My gripe with fashion is that much more expensive brands are guilty of the same things. I’ve tried to find clothing in Australia that isn’t made in China or Bangladesh and you often can’t at any price point. And thrifting is often a disaster, the second hand clothes *are* fast fashion but worn out snd sometimes, bizarrely, more expensive than buying them new. And God help you if you’re not a standard size. I mean I’m happy to pay more and buy less but there are limits to both. I still need clothes I can wear to work and underwear and both of those categories are where it’s often hardest to find anything that’s both ethical and affordable. This is in Australia where an item from Zara is often over $50-$100.

The worst are 2nd hand shops selling their stuff at couture prices 😂

I have H&M products i purchased years ago that I still wear, just because its affordable doesnt mean it woulnt last 😊

I own an H&M hoodie that i bought 7-8 years ago. I still wear it today.

My take is: Buy more expensive / better quality clothes that are not designer clothes and hold on to them for longer. I know not everyone wants to do this but I have shirts that are over 10 years old that I still use today. Also, I update my wardrobe about every 5 years. Sure it’s not the most fashionable thing to do, but that is more sustainable and better for our wallets.

I’ve still got clothes between 15 and 20 years ago, my daughter loves my style and now picking out the outfit that she would wear 😂Always choose something that is good quality and will stay in fashion after a decade or so unless its ripped 😅

H&M is not exactly cheap In India. Other brands like Zara etc are even more expensive. The clothes ( for women) are becoming smaller and smaller. Even men’s pants nowadays don’t reach their ankles. It’s a great way to cut material costs.😂 and all the while Indian kids think they are being trendy and cool. 🙂

I only buy clothes when I need them. We as a family wear our clothes till there falling apart. Then when we need something new we buy the best we can afford. And I remember when your clothes were no longer wearable they were turned into rags for around the house, she’d etc

That $4.90 H&M tshirt is cheaper than it is in India... Here H&M costs are least the equivalent of $6. How is it so cheap in the US?? 🤷

Hi Uptin! Fast fashion brands like H&M and Uniqlo are quite expensive for most Filipinos. A lot resort to “Ukay-ukay,” or thrift shops in order to obtain fast fashion clothing by a fraction of a cost. It is interesting that most of these 2nd hand clothings come from Hongkong. You would know it came from HK because of the few convention shirts that are mixed with the selections. “Ukay-ukay” is informally a multi-million Peso industry here in the Philippines because it’s not yet legal. A senator, however, filed a bill to legalize these businesses.

I am using my T-shirts from 4 years and they are still in a good condition. Though I can’t wear it outside now due to Color fade but I do wear it in home as house wears.

A lot of "donated" clothing still ends up in the landfill.

People have a shopping problem. Most of my clothes are decade old+ lol

I love your videos! Very informative and no beating around the bush. Hope you get more subscribers!

Foreigners living in Dubai in general are some of the worst offenders when it comes to carbon footprint. Living in huge sprawl, driving a car every day.

This is so enlightening! Thank you for this report Uptin!

I still wear the same clothes I bought 30, 40 yrs ago !!!!!

and here i am still wearing shirt i used to wear when i was in college (1999)... and that shirt came from a thrift shop 😂😂😂 it have holes and the print is pealing already but still comfy.. that's why i still love to wear it 😍 all my clothes can probably be under 10kg. 😂😂😂 i feel that what i have is enough. 😊😊😊

I always check the fabric labels when I'm buying clothes. At first it did feel like lot of work but nowadays I could not imagine buying something without knowing what it's made of. It has just become part of the process and you learn to recognise fabrics from the look and feel of it. I only buy natural fabrics and I can tell by the looks which ones I won't even consider buying. It's kind of sad because many times the most beautiful clothes are made of polyester but I don't want plastic based materials as I don't think the quality is as good and it doesn't breath the way natural fibers do.

In my country buying second hand is common but the problem is if the second hand item is branded with well known brand the price will be high.

When my father and brother passed in 2020 I've been wearing their shirts. My dad had plaid shirts from the 90's still in good condition and wearing my brothers wrangler winter shirt. like Barbara Mandrel, used to sing... I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool remember wearing' straight-leg Levi's, Flannel shirts even when they weren't in style😄 no shame in re-using what used to be someone else clothes. I love resale shops, thrift shops, yard sales you would be amazed at the stuff you can find.

One thing not mentioned on why it’s so cheap for those delivered clothes from Shein and Temu are cheap are because the US and other wealthy countries (mostly the west) subsidize mail deliveries from China and other countries that fall under a category of poorer countries. Shipments from China costs only about 30% to 50% of what it should costs - the rest is paid by the US (or europe if shipping to Europe). When you see in eBay some item that costs $2 with shipment included and it’s coming from China, that’s the reason. It’s all part of UPU, Universal Postal Union

Made in Bangladesh is much higher than anywhere else due to that being the main industry in the country and also due to them having a less economically developed status that allows them tariff free or low tariff exports to western countries.

I'm Flabbergasted that there are people who wear clothes just seven times before tossing out. I've been wearing my shoes for seven years and shirts on average go upto 2.5 years jeans atleast 4 years

In Pakistan, India there is a Billion Dollar Thrift store market. All pre owned apparel comes from Europe & US

I'm just mad I didn't find that $4.90 shirt 😂

I've always shopped in Thrift Stores, thank goodness but here's the problem. Thrift stores are starting to be overloaded with the crappy fast fashion items.

Cost per wear is a fallacy because we don't necessarily wear things as often and as long for the cost per wear to actually be lower than fast fashion. And most people have caught on to this.

Excellent eye opener to the fashion industry. Thank you!

I do NOT understand fast fashion. I have a lot of shirts and I rotate on wearing them. I can't understand people who buy clothes and throw it away before making the clothes worth the value you purchased If that shirt is $30 USD I'm expecting at least a 3 year life from it lol

Too many artificial fibres being portrayed as good- and hard to get away from! I’m going back to natural fibres only. Thank you @uptin !!

Yeah it sucks that they won't make the production more eco-friendly if they are so persistent to make clothes so fast and cheap..😕

as someone who buys thrifted clothes i see this as a win

It’s so much cheaper than other shops. I try to buy 100% cotton and check so many labels. But it’s hard out there

I call H&M "Halaheel Market" Halaheel is an Egyptian slang word for light/cheap garments :D

I don't understand the concept of fast fashion i feel very proud to wear a shirt or jeans that I have been wearing for 6-7 years. I have a shirt 9 years old i still have it and after hitting the gym planning to wear it again.

Very interesting! Thanks for this.

7:25 Woman says it’s pure synthetic but it’s not. Viscose is wood pulp made into fabric with a bunch of nasty chemicals, just like bamboo is. These are considered semi-synthetics as a result. As opposed to cotton, linen, or wool which are also natural fibers but use fewer nasty chemicals in production.

My t-shirt is $3.33: I always buy the cheapest clothes

And the $4 was created by the FED's computer. It's like having a cheat code to buy all the things other countries produce

I am challenging shein for design infringments. They have offered out of court settlements but it's not enough to cover the licence fees. I'm an independent designer and I have stopped designing because it's that bad. I have lots of evidence and I want to share it with you with a view to bringing some content on social media. Shein has written to say the reserve their rights in regards to what I say on social media. Everything that I say is a matter of. Please let me know if you would be interested in my story that has been ongoing since 2019 when I found the first offending design selling from shein.

0:13 Dam, And here I'm buying new clothes once every year... Madness.

As a follow up to this video, you should do a segment about what these donation centers do with most of their clothes. Most of them go to the landfill. At least in America they do.

I am a big fan of 2nd hand. I do not mind that the clothes have a "history". So have I!

Saying that it costs more to make a shirt is false. It costs very little when the manufacturing is in Bangladesh and made at mass scale. These companies still make decent profits.

Even expensive clothes is not a good quality now and gets worn out after a few washes. It's mostly just a name.

Plus all those fashion shop when they receive their items, they come delivered to the shop covered in plastic bag and staff are removing from plastic and put in display

90s baby right here and I miss the hand me down days!

wtf man, i buy 2-3 pieces of clothes every couple years. why do Americans buy so many?

Also, right now the oversize trend means more textiles per clothe.

who actually wear clothes for 7 times and toss i have hm and shein that last years

The reason why Shein clothes is so cheap is because they ARE that cheap for their primary market, such as people in towns and rural areas in China. 12 dollar dress is a normal price for those group of buyers. Shein simply sell these low quality clothes to overseas customers instead. By making the clothes looks slightly fancier than they actually are, people thought they are just fast fashion like HM or Zara. But anyone grown up in China can easily tell they have nothing to do with fashion. They are just the same lowest quality clothes targeting poor people in China. Don't buy them.

I wear 2€ New Yorker T shirts for 2-3 years. At that point they have a lot of holes in them. The 25 € jeans will last also 3 years, but the pockets internal fabric gets destroyed by smartphone. Levi's lasted me longer.

lmao a human rights activist in Dubai?

Meanwhile, in the Philippines H&M is considered an expensive brand compared to their competitors.

Very informative and interesting video

I’m dissatisfied I got that spread of prices at HM. I got $35 to $200 at Everlane. I definitely prefer ThredUP and Everlane and plan on $200 pieces for years long wear. I don’t need 3 shirts, I need one.

great vid. what happened to space outro?

Influencer based in Dubai. Enough said on sustainability 😂

This was really good but question: I'm traveling toward Dubai overland (currently in Basra) and will have winter clothes I don't want to carry anymore and donate but to my knowledge Dubai does not have a market for used clothing, especially stuff for colder weather. Where would it end up?

The more clothes you throw, more pollution you create😭

I am 99.99% sure the same people that complain about high prices are the same people that complain about low prices.

It’s wayyy cheaper to wash you’re old clothes

Shein is way worse than H&M

From China, ironically I even never heard Shein in China lol

Sometimes when u order online and u have to return it is kind of a headache. Sometimes the product is not the same as the picture or is too small to fit even though is says xl. Xl now is like a medium to small for some brands.

Who are these people wearing something only seven times or less?

You can also resell clothes, what I do before buyying clothes is check is it my style, is the fabric natural? Then the price if the price is 100 dollars then ask yourself will you wear it 100 times? And that’s your answer to buy it or not

Boo, I'm wearing my shirts more than 7 times I promise. I've got a decade long shirt I'm currently nursing. Low income Americans are different

The average person only wears a clothing item 7 times? What's wrong with people? I have 20 year old shirts that I still wear. Just don't buy trendy junk

I wear fast fashion! But I wear them until they fall apart cause I'm poor.

There is no difference between brands, not expensive brands either, they are all made cheaply in asia. And nobody will ever care as long as the price is right.

Talking about sustainability basing in Dubai.

30 wear challenge? I'm not the thirty year challenge... My jeans last forever

Is she a dermatologist? Plenty of "Natural" stuff can irritate our skin too

Fashionable clothes go out of fashion. Traditional clothes don't

I wear my clothes a very very long time and than when they are worn torn wear as pjs i dont get buying so many clothes wear what you have till its worn and thrifting is a great way of shopping you can even find some new items too

Well I guess im a Gen z i love to go vintage stores I literally bought several shirts from shein at a thrift store

If a jeans button costs 5 cents, then think how much the jeans pant or jacket would cost you.🎉

Wow, very surprised to know that you made the video in Hong Kong.

Same production unit produce different brands..Here in India..

A 'sustainable fashion influencer' based in / moved to... Dubai. Lol. Not exactly known for being a green place.

Im Gen X and thrift most of my clothes and keep stuff a long time and take care of it.

J'ai des Tshirts, des sweats et des pulls de chez H&M que j'ai achetés il y a 10 ans et ils sont inusables. Tout n'est pas de mauvaise qualité là. J'ai passé mon enfance dans le minimalisme forcé. Deux tenues d'hiver, deux tenues d'été. Le peu que j'avais de neuf était trop grand car "les enfants grandissent trop vite". Rien n'était assorti au reste. Maintenant je vois que les enfants mal fringués n'en sont que plus mignons, mais alors, je me trouvais laide! Ado, j'ai sauté les repas de midi sans le dire à mes parents, et me suis achetée mes premiers vêtements avec l'argent de la cantine. Après, quand ils deviennent pas plus cher qu'un sandwich, il ne fut pas s'étonner si les gens exagèrent!

blame it on the women for this kind of waste. most guys hate buying new cloths and will wear out favorite shirts and pants until they are threadbare. women on the other hand wear an item once or twice then toss it in the back of the closet. my own wife is guilty of this. she kicked me out of the huge walk-in closet in our master bedroom and now invading the closet that I use in the guest bedroom.

We have clothes donation boxes in the USA 🇺🇸

with $3~4 you can buy 2-3 shirts in Vietnam.

I suffer with hot flashes with these new cheap fabrics. I have to wear breathable natural fabrics. Get tired of shopping for crap clothes.

Buying a jeans now coz I really don't have any.. except black and white

But to think these expensive brands are much more green. Honestly you can wear clothes for quite a while before they truly get bad. I wear

I knew lot of punk rockers that always shopped at the thrift store

Use child labor to lower prices.

Okay, now there are thousands of similar videos on YT, yet people keep buying from fast fashion... I don't believe much will change until governments of the "consumer-states" impose any restrictions on such brands

I always look at the stats of how much people put into the annual clothing budget and score way under that which is $1500 a year Get a pair of good lasting shoes and good for at least 2 or 3 years, same with some nice T-shirts and pants hit about $500 so on average 3 years of clothing purchases for 1 year of the statistical average. Unless its like a Full Suit or Winter jacket some years its less than that.

Nice video !

I strongly think that most merchandise today isxall recycled.

My clothes last at least a decade, unless they fade fast or get holes in them

Interesting video. I understand H&M own a company that sell vintage clothing so they to are moving towards a environment model. I was intrigued to see an environmentalist living in Dubai??

influencer: "if it sounds like a synethic item it is synthetic"...so....Rayon? which is actually cellulouse fiber?

I’ll pay the right price. I’m satisfied it’s .99 for the developing world to wear it and $300 for me