashion" became owning a lot of clothing and not like having your own style

[@ShoestringJane]

You are a good influencer! I really dislike the mindless fashion and beauty influencer culture that makes people feel they are too poor, too ugly etc and as you say normalises over consumption on a massive scale. I only enjoy a charity shop haul!

[@tamerasides3425]

Between watching u and Shelby on Shelbizlee, I've come to realize that the clothes I prefer to purchase are definitely not fast fashion. I prefer to purchase clothes that last especially because of my size. Since I have to purchase 5x & or 6x. Thank u for helping me to understand that what I prefer to purchase is better because not only cost effective but last so much longer.

[@ChueshDash]

OMG, this and the overconsumption in the beauty industry! Coming from Eastern Europe, I've unlearned so many habits that were normalized in my generation because young women were, and still are, expected to 'invest' in their looks as in: extensive wardrobes, nails/lashes/hair salon visits every few weeks, the goddamn fillers etc. I'm not against any of these per ce and enjoy a salon manicure or a new haircut myself (once in a while), but it's a small luxury that is perceived as an absolute basic necessity - like having a loo roll when you need it. Would love to hear your take on beauty overconsumption, Gittemary!

[@theboujieproletariat]

Writing to you from Bucharest- I can see the younger girls are not following this beauty standard so much now, maybe they do have lot of clothes, but there are so many fresh faced teenage and early 20s girls around the city, comfy trainers, comfy baggy t shirts, natural colour hair. Looking quite different to 10 years ago. Good for them!

[@AliceAnnRose]

14 years ago, when I was 14, I was watching makeup tutorials with products being a bit of the afterthought (Michelle Phan), thrift hauls (Jenn Im), and how to fold my laundry in an efficient way (Yaya Lifestyle, not as popular). I remember being influenced to buy kabuki brush because Michelle Phan was using it in every. single. video. That's one of the key the differences for me. Ye olde youtube people used their stuff over and over again, and brands were nowhere to be seen. Yet.

[@Sweet_Dee]

Okay, so we're like the same age and grew up watching similar content lol! That's a very good point. I remember when products in the tutorials were more of an afterthought or maybe the creator would link them in the description after people would ask what it was (again, we were curious, because we saw it in every video 😂). I used to try to recreate Michelle Phan makeup looks with whatever makeup I had and got a similar effect. Now influencers just push a million products as the focal point of the video, and then we never see said products again

[@theboujieproletariat]

Yes! Nikki's tutorials would be showing us the difference between putting foundation with an egg sponge, finger, brush. Not selling the brush.

[@tinar1405]

I really love your videos, you are actually the influencer that helped to detox me from the amazon inflluencers I followed. I sound like a child, but having had a lot of issues with my back, watching youtube became a daily habit and so did buying stuff online. Because of course it's sad to be at home and almost not moving all day. You really make underconsumption and zero waste activities fun and stylish, so thank you. 🥰

[@fygfyg7242]

Bringing poor people to the discussion about fast fashion is the same tactic as bringing disabled people to the conversation about people-centric city design (aka reducing car traffic). You can't just say you like your current lifestyle (being it driving everywhere or overconsuming clothing) and are unwilling to change even when faced with a list of very good arguments as to why you should (safety, climate etc.). So what you do instead is to bring people in a difficult situation (poor/disabled) to use as a shield ("you want to get rid of shein? you're such bad person, you clearly do not care about those poorer than you"). Which is very ironic because usually those poor/disabled whould be actually much better of if our habits changed (bike paths are great for wheelchair users, public transport for elderly and walking for those who cannot drive because of their disability; same for clothing, if you can only afford one new dress per year, you will be better of in the society where everyone rewears their clothes all the time instead of society where people's clothes are all new and constantly changing, because in such environment, with just one, well used dress you now stick out much more and are more likely to face social stigma). Also, people really have a skewed idea of what people in difficult situations actually need. For example, I remeber that when the war in Ukraine started, the organizations helping the refugees literally had to ban people from bringing them clothing, because, even though those people often left their home with nothing more but a suitcase, it turns out a bunch of cheap clothing wasn't what they needed. Shocking, right? /s

[@thisisnotausernameXD]

I just want to add that people-centric design also should include designing things in a disability friendly way. I have good public transport in my city and country overall but it's really not that disability friendly. All I'm saying is it's important to hear out the actual people, poor or diabled and their specific concerns or issues before using them for or against any of these conversations.

[@fygfyg7242]

​@@thisisnotausernameXD I was talking about reducing car traffic and providing alternatives to driving and it's very, very difficult to make it disability unfriendly. Streets with less traffic or fully pedestrianised are safer for everyone, including disabled. Bike infrastructure and wide sidewalks can be used by mobility scooters. Public transit is great for those who cannot drive due to age or disability. Less congested streets mean that those who absolutely have to drive at least don't get stuck in traffic. And so on, and so on. Sure, you can build the train station that is inaccessible for some reason but that is not an issue with public transit being proritized over car infrastructure, it's just that the station was designed badly. A completely different problem. The same goes for the old infrastructure that is inaccessible - the issue is that it was not modernized to meet modern standards. Making city more car friendly won't fix, what is needed here is a renovation, not more roads somewhere else.

[@thisisnotausernameXD]

@@fygfyg7242 I'm saying it's not a seperate issue, if you are going to design something to be people centric, it should be people centric, including disabled people. I'm all for less cars and more public transport (I don't even own a car) but public transport and cities need to be designed better, more inclusively. Basic infrastructure alone is not inclusive or accessible enough and requires some more thought to it. Yes, much of the public transport I frequently use is old and outdated without ramp access to board them and the streets have poorly made pavements that is difficult to walk or use mobility aids on. And never mind that advanced mobility aids are not very common here. But it's not something that has to be built from scratch here, it mostly just needs to be improved upon. Different places have different issues and the whole conversation is too often focused on Western cities (especially North American).

[@fygfyg7242]

​@@thisisnotausernameXD I think we have a little misunderstanding here. When I was talking about people-centric design, I was using this term in opposition to car-centric design. In other words, I was talking about measures ment to reduce car traffic in favor of walking, biking and public transit. Things like reducing car lanes, improving public transit, reducing speed limits, introducing traffic calming etc. Whenever such projects are proposed there are always some people arguing that it should not be done because it will be bad for disabled people - assumption here being that disabled cannot walk and so they have to either drive everywhere or be driven there and so, the logic follows, everything that inconveniences drivers has to hurt disabled community as well. Which is a bs argument because we have a lot of research and real life experience showing that disabled people are actually one of the groups benefiting the most from such projects (others being children, elderly, people in difficult financial situation etc.). No one suggests that we shouldn't make new infrastructure projects accessible but the discussion is not about that. No one is trying to block a new train station being build by saying it's bad because it won't have a ramp, they try to block it by saying it's bad because now disabled people will have more difficulty driving (because money could be spent on road widening or something). Also, the reason why I brought the traffic example to the conversation about fashion in the first place, was because we don't really have a lot of data about shein and fast fashion being bad for poor people (even though common sense suggests it most likely is). But because we have a lot of evidence that reducing car traffic benefits disabled and yet they are still used as an "argument" agains such projects (because they make a convenient shield), I just thought that it is very possible that poor people are used in similar manner in discussion about fast fashion.

[@fygfyg7242]

I had a similar childhood exeperience as you in a sense of being able to count on one hand the times I went shopping for new clothes. But the difference was, it had nothing to do with finances, it was just what was considered normal for my parents generation. Kids grow fast and so, once a kid had outgrown their clothes, parents would just ask around, to find a family member or a friend to pass those clothes to. At the time clothes were still a decent quality, so throwing them away after hardly any use was seen as stupid and wasteful. One item could make it's way through dosens of kids before finally wearing out. Multiple families would pay amlost nothing for clothing. Also, the practice not only saved parents money but also time - instead of going clothes shopping with a todler or teenager, parents would just one day get a big bag of clothing from someone else and that's all. So, so convenient. But now when people think of saving time and money on clothing, they think of fast fashion. The shift in mindset, from reusing good clothing to it being cheap and disposable is really visible and so, so sad.

[@sarahkinsey5434]

I don't have kids but if/when I do, I know they are getting a lot of second hand clothes

[@seltzermint5]

I definitely wasn't a rich kid growing up but I was an only child in an image obsessed household so I had brand new stuff constantly through the 80s and 90s. When I grew up around 2000 and had to buy my own clothes I immediately switched to thrift and TJ Maxx. But still bought way too much. It's still a battle for me not to own 100 pairs of shoes (I actually do have like 60). It's crazy. I love hearing other perspectives.

[@yasaminwhy8212]

I'm on a very low budget due to ill health but have never bought from Shein, Temu or Wish ❤️ I know poverty is stressful (I KNOW) but UFF is not the answer, whatever the question is And the more people buy from ethical companies, the more they have the opportunity to lower their prices (economy of scale) without compromising on compensation or quality. Fairphone and This Is Unfolded are examples of this

[@nicolezarroc6261]

I have so many memories of hand-me-down clothes from people older than me. Every year my moms coworker (who had 2 daughters) would clean out their closets and give it to me. Then I would clean out my closet and give it to a family friend (who had 3 daughters). It was so funny because for many many years we would hang out and argue over whose sweater it really was! But by the time it got to the youngest it was always so well-worn and soft that she would hate to give it up. Most of the time the clothes were then donated or made into stuffing for pillows and whatnot if the fabric was actually gone-gone. I miss those closet cleanout days. So much fun!

[@brifren2]

Thank you so much for this brilliant video! What more and more influencers do with their repeated hauls is "criminal". They harm the environment and all living creatures as well. So much toxicity. And it's not just clothes, accessories, make up and the like, it's also furniture that is replaced too often, and seasonal deco hauls. I'm old enough to remember when the only seasonal decor in most of Europe was for Christmas. Then more came for Easter/spring, then autumn and summer, sprinkled with Halloween, Valentine's Day, New Year's Day,January decor... Not to mention the superproduction for birthdays/christenings/weddings/ etc... it never ends... a change of decor every few weeks, and most influencers compete and overdo it to the point their homes look like seasonal decor stores and their followers try to do the same. Soon everyone gets tired of what they have (especially if it is cheap-bad quality-Sh**n/T*m* style... I love pretty, inviting homes, but they don't need all this cr*p. I remember with love my grandparents' and parents' Christmas ornaments which we cherished for decades and my grandchildren already love them so much too. Same thing for some of the beautiful things they had in their home.

[@houseasyouseeit]

Absolutely haul videos are inappropriate but they are obviously so. What I find harder is influencing that’s from channels that advertise themselves as financially/environmentally aware channels (that purchase less things from better brands) and have content such as “these are my favourite things I got recently” or “things I can’t live without” and they happen to be available new to purchase currently somewhere or worse by affiliate link. The consumer trigger is hidden behind good messaging but there nonetheless; this is a good aware individual and these are the products they use or they say they use. It’s still a trigger to buy even if it’s from sustainable sources and as you touched on, they have to continue to come up with new content which over time adds up in cash flow. It’s dangerous even if well intentioned, even if it’s intended as slow consumption. An ad is an ad. Thank you for making videos without products in them 😊

[@shenelleramjewan2416]

I agree with you. Being able to buy new clothes is a privilege and so underappreciated.

[@lynhellmer5400]

Influencers / resellers / affiliates are inflating prices everywhere, including thrift stores.

[@Gittemary]

I’m guess this differs a lot depending on here you guys, bigger cities tend to have more expensive thrift shops, but I’ve seen many affordable options outside the city and on FB market place 👌

[@rikkemeek1506]

I wouldn't say that resellers are inflating prices when it comes to thrift stores. They buy and resell so things don't end up in the landfill. Prices has gone up everywhere and the thrift stores has bills to pay and employees to pay.

[@irenero8932]

And thanks to them thriftstores don't build up. Thrifstores need to sell as much as they can

[@amandazplace5663]

Here's a suggestion? Take a sewing class. Learn basic alterations like hemming a pair of pants, so you can have a wider pool of second hand clothing available to purchase from. My skills are very basic, but it makes a difference. Also, unrelated, but take a mechanics course. Take a cooking class. Learn a skill that will save you money so you have more funds for better quality clothing.♥️🌞

[@carleyjackson5628]

I can definitely relate to your childhood Gittemary, i remember feeling extremely excited on the rare occasion my mam took me to the shops and bought me an entire outfit (i think i can count on one hand the amount of times that happened). I certainly didn't feel the odd one out either. I feel sorry for young teenagers growing up in the current overconsumption culture as humans do just want to fit in. Im so happy there are 'influencers' like you out there that are normalising a more sustainable lifestyle and make it 'cool'. Yes Gittemary, i think youre cool 😂!!

[@catherineleslie-faye4302]

I have no interest in fast fashion. At 63 I'm working part time (my income is half the poverty level for a single individual) and wearing what I want using mainly what I allready have.. I would like to normalize reworking & resizing clothes that you already have, so that all your clothes are unique and show of your authentic self. I hand sew no machine here so everything I make or remake is slow fashion. I do my best to use second hand textiles when possible.

[@Shetooktothewoods]

Same here. I may look like a hauler (I just laundered all of my tank tops and camisoles and discovered that I have around 30!) but the truth is that 90% of my wardrobe is second hand (unders, a few socks (I knit most of them), winter tights are the outliers) and that I have the privilege of a professional occupation for most of my life and decades of purchasing secondhand items of quality. Some of the aforementioned tanks were purchased when my sons were infants (they’re 20 this month) and I have wool sweaters that are 30 years old.

[@mmschwartz84]

As a stay at home mom of 2, I buy 90% of my and my kids clothes second hand. My husband has a high paying job, so we could definitely afford new, but I cringe at the thought of dressing my kids in new items that they will only wear for a matter of months before they outgrow them. I, on the other hand, grew up shopping sales and using coupons, so when I figured out I could get great clothes for a fraction of the cost of new, it was a win win! Raising kids is also messy... so I wouldn't want to wear brand new expensive items on a daily basis anyway.

[@seltzermint5]

one of my friends is a very successful professional woman with one son. They look like a million bucks all of the time, lots of name brand clothing and excellent style. But aside from things like sneakers and underwear she buys all of her clothes and her teenage son's clothes from thrift stores. I run into her at the thrift store near my workplace almost every week! Her son was 5'8 at 11 yrs old and I know he grows like a weed changing sizes all the time, I can only imagine how much it would cost for her to keep him in name brand sportswear from traditional sources.

[@IamArctic]

Dear Gittemary, I wish more young people would talk critically about this topic. I've found your channel a couple of months ago and totally fell in love with it. I also feel some kind of its positive, sustainable influence on me. Hugs from Germany ❤

[@kelseashore6677]

As someone who has been mending, altering, and making clothes from scratch for 20 years I wish everyone had the the opportunity the gain the perspective you get from making something you actually wear. This could easily be a class in school, the element of creative freedom is so important though. It's about wanting to express yourself and learning the technical skills to bring it into reality. So powerful and so humbling, makes it hard to forget about the person behind the sewing machine when you buy something.

[@bob_malin]

You putted exactly in words what been on my mind lately! This normalized 15 pieces of Shein hauls and such... often the influence with a smile says "I guess you can't like Shein these days" like its a opinion thing that its super unsustainable. Thriftshop hauls it is!

[@V3ganer_Yogi]

Unfortunately, so many people around me buy clothes from Shein. Recently a co-worker said that she doesn't have much money and that's why she wanted to buy leggings from Shein. I told her that she could take a look at Vinted. There she might even get a branded pair of leggings for little money, which will definitely be of better quality. I've tried to carefully educate people, but I think most people don't care. I suspect that it is somehow even equated with veganism, as it has something to do with attitude. 😕 In any case, I have been buying second-hand clothing or fair fashion for over 10 years and try to do my best to make the world a little better. 💚

[@alexiabowen4035]

Definitely equates with veganism just like minimalism does

[@kalayaanlinus]

"Success is not happiness. Happiness is success" - Albert Schweizer

[@faithkelly396]

This is a great video! I think an important distinction to make is influencer vs. content creator, that all influencers are content creators but not all content creators are influencers. I personally try to only follow creators that are making content that is worth my time and has a valuable message to it.

[@faeriesmak]

As a kid we also had limited resources but I was never unclothed. I remember several times getting large bags of clothing from my older cousins when they had outgrown them and also from another family member. I actually liked it better than shopping. What is more fun than going though a bag of clothing from your older cousins who you admire? I just recently did this with a friends two teenaged girls. I did a closet clean out and also cleaned out my Poshmark closet and brought them 3 massive bags of clothing to go though. My friend has been sending me photos of his older daughter wearing some of the items when she goes over to their house. I am glad to pass things along to actual people and it is great to ease some of their financial burden and also provide some fun and entertainment.

[@ZwarteKonijn]

Let's also not forget that we are surrounded by ads, everywhere. We are constantly bombarded by ads in our day to day stuff we barely recognize it anymore, we've normalized advertisements everywhere, on social media, in search results, our tv, on billboards, in shop windows, on the bus, at the bus stop, in the news, even clothes people wear for themselves. It has also become insanely normal for influencers on social media to add an 'oh yeah, this was actually sponsored', but also a 'buy one now, I have a code!', 'if you like to watch me and support me, you can buy this!', like why has it become this normal to ask indirectly for someone's money for liking to watch your stuff? It's gotten into such a weird parasocial relationship between social media users and influencers. Most social media stuff, even when not sponsored, is still often focused a lot on consumption. Even most anti consumerism based media is about buying new stuff. It's gotten less (at least in my feed), but I saw so many people who had a mindset of 'see me having a thrift shop haul, it's anti consumerism because it's from the thrift store'. And I watch a lot of arts and crafts videos, and it's often a bit weird how often buying and trying out new art supplies is a part of arts and crafts videos. I've gotten now into a branch of people fixing old stuff, furniture and tools and it's a breath of fresh air, I love it. It's a lot more about craftsmanship, interesting tidbits, love for good quality over quantity, durability over a quick fix, and not trying to sell you a sponsorship.

[@mikekb4649]

I donated my clothes until I had one load of laundry worth left. I'm also taking a year off buying any more. It has saved so much time and effort not hunting for some buried clothing item or putting on things that don't fit. I'll use the money I've saved at the end of the year to buy a few $100 T-shirts that will last the next 50 years.

[@Shetooktothewoods]

Thank you for suggesting jettisoning these creators from our spaces! I’ve been doing that for several months now and my feed has become so much more interesting as an unanticipated side effect. My personal favorite of 2024: mudlarking (see Nicola White). Watching people literally pick up several hundred years of objects (and outright modern trash) from the Thames foreshore is *fascinating* and seeing what they do with these objects is amazing! I also have lots of really interesting social history, climate and environment, and other creators pop up, too. I love it.

[@emilylarson1603]

This might be a very niche subtopic - I really enjoy knitting, and I watch a lot of knitting/fiber-crafting youtube content. While there is a lot to discuss about ethics/sustainability/supply chains in fiber crafts, there is also a lot of this kind of influencer culture happening within the online knitting/fiber craft community. In a space that might be considered "slow fashion" to most, there is definitely a lot of overconsumption and fast-fashion adjacent behaviors. Most knitting videos talk about "finished objects" first (as opposed to projects or art) which focuses on the accumulation of goods and promotes productivity over craft. Also, they often subtly/subconsciously put themselves down if they "only" have one or two completed projects between videos. Likewise, they are primarily focused on producing as many garments as possible. Additionally, almost all knitting content creators have an entire section of their videos called "Acquisitions" where they talk about the yarn or tools they have bought since the last video - in nearly every video! It is interesting and notable and not discussed nearly as often as it should be in the fiber craft community.

[@Shetooktothewoods]

I’m in (sort of) that niche! I’ve seen channels you describe, but the creators I follow (Roxanne Richardson, Retro Claude, Knitted by Whitney, and others) don’t fall into that paradigm. I mean, they show finished work but we’ve watched their progress over several videos. They’re not constantly knitting a new seasonal wardrobe or hauling great hoards of yarn - Rox adamantly doesn’t stash, talks about spinning, and has great technique content; Claude has been stash busting for two years (she has a 6-hour compilation of those videos) and has started a project following WWII rationing for purchases; Whitney frequently frogs projects that aren’t going well and returns the yarn to stash for a future project. One of the things I enjoy about all of them is seeing them wearing the garments that I’ve watched progress in subsequent videos. I think it’s a matter of sampling knitting content and de-stashing the creators who are constantly making a new (trendy-chunky-always with mohair kit from one of the fast-fashion-knitting companies (I’m looking at you We Are Knitters and Wool and the Gang) who have popped up recently or are just approaching knitting like that. I confess that it takes a single strand of mohair held with whatever to send me running. I hate mohair personally, but it’s more that it signals the knitter in question is “trendy” knitter that I don’t need in my space.

[@emilylarson1603]

​@@ShetooktothewoodsI definitely agree with you about finding the knitting content creators who make a solid effort to step away from the overconsumption/trendy norm. I also really like the ones you mention! I only mean to say it's challenging finding the people who don't subscribe to a fast fashion/influencer model and that in a space that seems countercultural by nature, the overconsumption is still rampant.

[@KaroBythell]

Brilliant video , I was like you & got excited when I first started earning my own money & wanted to buy New stuff because I finally could ! Quickly realised it builds a,slippery slope of desire to " have " to make a big purchase every payday - & Id rather be saving for my own home , taking good care of the well chosen & classic styles of clothing Ive mostly bought from thrift shops & being more unique & mindful with what I wear . Fast fashion can be VERY SEDUCTIVE - esp if thats what your friends are into , so it takes strong will at the beginning of your journey to say no .And once you find out just how BADLY these sweat shops treat people esp pitiful wages for labour it makes it even more horrifying to buy from them .

[@applesandparachutes3086]

I remember 10 years ago when people started using the term "influencer" and it gave everyone a gross feeling because they felt like they were so much more than that. But so much of social media has been shoehorned into that term and now it feels like the people who aren't just trying to "influence" and trick us into spending money are few and far between. It's a lot of the reason why I don't use almost any social media anymore.

[@irenemilenkovic1940]

Buying 50 items of clothing can never be a normal thing!!! My mind is always blown by the amount of clothes that is bought by certain people in certain places. Abby Cox also made a comment about how many clothes on average are bought in the states in one of her videos and I was like how??? If I added each individual sock and other necessities between my husband and I we don't get to even 25 in two years. Though I have had to undertake learning how to sew certain things because the quality has also deteriorated so badly for certain essentials and you can't even patch it up which is disgusting. Not sure how something is cotton when you use cotton to repair it and it shreds like it was cheese being grated. o.o Sorry, but I needed to get that off my chest and out of my brain. Thank you Gittemary.

[@jessWilly365]

I love watching the deinfluencing videos as they help me to take a step back and go "woah I've got the stuff I need in life"

[@thebookthief121]

My opinion: any person who has enough range to take influence on people’s opinions on a bigger scale is an influencer. By that definition you are an influencer and that’s not where I see the problem. It’s what a lot of the people choose to use their influence for that makes it problematic imo. Thank you for being so conscious of your platform and impact.

[@yellowzora]

Thank you for the video. I never liked watching haul videos where nothing got tried on, I prefer look books and outfit inspo videos that don't mention where they get the clothes from. On my dad's side of the family, my great auntie used to get her hair trimmed once a week to keep it just so, and my nan also went to get her hair washed regularly, where I cut my own hair as a teenager as my mum didn't offer money or help. It's good to get away from the idea of needing to buy as much as possible, and I think we sometimes need to go through a phase. But then that phase needs to stop and we can go back to only replacing favourite items when they wear out, which is probably how it should happen. I only buy an item of clothing once every few months, and only if it's just right or the need is very great.

[@juliaiwaszczenko]

Your necklace is so pretty!!

[@Gittemary]

It’s from the 1970s I love it to bits!! ✨✨✨

[@Queenofmercuryretrograde]

This is for important, ,thank you for making this video!

[@Gittemary]

Thank you for watching!

[@hypsypole]

I am a single mom with four kids. I rely on thrift stores, repairing the clothes, and our local Really Really Free Market! It's been a fantastic resource for clothes. Also, I luckily have besties who check FB Marketplace or their local thrift stores when we need something. We're fortunate to have an existing RRFM that we can get to by bus, but I think it's fairly easy to start your own in your city if you don't already have one.

[@lucille-1708]

my fave type of influencer thinking is when they go from relatable 'humble' beginings with a normal amount of makeup to *organizing my makeup stash* to *decluttering my collection by throwing out bags and bags of it* to *replenishing my makeup - massive haul* when they buy new products that will inevitably expire before they are used (at all or at least not finished)

[@hesmecronje6188]

I remember as a kid how insecure I felt about not being able to afford the amount of products that influencers showed in their hauls. This is such a toxic culture

[@stephanieg2000]

LOVED the inserts of baby Gittemary! I've never purchased from Temu/Shein and we're on a tight budget (love my local consignment shop and thrift stores!)

[@zerowastehomestead2518]

"People who do youtube" is what I call them cause "influencer" is a crappy term. My real big concern with all these haul videos etc is someone having a million followers telling them all to go buy the item and they do !!! That is scary and they have way to much power. I just hope most people do not get sucked in .

[@judithrussell9162]

With all this cheap shit dumped on the world, nothing is special and nothing is fashion. Also, I've been unfollowing nice 'minimalist' creators who own eight pairs of Vivaia shoes, for example, not because the shoes are bad, they're not, it's because it encourages over consumption.

[@alexiabowen4035]

It’s funny bc I’ve noticed some minimalist influencers have been not so minimalist lately but I can’t be mad bc it’s no match for how most Americans shop

[@contempl8ive]

I’m so grateful that you are influencing the world. I’m 💯behind you ❤

[@Amyjwashere]

I’m challenging myself to not replace my toiletry products right after they get used up. I am trying to find more multi use products as well.

[@veronicawassing8594]

My thrift shop is completely volunteer run, so cheap, I am very lucky, and I live in northern alberta oil town, so much super expensive name brand stuff is donated every week. Helps a lot now that I'm a single mom under the poverty line

[@cherylmoser6383]

Most of my life I’ve lived on a tight budget and I fell into the Temu trap for a little while. I realized that I was still blowing my budget on cheap things that I didn’t really need just for the rush of getting the packages. I’ve now deleted the app and will never shop there again!

[@gabystringer2056]

❤ well done

[@seltzermint5]

I have noticed that the people I've known who wear some pretty cute outfits from sites like Temu never wear the same outfit again. Ever. I find that interesting and always wonder if it's because it didn't hold up well, wasn't comfortable, or another reason. Because they aren't women with endless influencer wardrobes. My clothes are mostly thrifted and I admit I have a lot, I'm not a fashion minimalist, but I proudly wear the same dresses and sweaters for 5-10 yrs.

[@lifeoutnumbered]

I shop thread up and thrift stores or other second hand places or shop sales for quality items so they don't disintegrate the second I look at them. And yes I have bought a few things from shein and Temu and even places like Aliexpress before out of curiosity and honestly while I still have a lot of them they definitely need a lot more repairs and updates then my thrifted items made from natural materials. Honestly I'm at a place where I look at an item and avoid them if they look on trend.

[@rayanne6764]

I bought those pretty, padded, satin hangers to minimize what I can fit in my closet so that I am more conscious of what I buy and how much I buy. I do similar things with the rest of my house so that I am buying intentionally and not just on a whim because I saw something cute for cheap somewhere.

[@barbara9315]

My family did the passing over of clothes with other families.❤

[@ChasingTravelAdventure]

Our thrift stores in the state's are about the price of new 🤦‍♀️ Also i live in an area where they are not that good 👀 I've gone in looking for things. I buy homegoods from our stores not cloths. I am your $3 primark tshirt gal when im over there in Europe 😉 but its usually just 1 and in white if i can dind it. 😊

[@juliajs1752]

I only come across haul videos in de-influencing videos (because my instagram somehow thinks I should care about cooking, home decoration and dogs), and those videos make me so ANGRY due to the mindless consumption and amassing of things. And a week later everything is in the bin getting hauled to the landfill or burned because nobody needs 200 new cheaply made plastic items every month.

[@michaeldebby538]

Please make a fashion video! I would love to see you take a few things and style them in as many outfits as you can. I think that would inspire a lot of us to try new things with wat we already have. I love youre content and style! And it would be helpfull for those of as (me as wel) that dont have the buget to buy new things

[@Reiko29DBS]

I see a lot of people who over-consume but claim to be poor. What are your thoughts on this?

[@seltzermint5]

I have a friend who grew up very poor and was extremely poor when raising her children, now grown. She and her husband are in their 40s with an empty nest and are now middle class with disposable income. While I was raised differently, did not have kids, etc, I am in a similar financial position but my husband and I tend to spend money on travel and experiences. She and her husband have never done much of that and are in a mindset of buying lots of small appliances, huge Temu and Shein hauls of clothing and decor items, and video game stuff. They don't travel or go places much on weekends and they eat in chain restaurants or DoorDash 4 or 5 nights a week. I don't say this to brag that me and my husband are so fancy and cultured but we're more likely to take a trip or spend a chunk of money on high quality furniture. Give to charity. My friend has like 9 streaming services and no retirement fund, spends 200 bucks at a time on books, I go to the library...we're the opposite. Stuff like that. Some people really are not mindful with their consumption. Different priorities.

[@SarasBooksAndThings]

The only hauls I like watching are book hauls. Then I add them to my TBR and library hold lists 😊

[@jenniferlopez8345]

When I talk about slave labour with people they sometimes say things like “well if nobody was buying these clothes they wouldn’t have a job at all, which would be even worse” and I don’t really know what to say. How would you guys combat this type of thinking? Is it actually worse if they don’t have a job at all?

[@Gittemary]

I actually have an article on my website about this, if you go to gittemary.com and search for “sweat shop” it’ll pop up pretty fast - I too have had this conversation many times and the gist is that “no job rather than a poorly paid job” is undermining the extreme slave labour conditions of people in these supplies chains, who have zero social mobility and is therefore exploited by global corporations. I typically also mention that these jobs won’t disappear overnight, but rather I hope to see a gradual legislative shift that makes exploitation impossible 🌿

[@michellehughes896]

$100 on clothing a month? Im lucky to spend that in 3 months. I hate this need to be current or fashionable, I'd rather just have my own style and individuality. I can find most in thrift shops.

[@anyawillowfan]

I also think a lot of lower class people in the past focused on saving up for quality clothes that would last (obviously unnecessary for children, but the quality of Shein would not be able to be passed family to family). Plus the majority of clothing available was a decent quality, and people knew how to mend, which allowed quality clothing to be more affordable than the trash we have available now that falls apart if you actually wear it for extended time. I stopped watching Hauls, and those who did those kind of videos a few years ago and it was one of the best things I did, as I instead found the sustainable community which normalised not buying more than you need.

[@angeladol6140]

Thank you

[@humanlikecaterpillar]

I think we need to be talking about capitalism way more than we do here, in Western Europe. Even though the richest corporations are based where we live and it's them who are the major contributors the resources extraction from the 3d and sometimes 2nd world that are being sold back to the people of those nations as the end product for an obscenely big price. It's our corporations that contribute to the economic stagnation of many nations.

[@voice4thevoicelessones]

Great video! I try to avoid Shein, Temu etc etc.

[@leonoraauren5571]

I actually unsubscribed even an ASMR channel when Temu hauls started to appear there.

[@ka8544]

Posting this not to correct you, but in case someone else needs this validation. I can’t speak to every city, but if you are a single 35 year old in a major US city - $65k is absolutely poor. It’s not below the poverty line, not even close, but the poverty line in the US is cruelly low. At $65k you can likely afford your basic needs, but it’s a lot less likely you will have enough money for things like retirement savings, general savings, major fixes to your car or buying a new (used) car if yours has died (yes, cars are sadly essential for many even if they support public transit), paying for a big medical bill, paying for routine medical or dental care, supporting family members in need, paying a lawyer (ie for divorce), etc etc. It’s definitely not enough money to build wealth in any way (stock market, buying a home, any other investment). And it’s really not enough if said single adult decides to have a child. I’m sure some people are super frugal and strategic and manage to afford some of these things, but we also don’t get personal finance education in the US. I can speak for myself that I lived in a major US city while making about $60k with fantastic medical benefits. I found an apartment setup for $1500 (under market rate). I rarely went to a restaurant, bar, or coffee shop. I was semi zero waste at the time so I didn’t buy new and was very minimalist in my purchases. And while I managed to afford all this, I barely managed to set aside a tiny bit of money for savings. Maybe I just didn’t know enough about personal finance, but I think I was pretty strategic and frugal which was the only reason I could put aside maybe $50-100 each month to not live paycheck to paycheck.

[@katzenlady5339]

To be fair, if you have a quite short haircut it is normal to go to the hairdresser every 4-5 weeks. But it's just for cutting it back to shape, so I don't think there's a big environmental impact to that.

[@donaman6753]

Have you changed your hair routine? It's been looking extra healthy and shiny. Sorry to ask on an "influencer" video, but I trust your routine to be sustainable, of course! Haha

[@np8352]

Yessss

[@Tori-jc5og]

The number of people to whom I want to send this, who aren’t gonna watch it and are more than definitely going to get mad at me 😂

[@ywasayana]

And what happen to the Company is eco friendly and made cothes with the reclycle materials like polyester? I mean a read that its more difficult to recycle a recycle tshirt than a shein polyester tshirt, sorry for my english 😅

[@jml238]

Common sense people! Use your noodles! Not hard! ❤

[@barbb1672]

I think that the argument of Shein being the only place were you can afford clothes is bullshit. That might hold true if you wear clothes just once, but as soon as you factor in longevity and quality. Shein is not affordable at all. I read somewhere that when looking a buying power, clothing prices are at unprecedented low level at the moment. When I grew up in the 80s and 90s clothes were relatively much more expensive. It’s just this extreme pace of consumption that has been normalised in the past years. Of course, if you have the expectation to buy 100 pieces of clothing each year, Shein might be the only place you can afford.

[@brendaolimires]

people: has Gittemary addressed the topic of nail polish? does anyone in this community has anything to share? I would like to hear some different thoughts

[@applesandparachutes3086]

She has, just in terms of her own use! If I'm remembering correctly, she gave it up for a while and then realized that it's one thing that brings her joy and isn't that impactful, so she continues to indulge in it. We all have to give ourselves some leeway in order to keep from getting burnt out, you know? I think she did a video about a few things that she isn't as strict about as she once was and she mentioned it there.

[@brendaolimires]

@@applesandparachutes3086 thank you for updating me

[@juliaiwaszczenko]

khem…. FIRST sorry 👹

[@Gittemary]

🏆🥇💚🌿

[@Islamic_shorts369]

HEY DEAR! DO U NEED A THUMBNAIL EDITOR?

[@fabiennebovis-higgins2696]

Totally agree. But also let’s not ignore the fact that Shemu offer the convenience of ordering from your home when looking for second hand goods can be very time consuming and require access to transport (depending on where one lives).

[@melusine826]

The sucky thing is that larger bodied or differently shaped people really do struggle to find clothes, especially that is expected/required for interviews and work

[@discoscissors]

Love love love this video, it is mind blowing what is feed to us as “normal” or a “must have”. I’m curently working on my dream upcycled wardrobe and would love start a tiny upcycling brand because there are so many clothes on this planet its ridiculous. I would also love to clean and declutter my whole flat over this winter, slowly but surely. Thank you for your content Gittemarie, you make me think about every single think that I might have “I need this …..” thoughts just because I was used to think that way. I don’t need anything unless something breaks and even than, I have plenty replacement solutions😅🫣