What do you think a positive solution to this issue is? Share with us below!

Really sad that this comes down to economy vs environmentalism because the major companies that run the system will always fight for money rather than sustainability. A LOT of people will have to demand change before anything could happen.

I have absolutely stopped buying fast fashion, and have stopped buying new clothes almost entirely. In a lot of ways for me at least this didn’t require too much work, as I had already grown up wearing second hand clothing.

I think fast fashion also the problem. It creates waste tons every year.

Capitalism has certainly bastardized fashion. Originally fashion was always art, it was unnecessary and indulgent. When capitalism came for it, clothes were made quicker and cheaper and artisan tailors and seamstresses were replaced with machines and sewers trained to do basically only one part of construction. There was a time when a new dress was made to fit the wearer's body perfectly, people had fewer dresses but the ones they had were custom made. Now we have 27+ seasons of RTW clothing and tons of stores with affordable clothes, yet none of them really seem to fit us well. I am certainly one of those who romanticize the idea of a perfectly tailored capsule wardrobe over a huge closet of "name brand" fast fashion pieces.

I've changed the way I shop recently too, I now buy everything through ebay or etsy from people like me. From gifts to clothes to makeup, purely because its cheaper but also I'm fed up of the 1% getting richer and richer. I used to think buying second hand from charity shops or ebay was gross and it was all through the brainwashing from the industries, but I was too ignorant and young to even understand that. I would love to see an extended version of this!

If people would only buy new clothes if the old ones are either broken or don't fit any more. It would already help a whole lot.

Most of the fast fashion brands use forced labour of Uyghurs in China and most of the fast fashion workers work for so little money under brutal conditions. Also, fashion industry creates a horrific amount of waste which causes global warming. During the quarantine I almost got addicted to online shopping, but now I am trying to buy less as much as I can. You need to think about what you need, not what you want. Our perception of "need" is questionable as well, but that is a topic for another discussion. Supporting local producers and non-profit organizations is another way of healthy shopping. For instance, when I need T-shirts or sweaters I buy them from WWF (World Wild Fund) Turkey's market so I support local production in my country, I help animals that need protection and also have super cool stuff at the same time. The material of our clothes is very important, too. Try to choose natural fabrics such as cotton, linen, wool, etc. Synthetic fabrics like polyester are really harmful for the nature. Even though I support second hand shopping, I am not used to the idea of selling old clothes. This idea is a part of the capitalist mind. In Turkey, giving old clothes to people in need is sort of a tradition. Selling them is never the first idea that comes up to one's mind in order to get rid of them. I think donating casual clothing to non-profit organizations which provide goods for people in need is a better way than selling those clothes who can already afford them. Thanks for this video and giving us a platform to express our different perspectives.

I live in Bangkok, Thailand and it blows my mind the fashion variety and quality you can get here for what amounts to a few dollars US. It really just shows the ridiculous markup the corporations do to us.

Close to the end of my first no buy year. Haven't even bought second hand clothes. It's been a real eye opener.

great introductory video! i just want to emphasize that capitalism cannot be reformed, it must be abolished. capitalism is designed to propagate suffering of the masses for the benefit of a small few. no matter how u try and restrict it, the system is designed to perpetuate itself. this is also why you can't blame yourself for the ways you shop under capitalism. you're exactly right: we should be putting pressure on the industries, and the means of production needs to be in the hands of workers. deciding to buy "sustainably" is not a good solution. if you can make that choice-great. but most people can't, and the burden should not be placed on the worker

This topic is really interesting and useful for me. Thank you Refinery 29 for always making such good videos 😊💜💜💜

I loved this topic !!! I think best way is to teach upcoming gens!!

This was a fantastic start to this conversation! Thank you for making this!

Ahh I love your makeup and eye color!

Y’all rock for putting this out & im in love w the host a lil

such a great exploration of inequity in fashion + solid advice for choosing ethical brands and buying second hand.

also racism. i have questions about racism.at refinery 29. will you address that in a video? what are the changes you guys are making?

I grew up with always getting second hand clothes and I absolutley adore it The most 'Fast fashion" Ill get is if I need a swimsuit some undergarments or its a special event like a holiday Otherwise everything else I buy second hand 1.Its alot cheaper 2.Prevents A L O T of clothes waste 3.Theres some designer brands mixed in 4.Most of the clothes are in perfect condition the previous owner either just passed away out grew them or outgrew the style or specific peice 5.Most of the older second hand clothes are much higher quality more tailored and Much more versatile This way You buy more unique outfits that better fit your personal style and can get about 10+ items for the price of one from a normal fashion store its a win win in all contexts and I wish people did it more often

Where can I find the sustainability bloggers information? I’ve checked the description box and nothing!

This is such an important point to be making on this platform especially, where we glorify things like Amazon hauls and cheap outfit try-ons. There's nothing wrong with loving fashion but there is something fundamentally flawed with our obsession with mass consumption.

During most of my 51years I have enjoyed thrift stores. My daughter also benefited from me keeping a few boxes in the attic...her body type is just like me. I have kept things that I looked good in at few different sizes. I had some health adventures so my weight has some fluctuations, and I know if I have a few things to get through and not have to shop. My daughter calls it "shopping the attic ". Positive vibes from New Hampshire and remember to be kind to each other and yourself during this pandemic and social crisis

Is it just me or is the lady speaking too fast, it's difficult to catch up. Had to use the slow mode YT feature.

Fast fashion industries produce millions of clothing that last consumers a month before showing wear. I believe the statistic is 83% of fast fashion ends up in a landfill. Before fast fashion, we had seasonal clothing instead of monthly or weekly. People wanted clothing to last them a lifetime, so they would save up more money for clothing they wanted for a long time. Now it is more important to spend on whats trendy, instead of what you want to last. Ethical and sustainable brands may be more expensive up front, but the clothing will last much longer. There will also always be sales so you don't have to spend $100 on pants or shirts. I buy from Frank and Oats in Canada and I was able to buy 5 beautiful pieces of clothing for $100 in total. If you don't want to shop second hand like me, I highly suggest buying from ethical and sustainable fashion brands. Find the sales if you are overwhelmed with prices, but you can trust the clothing will be long lasting quality.

love this!! fast fashion is defiently an issue

LOS RETROS IN THE BACK - yes!!! 😭❤️

This needs to be longer!

This is also a bit off topic but these days when you look at the manual for sewing and tailoring it’s very complicated when really many many women back then used to sew and Tailor their own clothing and almost everyone had a sewing machine because it was very simple and straightforward but now that the manuals are more complicated and makes people want to just buy fast fashion and not make intricate clothing’s for themselves but instead buy something for an average price not not might be worth it at all or fit them creating waste.

Second!!!❤️

Shocking that some people don't know all that and hear it for the first time

Is it just me or does the music in the video around the 30-40 second mark sound like the pizza party pickup game soundtrack LOOOL

I also understood much of the fast fashion and high end designers use the same factories but just use different labels. If this is the case, shouldn’t we be encouraging purchasing second hand and used vs always buying what’s new...? Second if I buy jeans from HM and wear them for 10yrs (true story) isn’t that better than buying a new pair of Gucci jeans or ‘ethical’ jeans every season?

It’s sad because back then many pieces were really intricate but now that throughout the years it’s been about money and fast fashion favors quantity over quality creating more money for the sellers and basically ripping off the buyers.

I think fashion houses are well aware of the change in the way people are thinking about consumerism. In response to that they have geared their products and prices to be ridiculously high (Two price increases at Chanel during a Pandemic) so that their market is the one percent Asian market who have shown in the depths of a pandemic that luxury buying to them has the same desperation that buying toilet paper was to others. They wooed their S.A.s to get the latest drops even though the stores were not open. Then got in line to get their fix of Hermes and Vuitton. They know not to rely on the average person for their bread and butter. We keep the brands relevant buy WANTING them and creating wish lists in videos but it is not us keeping the lights on for them.

you're realizing this now?

Check out blanklane.com it’s a custom clothing app, where you’re the designer and it is a uniquely designed garment custom made for your fit, size, style, fabrics, etc.

⚒️

This is what I think about Goyard Don’t see the appeal at all

Since 2020(that time a few of us had mair time, an' money, then previously, though I acknowledge no everywan experienced that) 🤔 I've try't te be better about purchases. Yet, doesny help, that I'd rather buy second hand fae a trusted shop, rather than individuals, te secure better consumer rights 🙀 an' the fact I steer tewards Lolita fashion(an' similar feminine fashions), so, put those two tegether 😺 I seem te help the Japanese economy, I'm buyin' second hand(savin' items fae landfill), but, I'm also no daein' great "carbon footprint" wise, unfortunately. Then, sewin' it masel' 🤔 I'm still purchasin' magazines, books, an' mooks, either secondhand or firsthand in the "UK", or fae Japan, te teach masel' crafts & obtain ideas & patterns. So, I'm turnin' inte a library. Yet, I now can knit(standard & lace, wee dabble in aran), crochet(regular, aran style, lacey, Irish crochet, Turkish Oya, amigurimi), make Torchon bobbin lace(I had te import a Mundillo fae spain, as no "UK" sellers made them, luckily I found a Dunfermline based seller fir bobbins), handsew clothin', darn, an' now embroider. Yet, it's between time & money, an' sometimes I'll order some machine made torchon lace fae Germany(costs less then the "UK" branch of the service/shop), when utterly "spoonless" and/or the lace required is beyond ma skillset. So, the capitalism & consumerism there doesny end, if a person goes second hand or handmade(dependin' their needs & style & if craftin'), as specialist stuff can still be A. Plastic B. only available through import. Bobbin lace makin' in the 90's replaced wooden bobbin wi' plastic, an' straw & linen or cotton pillows/cushions wi' polystyrene or styrofoam wi' poly or polyblend fabric, in order te make manufacturin' cheaper, whilst claimin' high quality. The hope is some day I can rely mair on "UK" & Europe, mair then Japan(even though they do hae better yarns & better pattern designs, at least te ma tastes & needs, it looks like mair effort is out in te quality & design), so, say,,,DMC threads, Anchor threads, fir embroidery & crochet. It's a shame Japanese brands are rare in "UK" ground shops, or dinne had an international or "UK" shop that has a local warehoose, in order te minimise their carbon footprint. The hope is te shift mair tewards homemade clothin' & accessories(handsewn, wi' ma own bobbin lace trims), te knit & crochet hings as I need them, an' darn te repair, an' embroider te either embellish homemade or renew a plain auld piece a few decades auld. Te me, on a smaller scale "means of production", can mean the production process of creatin' oor own fashion 🤔 why should capitalism & consumerism dictate trends? Why do other people always have te be worshipped, instead of inspirin' is te create? Why can we no jus' learn the basics of seasonality(different themes, colours, textures & drapes)& apply it as we want it & make our own personal trends? Try make oor own fashion items, or repair or renew or embellish whit we have 😺 there's still interdependence(as we need fabric & thread & tool manufacturers), economically, but the individual has mair autonomy & responsibility over body & choices & such, because the brands dictate te them less, it's mair about their needs & not fashion industry trends. Though, I do understand, under capitalism, havin' the time & "spoons" te create & craft, becomes mair a luxury then a human need, an' because of that, we're coerced, in a sense, inte handin' over money in order te save time. Though, it'd be a healthier wirld, if we could create an economic system, in which we didny had such a huge fashion industry, we had 4 seasons again, an' an emphasis on the wearers needs, an' didny care if we didny always had a new item & jus' rotated items yearly 🤔 then, mibbe we'd no need te thrown much away?

You are gorgeous ❤️❤️

Capitalists care only about what makes them the most money! If we the consumers continue to educate one another, and fast fashion stops being trendy, we have the power to force companies into sustainable solutions.

This is one of the reasons why I hate trends

USA is not the richest. 😂😂😂😂😂

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God John 3:16-18

first

ive been researching about socialism but the most I've gotten to is just a dream or utopia where everyone has fairness and equity, but there's no way or at least what I've seen an actual working plan on how to carry it out, a system that runs on itself works most efficiently for the market but also affects those outside the market most heavily, capitalism

I am so confused. My daughter is a fashion major in FIT and we watched this video together. I am not sure if you will personally answer this question but if you do we would like to know what the difference of paying $1 or $1000 dollars is to capitalism. You do realized the minute money exchanges hands, it is capitalism. There is a choice that everyone makes when they purchase a product. They either purchase with a realistic mindset or a brand mindset. We all know that the difference of a Kia and Ferrari is brand awareness. Both cars take you to the same place. Maybe not as stylish as one another or as fast, but they both work. Everyone has a choice to buy what they want, from whom they want. No one is forcing them to purchase a higher ticket item. That is not called capitalism, it is called FREEDOM.

Mere channel par aapki life badal sakti hai, आ कर देखों

Fashion industry is absolutely dependent on capitalism. What's complicated about that?

Imagine a country like the US, getting rid of capitalism. It’s all a country knows or has “worked” for the wealth of the country.

Think it’s all greed and vanity

You should provide a better definition of capitalism in your critique. Define it in its truest economic sense, not gloss over it with generalizations and assumed assumptions on the part of the audience. Your whole platform at Refinery29 relies on Ads to survive, you are so much a part of the capitalist problem its ridiculous. You criticize capitalism blindly without acknowledging all aspects to it, that the small business or the thrift store is an equal part of the capitalist economy.

blame capitalism for all your problems

Can't tell what she's saying. Bad diction + trashy background rock = noise fuzz

You'd think a senior editor could enunciate or talk loud enough to consistently be heard but maybe you have to be over 25 to learn that

Capitalism is what makes America America! If we didn’t have capitalism then we wouldn’t be the most successful country. Wow it’s sad that everyone doesn’t even understand the repercussions of what’s coming out of your mouth. If you want to live like what your explaining move to a different country! By what you just did was like asking a celebrity for advice on everyday to day life. THEY CANT SPEAK KN SOMETHING THEY DONT KNOW. Guys capitalism is why we have everything we want and why we are spoiled jerks in America... if another way worked we wouldn’t be the greatest country in the world. Don’t let the leftist propaganda get you

Sorry, absolutely laughable that someone like you, a consummate consumer who lives to collect and buy things is against capitalism. You are the definition of capitalism, wanting your fancy handbag. Sad

WTF? Trump is bad because you spend money on over priced clothing?!!?