Agree a 💯 thank you 🙏 Being a brown woman myself, I know I haven’t always thought so deeply about impacts of my lifestyle, would like to think I am now more conscious and intend to improve my choices further. Thank you again for setting a sweet 💕 example of when a white woman cares more about brown women across borders than a brown woman herself 🙏

I don't try to hit perfection, but I am very happy about sewing a lot of my own things, primarily from natural fibers (I really dislike touching polyester). When I buy clothes, I look for clothing that will wear well and go with most of the other items in my closet. Classic "sensible wardrobe management" that we (GenX) were taught at mother's knee could take us a long way on this journey. I had a bit of a blinky moment the other day when I saw the amount of garments in a "capsule wardrobe" and realized my closet, full of texture and color that delight me, has fewer garments than that 'capsule wardrobe'. In other words, we could start back with, "buy/sew/wear what you like and fits your lifestyle, keep it in good order and wear it for a long time, and don't acquire things you neither need nor want".

I appreciate you and your way of life and how you mix motherhood, and permaculture together on your channel. As a mother and unschooler, I have learned a huge amount of things from you and your channel, we are constantly learning and adding more things to our garden to help the environment and grow our own food. Your videos help broaden my perspective and I appreciate you sharing these different perspectives with us.

I have shopped almost exclusively at thrift stores for most of my adult life. At first it was primarily a factor of economics. I just couldn’t afford anything else. My extended family was also great about sharing clothes with each other. It is fun to look at pictures and see the cousins wearing clothes that went through several families. I have clothing handed down from relatives, items that are going on 50 years old. Over the years my thrifting has evolved. For the last several years I have been trying hard to stay with natural fabrics, wool, linen, silk, etc. I love the satisfaction of the hunt, such a different feeling from shopping the big boxes (though I do utilize those stores for some other things). Becoming a knitter and spinner also changed my views about different fibers and materials. It really expanded my perspective on how animals are treated, what a fair wage looks like for growers, producers, makers.

I think there are two relevant concepts to add here. The first is the term "The Market for Lemons". A market for lemons occurs when there is information asymmetry regarding the quality of a class of products: In english, when it is very difficult or impossible to know whether or not something is crap when you buy it. If its impossible to know how long the thing you are going to buy is going to last, the incentives at play will force you to buy the cheapest possible thing every time. If you $8 fast fashion shirt falls to bits the first time its in the same zipcode as a washing machine, that does suck. But it sucks about 5 times less than spending $40 on a shirt that you were promised was ethical, sustainable, and resilient, and finding out that its the same crap that's been greenwashed the first time you try to wash it. The second is that, while thrifting absolutely has its utility, it is *not* a silver-bullet solution. Thrift stores are living on borrowed time, selling and reselling things from a time when quality and lifespan actually mattered in the fashion industry. But the laws of entropy will inevitably, eventually, destroy all of those clothes. Its a good 'for now', solution, but unless we're all going to get okay with naturism real quick, there is going to come a time where the demand for quality vintage clothing outpaces the supply. To say nothing of all the people who are spending too long working or childrearing to be able to to hop from thriftstore to thriftstore until they find what they need, or the people who cannot do that because the transportation system where they live does not give them the option, or the thrifts stores that exist where they live are run by fundamentalist Christians using the proceeds to bankroll hate. I would love to be able to offer a viable solution to this, but I can't. Ideally, I love to see new clothes subject to a similar metric of wear, tear, and stress testing as cars are, so that we could actually be informed consumers and eliminate the market for lemons, but that would require a massive shift in both the conversation around fashion, and public politics. We're not there yet. In the mean time, and please forgive my trite metaphor, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. We each have to do harm reduction as best we're able, in our own situations, as a cut-and-fit solutions.

@rhondastolle1550

Ай бұрын

I think this is one of those "The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good" scenarios. It's not about a few people being zealots or purists; we'd have a much better world if MOST people tried to be a little more conscious and ethical about their everyday purchases, and making the clothes they do buy last a long time. And yes, it's HARD when you're buying off the internet where you can't actually put hands on the clothing and evaluate its quality. Anything you do is better than Nothing.

This is a really timely video for me. I'm 42 and recently separated from my High School sweetheart. I'm feeling a strong desire to dress in a way that makes me feel good, but I haven't thought much about my style or buying clothes in at least a decade. My first thought about rebuilding my wardrobe in a sustainable and ethical way is that I need to figure out what I like before I actually do anything. I want to improve my sewing skills at the same time. My dream wardrobe would be a minimal one, with layerable pieces that I can mix and match. I enjoy making art and practical items out of garbage so I know that I'd love building a beautiful (tiny) wardrobe from upcycles and thrifted finds, I just need to learn the skills. :) ETA: And yes, the durability of clothes is a big deal to me! I prefer to wear my clothes for many, many years.

I practically live in overalls, I buy them new but wear them at least 10 years. I don't have the talent to sew something from scratch (maybe something super simple), but I do mend things to extend the life of my family's clothes. It's not perfect, but buying things that last is the best I can do.

A few years ago I brought up the issue of buying large clothing in thrift stores for the purpose of making clothing for smaller people. I was really impressed with your answer. I think it was something along the lines of "I really have to think about that for a bit." I love hearing your "matured" answer here. It's hard for me to not respect not just your stance but the way you got there. Well done.

As a larger-bodied thrifter, I am personally very conflicted on this topic. I almost never find anything second hand that fits me, nevermind it being natural fiber, or a larger size to cut down. So I very much understand the frustration of someone seeing a garment they would have been delighted to find chopped up by someone smaller than themselves. It hurts. It really feels like the smaller person is flaunting their thinness while stealing our scarce resource. Even when that resource was never accessible, it still hurts. On the other hand, I regularly thrift men's shirts for quilting and crafting fabric and to cut down and resew into tops for myself. I don't feel bad about this because the racks of larger sized men's shirts are overflowing at my local store. I never take the only one in a size. So if I find a 4x, but only one, I leave it. Bedding and table linens often yield fantastic surprises, too, without any ethical dilemmas and nothing to seam rip.

@beccssmith6285

Ай бұрын

It is not a larger person issue, it happens to everyone in every single size. All the best finds are almost always in the wrong size. Usually too small. I'm not skinny

@ParkrosePermaculture

Ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing your perspective. I definitely thrift tablecloths and curtains for skirts and pants bc otherwise I would never find thrifted ones that fit. They're always too short. Would you see thrifting sheets as stealing a resource from someone who needs bedding? Bc nice cotton sheets in good condition are rare at my thrift store. It's interesting that you find lots of men's clothes, bc our thrift store is the opposite. My husband wears a 2xl tall and I have never found him a shirt at the thrift store that fits. Or any clothes. Tons of men's S and M though. My 6ft 5 16 yr old also: impossible to thrift for him. But I don't feel like someone should leave a men's plus sized garment on the rack if they need it for themselves or some project bc maybe I might be shopping for my husband or son. I don't see them as stealing something that "belongs" to my husband. I'm also frustrated by your characterization that I'm "stealing " your "scarce resource" do you see yourself as stealing from my husband when you take clothes that are his size? because I don't. It's not flaunting my thinness (also as a 12/14 tall, the fashion world does not consider me thin. I have a terrible time finding clothing that fits) to say the only way I can find something that fits my tall form is to get larger sizes. So is altering a garment that fits in some dimensions and not others "stealing" from someone else for whom it also fits in some ways? Is that really what's happening? I do feel like what is happening here in this discourse a lot is the very common issue of blaming other individuals rather than seeing the systemic issue. Do you feel this way about other items at the thrift store? That you might be depriving someone else of something bc you chose to buy it? And they might actually have needed it more than you? Again, I think it's also important to think about how much we actually need as many clothes as we think we do. How much do we "need" something v want. I have bought larger items and cut them down maybe...4-5 times in my life? Bc I keep my clothes on rotation for years and years. That white shirt in that photo I have been wearing for a decade. What are the greater implications of feeling we are entitled to a large wardrobe, or shopping for clothes, or the American attitude that we deserve to shop? Bc it comes at the expense of the planet and we are passing the costs down to the young women sewing our clothes. All of that to me has to be taking into consideration when I decide if I'm going to purchase clothes.

@marybethpowell4876

Ай бұрын

First, Iwant to clarify and emphasize that I said "it FEELS like [things are being stolen]... I am thousands of miles away from your thrift store. Intellectually I know very well that you did not take my resource. But communication is fraught with emotions and building a meaningful discourse does involve recognizing the emotions sparked by both parties in both parties. Acknowledging that a topic as emotionally charged as body image (including height and shape; weight is not the only way our bodies cause strong feelings) will raise strong feelings and that those feelings are valid will go a long way towards fostering a productive discussion about sustainability and ethical fashion without as many ruffled feathers. Regarding men's shirts, I live in the American Southeast. Men's dress shirts in thrift stores seem to lean towards the larger sizes. In my mind thrifted clothing is a resource, and just like water and heat, that resource can be scarce and precious in some areas, and abundant to the point of nuisance in others. I don't take the only garment in a size range because I don't need it as much as someone else might, but if there are 15 3x white shirts and one has a stained collar but the rest is in good shape, that it a plentiful resource that I can use and rescue without causing scarcity for others. I do apply the same reasoning to bedding and table linens. I don't take the only one. I preferentially choose items that are damaged or stained but still sound. Is it perfectly sustainable? No, of course not. Might someone else have desperately needed that set of hot pink king size sheets I thrifted, sewed into princess dresses that my kids wore for four years, then donated to another family for more use? Sure, it's possible. That's a pretty good life for a set of sheets though.

@d.-beck7205

Ай бұрын

​@@ParkrosePermacultureAngela, I think Mary Beth was explaining the feeling of stealing / sommerging being takeb away because she feels it. But the rest of her comment was - in my opinion - agreeing with you. There sometimes is an incongruity between feeling and thinking, and I think it is a great sign of emotional growth to not give in to the feeling, but to think things through and find a balanced, reasoned conclusion. Mary Beth acknowledges her pain, recognizes it and lets it be, while thinking and acting in line with your reasoning. ❤ Please read her whole comment once more. I think you and Mary Beth are very much on the same side.

As a taller person, I've found it easier to buy men's shirts, the sleeves and bodies are just longer. Then I just sew darts in them. Much easier than picking something apart!

Love all your points, Angela! For me, a big part of sustainable fashion is learning to repair. I'm never going to be the person who is sewing a whole wardrobe. That's a skill much better left to others in the community! However, I think most adults should be able to have enough basic sewing skills to do some visible mending, which is both practical and fun. I try to think of it less in terms like I don't get to buy new clothes and more like how cool is it that I get to customize clothes for myself and my loved ones.

What this tells me as a larger person who prefers natural fibers is that I need to thrift more frequently. :). Joking but not-joking - most of the second-hand stuff in my local thrift shops are those Shein-ish garments that are cheaply-made polyester icky things. Quality natural fiber clothes don't show up often. My body and my life has changed to the point that most of the things in my closet (which have been there for at least a decade) don't fit in many ways. A clear-out is on my list!

@CarrieLovesLife.

Ай бұрын

I am with you on the polyester. Hate it. For sure it is getting harder to find quality clothing at the thrift store, because so much of what is being donated now is from the fast fashion cycle…. But there is still good stuff to be found.

@ParkrosePermaculture

Ай бұрын

I find our thrift stores vary widely in who donates what. There are only two in town I go to anymore bc I know they carry more of what will be useful to me. One is a small local thrift store that supports a charity free clinic. The other is a big thrift store chain across town that I pop into if I'm over there but I feel conflicted about some of their policies. Two of thrift stores near me have terrible selection. It's shocking, really, how much they vary from each other.

As a bigger woman I feel the argument she was making in my heart, I rarely find cloths in my size ANYWHERE. That said, I don't have the budget to go to the thrift store daily even if I could afford the cloths, I would prefer cloths get worn at all vs getting thrown away because someone with the skills to adjust the fit left it on the rack on the off chance someone else would see it and could afford to buy it. I do have a note on thrift deserts though. We have 1 store here and its a business I have ethical issues with because of their business practices, that also generally has higher prices.... It's a conundrum, though not one I often face, being extremely low income I have bought exactly 4 new dresses in the last 5 years so its all pretty mute either way!

@catharinephoto

Ай бұрын

When I have to drive through a smaller town I sometimes look for independent thrift stores.

As with so many issues, this one is more complicated and multi-faceted than many would like to admit. Our knee-jerk or one-dimensional reactions to various situations or issues is one reason we have such a divided society today. With a very important election season coming up, I would urge everyone to consider deeply what are their options for voting and be honest about what would be the ultimate outcome of their vote and how it would affect them and others over the next four years. I remember coming of age during the Vietnam War having many discussions with my dad about my feelings about the war, seeing friends go off and die in a far-away jungle and having people tear-gassed at my college campus. But I also grew up doing nuclear war drills in school and watching my parents stress out during the Cuban missile crisis thinking this could be it. There was also the reality that they were both overseas serving in the military during WWII, seeing all that and fearing what could happen if the Communists became the next Nazi regime, so stopping them wherever they could made perfect sense to them. So yes, even as a progressive (UU) person, I always try to look at all sides of an issue, and while I do often tend in a certain direction in my decisions, it is not done lightly and sometimes my conclusions are surprising, even to myself. I love that you have strong convictions, but are willing to discuss and explain them rather than just shutting people down and it is unfortunate that not all of your followers on social media are willing to give you that same consideration. However, that does seem to be the way of the world these days. Sorry this is so long.

I am finding it harder and harder to find good second hand clothing. I am disabled so have difficulty getting to our local charity shops. and there are now only 2 that i can access (on a good day), and they have very limited stock. In my size there is very little that is to my taste, and even less that is in natural fibres. Unfortunately second hand/thrift shopping is not accessible to everyone (depending on location, mobility etc). Here in the UK our charity shops are tiny and have far fewer options than in the US. I actually find more clothing in larger sizes (I am small), but i do not always have the energy to make clothes smaller.

I was thinking of doing this too since I’ve gotten into sewing and hate buying new fabric that seems mass produced and bad for everyone. Thanks for this reminder! Also…did I see you at King Farmer’s Market today?!

You have such a way of putting topics that I find incredibly frustrating into words, I really enjoyed this video I would also like to add that I feel fast fashion doesn’t even fit fat bodies very well because the vast majority is not thoughtfully designed, it’s literally just straight sized clothing but bigger so justifying it as the “accessible” is kinda silly ( at least in my opinion)

Its a weird take to me as someone who wears size XL that someone thought you shouldn't buy size XL to alter to a M. Like....XL isnt that hard to find. I can see if you were buying 5x-7x or something that is uncommon to see while thrifting, but XL is straight sizes and every store carries XL. Also, SHEIN clothes are terrible quality, I skip them even while thrifting because they fall apart and look cheap. Meanwhile my favorite Eddie Bauer shirt I got out of a 75¢ bin at St Vinnys is going strong after 7 years. You can be pretty and thrift, easily!

I have sewn my own clothing for 4 decades now. Simple patterns that I create. I also use Sew Liberated patterns too. I just got Petrichor Pinafore to try out. I always like your take on things. It just mirrors how we have lived our lives mostly. This is absolutely no shade on you at all. It is a question that I often wonder about. At the end of the video you said - I knit this cowl while flying to a roller derby tournament. How do you feel about flying? Maybe you have addressed this in other videos. I myself have not flown much in my life and the last time we did I think was 14 years ago now. So - I know there are lots of folks that have taken the No Fly Pledge. We pick where we want to and can make differences or make changes. I really have no answer for this at all. If I had the means I think I might travel more if I could. But - as time goes on - I talk with travelers that fly frequently and really have issues with it all as well. Conundrum! Clothing and fashion are something I frequently speak about with people as a sewer of my own clothes - so, it comes up all the time. I do have a lot to say about clothing and the issues surrounding it. Not just about the ethical and regenerative issues around it. Thanks for letting me voice my questions. As I said - I love your content and the voices out there that mimic mine are a hopeful breeze blowing along the river ways! Love your clothing choices by the way. Sending Kindness.

What a wonderful video. I love slow fashion and reusing and repurposing. I didn’t know the statistics of clothing donated. I wonder if it would be better to gift items direct rather than donating future items that we no longer need.

Thank you for doing the “math”! Also love the earrings!

I am 6' and a size 14 (varies by brand of course 😒) and have been as large as a size 26. Our local Goodwill system ships all the plus sizes (over size 18) to one store and the rest have a very slim selection. Most of what shows up is fast fashion and poly blends. I got so frustrated I've just quit looking and instead had clothes made by a Ukranian creator from linen local to them. I know it's again not ideal, but it aligns with my ethics in other ways. I want to get back to making clothes, I guess I need to look for your sewing tutorials.

always shopped at charity shops because it was affordable and often hard wearing

What's the most sustainable way to get bras? I recently had a baby and my body has changed drastically. My support needs are higher now.

Commenting for the algorithm to pick this up. Thank you Angela I love your content and always learn something new

Another way thrift store clothing can be repurposed is ‘unraveling’ cotton or wool sweaters for the yarn for knitting projects

@catharinephoto

Ай бұрын

I tried that once but I found the machine knit sweater hard to unravel. Do you have any advice?

@ParkrosePermaculture

Ай бұрын

Yes! Look along the seams. You definitely have to check to see how it is constructed because sometimes they will cut and so along the side and then it ruins the yarn. All you get are a little short bit. You need to find a sweater that is continuously knit.

I thrift, sew and remake/upcycle linen into something new too. Here in Australia high quality natural fibres is rarely found new in the shops, whatever the price. Linen that is low quality or linen/viscose mix is everywhere. Too thin cotton that doesn't last too. Its deliberate. Nevermind the waste of resources and environmental damage. Fatphobic? There is plenty of large sizes in Op or Thift shops. There are also plenty of small adult sizes that kids are able to wear, only some need adjustments. I buy all different sizes discounted to $1 all the time too. In fact there is too much of every size and most of it doesn't get sold anyway. Its just another feel sorry for me. Thrifting will always be more sustainable. And I will keep on buying the secondhand, the bigger and smaller sizes and I am never going to stop. Circular economy

No clothes are made for "fat" people. Check the size charts. The hips are always bigger than the waist. One doesn't have to be very much "overweight" for the waist to be bigger than the hips. Things like overalls and dresses can be made with a larger waist. Pants that fit me in the hips are 32" in the waist. For my waist I need 40". That's a big difference!

IMO, "Sustainable" fashion is learning to modify existing clothes. Every body is different. If one wants to look and feel good, custom made or custom modification is necessary. That's not an insult to the fashion industry. The only way the current system works is mass produced and uniform production.

Do you use yarns that are natural as well? Where do you get them? I really like wearing yoga pants all the time. I do get them second hand but I find it super hard to find natural fibers. Are there any video tutorials on how to switch over to/find natural fiber clothing? I’d like to do this but feel super overwhelmed.

Good grief. The person up in arms about what you buy at the thrift store really needs to get a life. There are so many substantial, even some possibly existential, issues we could/should be focussing on right now and extending anger and energy over another's thrift store purchases is just ridiculous. Sorry to be blunt, but ridiculous. Perhaps though this person is under great life stress right now (as so many of us are) and focussing on this tiny "issue" was a way for them to vent in a healthy, if not nice or thoughtful, way. If that be the case I hope it helped them. It is pretty entitled to say "you shouldn't buy this item because I might want to come along and buy it". Also, one person's desire for a certain piece of clothing (size) is no more virtuous or compelling than another's desire for that piece of clothing (linen fibers). Now as I'm perilously close to getting worked up myself over this in the same way I just criticized (oh humans!), I'll end my rant and try to think of one thing I can do today on one of our bigger issues and then do it. For that prompt, I thank the original poster.

Hey, I'm a fat person, I don't agree that it's a problem to thrift bigger clothes. This is a crabs-in-a-bucket argument that was born on Twitter. So many clothes from thrift stores just end up straight in the trash, if you can save something good from the trash, then do it. Most of the natural fiber clothes in the thrift store are made for thin people anyway. As a fat person, I just try to get whatever fits me secondhand even if it's not natural fibers and I try not to buy new stuff in general. We can't correctly consume our way to a world that isn't being polluted and destroyed. Focusing so acutely on correct consumption isn't productive, imo. Also as a fat person, I am accepting the fact that I'm going to just have to make my own clothes. We shouldn't have to, but that's the world we're in. I like to thrift fabric or bedsheets or stuff like that. One thing I think we can do is share skills with our community and teach each other how to make things from secondhand materials. There could even be room for learning how to make our own textiles if we have the resources available to us. I have coerced a couple of my friends into a knitting club and almost all my yarn is thrifted. Also, I'm nonbinary and finding clothes that feel gender affirming AND fit my body size??? Nearly impossible. Especially secondhand. I'm just going to keep making more and more of my own clothes.

@ParkrosePermaculture

Ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing your perspective. This is similar to what I had seen a number of other fat creators saying and I took it into consideration when deciding what to purchase.

Skirts. Drawstring. Natural dyeable fiber that can be repurposed until its dust, in the largest size available. All the xxxx's are welcome. Why not? I get more fluffy to my skirts. It's already been made available to the world, that's how it got to the thrift store.

I love your guillotine earrings! So unexpected 🤣