Thrifting is cool now, but are we doing it with a fast fashion mindset?

Thrifting is cool now, but are we doing it with a fast fashion mindset? | ep 70 Sustain This Podcast

Рет қаралды 5,789

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 45

@karenalfke6081 2 ай бұрын

I put donating and thrifting into my regular rotation: every 2-3 weeks I head up to the college town nearby with two bags - one filled with items from my closet that I’m sending to the women’s’ consignment boutique, and another with craft supplies (leftover yarn and fabric) for the craft re-use place. Two things really help me when I’m browsing either venue: 1) slowing waaaay down as I browse the racks. I catch myself racing through at first and then have to consciously ratchet back to change how im *looking* at the racks. On a second pass through the store with that mindset, I often notice things I’ve overlooked. And 2) I have to remind myself that the ‘success’ of my day is not dependent on me bringing home anything. I notice the sadness if I come away empty handed, but is it sadness or a denial of dopamine? Ultimately, the real success comes from releasing items I’m not wearing, not bringing home a haul. (And having a fun day out!) If I remember to treat it like an ‘Artist Date’ and bring home some sort of visual inspiration or outfit idea, it’s been well worth it. Also 200% agree with the ‘If it’s not a Hell Yes, it’s a NO’ - I’ve had to pry myself away from things that were almost right, but not quite many, many times. Saved my wallet and my closet a lot of false starts with that mindset over the years.

@mollehjul 2 ай бұрын

I think the point that Signe raised from the danish article needs to be explored further. Even though shopping second hand is having a real moment, there does not seem to be a slow down of consumption and production of new items. Rather one might suspect an increase with the arrival of temu and the like. Thus we are not replacing shopping frist hand with shopping second hand. We are doing both, and both in increasing rates. Overconsumption is still the core issue.

@nicolelee2205 2 ай бұрын

I went thrifting today for the first time in many years. I'm 57 and I used to thrift when I was in my teens and twenties both because I didn't have much money and because I loved the weird and wonderful things I found. Today I felt like I was wading through polyester fast fashion. There was so much absolute rubbish, I felt like the stores should just not even stock it. After four stores I found a very nice linen jacket (men's of course), and a couple of little vintage brooches, so I came home quite happy.

@fsncom 2 ай бұрын

I totally agree that the thrift stores shouldn’t even stock the junk clothing. If they’re going to charge outrageous prices for things they get for free anyway, the could at least be discerning with that they put on the sales floor.

@RebeccaBeyond 2 ай бұрын

I felt the same, but unfortunately they would currently have almost nothing to sell on and wouldnt be viable. @fsncom

@evalindell2757 2 ай бұрын

”It is hard to live slow in a fast world” 👌 I loove this!! I can read danish Signe even if I have a hard time understanding when people talk. So thank You for the article! 👍

@kathyffarney-keck8593 2 ай бұрын

The thrift stores in my area are full of fast fashion and it's all worn looking. I'm a sweater lover and a knitter. There's nothing slower than knitting your sweater. I can get quality, style and the pleasure of making in one go. Having said that, I still have to know where my yarns are coming from.

@katem3961 2 ай бұрын

Great discussion, as always. I am so grateful for your content. I recently visited an Op Shop (Australia). The layout was really impressive, which drew me in. However, the quality was appalling. Prices were varied. Everything and I mean everything was a fast fashion label and beyond wearable. Worn out, faded, stained, even some with holes that could not be repaired and also threadbare items. They were literally rags on coat-hangers. I haven't shopped first or second hand for months and months, simply because it's not worth my time. I just get frustrated by it. My attitude to fashion has really changed in the past 12 months.

@melaniemcneil407 2 ай бұрын

Really interesting discussion and fun to hear Alyssa chime in a bit more. As to the "hell yes" decisions, I agree in principle. However, because I'm petite height and both muscular and busty, clothes don't fit, regardless of price point. There is rarely something I buy that meets ALL of the criteria because of that. The trousers/jeans are too long, or they gape at the waist; the sleeves are too long, the bust is too tight, the shoulders too broad... My life in clothing ALWAYS requires compromise or I would just be naked all the time. Once you've compromised on one issue, it's not too hard to compromise on the next.

@melaniemcneil407 2 ай бұрын

@@DHU-12 I DO that. And THAT is a compromise, right? It's not a HELL YES from the get-go, only after a hella bunch of work. Thanks for the thought, though.

@melaniemcneil407 2 ай бұрын

@@DHU-12 My apologies for my other response. I was being grumpy and not very pleasant to your kind suggestions.

@ldh4937 2 ай бұрын

I always create a wish list and shop from that, which I find helps me to keep control over what I buy! Like Signe, I like to use filters on Vinted so that I can hunt for specific items, fabrics or brands. I think this also helps to save time and stop me from scrolling endlessly through things that I don’t really need, but might be tempted by if I saw them! I have quite a few good charity shops in my town and I have picked up items there, but again, usually things I’ve got on my wish list or things that need replacing in my wardrobe. I love the fit of men’s knitwear and have a few pieces that I love that belonged to my dad. I can’t wear lambs wool as I find it too itchy, but I can wear cotton, merino and cashmere. I have found some excellent men’s knits in cotton and merino on Vinted, that are unworn, but are a fraction of the new price!

@evahalkova2859 2 ай бұрын

Such an interesting discussion ladies. It made me realize that in our local pre-selected thrift stores (pre-selected meaning that the owner went to a regular thrift store and picked up clothes there) there is just ultra trendy fast fashion junk. Only synthetic materials and nothing style-wise that would stand the test of time. Moreover I am not a very patient person and when I was younger I worked part time in H&M. My job mainly was putting the clothes from the changing room rails back to their place. Mostly it was clothes that was discounted and I hate going through rails of clothes since then. I am now more focused on the quality when I buy first hand rather than going to the thrift stores. Also regarding menswear being a better quality. Past two winters I bought really great cashmere jumpers in mens dpt in Mango online. They are great and they are my most worn. Also they were constantly sold out. This year I just briefly checked the mens dpt in Mango online and cashmere jumpers are nowhere to be found. And guess what there are many colors of cashmere jumpers in womens dpt. Lower quality no doubt. This just makes me sad.

@marisacooper5364 2 ай бұрын

I am fortunate to live where we have boutique style consignment, and thrift stores are reflective of the demographic, so in the San Francisco bay area and north California curated stores are where the exceptional finds are. It’s a much more gratifying way to shop and find your personal style. I most often find something better than I was looking for when I shop secondhand. Thanks ladies❤

@wrendor9465 2 ай бұрын

I love how cool thrifting has been currently. I am not a fan of seeing fast fashion in a thrift store, it takes away the meaning of vintage for me. We are living in a world where even reputable brands are compromising quality for profit. Thrifting for me is my safe haven from the madness. I go thrifting for quality and nothing less!

@monikakoscianska3185 2 ай бұрын

Girls, superb way to save the piece that used to be 5 dolars and seemingly with no value to get for reselling (if You want to declutter the piece) is to simply use that item as a cleaning rug, or give it to animal shelters. I know some people reuses fabric to make beds for pupps there ❤ lesser fabric could go for filling and better for outerspace. It is not a reason to trift or buy without thinking; just an idea to Think about 🥰

@tempestgrey4629 2 ай бұрын

I’m going to England in November December and the first 4 days in London to thrift shop. Very excited

@pjalexandra 2 ай бұрын

Thanks for highlighting the bigger picture. I don't like my local smaller town 2nd hand stores, because overall the quality isn't there and I don't enjoy the experience. From the other side, i.e. donating: I've moved several times in the last 10 years and so I donate when I'm packing. My clothes tend to have more classic vibes, best quality fabric I could afford at the time, and i take care of them. The feedback from donation places is generally--oh, these are really nice. It sounds to me that what thrift stores often see is the crap people are trying to dump. And then, we all know where the items the thrift store rejects end up. In a landfill in your town, or worse, somewhere in Africa or Asia.

@tempestgrey4629 2 ай бұрын

I agree. Men have better fabrics. I have 2 sweaters left that are acrylic the rest wool cotton now. I have been lucky to find 2 beautiful soft wool and pure cashmere sweaters for women I’m plus size so is harder and I do well with men’s and rolling up the sleeves lol

@loub1733 2 ай бұрын

I dont go into disorganised antique stores nor will I go into disorganised 2nd hand clothing stores. I rarely now go into op shops as we call them in OZ but have a favourite 2nd hand store that sells good quality recent particular brand clothes . clothes are not cheap but are reasonably priced and have found some real gems from regular visits. I now sell through them and mostly will discard worn out clothes through my recycling centre and am using op shops less as they are overwhelmed with discarded overconsumption.

@marciagarcia8486 2 ай бұрын

As a former fashion designer and small business owner, I know about fabric, finishing and quality builded clothes. My journey with thrifting began when I decluttered my own pieces. Now I thrift 90% of my clothes, replacing with more quality pieces I find. I need to take a break sometimes when I feel I’m losing control, for sure 😂I’m the queen of curating though. Love to give another chance to a quality piece

@evalindell2757 2 ай бұрын

If you buy fast fashion you drive the fast fashion forward! If there is a secondhand value on fast fashion things then it will be hard to stop the fast fashion growing! I think the interesting question was; How do we stop the fast fashion growing? Well get people to understand that you need to buy better quality to get a wardrobe that works for a long time!!!

@danamatsukawa4762 2 ай бұрын

I agree with most of what is being said here and appreciate the content on your channel. I do however have frustration with the idea that one can find "perfect" items buying first hand if we just buy the one we want in the first place. I have foot problems and I have a lot of trouble with finding shoes that don't hurt my feet and still look remotely stylish. Just trying a shoe on is not enough information to know if something is going to work for me.

@anonymous76144 2 ай бұрын

I would love it if you all did a discussion on the quality of men's clothes vs. women's and why you think that difference exists! So interesting. On a related note, I have been thinking about purchasing a cashmere sweater for the brand Quince. Have you discussed this brand in the past? I would be interested to hear your thoughts on this brand. Thanks for the excellent podcast as usual, you ladies inspire me so much!

@73NKZ 2 ай бұрын

For years men’s quality was better than women’s. Especially in the 2000s. It shows the mass fast fashion items in women’s clothing is mostly made of synthetic.

@anythingunderthesun4301 2 ай бұрын

Couldn’t agree more. That’s why I often check men’s rack first. Imagine buying two different items, the other made of organic material and the other made of synthetic for the same price.

@lonenugget4301 2 ай бұрын

@@anythingunderthesun4301From my understanding, mens clothing tends to be better quality because the manufacturing budget for men's is spread out over fewer styles. Women's lines tend to have a lot of variety. Thus, the budget for women's is spread thin, over all the different styles (that women supposedly "want"-I don't). So, quality is compromised.

@muaythaigirl1612 2 ай бұрын

I think in general, society has moved away from a quality mindset towards a convenience mindset. Look at the number of fast food / coffee joints that are set up to make it easy to get your food and drink on the way to or from somewhere. Then there's fast fashion, no-advertisement streaming on multiple platforms, texting to check in versus a phone call, the list goes on.

@AA-jn3oc 2 ай бұрын

Regarding the comments on fabric quality, the question is not so much natural vs synthetic as one can find beautiful and bad clothes in either category. The quality also comes from the care and skill in the sewing of garments.

@cynthiahunter6588 2 ай бұрын

I'm trying to consign a lot of things from a friend who died. High quality but not current and the thrift stores won't consign the pieces. They are becoming chains . Too much to do Posh mark...what's the alternative?

@nogo4022 2 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for these podcasts. But the area that I wish you’d be clearer about is what might ANY shopping be replacing that has nothing to do with where or what you’re buying. I spent years doing two things to make up for troubled relationships or just bad days: shopping and overeating… so I was often broke & overweight…and still experiencing the bad relationship, bad job or whatever “hole” I was trying to fill. Is there a word for this kind of transference of emotional need? Hmmm. Anyway I live all three of you. Thanks Toni

@Lopsa192 2 ай бұрын

hey great video - I live in Chile and here I go to the local feria (farmer's market) where they also sell lots of second hand clothes from the US and Europe etc. It is all very cheap and it takes a lot of sifting through the piles to find the quality gems. I buy way too much....but that money goes straight to a Chilean owner of the stall - they buy the 'fardos' or clothes bales from abroad. Whatever I don't use or want I then give away to Chileans that don't have as much as me, or I sell the nicer stuff for about the same price I paid for online. For sure I have a shopping addiction, but I have ended up with a great second hand wardrobe and spend way less than new (and the quality here of new clothes is mostly even WORSE than H&M etc), so I don't feel bad. I think if you directly donate to people what you don't use then there is no downside.

@kathyesargent9088 2 ай бұрын

I love it and you just have to dig❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤went today found great stuff

@TheSlightestChic 2 ай бұрын

Poshmark just changed its fee structure, placing the majority of fees on the buyer instead of the seller. As a result, secondhand shopping is becoming unsustainable. In-person thrift stores have also increased prices due to demand, and now online platforms are doing the same. I understand the principles behind buying secondhand, but if I can get the same shirt brand new for half the price of what I can thrift it for, I'm going to buy the new one. I have been a lifelong thrifter and still have pieces I found when I was 15; I'm now 41. I love thrifting, but I rarely do it anymore. The good pieces are extremely hard to come by now, even if you go every day. The prices are sky-high, and I live in a college town where the stores are always overrun with resellers. I hate to say it, but thrifting is not really an option for me anymore. If I'm near a shop and have time, I will pop in, but I don't make it a priority anymore.

@Lauralouk77 2 ай бұрын

Yes about Poshmark!! I love buying second hand and I have found probably 95% of my current wardrobe on there but the fees are just so high now for buying on there that unless I find an unusually low price or a very well priced “new with tags” item it just isn’t worth it anymore. Very disappointing.

@yensid4294 2 ай бұрын

I agree that some of the problem with thrifting is discarded fast fashion but the lack of quality is also do to resellers who buy in bulk & weed out all the good stuff for their boutiques & online selling (which they mark up from the thriftstore price) You probably won't find Levis in a thriftstore anymore because of this. I would also assume that certain regions might have better 2nd hand stores & boutiques. NYC, LA, SF probably good. The Goodwill in the burbs, probably not.

@rachelbrewin5618 2 ай бұрын

In the uk there’s definitely a move by a few charity shops to stock mainly better quality and true vintage and have a more boutique like layout (reflected in the prices inevitably). I think this is down to individual shop managers though and not the actual charity. It does make it easier to find good stuff but you wonder what happens to all the polyester that gets donated. Some charities have contracts with recycling companies but does that mean it just all gets shipped to Ghana? If you try to google what individual charities do with unwanted stock the information is very sketchy.

@Lopsa192 2 ай бұрын

Also, what happens if everybody starts to shop second hand?

@arlenewherrett787 2 ай бұрын

Signe mentioned she fears the state of thrift stores in 5-10 years. I think the shift has already happened and it’s super depressing. I’m 60 and I’ve been thrifting since I was 15. I live in Australia where all the thrift shops have clued into the rise of acceptance for secondhand and are pricing anything with a brand or quality fabric content at very high prices - some items are priced at $200 - that 2 years ago you could have got for $10. I’ve just spent 6 weeks in Europe and the thrift shops are fully of fast fashion tat - I didn’t find anything of good quality. And it’s so true that there is still some good quality stuff in the men’s section which is priced much cheaper. I think the days of discovering a wonderful item at a good price are over - so sad. I think hardcore thrifters like me will soon return to quality firsthand or sewing and knitting about own garments.

@Whatsinpenelopescloset 2 ай бұрын

What was so funny??😂 oh your cough 😂. I love shopping thrift, it is like all brands in one place but you have to have patience and know what you are looking for. Otherwise,it is overwhelming. It is hit or miss.

@Daniela-lq6kx 2 ай бұрын

Why are we so surprised to find that thrift stores are full of fast fashion items these days and that it gets harder and harder to find good quality "gems" there? Fast fashion is what most people buy and consequently it is what gets decluttered and donated. So where are the good quality items supposed to come from? It's not as if there is a parallel world that consumes good quality items and then donates these to the thrift stores where we end up buying them. Clothing has been produced in poorer and poorer quality over the past decades, so of course it gets harder and harder to find good quality pieces, be it on the high street or in thrift stores. And even the more expensive brands often don't stand for good quality any longer. Those days are long gone. Also, these days, if people want to declutter their good quality items, usually they would try and sell these items themselves before they would donate them to a thrift store.

@gnine3299 6 күн бұрын

I only shop when I know I would buy it new like I found some Sam Edelman Spring heels regular $160 and I got them for $27.05 brand new!!! Also I found a camo Banana Republic jacket regular $230 I got it for $25!!!!! So I only buy if I know I’m gna wear it and if it’s something I really want and I know I’m gna get good wear out of it.