why I will never buy new clothes again: how fast fashion is ending the world with our help

[@servingcant]

I’ve been sewing my own clothes for 5+ years, and as of recent I’ve started using biodegradable, sustainable fabric. I refuse to participate in ruining the environment and exploiting people.

[@AnomalyBelleza]

This is fantastic. Your comment is a source of inspiration for me and how I approach my apparel habits.

[@Lastdayone]

Where do you source your fabrics?

[@Fierce4R]

What's a good sewing machine

[@kmhl2004]

This video needs more attention fr, the only way fast fashion will go out of style is if we have a massive change in our personal values.

[@TheSarahMaria]

Thank you!! I completely agree, trying to do whatever I can to de-normalize overconsumption

[@rachelbrewin5618]

I’m 54, I love that young people like you are spreading awareness of this lunacy.

[@kadidiasylla778]

my mom always tells me how much better quality clothes used to be. we really are being deceived

[@PaulineBranch-g8t]

you’re literally my comfort person i love you *suluxy* !

[@tiwiogunye]

People need to wake up

[@ifetayodavidson-cade5613]

@@kadidiasylla778 I feel bad that young people may not even have the exposure to tell the difference between high quality clothes and low quality clothes.

[@katpat-rice]

you spell it out so clearly !! and yet people don’t stop shopping and companies don’t change their ways !! WE NEED TO WAKE UP

[@TheSarahMaria]

Exactly you get it!!! I really hope we start to see more and more collective awakening

[@emmelinesprig489]

That interview was powerful. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen an interview of a garment worker. Thank you for including her voice! We need more of that in this fight. We can only fight dehumanization through humanization.

[@TheSarahMaria]

I thought the same!! It’s so important to uplift their voices and remind ourselves of the real people that suffer because of capitalist greed

[@Wonezzzz]

Really educational video! I knew it was bad, but I didn't know it was THAT bad. The videos TikTok influencers make of their huge SHEIN hauls when most likely less then 10% of they clothes they bought will actually be worn, never mind more than once are absolutely atrocious. Hoping this video gets more attention!

[@TheSarahMaria]

Thank you! I’m glad it was informative, I really hope we can collectively make the shift away from consuming so much more than we actually need 🫶🏼

[@deborahcurtis1385]

Shein or from Amazon are a bridge too far. I did buy some from H&M but mostly it was rubbish. I've got some things from Zara but gave up. Hate buying rubbish that doesn't last. Even Uniqlo makes rubbish at times. I do buy things on sale at times,

[@tss337]

This came in the middle of my financial diet and my mind is already shifting to buying much much much less. Thank you for this information ❤

[@mays.beyond]

Thank you for your video :) Fast fashion is a systematic issue. I believe that to tackle it, we shouldn't just transfer our consumerist behaviour to "supposedly green" fashion brands but rather make a collective effort to not buy new, and even more, to buy less! Of course, this is easier said than done... But together, we can make it the norm 🌼

[@TheSarahMaria]

Thanks for watching! I definitely agree 🫶🏼 I hope we can make it the norm

[@kadidiasylla778]

insane how fast fashion convinces ppl that clothes should come cheap and trick ppl into engaging in overconsumption and spending more than they even realize. i would also recommend looking at sustainable brands that use ethical materials and fair labor practices! good on you is really good for analyzing brands

[@TheSarahMaria]

Exactly!! & thank you I’ll look into that 🫶🏼

[@phyliciajoykloes]

Yessss! 🎉 I'm here for this! A statement of resistance! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@AniaAntul]

Also, you mentioned green washing. That's also my issue. I don't mind spending 5x or even more on a high quality sustainable t-shirt, but it's hard to know what is true and what is greenwashing. We can go as far back as sewing > cutting fabric > sourcing fabric > actually producing fabric (for example dyes, are then sustainable?) > growing the plant (cotton, hemp) /raising livestock (wool) - do they get paid well, do they use too much water?) and so on... it's like a never ending rabbit hole.

[@squidwardwithoutaclue]

But then one piece of clothing costs about $50, AND that doesn't mean it's good quality 😢

[@AniaAntul]

@@squidwardwithoutaclue I would say $50 would be on the very low end, unfortunately. Or maybe not unfortunately, maybe we are just used to super low prices. Also, I don't mind second hand. As for the quality... I wanna believe that brands that are really taking it seriously will have good quality. I wouldn't purchase a wool or cashmere sweater from H&M *exclusive line* for let's say $200, because I would still support a company that sells $20 sweaters made of polyester or acrylic. A brand that is solely focused on good quality items with well sourced materials - I would definitely be more willing to give them my money.

[@sparklesandstuffs6038]

There is a website called good on you that rates brands in terms of enviromental impact, human labour conditions, and animal welfare. It's really helpful. You can suggest brands for them to rate, too.

[@vme138]

the issue its inflaction right now your money worth less than 1/10 of what it was 50 years ago! track the price of something like gold and you will notice. This means that our money can buy less things... compared to our grandfathers, so the wool clothe, its afordable, its our salary that its wrong...

[@888bjxjs888]

Great work. We really need this message boosted because it will NOT come from any companies or businesses; it goes against their interests but it goes for our interests as living beings on a shared planet.

[@Dreafinds]

You are not extreme at all, you are waaaaaay ahead of your time !

[@user-mf7eb5he6y]

i’ve been thinking for a while, i don’t wanna buy any more from fast fashion (unless i need to) i’d rather use what i have and make smth different ( i own a sewing machine, might as well make use of it) plus im exceedingly picky, nothing fits me due to my weight and size, and i just have too much clothing already (i don’t like it but that’s what my sewing machine is for) im also broke, so i’d only shop from thrift stores anyway, im glad a lot of us feel this way, we will see change

[@TheSarahMaria]

Sewing is such a good skill to have I really wanna learn! But yes you get itttt I really hope we will see change

[@deborahcurtis1385]

I buy deadstock and have items kept for decades. This works for me. I also get shoes mended and even altered. Sometimes I buy new but rarely. Not worth it and the quality is often appalling.

[@TheSarahMaria]

Thats amazing!! It’s so important to invest in longevity and to take care of & repair the items we already have rather than resorting to throwing them out and just buying more 💕

[@SheDetective]

Unfortunately greed is intertwined within humanity, theres a great book called “The Selfish Gene” that goes into the psychology of this, basically our primal mindset to survive drives this, but its adapted to become selfish for things that are not crucial for survival.

[@TheSarahMaria]

**adds to reading list** thank you!

[@nniiccollee]

girl you are an amazing presenter. i was locked in the entire time and i already knew most of this info (besides how many pounds are in a ton) thank you for creating this amazing content. pls dont stop making videos❤

[@TheSarahMaria]

Aww thank you so much!! I’m so glad to hear that 🥰🫶🏼

[@catherineleslie-faye4302]

I've been sewing my own clothes from materials bought at thrift stores and yard sales since 1988. I do my best to use all natural fiber based materials when I can find and afford them.

[@fluffibunni01191]

I'd been putting it off for a while but finally bought a sewing machine because financially im at a place where I can't really afford sustainable brands but don't want to continue supporting fast fashion. Im hoping i can repurpose some of the clothes ive grown out of or that I just don't really find myself wearing anymore and make the most of what I have. Now I can have unique pieces that will last and not have to give another dime to corporations that ruin people's lives like this. This video was super enlightening and entertaining!

[@TheSarahMaria]

That’s amazing!! I definitely want to learn to sew also 💕

[@b3naqua]

Such an important and timely topic 👏🏼 ty for making this!

[@TheSarahMaria]

Thanks for watching! 🫶🏼

[@moptimism]

yea this is why thrifting and hand me downs is my go to

[@Plus-sizethrifting]

Excellent job!! Very interesting ❤

[@livelovely4681]

You're totally right. If we can reduce the transmission of pesks and contamination many things don't need to be bought again.

[@mossreimer7498]

Thank you so much for this. I started thrifting during Covid, as a way to extend my efforts to recycle. I shifted towards buying only thrifted clothes easily, really. It sounded at first like a sacrifice, but the variety and quality of the clothes I have thrifted, including in the men's department, are simply great. Honestly, it seems like I manifest some pieces into reality. We should recommend it to all our friends. Pre-loved clothing is future.

[@brokebaddieboutique]

I am a huge proponent of secondhand fashion & environmentalism, and this is the best video I have ever watched on the topic of why fast fashion is not worth supporting! I love how you emphasized the gravity of this matter & explained it with such compassion. I will also never buy new clothes again! (Except from sustainable small business, of course).

[@TheSarahMaria]

Thank you so much!! 🫶🏼 I’m glad it was helpful and informative

[@squidwardwithoutaclue]

15 years ago in school we watched a H&M documentary about them exploiting workers and children in those sweatshops and all that and I never understood how shein got popular 😳

[@sharonscott4351]

Well said young friend! 💜 Teach the people 🫶🏽🌍

[@TheSarahMaria]

🥰🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼

[@fatimaal-dhaher6336]

Your sweater is incredible ✊🏽🇵🇸

[@TheSarahMaria]

thank you! 🇵🇸🇵🇸🫶🏼🫶🏼

[@Margriet811]

Great video! I wish it’d go viral, because this is such important and valuable information. This is why I have stopped buying from fast fashion brands years ago. And now I pick new clothes very mindfully. I only buy what I will actually wear until it falls apart. I’m praying for all the consumerism to stop and disappear from this planet. We only have one…

[@elisecccccccc]

This year I am learning to sew. Have been meaning to for years, but I noticed that when I see things I can make it makes me less inclined to purchase. I figure if I can empower myself to feel that I can make equivalent or even better quality garments to what I see out in the world, or even be able to tailor the items I already have, I might feel less inclined.

[@TheSarahMaria]

Yesss I want to learn to sew for this exact reason

[@Thewahujway]

I love ur passion ❤

[@TheSarahMaria]

Thank you! 🫶🏼

[@LauraTaylor-nt2id]

This video is absolutely brilliant, the level of research you’ve done is so evident! I haven’t bought new clothes since 2022 for all the reasons you listed. I want people to know that it is SO much easier than it sounds to shop exclusively second hand. You can have impecable style without blood on your hands ❤

[@TheSarahMaria]

@@LauraTaylor-nt2id thank you!! Yes I agree it is so much easier than it sounds but mass marketing tactics make people so addicted to consumption. Hopefully consciousness starts to shift 🫶🏼

[@AniaAntul]

Loved your video! I "discovered" thrifting this year (of course I knew about it before, but it was never my preferred way of shopping). I'm not a big shopper in general, I don't know when the Zara sales are happening and so on. I still wear skinny jeans, same way I was wearing low rise bell bottoms in 2015, when everyone was wearing high rise skinny jeans. I'm late to trends, because I want to know I will love and cherish what I own. I love to play with fashion, I am a creative person, but usually I satisfy this part of myself by watching other "fashionable" people. Also, I'm experimenting with thrifted clothes now! I have to watch myself too, because thrifting can be addictive to and it will again lead to overconsumption (which I think many people don't realize). Thank you for this informative video.

[@TheSarahMaria]

Thanks for sharing! 🫶🏼 & So true, thrifting can definitely be a way to still over consume. I have to check myself with that too and I go way less often now

[@Lastdayone]

I believe social media has greatly influenced hyper consumption. I have zero social media now 😊. I haven’t even missed it! Ppl are being psychologically influenced to buy. These fast fashion companies are literally sucking ppl dry. I started working part time in retail in August. I have purchased absolutely nothing 😂. My coworkers are constantly purchasing items. I’ve seen customers just buying things and it seems like they’re buying, just to buy 🤔 I’ve lost 70 pounds and I simply altered my clothes myself. Now that they are getting beyond the point of alteration, I will be making an actual list of what I need to purchase. I’ve learned that I love wearing the same things.

[@TheSarahMaria]

10000% agree!! Good for you for being a conscious consumer and for stepping away from social media, it’s definitely an unhealthy environment

[@LoveToday8]

No more fast fashion for me as well. Not only is the exploitation off garment workers atrocious, the potential health impact of cheap clothing. Polyester aka plastic, made from fossil fuels, is rampant in our clothing these days. While toxins are everpresent in the U.S.: food, air, water, homes and workplaces, cleaning products, personal care items, etc, if I can reduce my exposure, I will. I came across a stylist that pulls looks for clients secondhand sourced or through ethical and sustainable brands. She put together a guide to ethical clothing companies and it's saved me so many hours of research. The price points vary. this conversation about sustainable consumerism/consumption has so many facets to if.

[@XNA2NW3]

Great job explaining a complex and convoluted situation.

[@TheSarahMaria]

Thank you!!

[@dorianachilles]

this is such a wonderful video!! thank you !!

[@PumpkinMozie]

I’m with you! One day I realized that all the new clothes I bought were such terrible quality that I was never able to wear them for very long. I’m DONE! Over a year ago I made the commitment to end up he madness and always thrift if I need something, but in general try to use what I already own first and foremost. Never looking back.

[@TheSarahMaria]

That’s so inspiring!!! I’m glad to hear that you are making changes in your own consumption habits, systematic change really does start at an individual level 🫶🏼

[@maiageeez]

THANK YOU GIRL ❤

[@maraa3830]

Excellent video! Thank you!

[@sarah30932]

Thank you ❤

[@jesusbenn]

Thank you for this.

[@michelled6482]

If you were a teacher I’d sign up for your class 🔥 Love the way you break down info in a easy to understand and engaging way

[@TheSarahMaria]

thank youuuu 🥰🥰🫶🏼🫶🏼

[@AnomalyBelleza]

Well done love ❤ a great mind you are

[@TheSarahMaria]

Thank you so much! 🫶🏼

[@curiousboy88]

Very insightful and well researched video!!!

[@TheSarahMaria]

@@curiousboy88 thank you!! 🫶🏼

[@asifs100]

Very insightful video

[@leandralovejoy2167]

40 seconds in and you have earned my follow

[@leandralovejoy2167]

socks, underwear, bras, rare, or specialty items like shoes are the only things I purchase new whenever possible

[@TheSarahMaria]

Aww thanks for being here 🫶🏼

[@aria2aria2]

i like your voice and way of making videos. you speak softly and slowly which is peaceful to listen to ❤❤

[@TheSarahMaria]

Aww thank you!

[@SimzSpins]

Great video!

[@friendlyenigma1181]

I BEEN LOOKINGN FOR THIS VIDEO (i do love the shirt though omg 🇵🇸)

[@TheSarahMaria]

🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼

[@thedynasteadivine]

Great message, thanks for sharing!

[@EmL-kg5gn]

Firstly I loved this video, thank you! Secondly my venting There’s been 2 main difficulties for me in avoiding fast fashion. One is severe chronic fatigue. I can sew and crochet and shop secondhand - if I’m well enough. I’m hardly ever well enough. The other is the combination of sudden weight changes due to medical issues and unusual proportions. Most clothes don’t fit in any size so I’m always tempted to buy anything that almost fits. I’d never had size changes as an adult so I hadn’t learnt how to handle it and I didn’t have much energy to plan well. Or time! Every weight change happened in either a few weeks or a few days. I tried to make do with clothes that didn’t fit but sometimes I truly couldn’t, public nudity is illegal and probably cold haha. And sometimes I got fed up with the physical and psychological discomfort of ill-fitting clothes and caved to fast fashion So I now have mini-wardrobes in 5 sizes. I don’t have room to store it all and I’m unlikely to have the medical issues that caused the weight changes again so I’m living in the mess until I have energy to give away or sell the clothes (I don’t want it to go to landfill). I’d love to make adjustable clothes with some fabric I have, the designs are in my mind already but I need energy. If anyone actually reads all this and has advice I’ll take it!

[@TheSarahMaria]

Thank you for sharing! It sounds really hard to balance conscious consumption & weight fluctuations so I totally get the frustration. & I try to sell some of my old clothes on Depop but I’ve also been wanting to look into local women’s shelters that I could bring them to so that could be an option too. Sending love 💕💕

[@EmL-kg5gn]

@@TheSarahMaria Thank you so much for listening and for your advice! I’d totally forgotten about donating to women’s shelters, that’s probably much more realistic for me. Tysm, wishing you the best 💕💕💕

[@Kdr83691]

Hi, my love! Thank you for this amazing video!!!! Yes, I'm not buying from Shein again!!!!!

[@TheSarahMaria]

Thank you for watching! Same ✊🏼

[@stephanieg2000]

Billionaires shouldn't exist, this is disgusting that the people actually making the work make pennies a day while the CEO gets fat.

[@TheSarahMaria]

Exactly! It’s sickening

[@jennifers1040]

The amount of people who defend this show me how selfish the world has become.

[@TheSarahMaria]

Same 🥲 we have created a very individualistic culture where many people place their personal desires over what would be better for the collective

[@lilacandme8234]

Just to let you know the min. Wage in Philippines is 9 to 10 dollars for 8 hrs work. This is the legal rate, and most brands you buy in the US, not just shein and forever 21, are made in asia due to cheap labor costs.

[@bennablements]

Great informative video. And you are so beautiful! Slave labour and human rights abuses alone is enough to give up fast fashion first of all. But I've also found that clothes that I've thrifted or gotten 2nd hand, I honestly value more. They're generally more unique and harder to replace. I have a jean jacket that belonged to my uncle that he hand-drew designs on in permanent marker while he was in college. I have hand-me-down Scandinavian sweaters that are some of the most beautiful and well crafted items I've ever seen. Right now I'm wearing a shirt that my mom tie-dyed with her art students 20+yrs ago. Some of the best jeans and dress clothes I own are ones I've thrifted. You can feel the difference in quality between pieces produced just 1-2 decades ago vs now. I dont even want the new shit anymore lol.

[@TheSarahMaria]

Thank you!! 🫶🏼 i 100% agree, i love finding vintage gems and the quality truly is sooo much better

[@itslala]

Love this video ❤

[@TheSarahMaria]

Thank you!! I’m glad

[@kasiad2862]

13:43 you put it so good!

[@TheSarahMaria]

Thank you!! 🫶🏼

[@NargisKhan-jw2lz]

this is a good idea, I live in India, so a lot of my closet is thrifted or tailored. So this is gonna be easy to do for me and I'm down

[@TheSarahMaria]

🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼

[@leastidyworld4365]

I wish you made more videos about this subject, then I would subscribe.

[@Yourrrr]

Such a good vid thank u!

[@iSharShar]

I recommend, if you haven't already, Aja Barber's book CONSUMED. She does a really great job of covering how we need to change our mindset about fast fashion and what it is doing to our environment.

[@TheSarahMaria]

Thank you!! I have that on my list hopefully I can get around to reading it soon 💕

[@ZE-sb3pu]

Love your sweater !!!!!!!!!!

[@TheSarahMaria]

Thank you!! 🥹✊🏼

[@mercyfulfate666]

Expensive clothes are ALSO exploitative, some of them are made in the SAME factories - as a factory worker,I can tell you, we do fast fashion AND high end. Besides that, not everyone can pay for anything else besides fast fashion, so yeah, this rebelion against fast fashion is simply elitist bullshit made by people who have options, and think they are avoiding exploitation by simply paying more - you aren't.

[@lenapez7670]

the point is not to buy more expensive brands, the point is to buy second hand and just less in general. Nobody needs endless clothes from shein.

[@TheSarahMaria]

I completely agree with you! I’m not saying we should be supporting luxury/high end fashion over fast fashion. I’m saying we need to consume less all around and fast fashion makes overconsumption highly accessible. I’m currently working on a video exploring the exploitation in high end fashion as well :)

[@rachelbrewin5618]

It’s not ‘elitist bullshit’ I buy exclusively secondhand and have thrifted my whole life. There are enough clothes in the world, I’m in my 50’s and on a low income. Decades ago before fast fashion people didn’t have hundreds of pieces in their wardrobe, it just isn’t necessary.

[@princesprincess1413]

No where in her video did she ever suggest or advocate for “high end” fashion lol. Instead of taking her words as an attack, take them exactly how she meant it; fast fashion is bad and we should consume less while exploring options to shop more ethically.

[@MissMoontree]

No. The ground of the disapprove is not elitism. I think most people say "buy better if you can". Nobody is hating on the teens that can only afford 5 dollars for a shirt. The problem is Shein mass haul marketing making wastefulness look cool. There is cheap clothes outside of fast fashion that doesn't steal designs. Oddly enough, you might look more expensive in their basics. In the end the solution is to buy less, not spend more.

[@esteban9716]

and inditex seems "moderate" and "outdated" compared to shein's and others' business models :( great video essay

[@TheSarahMaria]

Yes! I feel like inditex started the problem but since then it has become a wholeee different monster

[@santostv.]

Shein is ultra fast fashion

[@vme138]

the solution is for people to go and find someone who make clothes for them. Just one piece that fits. In this way there will be less garbage in general, there will be one piece made with quality that will last and its made for you and you will treasure it... instead of just use it once. If you only buy 7 t-shirts for you for more than 20 years... in the end those 7 will be more cheap than thousands of them from Shein, and will be stuff that you would love, and if you grow bored of them you can give them to someone else, and buy another that will last....

[@LearnAsYouGo.]

How are trash piles of clothes getting to these countries? Are they being dumped there intentionally??

[@TheSarahMaria]

Yup they are, in the “Brandy Hellville” documentary they talk about how western countries threaten to take away duty free status and/or impose higher taxes on these countries if they try to stop accepting the waste. So they’re essentially pressured into taking it even when they have no space for it

[@LozKat88]

Yes, there are private companies who pay to take a lot of the unwanted donations away from many different charity shops, or places like Savers - this happens all over the world - and then those companies sell it on, to poorer countries like Africa in 40kg+ bails (and as Sarah said below essentially forcing these countries into taking the waste) and because recently, the clothes being sent there have become of less and less quality (not just quality but less thought, less design, less wearability etc), the people over there also don't have any use for them and are left to rot in the sun, in slum areas, where the sun causes it to burn up, which then releases toxic fumes into the atmosphere from the dyes and chemicals they used to make the clothes, which also gets washed into the waterways and so on and so forth, the corruption goes on and on.... Which is why we must all wake up and support small local businesses, and take note of those who are focusing on recycling waste, and helping each other update our habits so it doesn't continue like this any more, and keep supporting church community charity shops, where they support each other as well in so many other more wholesome ways than corporate greed, haha, sad but true, but we as a people have the power and can help turn that around!

[@batmansmith7422]

I think the solution is largely just buying less, and making what you can. Get a sewing kit (even if it’s plastic, even if it’s cheap and likely slave-made), and take care of your clothes. Half the battle is people treating everything as disposable.

[@TheSarahMaria]

I completely agree!!

[@leastidyworld4365]

Do you know sustainable brands for plus size clothing? I’m a UK 22 and it seems harder to find sustainable brands that are not limited to sizes up to a 12-14. Also, I am on benefits, how can I afford sustainable brands? They’re expensive. I do thrift a lot, though.

[@TheSarahMaria]

My go to is usually thrifting also! At the moment I can’t think of any but I am trying to pull together a list of sustainable brands so hopefully I find some that are plus size friendly and I can share them 🥰🫶🏼

[@leastidyworld4365]

@@TheSarahMaria That would be great, thank you. I really don’t need anything if I’m honest aside from a dressing gown, as mu closet is stuffed with fast fashion. 🙈 I love my H&M stuff and I’m not about to throw it out so hopefully I won’t be contributing to that waste any time soon but I have a lot to learn.

[@nnamdi98]

Not this video just turned me into a nudist… LMAO but fr this was very informative! Very eye opening! Big Fashion ain’t getting another dime from me

[@TheSarahMaria]

Not a nudist helppp 😂😂😂 but thank you!!! & Me either friend

[@leastidyworld4365]

9:57 That is so horrible and out of order.

[@jem-live]

As a doctor truth is most junior doctors are paid 3-4 dollars per hour🤣 in my country ( India)🇮🇳

[@KseniaTLV]

I didn’t understand what connection with fast fashion and new clothes? There are a lot of clothes not from the fast fashion segment. And it’s new

[@3mpty3yes]

❤❤❤

[@e.l.2734]

Where I live, the minimum wage is equivalent to US$ 1.54/hr. God, please don't let our jobs be the next in line to be "helped" through boycotting

[@kotykivna]

I am a Ukrainian woman. As for clothes, 7 years ago I gradually switched to clothes made by Ukrainian manufacturers. Over the past 6-10 years, literally hundreds of Ukrainian clothing brands have emerged that sew high-quality clothes - and some of them create such beauty that no Zara can compare to. However, such clothes are sometimes very expensive - much more expensive than fast fashion. Why did I switch to Ukrainian manufacturers in the first place? I saw that clothes from Zara, Massimo Dutti, H&M, Cropp, Medicine, and many other well-known in our country brands are expensive and the quality is terrible. In Ukraine, I can buy clothes made from 100% natural fabrics several times cheaper than plastic sweaters and dresses from fast fashion brands. But the most important thing is that on August 1, 2023, I started a no-buy year, and on August 1, 2024, I extended it for another year. I donated hundreds of things, threw away a lot of them (because they were old and worn out, but still in the closet), and realized that 50 things would be enough for me to live on, and I have at least 200 more, so I definitely won't need new clothes for at least the next 5 years. Except for 2 pairs of shoes - I buy shoes very rarely, and the shoes I have now (also all made in Ukraine) have been worn for 3-4 years.

[@TheSarahMaria]

I love that you made the shift from fast fashion and ultimately to not buying at all!! I also realized that I have so much more than I actually need so I’m working on finding meaningful ways to donate or repurpose and committing to not buying anything new 🫶🏼

[@tzegoh333]

I have a solution: make your own clothes, although I must say, that’s probably not want you want to hear either.

[@Yougotthis1212]

All clothes high end, luxury or fast fashion is all fueled by cheap labor and exploitation. Don’t be fooled by luxury brands. But also let’s not push western views and ideologies on other places. In some countries if children dont work they dont eat. Its capitalism, thats the real problem that no one wants to confront because then it would affect that nice house you live in and the car you drive that you or your parents bought by being loaned money, if you had to pay outright your life would be a whole lot different. So if you really want to get real, get real.

[@imanbooklife]

Basically one part of the world is the slave of the other part of the world

[@Jesshb0403]

As a plus size woman that is a size 24 and lives in Mexico, I only find clothes that I like and that are my size in SHEIN and Temu. Theres no thrift stores. I live in Chihuahua city. And the only two thrift stores that exist, dont have plus size clothes. And the ones that have plus size clothes,are horrible designs and almost no options. I think theres people that can have the privilege of buying clothes at thrift stores. like skinny people or people that are XL and down. But when youre 2XL,3XL,4XL,5XL etc... You dont have that privilege. Also,people in the United States have more privilege in many ways. You have to consider LatinAmerica,Europe,AfricaAsia,etc. United States is the problem. Because americans have the privileges and dont use them. They keep buying fast fashion and they have many many options to buy in thrift stores.

[@thisisnotausernameXD]

Yeah this is a genuine problem. Online thrifting is the main option in my country, there's only a couple of small thrift stores in my city as well. Online thrifting is also not very size inclusive and you can't really try anything out. I think it's ok to buy from fast fashion if that's the only option you have, as long you don't buy excessively and are generally aware of the issues with it.

[@sasa18girl]

This is reaaallll. I’m over buying new clothes. Like yes there’s some pieces of my wardrobe I need to rework. But I’m trying to figure out what to do with my fast fashion clothes.

[@ChronicVillainy]

Wear them. Wear what you already have for as long as possible. Using what you already have is always better than buying other pieces, even if the items you already own are fast fasion pieces. If you declutter them, they'll likely end up in the landfill of the global south. Of course, if you need to replace these items down the line, then do so with more sustainable/ethical/thrifted options.