I think Ashley herself feels lost in some kind of a paradox. She believes in sustainable fashion, is against capitalism and hates being or looking shallow, but she loves the fashion world (as expressed in her fashion week vlogs) and can't keep away from it, and I think that's causing her extreme distress. Ashley has expressed multiple times how she sometimes feels like her job is useless and meaningless, like she feels she's feeding capitalism (always buying and promoting clothes) and irrealistic expectations (through her instagram), and in my opinion she's struggling to find a middle term between her following her ideals, doing what she loves and keeping up with her subscribers' expectations. Sometimes I get worried about how much this, along with having to keep a smile on her face and be the enthusiastic persona we all love on videos, affects her mental health. We shouldn't forget that Ashley is still so young, she's fresh out of college, and there's so much for her to learn about the real world. There's a lot of room for improvement in the future and I believe she will eventually find her path in life and be happy with what she does! (:
Yes, I agree - I think that what she values and the nature of her job often conflict, which makes it difficult. I definitely don't expect her to be perfect by any means - I just think there are things she could improve. And she's already helped get more people thinking about sustainability, which is a good thing. Thanks for leaving a thoughtful comment!
I completely agree and I am glad you mentioned this. I can’t even count how many times I’ve watched Ashley have a mental breakdown on camera and it broke my heart, never mind off camera. Being an influencer but especially a fashion influencer is such a tough job and she attracts people of many ages which brings about changing ideas and opinions on the daily. I admire her as she’s just so kind and pure, and I do believe she’s trying to do the right thing but when it comes to fashion it’s so difficult.
Honestly she just has a shopping addiction/loves shopping too much but has a moral compass and sees what's ethically wrong with that without actually wanting to take the hard actions to change that, like most young people. I've been there with the shopping addiction lord knows but it does NOT mean (I, or) massive influential creators with the voice and money to change many other indifferent young people's behaviors get a free pass. Whether through being lovable, struggling with anxiety or being young. That just isn't an excuse for promoting modern slavery to make a cute trendy top and normalizing the ecosystem keeps these inhumane jobs existing.
So this is isn't a defence exactly but I've noticed on many videos such as her closet essentials where she talks about her sustainable clothing, or high quality clothing that will obviously last longer and isn't so easily replaceable, that there are A LOT of comments complaining and criticising how it's all so expensive and she's not thinking of her audience who don't have much income...feels like a hard battle for her to win
Also in terms of affiliate links, I remember when she first starting posting them she asked if they were wanted (as she usually is asked where her clothes are from) or whether people found them annoying. Pretty sure she even did a poll and it was overwhelmingly for affiliate links
@@alionroare7777 Yup, I remember seeing that too. That's one of the reasons I don't have a problem with affiliate links in themselves - it's more the constant promotion of consumption and new clothing that feels off-brand (but again, it's difficult because she's a fashion influencer).
It is a hard battle! That's why I think only promoting sustainable brands isn't the solution. It'd also be great to see more videos on thrifting to balance out the expensive/quality/sustainable pieces (and she could make up for any lost income with Patreon or non-fashion sponsorships). I think part of the backlash is also due to our throwaway culture - we're so used to cheap clothing that anything more expensive (and not designer) seems ridiculous. I don't think a lot of us have the mindset yet that quality clothes are a long-term investment.
@@imperfectidealist I really agree! But I think she's done a good job w her swipe up stories where she links to the piece that's sustainable and often $$$, but then sometimes provides dupes that are less. Ik its not ideal but it kinda addresses that criticism that she only promotes expensive stuff.
@@imperfectidealist i generally do like some of her videos and appreciate her not always whipping out videos for the sake of videos and actually putting thought into them.. one thing that I think is interesting is that her london or new york travel videos she had to live off of a "small amount of outfits" and compalined about it being barely anything when in reality it's the size of alot of average people's clothing which low-key feels condescending when she has all these stylish pieces and acted like her life was so hard because of only having like one large suitcase (i honestly think she carried more than the one suitcase she showed in the video bc of all the different shoes she had)... she fit alot in there i was like damn girl you have alot of people's dream closet in just those suitcases lol.
Also, a quick clarification: when I say fashion is "non-essential," I'm talking about mainstream influencer fashion, which is often materialistic and not focused at all on the cultural impacts of fashion. I also mean "non-essential" from a literal survival perspective. I certainly don't mean to degrade fashion as an art and vehicle for expression in any way. I've been told that fashion has also been key in giving marginalized communities a voice. If this is point is something you are passionate about, I invite you to suggest specific resources where we can learn about fashion from a cultural/activist perspective. . Also, I encourage you to contribute to the Black Lives Matter movement: knowblm.com
Thanks for watching! And yes, I wish I had emphasized that more - I really don't think she's that problematic in general. There are definitely things she could could improve when it comes to sustainability, and that's what I wanted to emphasize and discuss, while recognizing the challenges and nature of her job. Of course, there are certainly "worse" influencers who don't care about sustainability at all, but that doesn't mean she can't improve, especially since she says she cares about sustainability.
Omg I've been a fan of best-dressed for the longest time but I've noticed some inconsistencies that I thought maybe it's just me seeing this stuff. You've really done a deep dive here and there's a lot for her and her fans to think about. Great video
wow... a lot of these videos about ashley have come up on my recommended recently and i think this is my favorite one. this was a super respectful critique of her while addressing issues i had never even thought about before... just reminded me that it's always important to be constantly evaluating the social media influencers we follow. thanks for the informative video !! xx
you LAID IT OUT in this video! i love how calm you were the entire time and weren't bashing her for things like her looks or her content style like other creators who have made videos on her have. i really enjoyed this, and it brings up important questions in regards to fashion influencer culture and sustainability that i feel need to be talked about more.
I love that you were being honest about your own conflict with regards to Amazon affiliate links. I've managed to avoid them so far because they go so against everything I believe in, but then there are other problematic companies like Airbnb that I find more difficult to avoid (both using and promoting). At the end of the day, I think being open about our own struggles is probably the best way to handle these issues. As you said, nobody can be 100% sustainable. And as you know I believe too much responsibility is being shifted onto consumers while the real culprits go unpunished or just set up a new company to capitalize on the sustainability trend. But that doesn't mean we should just promote whatever we get the chance to. An honest balance between criticizing certain brands and systems and also acknowledging that sometimes it's not that easy to avoid them seems like a better way to handle this. And why not be completely honest like you are in this video and say: "Hey, for those of you who are going to be buying from Amazon anyway I have this link. But if you can afford to invest a bit more money I suggest buying from x website instead." Likewise, I agree that promoting any type of consumerism is problematic, however, since we live in a system where we need to make certain purchases I feel that promoting more ethical options at least gives people a choice. So if somebody needs a new travel item anyway I'd be happy if they bought it from a brand that I feel (hope) aligns more with my values.
Thanks for watching and leaving such a thoughtful comment, Nina! I totally agree with you that the burden of living sustainably is disproportionately laid on the shoulders of consumers when the corporations are the ones are doing the vast majority of the polluting, and have the power to enact change. But also totally agree that as individuals, we should try our best to live as ethically as we can (and encourage others to do so), even if it's super complicated. Like you mentioned, it's not just Amazon - questionable companies are everywhere, from Airbnb to Facebook to Tik Tok to Yelp. They're impossible to avoid completely. I also really like that messaging you included for the Amazon links that other bloggers can use! As you know, I've always felt conflicted about them, as I obviously don't want to support Amazon, but as a smaller blogger who sometimes does product comparisons, I really don't want to lose out on that income when people will be purchasing from there anyways. (Especially since running a blog is expensive, and I've only just started offsetting those costs from affiliate income!). I try to be transparent about these struggles because it can start dialogues and encourage all of us to reflect on what we can do better. I'm happy to have a blogging friend who will have these conversations with me :)
@@sum1834 In many cities Airbnb leads to housing shortages as many owners or property companies prefer to rent out the place to tourists for more profit than renting it out to locals long-term.
I noticed that a lot of TH-cam ppl push audible as their sponsorship. since audible is owned by amazon I wonder why ppl aren't as critical about TH-camrs taking that sponsorship. I always feel weird when a TH-camr I like is sponsored by them.
Really good point! I feel that Audible has a bit of "distance" from the Amazon brand, but it's true that that money is still going to Amazon...I feel similarly when I see a sponsorship by Audible.
I love that your mentioning how the fashion industry is in it of itself problematic, many comments and criticism overlook this fact, since it's easier to criticize individual action than to analyze systemic issues. I think this is also a very prominent issue within the "sustainability community", where people focus heavily on consumer choice and individual action without addressing ways to combat the system or realizing that many don't have the privilidge to live "sustainably". I do want to add that partnering with sustainable clothing brands is probably more difficult than most would think and it's not just because one would have to check the brand. In my experience, many existing sustainable brands do not carry clothing that are necessarily desirable for people who enjoy fashion. Sustainable brands usually carry very basic and timeless pieces, which is good, we want quality timeless clothing that can last, but they arent as exciting or fun to style as thrifted clothing or clothing from typical fashion brands (and thrifted clothing is more difficult to consume from a consumer standpoint). Unless we begin to see more variety in the style of clothing in sustainable brands, we probably won't be seeing many fashion influencers partnering or promoting sustainable brands.
Yes, absolutely! Unfortunately, a lot of the sustainability movement is so focused on individual actions that it shifts the blame from the real polluters and those who have the ability to make change - the corporations themselves. Not to say that individuals should just pollute and consume as they please, especially people with privilege, and those who have a big following and can influence others. . And you're totally right about the types of clothing that sustainable brands carry. I agree that more influencers won't be excited about them unless the clothing becomes more interesting. That's why I think a truly sustainable influencer would probably focus more on thrifting - both for the interesting pieces, and because buying secondhand is better anyways.
Now that Ashley is under the microscope, she can do one of three things: 1. Ignore the issues which will hurt her 2. Acknowledge it but mock it kinda how she does now with the hypocritical jokes 3. Acknowledge it, admit it, and try to better herself I’m a fan so I’m hoping she’ll better herself
Agreed! While ignoring it might not hurt her raw numbers much, and she will definitely keep growing, it will cause a non-negligible portion of her current audience to be disillusioned. I think how she responds ultimately will tell us what kind of audience she wants to attract and what kind of brand she wants - does she want to be a fashion TH-camr who also cares about meaningful issues (and acts on them), or does she just want to focus on fashion (and talk the talk about important issues, but not necessarily walk the walk)? I guess we'll find out, and I hope she addresses it too.
She technically has "branding" on herself as a person/channel since she's an influencer. I studied branding as a big part of my major in college and work with brands now, so from my perspective this is what might be happening: We know that Ashley has a manager and maybe has people she can go to for PR advice. Overall, Ashley really isn't that problematic when you look at most youtubers/instagramers. So it's possible she was given the advice to let this blow over. Deleting comments off of her social is a normal thing smart brands do, as long as it's just over nit picky stuff. Most of this stuff is nitpicky. For example, if you owned a coffee shop and someone makes a rude or nitpicky comment, playing into it and answering back and leaving it up for the public to decide who is right is not always the safest move for the business. Deleting, ignoring, letting it die down helps shorten the length of the issue. I'm not saying whats the right or wrong thing to do as a normal person, I'm saying what is a proven right or wrong thing as far as brands and businesses go. Because if Ashely starts answering, then there will be a whole new wave of videos talking about if her answer was sincere or not, or so on and so on. No one is perfect, and she has proven to be reflective in the past and loves to learn and grow. It is possible she might talk about this in the future, but obviously she cant grow over night. And I like that if she is going to talk about it it seems like she's taking an appropriate amount of time to reflect and grow if needed so she can answer honestly. Because seriously, when influencers post a video the very next morning they barley had time to think or grow, they're just doing it for damage control.
@@tomatotomato22224 Good points about her essentially being a brand/business. I think a lot of people don't really realize this! From my understanding of her deleting comments though, she was deleting comments that were earnest and not rude or hateful. I totally understand deleting rude/hateful comments both from a brand and individual perspective, but I think it's fair for her fans to ask her about where she truly stands on sustainability, and why she chose to work with certain companies, etc. Deleting these types of comments actually hurts her brand, since she she has a brand of being honest and approachable/relatable.
@@imperfectidealist it's hard to say what's best for herself as a brand right now. These videos in general have started about a month ago (at least this wave of people since the JKRolwing vid) but I dont think ive seen a video over 60k views yet. And I'm willing to bet it's a bulk of the same people watching most of the videos, but lets say if only 200k people have been watching them Risk perspective, Making your 3million subscribers aware of videos that currently don't have many views (in comparison to her) might not be the best idea. Yeah if these blow up to millions of views then it does look bad to only answer them because they got big... it's a PR/business risk to calculate. There's also the argument of is ignoring/deleting comments shady/hiding, or is she trying to stay away from unnecessary youtube drama. I knew other youtubers with vids nitpicking them or pointing out problems, and they're said they dont answer to those kinda videos because they don't want to get involved within the youtube drama world. Seeing Ashley has never been in the drama world of youtube yet I can see the want of ignoring it to just focus on what she likes doing, making content.
I think one hard conflict to face with making clothing “non-essential” is that if people don’t value fashion as much, they would be less willing to pay the high price of a sustainable item and instead they would likely just buy the cheapest clothing they can find (probably not sustainable). I think fashion sustainability is a very complicated and somewhat antithetical concept but I really enjoyed the presentation of this video! The most sustainable thing to do is really to use clothing that is already out there (thrifted) but in the end people will still buy from cheap brands so, just influencing people to change even a little should be the goal.
Hmm. Interesting points. I believe fashion is like food, in order to get quality, ethically made pieces that last/favor workers as human beings, prices need to go up. But ultimately it's a supply chain issue that although, yes, the bottom of the barrel slave labor items would go up (well, be eradicated!) ethical fashion would actually be less expensive! We pay the price for a rarity but if everyone from H&M to Zara was truly sustainable they would have to increase prices and put out less items, as well as people buying much less stuff. I don't see a problem with this. xo
I think she doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s the same thing with veganism. You can’t expect every person to be vegan or every person to follow sustainable fashion perfectly, however we can expect every person to try to limit themselves. You don’t have to completely get rid of meat from your diet, but maybe try taking it out a couple times a week. Same thing with fast fashion. You don’t have to completely stop buying it, but maybe only buy it if you REALLY love it and can’t find a sustainable dupe. I understand that there are moral issues with fast fashion regarding low wages, and child labor, however not many people are affected by this. Instead of trying to make them perfect, let’s celebrate them trying.
I agree with this generally, but in relation to veganism: if someone said they were trying their best to incorporate veganism into their diet and that they were passionate about it, I think the viewer has a right to be upset if they actively promoted and endorsed slabs of meat. I don't think she needs to completely stop consuming fast fashion but it does make me disappointed when I see her promoting it.
I would say that's lots of people are effected by fast fashion. Thousands of people. Both workers and people who are effected by the environmental impact. Noone is perfect but choosing to promote fast fashion heavily, despite being in a privileged enough position to choose other options, is essentially saying that your clothes are more important than those people.
@nava I think what Marion is getting at is that Ashley has more power and responsibility as a person with a big platform - there's a difference between occasionally buying fast fashion as an individual vs. promoting it to millions of people. I think that's where the disagreement lies - you believe that influencers shouldn't be held to a higher standard than individuals, while we believe that they should, due to their ability to influence others' decisions. Also, just because there are worse influencers doesn't mean Ashley can't improve, especially since she's said she cares about sustainability. I don't really wear makeup or follow beauty influencers, so that's not my area of content. If you were to create content around that topic, I would be interested in reading it though! Obviously it needs to be talked about more.
I love Ashley and I put off watching this video for ages because I was worried that you’d convince me not to like her but THANK YOU for merely stating facts rather than diminishing or criticising her actual personality or jokes. I really hope she sees this and acknowledges that she needs to change a bit but still realises that’s we love her and just want her to do better because of how hard she works rather than trying to bring her down ❤️
Thanks so much for watching! Yes, that's what I was trying to make clear - just want to offer some ways she could get more behind sustainability, since she's said she cares about it. I like her as a creator overall and want to see her grow!
Umm. What? I freakin love you. I have been seeing a lot of these videos going around recently and while they claim to be not meant to be hateful towards her, they end up bashing her, nitpicking her persona and over analyzing her videos, trying too hard to be personally offended by her actions. They discuss her "privilege" as if they're entitled to that information and make it seem like Ashley has painted a rags to riches story when in reality, if you really watched her videos, she is 99.9% of the times aware of her privilege and grateful for her audience. Her sex jokes rub them the wrong way, they're offended by her housewife comments when if you watch the whole video with context, you'll simply understand that it wasn't meant to demean/degrade housewives, they're unable to differentiate their personal preferences and choices from what is actually "problematic" on Ashley's end as a public figure. If Ashley is seeing any of these videos, I sincerely hopes that she comes across yours. You worded everything so perfectly, I don't think I need to say much. While she has made some remarks about capitalism, she has always acknowledged that she's aware she's helping churn it wheels. I don't see affiliate links as an issue because most people end up asking her to link them anyways, so she might as well do that beforehand. You worded everything so brilliantly. I've commented under a lot of these videos that Ashley is not above criticism but it has to be constructive. And this video is the perfect example for that. You're not biased and make articulate analysis from a very neutral standpoint without bashing her. Plus, you provide productive and actionable solutions which are actually meaningful and helpful. I can see that you haven't jumped on the Ashley-hating train to gain personal success and are genuinely interested in a healthy discussion. I like that your title isn't clickbaity. Great video. Liked and subbed. You don't seem very active on your channel but I hope to see more of you.
Thanks so much for your sweet comment - it made my day :) I tried my best to be constructive and to really unpack everything, so I'm glad you found the analysis interesting and helpful! Really appreciate the sub - I spend most of my time working on my blog, but hoping to be more active on TH-cam!
To be fair, you're missing the part where Ashley gave a misleading answer to the question of her parent's wealth (assumptions video). Her response was just stating her parents are immigrants and she doesn't explain any further. The obvious implication is "oh it's rags to riches because her parents came to the US as poor immigrants". You can claim this is just an assumption, but is that *honestly* not the impression you get? What other impression are we supposed to get? She fails to mention that her father is from England, they are both highly educated, and that they earn well into six figures combined as the provost of a university and a professor. So why did she answer "my parents are immigrants" to a question of her parents' wealth? This is where the "rags-to-riches" criticism comes from - someone fact-checked her. And I think this is a valid point. I'm no hater, just a disappointed fan. I'm all for giving Ashley a fair analysis and the benefit of the doubt. But your comment seems a little on the defensive side, despite your claim of neutrality.
@@sf7562 th-cam.com/video/9z7wKjeazh4/w-d-xo.html 16.50 She literally says that her parents are science PhDs. And if you can argue that immigrants are stereotypically not rich/ or poor/ struggling moneywise, one can also argue that science PhDs are stereotypically people who are financially stable to say the least. She literally has, in all her video's descriptions, that she is half British. th-cam.com/video/IJcJEMAOJA4/w-d-xo.html 1.45 States that she is a British citizen. It's really not her fault for you guys assuming that she is the child of struggling 1st generation immigrants from south-east Asia. And if you watch her whole commentary on it, it was partly in response to the assumption, "You're a trust fund baby." Besides, just because someone comes from privilege, doesn't mean that they were handed everything on a silver platter. She said that her parents were the first in their family to go college, they started a college fund for her but said they wouldn't be paying for her entire college. Now, whether they couldn't/wouldn't pay is unclear but not up for speculation. Maybe they wanted to instill in her the value of money, so they didn't pay. Do you really think that she would've lived with 3-4 other roommates at some point in her college life in a tiny apartment if her parents were fully financing her? But we don't know what her relationship with her family is, so again those videos are full of assumptions. I just think that you guys are being unfair over one sentence she made more than a year ago, when 99% of the times she acknowledges her privilege and is super grateful for her audience. th-cam.com/video/N5YqaJ37hxs/w-d-xo.html the intro. I'm sorry but a lot of those videos are putting words in your mouth when Ashley has never painted a rags to riches story. Just do your due diligence before you believe everything in those videos is all I ask. When most of those videos claim to be not hatred, they come from a place of either jealousy or insecurities or hypocrisy or holding Ashley to impossible standards or misinformation or misinterpretation or just the inability to distinguish one's personal choices and preferences from what is actually problematic on Ashley's end as a public figure. Which is precisely why I love this video because it doesn't take a dig at her persona or assume things.
@@rookiemonster646 thank you so much for that comment, i was trying to put into words what made me so angry about that one video accusing her of concealing her family background while SHE NEVER DID!! it felt like some people purposely ignored all her comments on that, so thanks for providing evidence. but i still think this video here made valid points and i hope ashley will see it one day!
@@fredichanni I feel you. Most of these videos are just putting words in people's mouths. She has never claimed to be having-trouble-making-ends-meet poor. They're twisting her words to paint her as "problematic". And it's slowly becoming trending to hate on her, so a lot of people are jumping on this bandwagon for personal gain through her success. This was literally the only video I found with *constructive* criticism. Anyways, thanks for listening.
My main critique with bestdressed is the subtle hypocrisy. She brings up Capitalism flaws many times in her videos but her perceived view as a sustainable fashion supporter doesn’t add up when she partners with major corporations and has many affiliate links in her pocket. I believe a person should be able express their happiness in fashion/ make a living off of what they love, however it’s off putting when an idolized figure (like bestdressed) doesn’t address clarify to their audience on how they’re view points (i.e. sustainable fashion) shape their life and what they do to change it. Anyways, loved the video, very informative✌🏼
Glad you enjoyed the video! I agree - it's just confusing to hear this anti-capitalist and sustainability messaging, and then to see her partner with companies that go against these values. I don't blame her for making questionable choices since we're all human, but I hope she makes her values more clear in the future, and stands behind them through her actions.
I agree with your points that she engages in subtle hypocrisy. And I also think she is like all the rest of us, caught in-between the walls of neo-liberal capitalism. As mush as I don't want to engage in neo-liberal capitalism, I have to in order to survive here, on this planet and specifically, in the US. I feel this critique must be taken into consideration. We are all experiencing this catch-22 of choosing between the lesser of two evils, hers is just happening in front of us.
You worded everything so brilliantly. I've commented under a lot of these videos that Ashley is not above criticism but it has to be constructive. And this video is the perfect example for that. You're not biased and make articulate analysis from a very neutral standpoint without bashing her. Plus, you provide productive and actionable solutions which are actually meaningful and helpful. I can see that you haven't jumped on the Ashley-hating train to gain personal success and are genuinely interested in a healthy discussion. This is the kind of TH-cam I stan.
Omg thank you so much for this video!! I was so tired of seeing comments about how "ashley never claimed to love sustainability" or things like that and you did a really good job of debunking those arguments, all while being super thoughtful! In the end I just want ashley to address directly the criticism (and amazon sponsorship) and explain more thoroughly her view on sustainability/fast fashion (does she still want to become more sustainable like she claimed in the past? what are the reasons behind her consumption of fast fashion? etc) it would really set things straight and her audience would know what to expect (instead of being confused between the fast fashion partnership and the sustainability/anti capitalism rant) Such a great video, I'll definitely check up your blog 💖
Thanks for watching and for the thoughtful comment! Totally agree - I don't expect her to be perfect, but just want her to be clear on what her actual stance is and try to do better. It's super easy to say you support sustainability, but another thing to follow through on it.
This is one of the best videos i’ve seen on this topic. Honestly there are SO many videos calling her “problematic” like some of those drama channels like she’s jake paul or gabbie hanna. I do think she has a lot of issues she needs to address and i hope she does. Thank you for actually being constructive and very very well spoken!
The amount of influencers who promote Amazon bc of their affiliate links really bothers me. It is true though, sustainable fashion in itself is contradictory bc fashion is still in the cycle of consumption. So many thoughts in this video were great and adds to the conversation of the ethics of influencers. Thanks for this video!
Yes, it's something I've always struggled with myself. It's really interesting to see even zero-waste and sustainable bloggers use Amazon links. Since I include Amazon links mostly in my product comparisons, I don't feel as bad (people are going to be buying something at that point already), especially since I try to add alternatives and a note encouraging people to buy local if they have the money. But it's always going to be a struggle when you rely on consumption for an income, unfortunately. Glad you enjoyed the video!
This is a great video! Ashley has been one of my favourite TH-camrs for years now and I've got to admit I've definitely been wearing rose coloured glasses. While I still like ashley and believe that she is genuine in her desire to do better I do agree she needs to both publicly and internally address these issues.
No hate on you or your video! I think people aren’t fair when it comes to sustainability. No one can be 100% perfect in this matter. She makes and alters her own clothes, buys from sustainable brands, and also from fast fashion brands. That’s a good combination. And I’m pretty sure that’s more than most people who criticise her are doing. Fashion sustainability isn’t black or white. The moment you choose to buy one sustainable garment, you’re helping the cause, because that money could’ve gone to fast fashion brands. So in my opinion, she’s not problematic. She is pretty much like the people her age who are contributing to the movement. Sustainability and influencers is a whole other topic. Some may ignore their own ethics for money. But at the end of the day they have to eat, and I’m pretty sure you’ll all do the same 🤷🏽♀️
I mentioned this point in my video! No one can be 100% sustainable, but it's one thing to buy from a fast fashion brand occasionally as an individual, and another to promote fast fashion to millions of people when you say you care about sustainability. I know she needs to make money, which is why I suggested some other solutions, other than promoting fast fashion. I'd recommend giving the video a watch since this wasn't to criticize her, but to look at the issues of sustainability and fashion influencer culture from a nuanced perspective :) I cover the points you mention and discuss them further.
ema fdz i understand you’re point but ashley doesn’t need the money from capitalist corporations such as amazon, and is at the point where she can pick and chose which brands she works with, yet she still promotes a lot of fast fashion brands seemingly without criticism (lets not forget ashley attended new york fashion week and has worked with marc jacobs lol). as the video says, there are likely lots of sustainable brands or second hand companies that would love the opportunity to work with her. if ashley declined working with fast fashion/capitalist powerhouses and picked more sustainable brand partnerships, i doubt she’d experience any catastrophic financial repercussions.
I’ve been battling with the fact that fashion isn’t essential as well. For years I’ve been pulled to delve into fashion because I love styling and feeling good in clothing. But it has hindered my creativity sooo much because deep down I KNOW that I myself can’t even afford nor want to keep consuming and consuming because I’m very aware of the impact of those things. I’ve wanted to advocate for just slow buying and wearing what you have, but in reality, unfortunately, content is better received if it’s something new. And that has me really defeated since 90% of things I buy comes from thrift shops (unlinkable) and I wear the same clothes for years after I buy them. So I understand all the struggle behind wanting to advocate for fashion but ALSO wanting to advocate for the environment, ethics and non-consumerism. I’m working on informing the people of my city about those things and hopefully promote actual nearby brands and brands that have fantastic ethos AND ethics. We will see. Thank you for this video! Totally subscribed!!💐
i like that you dedicated a whole video to a single argument! it goes a lot better in depth and i appreciate all the research you did / prior knowledge you had :)) good video!
This is a very eloquently said video and I appreciate you putting all the points and debunking them in one video. I support Ashley but I agree with your points and she should totally address these issues in a video.
I’ve definitely grappled with the issues you brought up in the context of Low Buy and consumption and also being somewhat of a fashion “influencer” on my channels. I loved this video and it’s really got me thinking. I subscribed! Thank you! ❤️
Thanks for posting, I thought this was a great video that offered some great ideas & solutions for her channel. Of course we’re not all perfect, I think Ashley has exposed a lot of people to the sustainability issue and I hope she continues to work on it in her personal life & professional life like so many of us are! She is beautiful and has a great style, it has inspired so many people and I think her influence has been really positive but of course there is always room to grow and learn!
this reminds me of the situation with mei yan when she a video about her $4,000 shopping which just came off, to me, as her abandoning her sustainability especially when this haul included brands like gucci? it feels like as youtubers grow and gain wealth they seem to abandon their values and of course it’s fine to change but it feels not right
I only discovered her a couple days ago from her amazing thrift videos. I loved the one about tips for thrifting, it was very comprehensive & I felt like it had a lot of good advice. I also like watching thrift flips. I don't support Amazon anymore but I used to buy from them a lot. I chose to only buy clothes second hand a while ago, except for underwear I haven't bought any new clothes in at least 2 years & I've found it really easy. I don't like anyone promoting consumerism and am anti-capitalist myself. I do think we can still have fashion influencers but it's a VERY tough line to walk to fit with my morals personally. Living within a capitalist society while being anti-capitalist is extremely difficult so I understand the struggle. I also agree that expensive sustainable new clothes are an investment & should be bought sparingly. If the item is truly fair trade and sustainable it HAS to be more expensive, that's how it works. The reason cheap products can even exist is because of sweatshops, cutting corners, cheap material, and bad environmental practices, you cannot have it both ways. Nice video (: I do think most influencer culture is negative, we don't need any more people telling us to buy products we don't need to give us some small fleeting joy like all the billions of ads already do. Influencers can easily become walking, breathing advertisements & no one needs more of that in their life. It really just feels like a trap to me. You feel like you know and care about this person but really it's just a business and they don't care about you. There are exceptions of course, but they're rare. Ashley seems like a nice person so I do hope she grows and learns from this and does better.
That's inspiring that you haven't bought any new clothes in 2 years! And totally agree with you - influencers are often just walking advertisements, and contributing to overconsumption. But it is hard when their jobs rely on doing so, which is why I'm happy to see a shift to more Patreon-supported creators.
@@imperfectidealist Yes, patreon is amazing! (: Merch is another issue. People don't need a t-shirt for every catch phrase they hear an influencer say, it's excessive. We just have to find creative ways to make money in the most ethical and sustainable way, and that's really difficult.
exactly. people are putting her on such a pedestal and ridiculing her for doing stuff that EVERY person does or has done at some point. the difference is that her life is on the internet for everyone to judge.
I think it's important to view her decisions with empathy and try to understand them, but one of my points is that it's different to buy fast fashion occasionally as an individual vs. promote fast fashion to millions of people. Not trying to judge her though, as her job relies on promoting consumption, but I hope she finds alternative ways to make money (like the solutions I suggested in the video), and shifts away from promoting consumption (especially since she's said she cares about sustainability). But also, totally right that it's easy to be critical of influencers when we as individuals are also part of systems that promote consumption, so it's important to also look inwards and think about ways we can change ourselves and these systems!
@@imperfectidealist yup I agree with you 100%. but some other things which weren't related to sustainability were also brought up in other critcital vidoes, which I feel were so unnecessary.
@@riashridher2212 ah I see, totally understand and agree. That's one of the reasons I stuck to just sustainability - I care about it the most and also wanted to offer something constructive, rather than just criticizing her.
So glad TH-cam suggested your video, I am not an active fan but when I started to notice all the "fast fashion" stuff she has been posting I've had a weird feeling; I didn't know the whole situation and having it explained like this was very useful. After reading the comments I am a little wary to watch other videos about this topic ahaha
Thanks for watching, Maria (and for defending/supporting me back there)! I can understand why some people are angry and assume that I'm just being negative (especially with all the videos out there), but I really tried to be constructive and to have a discussion about sustainability challenges.
I love this video SO MUCH. THIS is constructive criticism. I wish every person that is making videos about this issue could be as informed and educated as you .
Thank you so much for breaking down the struggles TH-camrs and Bloggers have. This allows me and other viewers to view Influencers in a different light and emphasize with their struggles. This video was very informative. :)
I agree with all of your points, this video was extremely well done, I stopped watching her videos and supporting her since the whole amazon collaboration, for me usage and endorsement are completely different, and also there is not total ethical consumption under capitalism, and I get that the people was like "she needs to get her coin" but at that point she didn't need the coin, people acted as if it was a life or death situation and she had no other choice to survive but get the sponsorship, but literally she was having spontaneous trips to Europe and NYC lmao literally the most expensive cities just cause, that's what made me upset, that she was putting off all of her values that made me like her just to have nice trips, but a lot of months have passed and honestly I'm just done, but I hope she apologizes and can move forward since she is really young (same age as me) and keeps getting a good career, it just personally bugs me the ways she had to go about it 😔
You dont have to watch anything you dont feel like watching anymore. But honest question, are people not allowed to live? Seriously, those trips weren't "just cause" she did business and worked while on them. London/Pairs and NYC are the biggest fashion cities in the world, that's why she went there. It's not like she went to an expensive private island to lay around the beach. And even if parts of those trips were vacation like... then good for her. Everyone else is allowed to go on vacation why can't she?
@@tomatotomato22224 I don't think Nicole has a problem with the trip in themselves - she's using them to illustrate that Ashley is clearly fine financially, and taking those sponsorships wasn't a life or death situation. She's disappointed since she could've stood by her stated values and turned those sponsorships down, but didn't.
I love fashion, and beauty, and jewellery, and just all the "girly" things. I also care about sustainability though, and it's difficult to balance those things - especially as a jobless college student (i search for jobs all the time but I am lowkey BAD at most student jobs and the ones I want don't want me) sometimes I just want to have that pretty pink ruffley jumpsuit from H&M that makes me relive all my barbie princess and fairymovie dreams, ya know? Something that I can't buy sustainably unless it is €500 + (secondhand shops aren't the best here and online secondhand buying mostly sucks or isn't any cheaper than the new fast fashion item). (I still love the jumpsuit though :) I bring this up specifically because I am starting a fashion-related youtube channel myself - I have 1 video with 19 views lol - and I am already stressing out and wondering about how to handle this in case I become big. I can sew, I have some half-decent thrift stores nearby, I don't have the most difficult bodytype to find clothes for and am middle class, aka I have it relatively easy when it comes to sustainable fashion - but still, not easy, as most fo the sustainable things I can afford is online secondhand fast fashion that arrives half-wornout and looking nothing like the seller's shitty pictures, the ugly kind of vintage (and me not always having time to remake it) and shapeless earth-tones sacks from the cheaper minimalist sustainable brands. (fyi: My aesthetic is modern sassy slightly edgy fairytalemermaid princess. 'nugh said) How would it be for a part of my potential audience, who have less money and resources, if I tell them to go buy from a fancy sustainable designer brand all the time or live in a thrift heaven like paris or london while they live in a random smallish city with 1 charity shop with some half-wornout H&M dresses?(The city I live in is like that - fortunately I live relatively close to some bigger cities) Balancing loving fashion and sustainability is already difficult, even when you don't have the whole internet critiqizing you, but even more when you have an audience existing of more than a million people all expecting different things from you.
Thanks for sharing your journey! I think it really comes down to what's more important to you. Is sustainability more important to you, or fashion? The thing is, a truly sustainable fashion influencer would buy as little as possible and make do with what they already have. Their content would probably focus on altering clothes, making new outfits from old pieces, and their low buy journey. It probably wouldn't be much of a traditional fashion platform at all. Since I like to talk about sustainable fashion, I rarely post my own outfits since they've been basically the same for a couple years now lol. I'm now more interested in talking about sustainable fashion as a concept, if that makes sense.
everything you said is sooooooo true. i subscribed to ashley all those years ago because of her thrifted fashion videos, so i feel incredibly proud of her success now and i also know that she's really doing her best, but at the same time, i can't help but feel weird at how she keeps making jokes about capitalism when she's clearly complicit in promoting brands that are not only run by giant corporations, but also promote harmful practices (eg, nasty gal's unethical labor practices, urban outfitter's many many many controversies). it's just a weird contradiction.
I'm ready to wear potato sacks and live in a cabin haha but srsly loving how in depth your videos are! I share the same sentiments for Ashley! i've been following her for over 2 years now & hope she can really put her words into actions in terms of sustainability. Again, great video Lily!
hahaha honestly could be a cottagecore trend 😂 and thank so much, Annabelle! I think it's really complicated to be a sustainable creator and there are a lot of things to grapple with - but also hoping she can follow through!
Although she isn't prefect and some of the points you mentioned are interesting I think her promotion of sustainability and thrift shopping is great step in the right direction. At the end of the day even if she only works with brands that were 100% prefect and never had any bad news leek out about them (which sounds impossible) it wouldn't fix the current situation. To make true change it needs to be the masses choosing not to invest in fast fashion anymore. We need to make the change not Ashley on her own and I think someone making it cool to go thrift shipping shouldn't be put under the microscope this much because it's very off putting and if I was in her shoes would make it never difficult for me to even bring up the word sustainable without fear of backlash. Let's support each other in this movement!
I agree with a couple of your points: it's great that she's even talked about sustainability as an influencer, and yes, the masses do need to make a change. I don't understand why you think constructively looking at her influence in sustainability is a problem, though? She's someone who can change the decisions of the masses, so when she continues to promote fast fashion and brands like Amazon, that's off-putting to many of us. I'm doing my best to stay respectful to her in the video, and I am trying to support her by suggesting alternatives. She can't fix the current situation, sure, but she has an influence she can use to help convince others to make changes in their lives, especially since she's said she cares about sustainability. We all can improve and contribute to that change, yes, but she can as well. Just because she's everyone's favorite influencer doesn't mean she's immune to constructive criticism. (Not trying to be rude to you or anything, as I appreciate your respectful comment. I just strongly disagree when people say it's unfair to constructively and respectfully analyze influencers' actions.)
So so good. Thank you for sharing! I'm working on making my wardrobe more sustainable and it's a difficult transition considering it can be such a high barrier to entry with sustainably made clothes costing so much. I started making my own clothes and it's been quite an adventure. It's a good alternative if you have a low income, plus it's a really fun hobby!
That's really cool that you're making your own clothes! I think that also probably helps you appreciate how much labor and thought goes into creating an item of clothing.
Hi Lily, I came across this video and your blog and I've been very impacted/inspired by your input. Love your genuine passion for the things you do, please keep engaging with important topics like this! As a fashion lover admittedly far too entrenched in the consumer market, I needed this wake-up call to see how my actions both as a promoter and partaker of consumerism may be impacting my community/the world. Thank you again for your wisdom and insight
I just think if you don’t need the money why take a deal like amazon she’s worked with Marc Jacobs has been to fashion week alway claims she broke or doesn’t make enough yet it was found out she comes from a well off family and uses that her parents are immigrants when they are professors and I forgot but they are well off. It’s just really off putting. The amazon was just a fuck you in my opinion she knew her fans would be upset yet she still sold out. I appreciate how you looked into everything I just can’t and I wanted to forgive her for it as I’m not perfect but I think when you say something so much and pretend your agents capitalist and still take money from the worst company your just a hypocrite. Also she has gotten things from thrift stores and try to sell them for 150
I think her reselling items from thrift stores is completely besides the point. And many people make a small business out of selling thrifted items. There are even shops that resell only thrifted items for higher prices.
have you ever thought that maybe her parents don't support her daily expenses and so she needs to earn all of them by herself at 21? just because you came from a well off family doesn't necessarily mean that you'll have easy access to money. so I don't think it's a good reason to criticize her about.
@@angelal.4292 I don't think that was the point though. I definitely think she lives independently these days since her TH-cam adsense networth is 500k+, but I think the issue OP has is she painted this narrative of herself coming from this modest family when in reality her parents make over 400k and she lived in one of the richest areas in the country
Where did people find the info about her parents? She won’t even release her last name. Also, she’s mentioned that she had to put herself through college, and if her parents are well off that means she was paying full out of state tuition. No doubt that she’s doing great now, but I think she’s justified in her earlier videos.
She doesn’t live off of her parents lmao and, correct me if i’m wrong, she has never stated that she comes from a “poor” family. I actually think she doesn’t talk that much about her ethnicity, she has mentioned it once or twice. Also, how do y’all know who her parents are?? That’s some sherlock holmes shit right there
I'm new to the sustainable/ethical fashion side of TH-cam. The algorithm suggested multiple _"Is bestdressed problematic?!🤯"_ videos to me before I even knew who bestdressed was. It's really interesting
I'm glad you found the video helpful! I'm actually planning to write a post/make a video about this, but I'd first start by checking their Good On You rating and whether they have third-party certifications like B Corp, 1% for the Planet, Fair Trade, Bluesign, etc. I'd also check out the makeup of their clothing to see if they use synthetic fibers or natural fabrics. Also, the more grandiose or ambiguous the company's claims are, the more skeptical you should be!
A little update: here's the video I made on how to evaluate brands and whether they're sustainable or greenwashing! Hopefully this is a more thorough discussion :) th-cam.com/video/oUaBpU4t5-E/w-d-xo.html
I have a hard time with her as well, I love her message and I love that she's a face that isn't always represented in fashion. I also love that she works to promote thrifting, to make it "cool" to people who wouldn't normally thrift. However, she said in her latest videos, that she wants to get less sponsorships and just make content. After she mentioned that, that's when a lot of the fast fashion Insta advertisements started coming...so I was torn. I was also torn, because around the time that she started doing it was when quarantine happened. And she does need to make money! But at the same time, most of those sponsorships are planned wayyy before they post them, so it had to be planned? It's difficult...
I feel like she also moved all the way across New York with a business plan. I don't think she did it for no reason, and when she was getting ready to move there she said its because it's easier for her to set up maybe a curated store there, ect. So I think that this quarantine just really screwed with her plans, I would wait to critique her until all of this is lifted.
I understand you! The thing is, there are definitely other ways to make money, especially ways that align more with her brand, and promote more ethical consumption (like I mentioned in my video). And you're right - sponsorships are generally planned pretty far in advance, usually at least 1 month, but likely even more in advance for her because she must have a pretty detailed editorial calendar.
@@imperfectidealist I definitely agree with your suggestions! I think she might take it into account if more videos like this pop up and get her attention.
I mean a lot of it is quick story posts for clothes she enjoys wearing. She has to be turning down most stuff because lots of companies want her to promote Seriously, I see youtubes with less then a million subscribers showing the boxes and boxes and boxes that theyre sent... and she has 3x the following so imagine how much she gets sent. She's just picking the few things she feels is well made, cute, and is comfortable sharing because her followers are asking where she gets every single thing she wears anyway. Yeah she makes money off of it, but at least this way she can give her followers what they are asking for, which is links to clothes like hers. It's tricky, we tell her and other influencers that we love their style and videos and want content, yet once they give us it then we yell at them that they're sellouts... I see a problem with this... yes they make money off of capitalism and play a control in what people buy, but that's because we tell them too. They cant be influencers without our views and follows. There are deff some influences that take advantage of their following, but Ashley has been one of the better people for sure.
@@tomatotomato22224 I know we already had a discussion about something else, but I'm just now seeing some of your other comments! I agree that she's doing a better job than most people, but that doesn't mean she can't improve, especially since she says she cares about sustainability. I think fashion influencer culture is inherently problematic as it promotes consumption. To be truly sustainable, you'd have to be a different kind of influencer and focus on low buy, thrifting, and sustainable brands. This is a different business model entirely, but it is one that some people choose. Since Ashley has such a devoted following, I'm sure people would understand if she went this route. Even if she chose to keep her current model, she can still talk more about important issues in the industry like the #PayUp movement (garment workers in Bangladesh struggling after fast fashion brands canceled $1.5 billion in orders) and Reformation's racist work culture (bestdressed's favorite brand). It would be another way to still promote meaningful change.
Kind of late, but thanks for your input on this topic! I personally really enjoy watching Ashley’s videos, and have been a fan since before the “problematic” Amazon video. I respect her for bringing many people to light on sustainable fashion and important social topics such as feminism. As much as I love her unique persona and cool videos, I really do hope she uses this as an opportunity to improve as a creator! She’s grown a lot in a short span of time, and will only continue to grow from now on. It must be really burdensome to carry the expectations of over a million followers... but I hope she continues to use her platform in positive ways.
And to add... just because you are a fan of someone doesn’t mean you have to be a fan of EVERYTHING they do. I genuinely appreciate her work and positive influence, however I believe that it is ridiculous to blindly believe and defend all her actions and words. I wish the best for Ashley, and I hope she does not see the constructive criticism as a personal attack to her character. I believe that everyone has room for growth.
@@baojeans Thanks for your thoughtful comments! Absolutely - I think she has gotten a lot of people thinking about important issues, but I wish she would follow through with them in what she chooses to promote. I also totally agree that you can support a creator without liking 100% of what they do. It's important to think critically for ourselves and to hold creators accountable for their actions.
Thanks for the video. I think Ashley is in the shift of old Ashley and new Ashley. People make bad choices but they are not going to be hanged but is important to be clear of what you stand for and be open for your past choices. I feel maybe she used to be a bit naive and taking opportunities that were given to her. I don't know whether creating another clothing line will help, it would be better to support new upcoming designers that struggle and try to set up their own brands without funding. As for sponsorships, I agree she can choose different areas and sustain herself.
Yes, good point about supporting designers without the funding! I mentioned creating her own line only because she's talked about wanting to do that before. I certainly don't blame her for making some questionable choices since we're all human, but I do hope she will make it more clear what her values are.
@@imperfectidealist I agree with what you said. If she opens about her choices and mistakes that will make her genuine and more open to her audience that follower her long time.
I never noticed this dissonance in her videos. I just knew she was aware of the reach and influence of capitalism on our lives, and that she liked thrifting to an extent (it seems fashionable and common now a days so I didn’t think much of it) but never thought she was hyper sustainable
I'm honestly really worried that all those videos that are talking about her being 'problematic' will get to her the wrong way....she does not have a stable mental health and I as a fan since the beginning of her channel am quite sad about all those negative videos about her (obviously). There is a lot of truth in all those videos but that doesn't exclude the fact that she is still one human, in her early twenties (basically still in puberty even tho she counts as an adult) and insecure about a lot of things. One video about that topic is okay. Two, three also but I feel like there are dozens now! I don't know if that will get the message across the way you all want it to....it will maybe cause more harm than good.
Not sure if you watched the video, but that's why I tried to remain nuanced and view her decisions with empathy, plus offer some solutions. It's also partially why I only focused on sustainability, as I don't want to criticize her personally - I'm just interested in looking at her relationship with sustainability.
@@imperfectidealist I watched the video :). It's just something that I'm worried about and I happened to have commented that under your video. I could have done the same under every other 'ashley is problematic'🤷♀️.
@@butterfliesonmymind705 I don't see how constructive criticism and discussion could negatively impact one's mental health. I can see how just being totally negative could, but that's definitely not what I was aiming for, and hope my video doesn't come off that way.
imperfectidealist because there’s tons of these videos.. if she scrolls and sees your video i’m sure it wouldn’t be good for her. it’s just good to realize that she’s still young and it’s unfair to hold her to such high standards
@@kaylaabendroth1174 It's totally fair - having a large following brings a great responsibility since she could influence millions of people's decisions.
Alright so i get your point of how this doesn’t align with her claims and frankly the amazon partnership is very questionable as she is anticapitaliste however it is in her favor and the audiences favor that she partners with bigger brand as she has become more international and her audience need brands that are reachable.. she is always asked about where she gets her clothes as this is exactly why people follow her so she’d link it as that’s easier. She can work towards better sustainability but sustainability is very hard when your whole career is based on the various parts of fashion which isn’t that sustainable. Her audience is going to consume either way and they are looking for “tips” of what they should buy i think and they need things that are affordable and accessible.and well she’s very good at promoting good quality fashionable things. She still can be a bit more wise -especially with the amazon partnership- and she can clear her intentions and circumstances for taking the deal but it also should be expected that she can’t fully commit to the lifestyle when her job demands otherwise.
Yup, that's why I mention that it's challenging for her because her income currently relies on promoting consumption, and why I suggest some other potential solutions :)
great video! your arguments were valid and very well put together and i love how not condescending you are, since you gave super smart advice and general feedback!
Oh man.. I watched her amazon video and I wished I didn’t.. because I remember watching through the ads. I stopped watching her videos after that. :( great video btw! I subbed
Thank you for this video - you said this in a respectful and constructive way. I agree with all of your points - bestdressed was the reason I got into sustainable fashion, but it breaks my heart a little to see her diverge from those original values.
Loveddd this video - it’s so true, it’s one thing to joke about capitalism and it’s another thing to truly change the fashion landscape instead of perpetuating overconsumption and fast fashion
Hiii, I loved this vid so much and agree with all of your points tbh ♥️ also unrelated but I have the EXACT same pair of earrings you're wearing in this vid 😍😍😍😍
I’m looking to more videos of these kind. It was presented in such a way that anyone could be receptive to the information provided and still have space to formulate their own opinions. The unbiased nature was truly effective on addressing the issues and how it relates to her brand. I just wish more youtubers were like you 👏 I’ll look forward to your future content and will def check out your blog 🌱💓
What are your thoughts on brands like Princess Polly? It is probably the most popular brand that I've seen promoted by TH-camrs lately and by TH-camrs who claim to be sustainable like urmomashley, etc.
Great question! So Princess Polly doesn't release any info on their sustainability and ethics, which is definitely a bad sign (if they had any measures, we'd definitely know about it). Because of this, they're rated "We Avoid" on Good On You, which is a platform that researches how sustainable brands are: directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/princess-polly. I tend to first look there for a brand rating, then at the brand's website, and whether they have 3rd-party certifications like B Corp, 1% for the Planet, Fair Trade, Bluesign, etc. If a company doesn't have any certifications, I immediately become skeptical because then they can claim whatever they want, and we won't know any better. I also like to check recent news on the company, as if there are any domestic labor scandals, that's not a good sign for overseas labor ethics. I hope this helps! I'm planning to make a video/post on how to tell if a brand is sustainable, but that's the gist of my research process.
A little update: here's the video I made on how to evaluate brands and whether they're sustainable or greenwashing! Hopefully this is a more thorough discussion :) th-cam.com/video/oUaBpU4t5-E/w-d-xo.html
Sigh. Two things that make me like Ashley more than other youtubers: 1. Her video is very high-quality, so well made that they’re pleasant to watch. 2. She mocks all the trending “hashtags” all the time.
One thing that i notice from ashley that she struggling with her mental health and struggling to be herself is the intonation when she speaks or explaining something; she always speaks fast and shaky, from my perspective that she tries her best not to cry in front of her followers and subscribers (and of course, she struggling a lot on herself). I love her content and her personas (and the personality also) but when i found out the fact that she struggle with herself and her surroundings just makes me feel sad and can relate to her problem. Pardon for my english coz english is my second language. And for haters, please stop attacking her. She is a human being, i'm a human being, even you guys also a human being. Please keep your meanie thought to yourself. Okay?
I’ve spoken to 2 “influencers” about them doing the same thing. Talking about sustainability while partnering with fast fashion and green washing brands. They both got defensive
I'm glad you tried speaking to them about it, but that's disappointing how they reacted :( I obviously understand that their jobs make it difficult to be sustainable, but if they really stood behind their words, there are definitely solutions!
facts. at least she’s trying and not claiming to be sustainable like other youtubers. i’ve seen “sustainable” hauls that include one reformation shirt and then 1,000 things from nastygal. i get sustainability is expensive but those youtubers are just lying
Why is Ashley immune to constrictive criticism? She says she cares about sustainability, so it's totally fair to be confused when she promotes fast fashion and Amazon, and to ask her to do better. If you watch the video, you'll also see that I'm not being negative to her, but encouraging people to view her controversial sponsorships with empathy, recognizing the challenges, and suggesting some solutions.
imperfectidealist she’s not immune to it but keep this same energy with much worse people. she’s not perfect but none of us are. call out people who aren’t doing anything vs someone who tries
@@kaylaabendroth1174 We disagree here - I don't think she's trying very hard if she promotes Amazon and fast fashion. And there are way too many people to call out who aren't trying, so I can't do that individually. I did write a post about "the problem with fashion influencers," so you might say that I have already written about how fashion influencers are problematic in general. My main critique of Ashley is that she's using sustainability as her brand when her actions don't match her words, and that spreads a misinformed idea of sustainable fashion.
@@kaylaabendroth1174 she called herself a "hero to sustainability" in the fashion revolution interview while partnering with Amazon, the most environmentally harmful, abusive to workers and capitalistic company out there.
Yup, it's actually sad that Everlane is such a greenwasher since lots of people think they're great. I agree that Ashley is trying, but I personally think she could do more - that's all.
In the video that you did a clip of her "SUSTAINABLE HAUL 🌿 reformation, re/done, vintage" you cut it off before she said "BUT" then explained why she did not buy only sustainable fashion.
I was pointing that out since she says she wants to buy all sustainable clothes and that she cares about sustainability. The part you're referencing is when she said she couldn't buy all sustainable clothes because she's a broke college student. She's no longer a broke college student, so that context isn't relevant! She now has the privilege to afford all sustainable clothes and promote all sustainable clothes, if that was her priority.
Shes not perfect! Everyone wants to eat healthier, live healthier, live more sustainably, but the reality is that it is more difficult than it seems. You did point that out very well, but i feel like compared to most (not all) other influencers she is more sustainable and she spreads the word a lot. I don’t think we should judge her for speaking out when other influencers sponsor zaful and fashionnova and dont even mention that they use child labor etc.
I don't expect her to be perfect! I just was suggesting ways her message could be less confusing and more in line with her stated values. Just because there are much worse influencers doesn't mean that Ashley can't improve! You're right that she's already gotten people more interested in sustainability, which is good. Thanks for watching :)
@@imperfectidealist Omg I cant believe you responded, your so sweet hahaha but yeah thats true I think you gave some good suggestions like non fashion branded sponsorship's was a good idea.
I feel like what makes her actually a really great sustainable "leader" in the fashion world is that she is transitioning into a more sustainable lifestyle. Her audience is able to be more influenced because it isn't as hardcore as people who have more strict restrictions. I also feel like she has been open about her struggles with sustainability and her love for fashion. I would also like to point out that a lot of the advice that was given in this video are things she already has done. she has partnered with skillshare and thred up multiple times.
I'm definitely not asking her to be perfect, but many of us find it off-putting when someone says they care about sustainability, yet still promotes lots of fast fashion and Amazon. Someone commented that it's like someone saying they want to try to go vegan, yet they still endorse slabs of meat lol. I mentioned Skillshare and Thredup as some potential options because they sponsor lots of youtubers, but there are many more non-fashion sponsorships she could take. Like I said, she could partner with ethical decor companies, even a bullet journal company, etc. I gave 4 overall suggestions, and she definitely hasn't done all of them, and if she has done it before, I meant that she could do more of it, instead of partnering with fast fashion companies.
I really like this video but I also think that she means well when trying to incorporate sustainable fashion into her work while still having some fast fashion connections. it's hard to be sustainable especially for me as I am a poor college kid and plus size, making sustainable fashion way to expensive with the added 'fat taxes'. So by keeping some fast fashion options open for people like me is really nice to see.
Yes! I have read that many ethical brands are unfortunately not size-inclusive, and that it can be hard to find options in thrift stores. This is a big problem in the industry, and I think we should talk about it more. I just don't think that continuing to promote that much fast fashion is an ideal solution. I can understand it occasionally, especially if she were to talk more about cost and size inclusivity issues. Unfortunately, she also promotes some super expensive luxury brands that aren't inclusive either :/ I would love to see her use her platform to advocate for more inclusivity, and I will keep this topic in mind myself for future posts/videos. Thanks for leaving a thoughtful comment!
It feels a bit unfair to me that all of a sudden Ashley is getting this microscope put on her. As is stated, she does not claim to be a fully sustainable person (try to look at her as a person, not just an influencer), and to me that is the most relatable part. I always try to be as sustainable as possible, while still purchasing clothes that look good on me and don't break the bank. If you compare Urban Outfitters with let's say Reformation, it is obvious which one of those would be more affordable. I always come back from her videos thinking: I should hit up a thrift shop. That's the best thing, I think. The " problematic " implication in the thumbnail, even if this is nuanced in your video, rubs me the wrong way. Imagine all of a sudden seeing all these video's calling you problematic, not knowing if these are hate videos or healthy critiques. She looks like the nicest, realest, person. You can give her improvements; but she is in no way shape or form obliged to react to this (as I've seen in the comments here).
It's one thing occasionally buy fast fashion as an individual, and another to promote it to millions of people though! I don't think it's fair to judge an influencer based on the standards of an individual as they can impact the decisions of tons of people. Sure, she's not obliged to respond, but I wanted to address the defense that she doesn't have any other options, and to explore the challenges of sustainability and influencer culture. I think it's totally fair to discuss a public figure's actions and have a discussion about sustainability. And I honestly think that promoting fast fashion is problematic, so that's why it's in the thumbnail. It's in a question form since it's not as simple as that though, given the challenges of her job.
@@imperfectidealist thanks for taking the time to give me your view. I appreciate that. I just cant help but think that if she never talked about fast fashion, but then was "caught" with wearing a dress from Urban Outfitters, people would be quick to call her out for that too because she would be "faking it" or something. It just breaks my heart when people actively try to do the best they can, acknowledge their flaws and still get targeted because of it. I see that you mean well and are not a hate channel but i can imagine them jumping on to this which saddens me a bit. Anyway, thank you for the open dialogue.
@@xJentaa Thanks for being respectful in presenting your views and having a discussion with me! I appreciate that as well :) I see where you're coming from with the example being "caught" with a fast fashion dress. I don't think that would be a fair critique at all, unless of course their entire wardrobe ends up being fast fashion while building a brand of sustainability. I do think bestdressed can be more transparent though, as she hasn't addressed the fast fashion or Amazon partnerships. But while recognizing that she could improve her commitment to sustainability, I certainly feel for her, as there is some pure nastiness towards her.
No, the Amazon video was in November. I think it's just something that a lot of people have been thinking about since the sponsorship, and when one video came out, we all wanted to voice our thoughts on it. I chose to make a video about sustainability specifically because it's something I feel she could improve, and it allowed me to talk about the challenges of the fashion industry itself.
I really enjoy her content and have no problem with any of the sponsors even the amazon one. I just roll my eyes whenever she says anti capitalist things bc like that’s the world we live in and there isn’t an alternative. Life’s too short, be ethically conscious but enjoy yourself
Sure, I think people have different opinions on what kind of standard we should hold influencers to. I think they should be held to a higher standard in what they promote, as they could influence the decisions of millions of people. Others think they should just live their lives how they want. Ultimately, I just think we can't ignore that they have a lot of power in their position to have a good impact.
I think you should take into consideration her Fanbase. Not everyone can afford sustainable clothing therefore she looks for alternative so people can benefit from watching her content and finding new options of what to wear.
I personally think she shouldn't be promoting even cheaper fast fashion (I think this is something we will have to disagree on though), but a lot of the non-sustainable clothing she promotes isn't even affordable - she's partnered with Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs and Urban Outfitters for example. In her Amazon video, a lot of the clothing was really expensive, I can't verify now since she has deleted it but there was a $200 blouse
Lolol so passive aggressive. I got those about a year ago, and they definitely weren't a great purchase in terms of sustainability, but I'm very open about my journey with sustainable fashion (they're in my video of all the clothes I bought last year). I'm not expecting Ashley to be perfect as an individual since no one is, but I think she should reconsider working with fast fashion brands since she says she cares about sustainability. It's one thing to occasionally buy fast fashion as an individual, and another to promote it to millions of people. I'm also happy to report that I've only bought 2 items of clothing so far this year - a jacket and a pair of earrings :)
This video bugs me so much. You say “excuse her behavior” as if she’s doing something seriously wrong or illegal. She is just living life and doing her job. It just attacks her for doing something everyone else does. She is doing the best she can. She supports sustainability but also loves fashion. It is her passion and her job.
Hi there, I'm sorry that you felt this video was attacking her, but I tried my best to analyze things from a nuanced perspective. I'm not actually sure you watched the whole video? I talked about how she needs to make money like we all do, and mentioned that we should also look at our own actions. I also offered some other ways she could make money, other than promoting companies that don't align with her stated values. The thing that I was critiquing is that she claims to care about sustainability, but her actions don't align with her words, and she can certainly do better!
@@imperfectidealist I think your video was worded perfectly, idk what they're talking about "attacking" lol. this was really well thought out and productive
imperfectidealist I’m not saying that you didn’t analyze the situation. And I think you did it in a reasonable and not hateful way. But I feel as though this video was unnecessary. Ashley is human, doing the best she can, and I don’t think she’s doing anything wrong. She’s a created and fashion influencer who actually talks about and supports sustainability. Which is great. I used the word “attacking” because you created a whole video about this when it just felt unnecessary. I wouldn’t want somebody to analyze every decision I make. I’m doing my best and I’m always trying to improve myself. I’m sure ashley is the same.
@@shesbooksmart Making a video to discuss important issues doesn't equate to attacking! When you're an influencer, you have immense, well, influence, over people's decisions. Sure, they're human and make mistakes and hopefully try to improve themselves, but that doesn't make them immune to any analysis or criticism. Any public figure should have their controversial actions thoughtfully and constructively analyzed. The video was also an opportunity to talk about fashion influencer culture in general, which is just problematic as a system. Ashley was just a jumping point to talk about these challenges, as it was her channel that got me thinking about it. I'm glad she's talking about sustainability, but I hope she can do more. It's easy to say you support a movement, but your actions need to reflect that as well.
No one is perfect and I don’t blame her for not being perfect with her messages on sustainability and feminism. I admire her for trying her best to promote about these topics in her videos even though some of the messages might be confusing to audiences but you can’t expect anyone to be perfect role model.
I don't expect her to be perfect! I just was suggesting ways her message could be less confusing. You're right that she's already gotten people more interested in sustainability, which is good. Thanks for watching :)
Ashley talked abput this in her recent q&a video. She admitted that she still bought fast fashion from time to time, and knew that not everybody can afford sustainable clothes or find thrift stores near them. Also, she highlighted a bigger reality: uaing a private jet then buying a sustainable dress doesn't do much. I really like her personality and values.
Yup, I know she talked about it recently. The thing is that individual consumption vs. promoting fast fashion to millions of people is totally different! I'm going to copy and paste my response to someone else who asked my thoughts on what she said in the Q&A.
I thought she made some good points in the Q&A (sustainability often being a privileged thing, it's become an aesthetic to some people and not something substantive, and that no one should be shamed for buying fast fashion because we don't know the circumstances). I was disappointed in the response overall though, as she gave sort of a "politician's answer" and didn't address the issue of her promotion of fast fashion. I think she views her individual consumption and promotion as the same thing, and they are totally different. . I also understand she wants to promote more affordable clothing, but I disagree with promoting fast fashion and consumption in general due to the human cost, especially if she's publicly stated that she cares about sustainability and made it part of her brand. But I guess if she's going to promote clothing in general, and wants it to be affordable, she has to promote fast fashion (or thrifting, but you can't promote specific pieces, and it might not be accessible due to time/physical stores). . The response she gave just made it clear that sustainability is not her priority. If it were, she'd have to be a different kind of fashion blogger and talk more about thrifting, low buy, altering clothes, sustainable brands, etc. and not promote fast fashion. I don't think she's willing to give up her current business model. . Overall, I wish she would stand by her previously-stated commitment to sustainability more. Even if she were unwilling to change her business model, she could still talk more about limiting consumption and only buying what you need, or using her platform to educate us more about the current issues in sustainable fashion + how to help (for example, fast fashion companies have canceled $1.5 billion in orders from suppliers, primarily in South Asia, and garment workers will starve and be unable to support their families because of this. There are initiatives for individuals to buy boxes of lost stock or to donate to orgs. Another example: former employees at Reformation, bestdressed's favorite brand, stated that they experienced racism and unsafe working conditions). Basically, there are ways for her to still be a traditional fashion blogger, and to have a better influence in sustainability. . This was an essay haha, but those are my thoughts. Basically, it just seems that sustainability is not her priority, and that's her choice. There are ways she could still use her platform for change, and I hope she will, but based on her response, I think her priority is to be a traditional fashion influencer.
@@imperfectidealist I agree with your points. Maybe i kinda overlooked it because its impossible to find thrift stores in my country. There are apps, but bcz of corona if there is a problem with an order its risky to go to the shipping offices. And due to the economic crisis here, the prices are too high for me :/. At least there are a few new national sustainable brands
@@helingunes955 no worries, I totally understand. One thing that's underrated is also our consumption habits. If you have to buy fast fashion, you can still participate in the sustainability movement by only buying what you need, and making your clothes last. It also helps save money and encourages you to get more creative with what you already have! Thanks for having a respectful discussion with me, and hope you stay safe and healthy during this time :)
I hate how one video analyzing a certain youtuber gets views and everyone starts doing videos about them just to add to the conversation when there is not too much to be said just to nickpick everything they do. The toll that puts on these people is enormous and their mental health is affected by seeing everyday hundreds of videos about themselves pop out on their TL just because is trendy to speak about them. This happened to emma chamberlain and im starting to see it happen to best dressed. There is really no reason for these many videos analyzing every single thing they do specially because all those videos are only being done to get views. You try to claim if someone os problematic or not by jumping on a trend that would ultimatly damage mentally a person
If you watch the video, you'll see that I actually encourage people to view her controversial decisions with empathy, and am being respectful of her. I also offer some potential solutions. I chose to talk about her because she got me and a lot of other people thinking about the challenges of sustainability, and I wanted to explore the issues of sustainability in relation to being an influencer. I think it's totally fair to discuss a public figure's actions and have a discussion about sustainability.
There’s kind of no way she can win. If she promoted only sustainable brands she would be accused of green-washing and the high prices would alienate most of her young viewers. If she promoted accessible and trendy brands like UO and brandy she would be accused of promoting environmentally damaging consumerism. The problem is influencing in general (no matter what your brand is) is ADVERTISING which always promotes consumption of some sort, which under capitalism, is ALWAYS UNETHICAL. All of us have to come to terms with the the fact that even though this messaging is coming to us through a friendly face, it’s all advertising driving us to spend. Ashley seems like a good person who shops from p average brands most girls I know her age shop. Of course she should be mindful of her content but there’s literally nothing she can do to make the advertising she does ethical, the problem is much bigger than her.
Yes, exactly - I mentioned how the problem lies really with fashion influencer culture in general, which relies on promoting consumption. I just think she can be more mindful if she really cares about sustainability - you mention the high prices of sustainable clothing, but she's already promoting unsustainable luxury brands like Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein. I realize that it's very difficult to win, which is why I suggested some potential solutions that could help her actions align more with her words, while still making money. It's not a perfect solution by any means, but I definitely think it's an improvement. Thanks for leaving a thoughtful comment!
i think these videos are so uninformed and your on a really high horse. i watch ashley so maybe i’m biased but you can’t expect someone who has college debts and such to not accept sponsorships and to only buy hundreds of dollars of sustainable clothing. also she has repeatedly asked if people like her affiliate links and the polls have always said that they liked them. also she’s a fashion youtuber, is she not supposed to buy a lot of clothes?
i think there’s so many terrible fashion youtubers who claim to be sustainable and then get one thing from reformation and everything else is from nastygal. at least ashley dont claiming to be something she’s not
Please watch the video before making uninformed comments like these! I talked about the affiliate links and said that I don't have a problem with them personally, as many of her followers are asking where she gets things. I just don't think it makes sense for her to promote all these new fast fashion items when she claims to be anti-capitalist and sustainable. She also doesn't need to buy any clothes at this point, as any company will just give her free PR. You also don't know that she even has debt - she's never talked about having any, and she graduated in 2.5 years, and came from a well-off family. I also talked about how fashion is inherently unsustainable, and ways she could still make an income while still standing behind the values she's built her brand on.
imperfectidealist i did watch it all. however you can’t say “i don’t like the affiliate links” then say “i get why she does them” you constantly contradict yourself in this video. that’s what i mean by uninformed. she has talked many times about how she’s got thousands of dollars in debt. i think we just have to realize celebrities and public people are people first. we shouldn’t hold them to such high standards that even we cannot uphold. sustainable companies also don’t do much pr however other companies do. you clearly are not informed in how these things work
@@kaylaabendroth1174 I didn't say that I don't like the affiliate links - I said that she's been criticized for them, and that I understand why she does them (because people ask), but it doesn't make sense to push so many new purchases when she claims to be anti-capitalist and to support sustainability. If she's actually talked about debt, please reference a specific point where she says that. She talks about being a "broke college student" all the time, but that could mean anything. Also, she hasn't made remarks about being "broke" in a while - she's making bank from TH-cam. Sustainable companies DO do PR. Maybe not as much as other companies, but I'm sure any company would be willing to give Ashley PR if she just asked. She's even already on Reformation's PR list! . I am informed about this - I'm a blogger myself and have made money blogging (obviously not to the extent of Ashley, but I understand how these things work). I also have been through college, and know what it's like to support myself. Ashley's just a person sure, but she has immense responsibility as an influencer. It's one thing to take certain actions as an individual, but another in front of millions of people. Everything I suggested is very doable, and I'm not forcing her to take those actions - I'm merely suggesting them as options, and showing others that she does have other options. You say that even we can't uphold these standards - I know plenty of people who aren't buying or promoting fast fashion, even influencers. It's really unnecessary to be so accusatory in your defense of Ashley when this video wasn't negative about her.
She said she already paid off her college debt though. And if you look at her AdSense alone, she is making very well into the 6 figures. She's not scrimping for money at all, but she intentionally chose Amazon, a company that is detrimental to the environment, abuses their workers and pays them a poverty salary. All of which she has stated she was against.
These videos are so problematic and toxic. Sustainability is something to strive for, but everyone needs to make sure they can fit it into their lifestyle. If you’re too militant about it, you can discourage others to join in. And it’s called having a job. We all have to do things we dislike. But people have to eat. Stop judging others, it will make your life much more enjoyable.
Hey Alyssa, I encourage you to watch the video before making these judgments. As you'll see, I'm not asking Ashley to be perfect, and I understand that it's her job. That's why I suggest some other ways she could make income, without promoting fast fashion. I try to view her decisions with empathy, and am not judging her - I just think her actions could align better with her words. You give her the benefit of the doubt and don't judge her, so I'd appreciate that as well :)
@@alyssahayes6194 Likewise! If you don't see how this is constructive and inviting discussion and reflection on sustainability, then I really don't think you watched the video or understood it. Or, you might have an unhealthy attachment to Ashley. She is a public figure and celebrity, not a friend, and it's totally fair to discuss a celebrity's controversial actions in a constructive way. I invite constructive criticism and discussion, but your comments are just misinformed, as I've addressed your arguments in the video, and am not being rude to Ashley in any way.
@@alyssahayes6194 That's not what I'm implying 😂 I'm saying that I have trouble understanding how you find this video toxic, and that it's hard to believe that you watched and understood it because I address the arguments you're making. I'm not trying to call you a "liar or stupid." Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean you're stupid! If you thought that that's what I was implying, then I'm sorry that my words hurt you. Like I said, I'm open to constructive criticism, but you don't seem willing to engage. I have engaged with people who have made really good constructive points! But you just said that "it's not my place to educate you." You just sling insults instead of having a discussion with me. If you want to give me constructive criticism, you can start by having a conversation with me about why you don't like the video, not just repeating arguments that I already addressed, or twisting my words.
I think Ashley herself feels lost in some kind of a paradox. She believes in sustainable fashion, is against capitalism and hates being or looking shallow, but she loves the fashion world (as expressed in her fashion week vlogs) and can't keep away from it, and I think that's causing her extreme distress. Ashley has expressed multiple times how she sometimes feels like her job is useless and meaningless, like she feels she's feeding capitalism (always buying and promoting clothes) and irrealistic expectations (through her instagram), and in my opinion she's struggling to find a middle term between her following her ideals, doing what she loves and keeping up with her subscribers' expectations. Sometimes I get worried about how much this, along with having to keep a smile on her face and be the enthusiastic persona we all love on videos, affects her mental health.
We shouldn't forget that Ashley is still so young, she's fresh out of college, and there's so much for her to learn about the real world. There's a lot of room for improvement in the future and I believe she will eventually find her path in life and be happy with what she does! (:
Yes, I agree - I think that what she values and the nature of her job often conflict, which makes it difficult. I definitely don't expect her to be perfect by any means - I just think there are things she could improve. And she's already helped get more people thinking about sustainability, which is a good thing. Thanks for leaving a thoughtful comment!
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Love this comment
I completely agree and I am glad you mentioned this. I can’t even count how many times I’ve watched Ashley have a mental breakdown on camera and it broke my heart, never mind off camera. Being an influencer but especially a fashion influencer is such a tough job and she attracts people of many ages which brings about changing ideas and opinions on the daily. I admire her as she’s just so kind and pure, and I do believe she’s trying to do the right thing but when it comes to fashion it’s so difficult.
Honestly she just has a shopping addiction/loves shopping too much but has a moral compass and sees what's ethically wrong with that without actually wanting to take the hard actions to change that, like most young people. I've been there with the shopping addiction lord knows but it does NOT mean (I, or) massive influential creators with the voice and money to change many other indifferent young people's behaviors get a free pass. Whether through being lovable, struggling with anxiety or being young. That just isn't an excuse for promoting modern slavery to make a cute trendy top and normalizing the ecosystem keeps these inhumane jobs existing.
So this is isn't a defence exactly but I've noticed on many videos such as her closet essentials where she talks about her sustainable clothing, or high quality clothing that will obviously last longer and isn't so easily replaceable, that there are A LOT of comments complaining and criticising how it's all so expensive and she's not thinking of her audience who don't have much income...feels like a hard battle for her to win
Also in terms of affiliate links, I remember when she first starting posting them she asked if they were wanted (as she usually is asked where her clothes are from) or whether people found them annoying. Pretty sure she even did a poll and it was overwhelmingly for affiliate links
@@alionroare7777 Yup, I remember seeing that too. That's one of the reasons I don't have a problem with affiliate links in themselves - it's more the constant promotion of consumption and new clothing that feels off-brand (but again, it's difficult because she's a fashion influencer).
It is a hard battle! That's why I think only promoting sustainable brands isn't the solution. It'd also be great to see more videos on thrifting to balance out the expensive/quality/sustainable pieces (and she could make up for any lost income with Patreon or non-fashion sponsorships). I think part of the backlash is also due to our throwaway culture - we're so used to cheap clothing that anything more expensive (and not designer) seems ridiculous. I don't think a lot of us have the mindset yet that quality clothes are a long-term investment.
@@imperfectidealist I really agree! But I think she's done a good job w her swipe up stories where she links to the piece that's sustainable and often $$$, but then sometimes provides dupes that are less. Ik its not ideal but it kinda addresses that criticism that she only promotes expensive stuff.
@@imperfectidealist i generally do like some of her videos and appreciate her not always whipping out videos for the sake of videos and actually putting thought into them.. one thing that I think is interesting is that her london or new york travel videos she had to live off of a "small amount of outfits" and compalined about it being barely anything when in reality it's the size of alot of average people's clothing which low-key feels condescending when she has all these stylish pieces and acted like her life was so hard because of only having like one large suitcase (i honestly think she carried more than the one suitcase she showed in the video bc of all the different shoes she had)... she fit alot in there i was like damn girl you have alot of people's dream closet in just those suitcases lol.
Also, a quick clarification: when I say fashion is "non-essential," I'm talking about mainstream influencer fashion, which is often materialistic and not focused at all on the cultural impacts of fashion. I also mean "non-essential" from a literal survival perspective. I certainly don't mean to degrade fashion as an art and vehicle for expression in any way. I've been told that fashion has also been key in giving marginalized communities a voice. If this is point is something you are passionate about, I invite you to suggest specific resources where we can learn about fashion from a cultural/activist perspective.
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Also, I encourage you to contribute to the Black Lives Matter movement: knowblm.com
Brilliantly worded!! I also think that out of all the influencers out there, she's probably one of the least problematic ones
Thanks for watching! And yes, I wish I had emphasized that more - I really don't think she's that problematic in general. There are definitely things she could could improve when it comes to sustainability, and that's what I wanted to emphasize and discuss, while recognizing the challenges and nature of her job. Of course, there are certainly "worse" influencers who don't care about sustainability at all, but that doesn't mean she can't improve, especially since she says she cares about sustainability.
Yes she did a thrift flip !
Omg I've been a fan of best-dressed for the longest time but I've noticed some inconsistencies that I thought maybe it's just me seeing this stuff. You've really done a deep dive here and there's a lot for her and her fans to think about. Great video
wow... a lot of these videos about ashley have come up on my recommended recently and i think this is my favorite one. this was a super respectful critique of her while addressing issues i had never even thought about before... just reminded me that it's always important to be constantly evaluating the social media influencers we follow. thanks for the informative video !! xx
Thanks for watching, Zoe! So glad it was helpful :)
you LAID IT OUT in this video! i love how calm you were the entire time and weren't bashing her for things like her looks or her content style like other creators who have made videos on her have. i really enjoyed this, and it brings up important questions in regards to fashion influencer culture and sustainability that i feel need to be talked about more.
I love that you were being honest about your own conflict with regards to Amazon affiliate links. I've managed to avoid them so far because they go so against everything I believe in, but then there are other problematic companies like Airbnb that I find more difficult to avoid (both using and promoting).
At the end of the day, I think being open about our own struggles is probably the best way to handle these issues. As you said, nobody can be 100% sustainable. And as you know I believe too much responsibility is being shifted onto consumers while the real culprits go unpunished or just set up a new company to capitalize on the sustainability trend. But that doesn't mean we should just promote whatever we get the chance to. An honest balance between criticizing certain brands and systems and also acknowledging that sometimes it's not that easy to avoid them seems like a better way to handle this. And why not be completely honest like you are in this video and say: "Hey, for those of you who are going to be buying from Amazon anyway I have this link. But if you can afford to invest a bit more money I suggest buying from x website instead."
Likewise, I agree that promoting any type of consumerism is problematic, however, since we live in a system where we need to make certain purchases I feel that promoting more ethical options at least gives people a choice. So if somebody needs a new travel item anyway I'd be happy if they bought it from a brand that I feel (hope) aligns more with my values.
Thanks for watching and leaving such a thoughtful comment, Nina! I totally agree with you that the burden of living sustainably is disproportionately laid on the shoulders of consumers when the corporations are the ones are doing the vast majority of the polluting, and have the power to enact change. But also totally agree that as individuals, we should try our best to live as ethically as we can (and encourage others to do so), even if it's super complicated. Like you mentioned, it's not just Amazon - questionable companies are everywhere, from Airbnb to Facebook to Tik Tok to Yelp. They're impossible to avoid completely.
I also really like that messaging you included for the Amazon links that other bloggers can use! As you know, I've always felt conflicted about them, as I obviously don't want to support Amazon, but as a smaller blogger who sometimes does product comparisons, I really don't want to lose out on that income when people will be purchasing from there anyways. (Especially since running a blog is expensive, and I've only just started offsetting those costs from affiliate income!).
I try to be transparent about these struggles because it can start dialogues and encourage all of us to reflect on what we can do better. I'm happy to have a blogging friend who will have these conversations with me :)
Ou have a question, how is airnb problematic?
@@sum1834 In many cities Airbnb leads to housing shortages as many owners or property companies prefer to rent out the place to tourists for more profit than renting it out to locals long-term.
I noticed that a lot of TH-cam ppl push audible as their sponsorship. since audible is owned by amazon I wonder why ppl aren't as critical about TH-camrs taking that sponsorship. I always feel weird when a TH-camr I like is sponsored by them.
Really good point! I feel that Audible has a bit of "distance" from the Amazon brand, but it's true that that money is still going to Amazon...I feel similarly when I see a sponsorship by Audible.
I love that your mentioning how the fashion industry is in it of itself problematic, many comments and criticism overlook this fact, since it's easier to criticize individual action than to analyze systemic issues. I think this is also a very prominent issue within the "sustainability community", where people focus heavily on consumer choice and individual action without addressing ways to combat the system or realizing that many don't have the privilidge to live "sustainably". I do want to add that partnering with sustainable clothing brands is probably more difficult than most would think and it's not just because one would have to check the brand. In my experience, many existing sustainable brands do not carry clothing that are necessarily desirable for people who enjoy fashion. Sustainable brands usually carry very basic and timeless pieces, which is good, we want quality timeless clothing that can last, but they arent as exciting or fun to style as thrifted clothing or clothing from typical fashion brands (and thrifted clothing is more difficult to consume from a consumer standpoint). Unless we begin to see more variety in the style of clothing in sustainable brands, we probably won't be seeing many fashion influencers partnering or promoting sustainable brands.
Yes, absolutely! Unfortunately, a lot of the sustainability movement is so focused on individual actions that it shifts the blame from the real polluters and those who have the ability to make change - the corporations themselves. Not to say that individuals should just pollute and consume as they please, especially people with privilege, and those who have a big following and can influence others.
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And you're totally right about the types of clothing that sustainable brands carry. I agree that more influencers won't be excited about them unless the clothing becomes more interesting. That's why I think a truly sustainable influencer would probably focus more on thrifting - both for the interesting pieces, and because buying secondhand is better anyways.
Now that Ashley is under the microscope, she can do one of three things:
1. Ignore the issues which will hurt her
2. Acknowledge it but mock it kinda how she does now with the hypocritical jokes
3. Acknowledge it, admit it, and try to better herself
I’m a fan so I’m hoping she’ll better herself
Agreed! While ignoring it might not hurt her raw numbers much, and she will definitely keep growing, it will cause a non-negligible portion of her current audience to be disillusioned. I think how she responds ultimately will tell us what kind of audience she wants to attract and what kind of brand she wants - does she want to be a fashion TH-camr who also cares about meaningful issues (and acts on them), or does she just want to focus on fashion (and talk the talk about important issues, but not necessarily walk the walk)? I guess we'll find out, and I hope she addresses it too.
The Amazon sponsorship is from a year ago..if you think she will suddenly speak about it you are a bit delusional
She technically has "branding" on herself as a person/channel since she's an influencer. I studied branding as a big part of my major in college and work with brands now, so from my perspective this is what might be happening: We know that Ashley has a manager and maybe has people she can go to for PR advice. Overall, Ashley really isn't that problematic when you look at most youtubers/instagramers. So it's possible she was given the advice to let this blow over. Deleting comments off of her social is a normal thing smart brands do, as long as it's just over nit picky stuff. Most of this stuff is nitpicky. For example, if you owned a coffee shop and someone makes a rude or nitpicky comment, playing into it and answering back and leaving it up for the public to decide who is right is not always the safest move for the business. Deleting, ignoring, letting it die down helps shorten the length of the issue. I'm not saying whats the right or wrong thing to do as a normal person, I'm saying what is a proven right or wrong thing as far as brands and businesses go. Because if Ashely starts answering, then there will be a whole new wave of videos talking about if her answer was sincere or not, or so on and so on. No one is perfect, and she has proven to be reflective in the past and loves to learn and grow. It is possible she might talk about this in the future, but obviously she cant grow over night. And I like that if she is going to talk about it it seems like she's taking an appropriate amount of time to reflect and grow if needed so she can answer honestly. Because seriously, when influencers post a video the very next morning they barley had time to think or grow, they're just doing it for damage control.
@@tomatotomato22224 Good points about her essentially being a brand/business. I think a lot of people don't really realize this! From my understanding of her deleting comments though, she was deleting comments that were earnest and not rude or hateful. I totally understand deleting rude/hateful comments both from a brand and individual perspective, but I think it's fair for her fans to ask her about where she truly stands on sustainability, and why she chose to work with certain companies, etc. Deleting these types of comments actually hurts her brand, since she she has a brand of being honest and approachable/relatable.
@@imperfectidealist it's hard to say what's best for herself as a brand right now. These videos in general have started about a month ago (at least this wave of people since the JKRolwing vid) but I dont think ive seen a video over 60k views yet. And I'm willing to bet it's a bulk of the same people watching most of the videos, but lets say if only 200k people have been watching them Risk perspective, Making your 3million subscribers aware of videos that currently don't have many views (in comparison to her) might not be the best idea. Yeah if these blow up to millions of views then it does look bad to only answer them because they got big... it's a PR/business risk to calculate. There's also the argument of is ignoring/deleting comments shady/hiding, or is she trying to stay away from unnecessary youtube drama. I knew other youtubers with vids nitpicking them or pointing out problems, and they're said they dont answer to those kinda videos because they don't want to get involved within the youtube drama world. Seeing Ashley has never been in the drama world of youtube yet I can see the want of ignoring it to just focus on what she likes doing, making content.
I think one hard conflict to face with making clothing “non-essential” is that if people don’t value fashion as much, they would be less willing to pay the high price of a sustainable item and instead they would likely just buy the cheapest clothing they can find (probably not sustainable). I think fashion sustainability is a very complicated and somewhat antithetical concept but I really enjoyed the presentation of this video! The most sustainable thing to do is really to use clothing that is already out there (thrifted) but in the end people will still buy from cheap brands so, just influencing people to change even a little should be the goal.
Hmm. Interesting points. I believe fashion is like food, in order to get quality, ethically made pieces that last/favor workers as human beings, prices need to go up. But ultimately it's a supply chain issue that although, yes, the bottom of the barrel slave labor items would go up (well, be eradicated!) ethical fashion would actually be less expensive! We pay the price for a rarity but if everyone from H&M to Zara was truly sustainable they would have to increase prices and put out less items, as well as people buying much less stuff. I don't see a problem with this. xo
I think she doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s the same thing with veganism. You can’t expect every person to be vegan or every person to follow sustainable fashion perfectly, however we can expect every person to try to limit themselves. You don’t have to completely get rid of meat from your diet, but maybe try taking it out a couple times a week. Same thing with fast fashion. You don’t have to completely stop buying it, but maybe only buy it if you REALLY love it and can’t find a sustainable dupe. I understand that there are moral issues with fast fashion regarding low wages, and child labor, however not many people are affected by this. Instead of trying to make them perfect, let’s celebrate them trying.
I agree with this generally, but in relation to veganism: if someone said they were trying their best to incorporate veganism into their diet and that they were passionate about it, I think the viewer has a right to be upset if they actively promoted and endorsed slabs of meat. I don't think she needs to completely stop consuming fast fashion but it does make me disappointed when I see her promoting it.
I would say that's lots of people are effected by fast fashion. Thousands of people. Both workers and people who are effected by the environmental impact. Noone is perfect but choosing to promote fast fashion heavily, despite being in a privileged enough position to choose other options, is essentially saying that your clothes are more important than those people.
@nava I think what Marion is getting at is that Ashley has more power and responsibility as a person with a big platform - there's a difference between occasionally buying fast fashion as an individual vs. promoting it to millions of people. I think that's where the disagreement lies - you believe that influencers shouldn't be held to a higher standard than individuals, while we believe that they should, due to their ability to influence others' decisions. Also, just because there are worse influencers doesn't mean Ashley can't improve, especially since she's said she cares about sustainability. I don't really wear makeup or follow beauty influencers, so that's not my area of content. If you were to create content around that topic, I would be interested in reading it though! Obviously it needs to be talked about more.
I love Ashley and I put off watching this video for ages because I was worried that you’d convince me not to like her but THANK YOU for merely stating facts rather than diminishing or criticising her actual personality or jokes. I really hope she sees this and acknowledges that she needs to change a bit but still realises that’s we love her and just want her to do better because of how hard she works rather than trying to bring her down ❤️
Thanks so much for watching! Yes, that's what I was trying to make clear - just want to offer some ways she could get more behind sustainability, since she's said she cares about it. I like her as a creator overall and want to see her grow!
Umm. What? I freakin love you.
I have been seeing a lot of these videos going around recently and while they claim to be not meant to be hateful towards her, they end up bashing her, nitpicking her persona and over analyzing her videos, trying too hard to be personally offended by her actions.
They discuss her "privilege" as if they're entitled to that information and make it seem like Ashley has painted a rags to riches story when in reality, if you really watched her videos, she is 99.9% of the times aware of her privilege and grateful for her audience. Her sex jokes rub them the wrong way, they're offended by her housewife comments when if you watch the whole video with context, you'll simply understand that it wasn't meant to demean/degrade housewives, they're unable to differentiate their personal preferences and choices from what is actually "problematic" on Ashley's end as a public figure.
If Ashley is seeing any of these videos, I sincerely hopes that she comes across yours. You worded everything so perfectly, I don't think I need to say much. While she has made some remarks about capitalism, she has always acknowledged that she's aware she's helping churn it wheels. I don't see affiliate links as an issue because most people end up asking her to link them anyways, so she might as well do that beforehand.
You worded everything so brilliantly. I've commented under a lot of these videos that Ashley is not above criticism but it has to be constructive. And this video is the perfect example for that. You're not biased and make articulate analysis from a very neutral standpoint without bashing her. Plus, you provide productive and actionable solutions which are actually meaningful and helpful. I can see that you haven't jumped on the Ashley-hating train to gain personal success and are genuinely interested in a healthy discussion. I like that your title isn't clickbaity.
Great video. Liked and subbed. You don't seem very active on your channel but I hope to see more of you.
Thanks so much for your sweet comment - it made my day :) I tried my best to be constructive and to really unpack everything, so I'm glad you found the analysis interesting and helpful! Really appreciate the sub - I spend most of my time working on my blog, but hoping to be more active on TH-cam!
To be fair, you're missing the part where Ashley gave a misleading answer to the question of her parent's wealth (assumptions video). Her response was just stating her parents are immigrants and she doesn't explain any further. The obvious implication is "oh it's rags to riches because her parents came to the US as poor immigrants". You can claim this is just an assumption, but is that *honestly* not the impression you get? What other impression are we supposed to get?
She fails to mention that her father is from England, they are both highly educated, and that they earn well into six figures combined as the provost of a university and a professor. So why did she answer "my parents are immigrants" to a question of her parents' wealth? This is where the "rags-to-riches" criticism comes from - someone fact-checked her. And I think this is a valid point.
I'm no hater, just a disappointed fan. I'm all for giving Ashley a fair analysis and the benefit of the doubt. But your comment seems a little on the defensive side, despite your claim of neutrality.
@@sf7562 th-cam.com/video/9z7wKjeazh4/w-d-xo.html
16.50
She literally says that her parents are science PhDs. And if you can argue that immigrants are stereotypically not rich/ or poor/ struggling moneywise, one can also argue that science PhDs are stereotypically people who are financially stable to say the least.
She literally has, in all her video's descriptions, that she is half British. th-cam.com/video/IJcJEMAOJA4/w-d-xo.html 1.45 States that she is a British citizen.
It's really not her fault for you guys assuming that she is the child of struggling 1st generation immigrants from south-east Asia.
And if you watch her whole commentary on it, it was partly in response to the assumption, "You're a trust fund baby."
Besides, just because someone comes from privilege, doesn't mean that they were handed everything on a silver platter. She said that her parents were the first in their family to go college, they started a college fund for her but said they wouldn't be paying for her entire college. Now, whether they couldn't/wouldn't pay is unclear but not up for speculation. Maybe they wanted to instill in her the value of money, so they didn't pay. Do you really think that she would've lived with 3-4 other roommates at some point in her college life in a tiny apartment if her parents were fully financing her? But we don't know what her relationship with her family is, so again those videos are full of assumptions.
I just think that you guys are being unfair over one sentence she made more than a year ago, when 99% of the times she acknowledges her privilege and is super grateful for her audience.
th-cam.com/video/N5YqaJ37hxs/w-d-xo.html the intro.
I'm sorry but a lot of those videos are putting words in your mouth when Ashley has never painted a rags to riches story.
Just do your due diligence before you believe everything in those videos is all I ask. When most of those videos claim to be not hatred, they come from a place of either jealousy or insecurities or hypocrisy or holding Ashley to impossible standards or misinformation or misinterpretation or just the inability to distinguish one's personal choices and preferences from what is actually problematic on Ashley's end as a public figure. Which is precisely why I love this video because it doesn't take a dig at her persona or assume things.
@@rookiemonster646 thank you so much for that comment, i was trying to put into words what made me so angry about that one video accusing her of concealing her family background while SHE NEVER DID!! it felt like some people purposely ignored all her comments on that, so thanks for providing evidence.
but i still think this video here made valid points and i hope ashley will see it one day!
@@fredichanni
I feel you. Most of these videos are just putting words in people's mouths.
She has never claimed to be having-trouble-making-ends-meet poor. They're twisting her words to paint her as "problematic".
And it's slowly becoming trending to hate on her, so a lot of people are jumping on this bandwagon for personal gain through her success.
This was literally the only video I found with *constructive* criticism.
Anyways, thanks for listening.
My main critique with bestdressed is the subtle hypocrisy. She brings up Capitalism flaws many times in her videos but her perceived view as a sustainable fashion supporter doesn’t add up when she partners with major corporations and has many affiliate links in her pocket. I believe a person should be able express their happiness in fashion/ make a living off of what they love, however it’s off putting when an idolized figure (like bestdressed) doesn’t address clarify to their audience on how they’re view points (i.e. sustainable fashion) shape their life and what they do to change it. Anyways, loved the video, very informative✌🏼
Glad you enjoyed the video! I agree - it's just confusing to hear this anti-capitalist and sustainability messaging, and then to see her partner with companies that go against these values. I don't blame her for making questionable choices since we're all human, but I hope she makes her values more clear in the future, and stands behind them through her actions.
I agree with your points that she engages in subtle hypocrisy. And I also think she is like all the rest of us, caught in-between the walls of neo-liberal capitalism. As mush as I don't want to engage in neo-liberal capitalism, I have to in order to survive here, on this planet and specifically, in the US. I feel this critique must be taken into consideration. We are all experiencing this catch-22 of choosing between the lesser of two evils, hers is just happening in front of us.
You worded everything so brilliantly. I've commented under a lot of these videos that Ashley is not above criticism but it has to be constructive. And this video is the perfect example for that.
You're not biased and make articulate analysis from a very neutral standpoint without bashing her.
Plus, you provide productive and actionable solutions which are actually meaningful and helpful.
I can see that you haven't jumped on the Ashley-hating train to gain personal success and are genuinely interested in a healthy discussion. This is the kind of TH-cam I stan.
Omg thank you so much for this video!! I was so tired of seeing comments about how "ashley never claimed to love sustainability" or things like that and you did a really good job of debunking those arguments, all while being super thoughtful! In the end I just want ashley to address directly the criticism (and amazon sponsorship) and explain more thoroughly her view on sustainability/fast fashion (does she still want to become more sustainable like she claimed in the past? what are the reasons behind her consumption of fast fashion? etc) it would really set things straight and her audience would know what to expect (instead of being confused between the fast fashion partnership and the sustainability/anti capitalism rant)
Such a great video, I'll definitely check up your blog 💖
Thanks for watching and for the thoughtful comment! Totally agree - I don't expect her to be perfect, but just want her to be clear on what her actual stance is and try to do better. It's super easy to say you support sustainability, but another thing to follow through on it.
@@imperfectidealist Exactly! :)
This is one of the best videos i’ve seen on this topic. Honestly there are SO many videos calling her “problematic” like some of those drama channels like she’s jake paul or gabbie hanna. I do think she has a lot of issues she needs to address and i hope she does. Thank you for actually being constructive and very very well spoken!
The amount of influencers who promote Amazon bc of their affiliate links really bothers me. It is true though, sustainable fashion in itself is contradictory bc fashion is still in the cycle of consumption. So many thoughts in this video were great and adds to the conversation of the ethics of influencers. Thanks for this video!
Yes, it's something I've always struggled with myself. It's really interesting to see even zero-waste and sustainable bloggers use Amazon links. Since I include Amazon links mostly in my product comparisons, I don't feel as bad (people are going to be buying something at that point already), especially since I try to add alternatives and a note encouraging people to buy local if they have the money. But it's always going to be a struggle when you rely on consumption for an income, unfortunately. Glad you enjoyed the video!
This is a great video! Ashley has been one of my favourite TH-camrs for years now and I've got to admit I've definitely been wearing rose coloured glasses. While I still like ashley and believe that she is genuine in her desire to do better I do agree she needs to both publicly and internally address these issues.
So so off topic but I LOVE your hair
She actually called herself "a hero to sustainability" in her fashion revolution interview one time!
I actually wasn't aware of this! What's the exact title of the video, and do you know what point she says it?
imperfectidealist Sorry, I meant fashion revolution interview! It’s the first result when you google “Bestdressed fashion revolution interview.”
This is an out of context statement...
@@imperfectidealist www.fashionrevolution.org/interview-with-ashley-bestdressed-part-2-in-the-power-of-influence-series/
Here's the article
Helen Nguyen it’s not
No hate on you or your video! I think people aren’t fair when it comes to sustainability. No one can be 100% perfect in this matter. She makes and alters her own clothes, buys from sustainable brands, and also from fast fashion brands. That’s a good combination. And I’m pretty sure that’s more than most people who criticise her are doing. Fashion sustainability isn’t black or white. The moment you choose to buy one sustainable garment, you’re helping the cause, because that money could’ve gone to fast fashion brands. So in my opinion, she’s not problematic. She is pretty much like the people her age who are contributing to the movement. Sustainability and influencers is a whole other topic. Some may ignore their own ethics for money. But at the end of the day they have to eat, and I’m pretty sure you’ll all do the same 🤷🏽♀️
I mentioned this point in my video! No one can be 100% sustainable, but it's one thing to buy from a fast fashion brand occasionally as an individual, and another to promote fast fashion to millions of people when you say you care about sustainability. I know she needs to make money, which is why I suggested some other solutions, other than promoting fast fashion. I'd recommend giving the video a watch since this wasn't to criticize her, but to look at the issues of sustainability and fashion influencer culture from a nuanced perspective :) I cover the points you mention and discuss them further.
ema fdz i understand you’re point but ashley doesn’t need the money from capitalist corporations such as amazon, and is at the point where she can pick and chose which brands she works with, yet she still promotes a lot of fast fashion brands seemingly without criticism (lets not forget ashley attended new york fashion week and has worked with marc jacobs lol). as the video says, there are likely lots of sustainable brands or second hand companies that would love the opportunity to work with her. if ashley declined working with fast fashion/capitalist powerhouses and picked more sustainable brand partnerships, i doubt she’d experience any catastrophic financial repercussions.
exactly. people need to get off their high horse
I’ve been battling with the fact that fashion isn’t essential as well. For years I’ve been pulled to delve into fashion because I love styling and feeling good in clothing. But it has hindered my creativity sooo much because deep down I KNOW that I myself can’t even afford nor want to keep consuming and consuming because I’m very aware of the impact of those things. I’ve wanted to advocate for just slow buying and wearing what you have, but in reality, unfortunately, content is better received if it’s something new. And that has me really defeated since 90% of things I buy comes from thrift shops (unlinkable) and I wear the same clothes for years after I buy them. So I understand all the struggle behind wanting to advocate for fashion but ALSO wanting to advocate for the environment, ethics and non-consumerism. I’m working on informing the people of my city about those things and hopefully promote actual nearby brands and brands that have fantastic ethos AND ethics. We will see. Thank you for this video! Totally subscribed!!💐
i like that you dedicated a whole video to a single argument! it goes a lot better in depth and i appreciate all the research you did / prior knowledge you had :)) good video!
This is a very eloquently said video and I appreciate you putting all the points and debunking them in one video. I support Ashley but I agree with your points and she should totally address these issues in a video.
I’ve definitely grappled with the issues you brought up in the context of Low Buy and consumption and also being somewhat of a fashion “influencer” on my channels. I loved this video and it’s really got me thinking. I subscribed! Thank you! ❤️
Thanks for posting, I thought this was a great video that offered some great ideas & solutions for her channel. Of course we’re not all perfect, I think Ashley has exposed a lot of people to the sustainability issue and I hope she continues to work on it in her personal life & professional life like so many of us are! She is beautiful and has a great style, it has inspired so many people and I think her influence has been really positive but of course there is always room to grow and learn!
this reminds me of the situation with mei yan when she a video about her $4,000 shopping which just came off, to me, as her abandoning her sustainability especially when this haul included brands like gucci? it feels like as youtubers grow and gain wealth they seem to abandon their values and of course it’s fine to change but it feels not right
mei yan doesnt have much of a sustainable image, she's more self-serving and just looking for her own form of happiness
I only discovered her a couple days ago from her amazing thrift videos. I loved the one about tips for thrifting, it was very comprehensive & I felt like it had a lot of good advice. I also like watching thrift flips. I don't support Amazon anymore but I used to buy from them a lot. I chose to only buy clothes second hand a while ago, except for underwear I haven't bought any new clothes in at least 2 years & I've found it really easy. I don't like anyone promoting consumerism and am anti-capitalist myself. I do think we can still have fashion influencers but it's a VERY tough line to walk to fit with my morals personally. Living within a capitalist society while being anti-capitalist is extremely difficult so I understand the struggle. I also agree that expensive sustainable new clothes are an investment & should be bought sparingly. If the item is truly fair trade and sustainable it HAS to be more expensive, that's how it works. The reason cheap products can even exist is because of sweatshops, cutting corners, cheap material, and bad environmental practices, you cannot have it both ways.
Nice video (: I do think most influencer culture is negative, we don't need any more people telling us to buy products we don't need to give us some small fleeting joy like all the billions of ads already do. Influencers can easily become walking, breathing advertisements & no one needs more of that in their life. It really just feels like a trap to me. You feel like you know and care about this person but really it's just a business and they don't care about you. There are exceptions of course, but they're rare. Ashley seems like a nice person so I do hope she grows and learns from this and does better.
That's inspiring that you haven't bought any new clothes in 2 years! And totally agree with you - influencers are often just walking advertisements, and contributing to overconsumption. But it is hard when their jobs rely on doing so, which is why I'm happy to see a shift to more Patreon-supported creators.
@@imperfectidealist Yes, patreon is amazing! (: Merch is another issue. People don't need a t-shirt for every catch phrase they hear an influencer say, it's excessive. We just have to find creative ways to make money in the most ethical and sustainable way, and that's really difficult.
exactly. people are putting her on such a pedestal and ridiculing her for doing stuff that EVERY person does or has done at some point. the difference is that her life is on the internet for everyone to judge.
I think it's important to view her decisions with empathy and try to understand them, but one of my points is that it's different to buy fast fashion occasionally as an individual vs. promote fast fashion to millions of people. Not trying to judge her though, as her job relies on promoting consumption, but I hope she finds alternative ways to make money (like the solutions I suggested in the video), and shifts away from promoting consumption (especially since she's said she cares about sustainability).
But also, totally right that it's easy to be critical of influencers when we as individuals are also part of systems that promote consumption, so it's important to also look inwards and think about ways we can change ourselves and these systems!
@@imperfectidealist yup I agree with you 100%. but some other things which weren't related to sustainability were also brought up in other critcital vidoes, which I feel were so unnecessary.
@@riashridher2212 ah I see, totally understand and agree. That's one of the reasons I stuck to just sustainability - I care about it the most and also wanted to offer something constructive, rather than just criticizing her.
So glad TH-cam suggested your video, I am not an active fan but when I started to notice all the "fast fashion" stuff she has been posting I've had a weird feeling; I didn't know the whole situation and having it explained like this was very useful.
After reading the comments I am a little wary to watch other videos about this topic ahaha
Thanks for watching, Maria (and for defending/supporting me back there)! I can understand why some people are angry and assume that I'm just being negative (especially with all the videos out there), but I really tried to be constructive and to have a discussion about sustainability challenges.
I love this video SO MUCH. THIS is constructive criticism. I wish every person that is making videos about this issue could be as informed and educated as you .
Thank you so much for your sweet comment! Made my day
Thank you so much for breaking down the struggles TH-camrs and Bloggers have. This allows me and other viewers to view Influencers in a different light and emphasize with their struggles. This video was very informative. :)
Thanks for watching and for leaving a sweet comment, Emily! I'm glad you found the video helpful :)
I hope Ashley watches this.
I love how well thought out and simple this video is. I am subscribing and have just read your blog. You’re awesome 👏🏽
Thanks for watching and for visiting my blog! It really means a lot, and your sweet comment made my day :)
You’re just so organically beautiful. Inside and out.
That's so sweet of you to say! Thanks for watching :)
I agree with all of your points, this video was extremely well done, I stopped watching her videos and supporting her since the whole amazon collaboration, for me usage and endorsement are completely different, and also there is not total ethical consumption under capitalism, and I get that the people was like "she needs to get her coin" but at that point she didn't need the coin, people acted as if it was a life or death situation and she had no other choice to survive but get the sponsorship, but literally she was having spontaneous trips to Europe and NYC lmao literally the most expensive cities just cause, that's what made me upset, that she was putting off all of her values that made me like her just to have nice trips, but a lot of months have passed and honestly I'm just done, but I hope she apologizes and can move forward since she is really young (same age as me) and keeps getting a good career, it just personally bugs me the ways she had to go about it 😔
You dont have to watch anything you dont feel like watching anymore. But honest question, are people not allowed to live? Seriously, those trips weren't "just cause" she did business and worked while on them. London/Pairs and NYC are the biggest fashion cities in the world, that's why she went there. It's not like she went to an expensive private island to lay around the beach. And even if parts of those trips were vacation like... then good for her. Everyone else is allowed to go on vacation why can't she?
@@tomatotomato22224 I don't think Nicole has a problem with the trip in themselves - she's using them to illustrate that Ashley is clearly fine financially, and taking those sponsorships wasn't a life or death situation. She's disappointed since she could've stood by her stated values and turned those sponsorships down, but didn't.
I love fashion, and beauty, and jewellery, and just all the "girly" things. I also care about sustainability though, and it's difficult to balance those things - especially as a jobless college student (i search for jobs all the time but I am lowkey BAD at most student jobs and the ones I want don't want me) sometimes I just want to have that pretty pink ruffley jumpsuit from H&M that makes me relive all my barbie princess and fairymovie dreams, ya know? Something that I can't buy sustainably unless it is €500 + (secondhand shops aren't the best here and online secondhand buying mostly sucks or isn't any cheaper than the new fast fashion item). (I still love the jumpsuit though :)
I bring this up specifically because I am starting a fashion-related youtube channel myself - I have 1 video with 19 views lol - and I am already stressing out and wondering about how to handle this in case I become big. I can sew, I have some half-decent thrift stores nearby, I don't have the most difficult bodytype to find clothes for and am middle class, aka I have it relatively easy when it comes to sustainable fashion - but still, not easy, as most fo the sustainable things I can afford is online secondhand fast fashion that arrives half-wornout and looking nothing like the seller's shitty pictures, the ugly kind of vintage (and me not always having time to remake it) and shapeless earth-tones sacks from the cheaper minimalist sustainable brands. (fyi: My aesthetic is modern sassy slightly edgy fairytalemermaid princess. 'nugh said) How would it be for a part of my potential audience, who have less money and resources, if I tell them to go buy from a fancy sustainable designer brand all the time or live in a thrift heaven like paris or london while they live in a random smallish city with 1 charity shop with some half-wornout H&M dresses?(The city I live in is like that - fortunately I live relatively close to some bigger cities)
Balancing loving fashion and sustainability is already difficult, even when you don't have the whole internet critiqizing you, but even more when you have an audience existing of more than a million people all expecting different things from you.
Thanks for sharing your journey! I think it really comes down to what's more important to you. Is sustainability more important to you, or fashion? The thing is, a truly sustainable fashion influencer would buy as little as possible and make do with what they already have. Their content would probably focus on altering clothes, making new outfits from old pieces, and their low buy journey. It probably wouldn't be much of a traditional fashion platform at all. Since I like to talk about sustainable fashion, I rarely post my own outfits since they've been basically the same for a couple years now lol. I'm now more interested in talking about sustainable fashion as a concept, if that makes sense.
everything you said is sooooooo true. i subscribed to ashley all those years ago because of her thrifted fashion videos, so i feel incredibly proud of her success now and i also know that she's really doing her best, but at the same time, i can't help but feel weird at how she keeps making jokes about capitalism when she's clearly complicit in promoting brands that are not only run by giant corporations, but also promote harmful practices (eg, nasty gal's unethical labor practices, urban outfitter's many many many controversies). it's just a weird contradiction.
I'm ready to wear potato sacks and live in a cabin haha
but srsly loving how in depth your videos are! I share the same sentiments for Ashley! i've been following her for over 2 years now & hope she can really put her words into actions in terms of sustainability. Again, great video Lily!
hahaha honestly could be a cottagecore trend 😂 and thank so much, Annabelle! I think it's really complicated to be a sustainable creator and there are a lot of things to grapple with - but also hoping she can follow through!
Although she isn't prefect and some of the points you mentioned are interesting I think her promotion of sustainability and thrift shopping is great step in the right direction. At the end of the day even if she only works with brands that were 100% prefect and never had any bad news leek out about them (which sounds impossible) it wouldn't fix the current situation. To make true change it needs to be the masses choosing not to invest in fast fashion anymore. We need to make the change not Ashley on her own and I think someone making it cool to go thrift shipping shouldn't be put under the microscope this much because it's very off putting and if I was in her shoes would make it never difficult for me to even bring up the word sustainable without fear of backlash. Let's support each other in this movement!
I agree with a couple of your points: it's great that she's even talked about sustainability as an influencer, and yes, the masses do need to make a change. I don't understand why you think constructively looking at her influence in sustainability is a problem, though? She's someone who can change the decisions of the masses, so when she continues to promote fast fashion and brands like Amazon, that's off-putting to many of us. I'm doing my best to stay respectful to her in the video, and I am trying to support her by suggesting alternatives. She can't fix the current situation, sure, but she has an influence she can use to help convince others to make changes in their lives, especially since she's said she cares about sustainability. We all can improve and contribute to that change, yes, but she can as well. Just because she's everyone's favorite influencer doesn't mean she's immune to constructive criticism. (Not trying to be rude to you or anything, as I appreciate your respectful comment. I just strongly disagree when people say it's unfair to constructively and respectfully analyze influencers' actions.)
I really like the idea of pairing with non fashion brands. I never thought of that, but it makes total sense :)
great! video!! it’s nice to see respectful and nuanced critique
So so good. Thank you for sharing! I'm working on making my wardrobe more sustainable and it's a difficult transition considering it can be such a high barrier to entry with sustainably made clothes costing so much. I started making my own clothes and it's been quite an adventure. It's a good alternative if you have a low income, plus it's a really fun hobby!
That's really cool that you're making your own clothes! I think that also probably helps you appreciate how much labor and thought goes into creating an item of clothing.
imperfectidealist it seriously does! The first time I made a pair of jeans, I was like weeeell no wonder people pay $100 for a pair of jeans haha
Hi Lily, I came across this video and your blog and I've been very impacted/inspired by your input. Love your genuine passion for the things you do, please keep engaging with important topics like this! As a fashion lover admittedly far too entrenched in the consumer market, I needed this wake-up call to see how my actions both as a promoter and partaker of consumerism may be impacting my community/the world. Thank you again for your wisdom and insight
Thanks so much for your sweet comment, Judy! Made my day :) I'm glad you found this video and my blog helpful!
Ive thought so much about this and thought I really was the only one so bothered about it
I just think if you don’t need the money why take a deal like amazon she’s worked with Marc Jacobs has been to fashion week alway claims she broke or doesn’t make enough yet it was found out she comes from a well off family and uses that her parents are immigrants when they are professors and I forgot but they are well off. It’s just really off putting. The amazon was just a fuck you in my opinion she knew her fans would be upset yet she still sold out. I appreciate how you looked into everything I just can’t and I wanted to forgive her for it as I’m not perfect but I think when you say something so much and pretend your agents capitalist and still take money from the worst company your just a hypocrite. Also she has gotten things from thrift stores and try to sell them for 150
I think her reselling items from thrift stores is completely besides the point. And many people make a small business out of selling thrifted items. There are even shops that resell only thrifted items for higher prices.
have you ever thought that maybe her parents don't support her daily expenses and so she needs to earn all of them by herself at 21? just because you came from a well off family doesn't necessarily mean that you'll have easy access to money. so I don't think it's a good reason to criticize her about.
@@angelal.4292 I don't think that was the point though. I definitely think she lives independently these days since her TH-cam adsense networth is 500k+, but I think the issue OP has is she painted this narrative of herself coming from this modest family when in reality her parents make over 400k and she lived in one of the richest areas in the country
Where did people find the info about her parents? She won’t even release her last name. Also, she’s mentioned that she had to put herself through college, and if her parents are well off that means she was paying full out of state tuition. No doubt that she’s doing great now, but I think she’s justified in her earlier videos.
She doesn’t live off of her parents lmao and, correct me if i’m wrong, she has never stated that she comes from a “poor” family. I actually think she doesn’t talk that much about her ethnicity, she has mentioned it once or twice. Also, how do y’all know who her parents are?? That’s some sherlock holmes shit right there
I'm new to the sustainable/ethical fashion side of TH-cam. The algorithm suggested multiple _"Is bestdressed problematic?!🤯"_ videos to me before I even knew who bestdressed was. It's really interesting
that's so strange hahaha! in any case, welcome to the sustainable fashion side of TH-cam!
Hi! this is a very informative video :) Is there a correct way to tell if brands are actually sustainable or if they are faking it? Thank you!
I'm glad you found the video helpful! I'm actually planning to write a post/make a video about this, but I'd first start by checking their Good On You rating and whether they have third-party certifications like B Corp, 1% for the Planet, Fair Trade, Bluesign, etc. I'd also check out the makeup of their clothing to see if they use synthetic fibers or natural fabrics. Also, the more grandiose or ambiguous the company's claims are, the more skeptical you should be!
A little update: here's the video I made on how to evaluate brands and whether they're sustainable or greenwashing! Hopefully this is a more thorough discussion :) th-cam.com/video/oUaBpU4t5-E/w-d-xo.html
I have a hard time with her as well, I love her message and I love that she's a face that isn't always represented in fashion. I also love that she works to promote thrifting, to make it "cool" to people who wouldn't normally thrift.
However, she said in her latest videos, that she wants to get less sponsorships and just make content. After she mentioned that, that's when a lot of the fast fashion Insta advertisements started coming...so I was torn. I was also torn, because around the time that she started doing it was when quarantine happened. And she does need to make money! But at the same time, most of those sponsorships are planned wayyy before they post them, so it had to be planned? It's difficult...
I feel like she also moved all the way across New York with a business plan. I don't think she did it for no reason, and when she was getting ready to move there she said its because it's easier for her to set up maybe a curated store there, ect. So I think that this quarantine just really screwed with her plans, I would wait to critique her until all of this is lifted.
I understand you! The thing is, there are definitely other ways to make money, especially ways that align more with her brand, and promote more ethical consumption (like I mentioned in my video). And you're right - sponsorships are generally planned pretty far in advance, usually at least 1 month, but likely even more in advance for her because she must have a pretty detailed editorial calendar.
@@imperfectidealist I definitely agree with your suggestions! I think she might take it into account if more videos like this pop up and get her attention.
I mean a lot of it is quick story posts for clothes she enjoys wearing. She has to be turning down most stuff because lots of companies want her to promote Seriously, I see youtubes with less then a million subscribers showing the boxes and boxes and boxes that theyre sent... and she has 3x the following so imagine how much she gets sent. She's just picking the few things she feels is well made, cute, and is comfortable sharing because her followers are asking where she gets every single thing she wears anyway. Yeah she makes money off of it, but at least this way she can give her followers what they are asking for, which is links to clothes like hers. It's tricky, we tell her and other influencers that we love their style and videos and want content, yet once they give us it then we yell at them that they're sellouts... I see a problem with this... yes they make money off of capitalism and play a control in what people buy, but that's because we tell them too. They cant be influencers without our views and follows. There are deff some influences that take advantage of their following, but Ashley has been one of the better people for sure.
@@tomatotomato22224 I know we already had a discussion about something else, but I'm just now seeing some of your other comments! I agree that she's doing a better job than most people, but that doesn't mean she can't improve, especially since she says she cares about sustainability. I think fashion influencer culture is inherently problematic as it promotes consumption. To be truly sustainable, you'd have to be a different kind of influencer and focus on low buy, thrifting, and sustainable brands. This is a different business model entirely, but it is one that some people choose. Since Ashley has such a devoted following, I'm sure people would understand if she went this route. Even if she chose to keep her current model, she can still talk more about important issues in the industry like the #PayUp movement (garment workers in Bangladesh struggling after fast fashion brands canceled $1.5 billion in orders) and Reformation's racist work culture (bestdressed's favorite brand). It would be another way to still promote meaningful change.
I really enjoyed this video, I hope Ashley sees this bc it would be very helpful for her.
Kind of late, but thanks for your input on this topic! I personally really enjoy watching Ashley’s videos, and have been a fan since before the “problematic” Amazon video. I respect her for bringing many people to light on sustainable fashion and important social topics such as feminism. As much as I love her unique persona and cool videos, I really do hope she uses this as an opportunity to improve as a creator! She’s grown a lot in a short span of time, and will only continue to grow from now on. It must be really burdensome to carry the expectations of over a million followers... but I hope she continues to use her platform in positive ways.
And to add... just because you are a fan of someone doesn’t mean you have to be a fan of EVERYTHING they do. I genuinely appreciate her work and positive influence, however I believe that it is ridiculous to blindly believe and defend all her actions and words. I wish the best for Ashley, and I hope she does not see the constructive criticism as a personal attack to her character. I believe that everyone has room for growth.
@@baojeans Thanks for your thoughtful comments! Absolutely - I think she has gotten a lot of people thinking about important issues, but I wish she would follow through with them in what she chooses to promote. I also totally agree that you can support a creator without liking 100% of what they do. It's important to think critically for ourselves and to hold creators accountable for their actions.
Thanks for the video. I think Ashley is in the shift of old Ashley and new Ashley. People make bad choices but they are not going to be hanged but is important to be clear of what you stand for and be open for your past choices. I feel maybe she used to be a bit naive and taking opportunities that were given to her. I don't know whether creating another clothing line will help, it would be better to support new upcoming designers that struggle and try to set up their own brands without funding. As for sponsorships, I agree she can choose different areas and sustain herself.
Yes, good point about supporting designers without the funding! I mentioned creating her own line only because she's talked about wanting to do that before. I certainly don't blame her for making some questionable choices since we're all human, but I do hope she will make it more clear what her values are.
@@imperfectidealist I agree with what you said. If she opens about her choices and mistakes that will make her genuine and more open to her audience that follower her long time.
I never noticed this dissonance in her videos. I just knew she was aware of the reach and influence of capitalism on our lives, and that she liked thrifting to an extent (it seems fashionable and common now a days so I didn’t think much of it) but never thought she was hyper sustainable
I'm honestly really worried that all those videos that are talking about her being 'problematic' will get to her the wrong way....she does not have a stable mental health and I as a fan since the beginning of her channel am quite sad about all those negative videos about her (obviously). There is a lot of truth in all those videos but that doesn't exclude the fact that she is still one human, in her early twenties (basically still in puberty even tho she counts as an adult) and insecure about a lot of things. One video about that topic is okay. Two, three also but I feel like there are dozens now! I don't know if that will get the message across the way you all want it to....it will maybe cause more harm than good.
Not sure if you watched the video, but that's why I tried to remain nuanced and view her decisions with empathy, plus offer some solutions. It's also partially why I only focused on sustainability, as I don't want to criticize her personally - I'm just interested in looking at her relationship with sustainability.
@@imperfectidealist I watched the video :). It's just something that I'm worried about and I happened to have commented that under your video. I could have done the same under every other 'ashley is problematic'🤷♀️.
@@butterfliesonmymind705 I don't see how constructive criticism and discussion could negatively impact one's mental health. I can see how just being totally negative could, but that's definitely not what I was aiming for, and hope my video doesn't come off that way.
imperfectidealist because there’s tons of these videos.. if she scrolls and sees your video i’m sure it wouldn’t be good for her. it’s just good to realize that she’s still young and it’s unfair to hold her to such high standards
@@kaylaabendroth1174 It's totally fair - having a large following brings a great responsibility since she could influence millions of people's decisions.
Alright so i get your point of how this doesn’t align with her claims and frankly the amazon partnership is very questionable as she is anticapitaliste however it is in her favor and the audiences favor that she partners with bigger brand as she has become more international and her audience need brands that are reachable.. she is always asked about where she gets her clothes as this is exactly why people follow her so she’d link it as that’s easier. She can work towards better sustainability but sustainability is very hard when your whole career is based on the various parts of fashion which isn’t that sustainable. Her audience is going to consume either way and they are looking for “tips” of what they should buy i think and they need things that are affordable and accessible.and well she’s very good at promoting good quality fashionable things. She still can be a bit more wise -especially with the amazon partnership- and she can clear her intentions and circumstances for taking the deal but it also should be expected that she can’t fully commit to the lifestyle when her job demands otherwise.
Yup, that's why I mention that it's challenging for her because her income currently relies on promoting consumption, and why I suggest some other potential solutions :)
imperfectidealist i hope she clears things up and your solutions are actually good i hope she does that too
great video! your arguments were valid and very well put together and i love how not condescending you are, since you gave super smart advice and general feedback!
I liked that you suggested other options for her channel and kept the video as a constructive criticism instead of shade and drama
she's trying her best and so are you
Oh man.. I watched her amazon video and I wished I didn’t.. because I remember watching through the ads. I stopped watching her videos after that. :( great video btw! I subbed
Thank you for this video - you said this in a respectful and constructive way. I agree with all of your points - bestdressed was the reason I got into sustainable fashion, but it breaks my heart a little to see her diverge from those original values.
Loveddd this video - it’s so true, it’s one thing to joke about capitalism and it’s another thing to truly change the fashion landscape instead of perpetuating overconsumption and fast fashion
Hiii, I loved this vid so much and agree with all of your points tbh ♥️ also unrelated but I have the EXACT same pair of earrings you're wearing in this vid 😍😍😍😍
Thanks so much for watching! And haha yesss, love abstract face earrings! 😍
@@imperfectidealist no problem, and abstract face earrings are lifee
I’m looking to more videos of these kind. It was presented in such a way that anyone could be receptive to the information provided and still have space to formulate their own opinions. The unbiased nature was truly effective on addressing the issues and how it relates to her brand. I just wish more youtubers were like you 👏 I’ll look forward to your future content and will def check out your blog 🌱💓
Thanks so much for your sweet comment, Elle! Really means a lot :)
What are your thoughts on brands like Princess Polly? It is probably the most popular brand that I've seen promoted by TH-camrs lately and by TH-camrs who claim to be sustainable like urmomashley, etc.
Great question! So Princess Polly doesn't release any info on their sustainability and ethics, which is definitely a bad sign (if they had any measures, we'd definitely know about it). Because of this, they're rated "We Avoid" on Good On You, which is a platform that researches how sustainable brands are: directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/princess-polly. I tend to first look there for a brand rating, then at the brand's website, and whether they have 3rd-party certifications like B Corp, 1% for the Planet, Fair Trade, Bluesign, etc. If a company doesn't have any certifications, I immediately become skeptical because then they can claim whatever they want, and we won't know any better. I also like to check recent news on the company, as if there are any domestic labor scandals, that's not a good sign for overseas labor ethics. I hope this helps! I'm planning to make a video/post on how to tell if a brand is sustainable, but that's the gist of my research process.
A little update: here's the video I made on how to evaluate brands and whether they're sustainable or greenwashing! Hopefully this is a more thorough discussion :) th-cam.com/video/oUaBpU4t5-E/w-d-xo.html
this is the only video that actually has good points!
Sigh. Two things that make me like Ashley more than other youtubers: 1. Her video is very high-quality, so well made that they’re pleasant to watch. 2. She mocks all the trending “hashtags” all the time.
One thing that i notice from ashley that she struggling with her mental health and struggling to be herself is the intonation when she speaks or explaining something; she always speaks fast and shaky, from my perspective that she tries her best not to cry in front of her followers and subscribers (and of course, she struggling a lot on herself).
I love her content and her personas (and the personality also) but when i found out the fact that she struggle with herself and her surroundings just makes me feel sad and can relate to her problem.
Pardon for my english coz english is my second language.
And for haters, please stop attacking her. She is a human being, i'm a human being, even you guys also a human being. Please keep your meanie thought to yourself.
Okay?
I’ve spoken to 2 “influencers” about them doing the same thing. Talking about sustainability while partnering with fast fashion and green washing brands. They both got defensive
I'm glad you tried speaking to them about it, but that's disappointing how they reacted :( I obviously understand that their jobs make it difficult to be sustainable, but if they really stood behind their words, there are definitely solutions!
i think that we should call out so many other youtubers for this and not her honestly
facts. at least she’s trying and not claiming to be sustainable like other youtubers. i’ve seen “sustainable” hauls that include one reformation shirt and then 1,000 things from nastygal. i get sustainability is expensive but those youtubers are just lying
Why is Ashley immune to constrictive criticism? She says she cares about sustainability, so it's totally fair to be confused when she promotes fast fashion and Amazon, and to ask her to do better. If you watch the video, you'll also see that I'm not being negative to her, but encouraging people to view her controversial sponsorships with empathy, recognizing the challenges, and suggesting some solutions.
imperfectidealist she’s not immune to it but keep this same energy with much worse people. she’s not perfect but none of us are. call out people who aren’t doing anything vs someone who tries
@@kaylaabendroth1174 We disagree here - I don't think she's trying very hard if she promotes Amazon and fast fashion. And there are way too many people to call out who aren't trying, so I can't do that individually. I did write a post about "the problem with fashion influencers," so you might say that I have already written about how fashion influencers are problematic in general. My main critique of Ashley is that she's using sustainability as her brand when her actions don't match her words, and that spreads a misinformed idea of sustainable fashion.
@@kaylaabendroth1174 she called herself a "hero to sustainability" in the fashion revolution interview while partnering with Amazon, the most environmentally harmful, abusive to workers and capitalistic company out there.
even Everlane is not that sustainable like they claimed lol. ashley has tried her best to be better consumer in fashion
Yup, it's actually sad that Everlane is such a greenwasher since lots of people think they're great. I agree that Ashley is trying, but I personally think she could do more - that's all.
In the video that you did a clip of her "SUSTAINABLE HAUL 🌿 reformation, re/done, vintage" you cut it off before she said "BUT" then explained why she did not buy only sustainable fashion.
I was pointing that out since she says she wants to buy all sustainable clothes and that she cares about sustainability. The part you're referencing is when she said she couldn't buy all sustainable clothes because she's a broke college student. She's no longer a broke college student, so that context isn't relevant! She now has the privilege to afford all sustainable clothes and promote all sustainable clothes, if that was her priority.
Great video! A really thorough and constructive analysis. Well done :))
Thanks so much for watching, and for leaving a sweet comment :)
Shes not perfect! Everyone wants to eat healthier, live healthier, live more sustainably, but the reality is that it is more difficult than it seems. You did point that out very well, but i feel like compared to most (not all) other influencers she is more sustainable and she spreads the word a lot. I don’t think we should judge her for speaking out when other influencers sponsor zaful and fashionnova and dont even mention that they use child labor etc.
I don't expect her to be perfect! I just was suggesting ways her message could be less confusing and more in line with her stated values. Just because there are much worse influencers doesn't mean that Ashley can't improve! You're right that she's already gotten people more interested in sustainability, which is good. Thanks for watching :)
@@imperfectidealist Omg I cant believe you responded, your so sweet hahaha but yeah thats true I think you gave some good suggestions like non fashion branded sponsorship's was a good idea.
I feel like what makes her actually a really great sustainable "leader" in the fashion world is that she is transitioning into a more sustainable lifestyle. Her audience is able to be more influenced because it isn't as hardcore as people who have more strict restrictions. I also feel like she has been open about her struggles with sustainability and her love for fashion. I would also like to point out that a lot of the advice that was given in this video are things she already has done. she has partnered with skillshare and thred up multiple times.
I'm definitely not asking her to be perfect, but many of us find it off-putting when someone says they care about sustainability, yet still promotes lots of fast fashion and Amazon. Someone commented that it's like someone saying they want to try to go vegan, yet they still endorse slabs of meat lol. I mentioned Skillshare and Thredup as some potential options because they sponsor lots of youtubers, but there are many more non-fashion sponsorships she could take. Like I said, she could partner with ethical decor companies, even a bullet journal company, etc. I gave 4 overall suggestions, and she definitely hasn't done all of them, and if she has done it before, I meant that she could do more of it, instead of partnering with fast fashion companies.
I really like this video but I also think that she means well when trying to incorporate sustainable fashion into her work while still having some fast fashion connections. it's hard to be sustainable especially for me as I am a poor college kid and plus size, making sustainable fashion way to expensive with the added 'fat taxes'. So by keeping some fast fashion options open for people like me is really nice to see.
Yes! I have read that many ethical brands are unfortunately not size-inclusive, and that it can be hard to find options in thrift stores. This is a big problem in the industry, and I think we should talk about it more. I just don't think that continuing to promote that much fast fashion is an ideal solution. I can understand it occasionally, especially if she were to talk more about cost and size inclusivity issues. Unfortunately, she also promotes some super expensive luxury brands that aren't inclusive either :/ I would love to see her use her platform to advocate for more inclusivity, and I will keep this topic in mind myself for future posts/videos. Thanks for leaving a thoughtful comment!
It feels a bit unfair to me that all of a sudden Ashley is getting this microscope put on her.
As is stated, she does not claim to be a fully sustainable person (try to look at her as a person, not just an influencer), and to me that is the most relatable part. I always try to be as sustainable as possible, while still purchasing clothes that look good on me and don't break the bank. If you compare Urban Outfitters with let's say Reformation, it is obvious which one of those would be more affordable.
I always come back from her videos thinking: I should hit up a thrift shop. That's the best thing, I think.
The " problematic " implication in the thumbnail, even if this is nuanced in your video, rubs me the wrong way. Imagine all of a sudden seeing all these video's calling you problematic, not knowing if these are hate videos or healthy critiques. She looks like the nicest, realest, person. You can give her improvements; but she is in no way shape or form obliged to react to this (as I've seen in the comments here).
It's one thing occasionally buy fast fashion as an individual, and another to promote it to millions of people though! I don't think it's fair to judge an influencer based on the standards of an individual as they can impact the decisions of tons of people. Sure, she's not obliged to respond, but I wanted to address the defense that she doesn't have any other options, and to explore the challenges of sustainability and influencer culture. I think it's totally fair to discuss a public figure's actions and have a discussion about sustainability. And I honestly think that promoting fast fashion is problematic, so that's why it's in the thumbnail. It's in a question form since it's not as simple as that though, given the challenges of her job.
@@imperfectidealist thanks for taking the time to give me your view. I appreciate that. I just cant help but think that if she never talked about fast fashion, but then was "caught" with wearing a dress from Urban Outfitters, people would be quick to call her out for that too because she would be "faking it" or something. It just breaks my heart when people actively try to do the best they can, acknowledge their flaws and still get targeted because of it. I see that you mean well and are not a hate channel but i can imagine them jumping on to this which saddens me a bit.
Anyway, thank you for the open dialogue.
@@xJentaa Thanks for being respectful in presenting your views and having a discussion with me! I appreciate that as well :) I see where you're coming from with the example being "caught" with a fast fashion dress. I don't think that would be a fair critique at all, unless of course their entire wardrobe ends up being fast fashion while building a brand of sustainability. I do think bestdressed can be more transparent though, as she hasn't addressed the fast fashion or Amazon partnerships. But while recognizing that she could improve her commitment to sustainability, I certainly feel for her, as there is some pure nastiness towards her.
I've never bought from Amazon 🤷
Loved the video 😌
That's impressive! It can be hard to avoid with the convenience and cheap prices, so good for you. Thanks for watching :)
This is a serious question though. Why are there videos popping out about Ashley's branding on her TH-cam channel? Was the Amazon video too recent?
No, the Amazon video was in November. I think it's just something that a lot of people have been thinking about since the sponsorship, and when one video came out, we all wanted to voice our thoughts on it. I chose to make a video about sustainability specifically because it's something I feel she could improve, and it allowed me to talk about the challenges of the fashion industry itself.
In the end ,people will buy wherever they please
Can you give us some sustainable fashion companies that we can start from?
Yes! Try this to start: imperfectidealist.com/ethical-sustainable-brands/
Thank you so much!
very constructive, i love it!
I really enjoy her content and have no problem with any of the sponsors even the amazon one. I just roll my eyes whenever she says anti capitalist things bc like that’s the world we live in and there isn’t an alternative. Life’s too short, be ethically conscious but enjoy yourself
Sure, I think people have different opinions on what kind of standard we should hold influencers to. I think they should be held to a higher standard in what they promote, as they could influence the decisions of millions of people. Others think they should just live their lives how they want. Ultimately, I just think we can't ignore that they have a lot of power in their position to have a good impact.
I definitely agree with u
I think you should take into consideration her Fanbase. Not everyone can afford sustainable clothing therefore she looks for alternative so people can benefit from watching her content and finding new options of what to wear.
I personally think she shouldn't be promoting even cheaper fast fashion (I think this is something we will have to disagree on though), but a lot of the non-sustainable clothing she promotes isn't even affordable - she's partnered with Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs and Urban Outfitters for example. In her Amazon video, a lot of the clothing was really expensive, I can't verify now since she has deleted it but there was a $200 blouse
The all or nothing gambit is such a stupid one?
"No one is 100% sustainable"
Whaaaaa
Yes, but like less is not the same as more? O..o
She could have just partnered with companies like ThredUp
Nice earrings, bang on trend.. Fast fashion?
Lolol so passive aggressive. I got those about a year ago, and they definitely weren't a great purchase in terms of sustainability, but I'm very open about my journey with sustainable fashion (they're in my video of all the clothes I bought last year). I'm not expecting Ashley to be perfect as an individual since no one is, but I think she should reconsider working with fast fashion brands since she says she cares about sustainability. It's one thing to occasionally buy fast fashion as an individual, and another to promote it to millions of people. I'm also happy to report that I've only bought 2 items of clothing so far this year - a jacket and a pair of earrings :)
Great video! I'm a new subscriber :)
Thanks for watching and subscribing! Means a lot :)
This video bugs me so much. You say “excuse her behavior” as if she’s doing something seriously wrong or illegal. She is just living life and doing her job. It just attacks her for doing something everyone else does. She is doing the best she can. She supports sustainability but also loves fashion. It is her passion and her job.
Hi there, I'm sorry that you felt this video was attacking her, but I tried my best to analyze things from a nuanced perspective. I'm not actually sure you watched the whole video? I talked about how she needs to make money like we all do, and mentioned that we should also look at our own actions. I also offered some other ways she could make money, other than promoting companies that don't align with her stated values. The thing that I was critiquing is that she claims to care about sustainability, but her actions don't align with her words, and she can certainly do better!
@@imperfectidealist I think your video was worded perfectly, idk what they're talking about "attacking" lol. this was really well thought out and productive
@@ebrooke953 Thanks so much, I'm glad you found it helpful!
imperfectidealist I’m not saying that you didn’t analyze the situation. And I think you did it in a reasonable and not hateful way. But I feel as though this video was unnecessary. Ashley is human, doing the best she can, and I don’t think she’s doing anything wrong. She’s a created and fashion influencer who actually talks about and supports sustainability. Which is great. I used the word “attacking” because you created a whole video about this when it just felt unnecessary. I wouldn’t want somebody to analyze every decision I make. I’m doing my best and I’m always trying to improve myself. I’m sure ashley is the same.
@@shesbooksmart Making a video to discuss important issues doesn't equate to attacking! When you're an influencer, you have immense, well, influence, over people's decisions. Sure, they're human and make mistakes and hopefully try to improve themselves, but that doesn't make them immune to any analysis or criticism. Any public figure should have their controversial actions thoughtfully and constructively analyzed. The video was also an opportunity to talk about fashion influencer culture in general, which is just problematic as a system. Ashley was just a jumping point to talk about these challenges, as it was her channel that got me thinking about it. I'm glad she's talking about sustainability, but I hope she can do more. It's easy to say you support a movement, but your actions need to reflect that as well.
Nuance 💕
No one is perfect and I don’t blame her for not being perfect with her messages on sustainability and feminism. I admire her for trying her best to promote about these topics in her videos even though some of the messages might be confusing to audiences but you can’t expect anyone to be perfect role model.
I don't expect her to be perfect! I just was suggesting ways her message could be less confusing. You're right that she's already gotten people more interested in sustainability, which is good. Thanks for watching :)
Ashley talked abput this in her recent q&a video. She admitted that she still bought fast fashion from time to time, and knew that not everybody can afford sustainable clothes or find thrift stores near them. Also, she highlighted a bigger reality: uaing a private jet then buying a sustainable dress doesn't do much. I really like her personality and values.
Yup, I know she talked about it recently. The thing is that individual consumption vs. promoting fast fashion to millions of people is totally different! I'm going to copy and paste my response to someone else who asked my thoughts on what she said in the Q&A.
I thought she made some good points in the Q&A (sustainability often being a privileged thing, it's become an aesthetic to some people and not something substantive, and that no one should be shamed for buying fast fashion because we don't know the circumstances). I was disappointed in the response overall though, as she gave sort of a "politician's answer" and didn't address the issue of her promotion of fast fashion. I think she views her individual consumption and promotion as the same thing, and they are totally different.
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I also understand she wants to promote more affordable clothing, but I disagree with promoting fast fashion and consumption in general due to the human cost, especially if she's publicly stated that she cares about sustainability and made it part of her brand. But I guess if she's going to promote clothing in general, and wants it to be affordable, she has to promote fast fashion (or thrifting, but you can't promote specific pieces, and it might not be accessible due to time/physical stores).
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The response she gave just made it clear that sustainability is not her priority. If it were, she'd have to be a different kind of fashion blogger and talk more about thrifting, low buy, altering clothes, sustainable brands, etc. and not promote fast fashion. I don't think she's willing to give up her current business model.
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Overall, I wish she would stand by her previously-stated commitment to sustainability more. Even if she were unwilling to change her business model, she could still talk more about limiting consumption and only buying what you need, or using her platform to educate us more about the current issues in sustainable fashion + how to help (for example, fast fashion companies have canceled $1.5 billion in orders from suppliers, primarily in South Asia, and garment workers will starve and be unable to support their families because of this. There are initiatives for individuals to buy boxes of lost stock or to donate to orgs. Another example: former employees at Reformation, bestdressed's favorite brand, stated that they experienced racism and unsafe working conditions). Basically, there are ways for her to still be a traditional fashion blogger, and to have a better influence in sustainability.
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This was an essay haha, but those are my thoughts. Basically, it just seems that sustainability is not her priority, and that's her choice. There are ways she could still use her platform for change, and I hope she will, but based on her response, I think her priority is to be a traditional fashion influencer.
@@imperfectidealist yes of course
@@imperfectidealist I agree with your points. Maybe i kinda overlooked it because its impossible to find thrift stores in my country. There are apps, but bcz of corona if there is a problem with an order its risky to go to the shipping offices. And due to the economic crisis here, the prices are too high for me :/. At least there are a few new national sustainable brands
@@helingunes955 no worries, I totally understand. One thing that's underrated is also our consumption habits. If you have to buy fast fashion, you can still participate in the sustainability movement by only buying what you need, and making your clothes last. It also helps save money and encourages you to get more creative with what you already have! Thanks for having a respectful discussion with me, and hope you stay safe and healthy during this time :)
I hate how one video analyzing a certain youtuber gets views and everyone starts doing videos about them just to add to the conversation when there is not too much to be said just to nickpick everything they do. The toll that puts on these people is enormous and their mental health is affected by seeing everyday hundreds of videos about themselves pop out on their TL just because is trendy to speak about them. This happened to emma chamberlain and im starting to see it happen to best dressed. There is really no reason for these many videos analyzing every single thing they do specially because all those videos are only being done to get views. You try to claim if someone os problematic or not by jumping on a trend that would ultimatly damage mentally a person
If you watch the video, you'll see that I actually encourage people to view her controversial decisions with empathy, and am being respectful of her. I also offer some potential solutions. I chose to talk about her because she got me and a lot of other people thinking about the challenges of sustainability, and I wanted to explore the issues of sustainability in relation to being an influencer. I think it's totally fair to discuss a public figure's actions and have a discussion about sustainability.
There’s kind of no way she can win. If she promoted only sustainable brands she would be accused of green-washing and the high prices would alienate most of her young viewers. If she promoted accessible and trendy brands like UO and brandy she would be accused of promoting environmentally damaging consumerism. The problem is influencing in general (no matter what your brand is) is ADVERTISING which always promotes consumption of some sort, which under capitalism, is ALWAYS UNETHICAL. All of us have to come to terms with the the fact that even though this messaging is coming to us through a friendly face, it’s all advertising driving us to spend. Ashley seems like a good person who shops from p average brands most girls I know her age shop. Of course she should be mindful of her content but there’s literally nothing she can do to make the advertising she does ethical, the problem is much bigger than her.
Yes, exactly - I mentioned how the problem lies really with fashion influencer culture in general, which relies on promoting consumption. I just think she can be more mindful if she really cares about sustainability - you mention the high prices of sustainable clothing, but she's already promoting unsustainable luxury brands like Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein. I realize that it's very difficult to win, which is why I suggested some potential solutions that could help her actions align more with her words, while still making money. It's not a perfect solution by any means, but I definitely think it's an improvement. Thanks for leaving a thoughtful comment!
Ashley's dad: pays 200k to send his daughter to film school
Ashley: makes videos on the internet bragging about how much sex she has
i think these videos are so uninformed and your on a really high horse. i watch ashley so maybe i’m biased but you can’t expect someone who has college debts and such to not accept sponsorships and to only buy hundreds of dollars of sustainable clothing. also she has repeatedly asked if people like her affiliate links and the polls have always said that they liked them. also she’s a fashion youtuber, is she not supposed to buy a lot of clothes?
i think there’s so many terrible fashion youtubers who claim to be sustainable and then get one thing from reformation and everything else is from nastygal. at least ashley dont claiming to be something she’s not
Please watch the video before making uninformed comments like these! I talked about the affiliate links and said that I don't have a problem with them personally, as many of her followers are asking where she gets things. I just don't think it makes sense for her to promote all these new fast fashion items when she claims to be anti-capitalist and sustainable. She also doesn't need to buy any clothes at this point, as any company will just give her free PR. You also don't know that she even has debt - she's never talked about having any, and she graduated in 2.5 years, and came from a well-off family. I also talked about how fashion is inherently unsustainable, and ways she could still make an income while still standing behind the values she's built her brand on.
imperfectidealist i did watch it all. however you can’t say “i don’t like the affiliate links” then say “i get why she does them” you constantly contradict yourself in this video. that’s what i mean by uninformed. she has talked many times about how she’s got thousands of dollars in debt. i think we just have to realize celebrities and public people are people first. we shouldn’t hold them to such high standards that even we cannot uphold. sustainable companies also don’t do much pr however other companies do. you clearly are not informed in how these things work
@@kaylaabendroth1174 I didn't say that I don't like the affiliate links - I said that she's been criticized for them, and that I understand why she does them (because people ask), but it doesn't make sense to push so many new purchases when she claims to be anti-capitalist and to support sustainability. If she's actually talked about debt, please reference a specific point where she says that. She talks about being a "broke college student" all the time, but that could mean anything. Also, she hasn't made remarks about being "broke" in a while - she's making bank from TH-cam. Sustainable companies DO do PR. Maybe not as much as other companies, but I'm sure any company would be willing to give Ashley PR if she just asked. She's even already on Reformation's PR list!
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I am informed about this - I'm a blogger myself and have made money blogging (obviously not to the extent of Ashley, but I understand how these things work). I also have been through college, and know what it's like to support myself. Ashley's just a person sure, but she has immense responsibility as an influencer. It's one thing to take certain actions as an individual, but another in front of millions of people. Everything I suggested is very doable, and I'm not forcing her to take those actions - I'm merely suggesting them as options, and showing others that she does have other options. You say that even we can't uphold these standards - I know plenty of people who aren't buying or promoting fast fashion, even influencers. It's really unnecessary to be so accusatory in your defense of Ashley when this video wasn't negative about her.
She said she already paid off her college debt though. And if you look at her AdSense alone, she is making very well into the 6 figures. She's not scrimping for money at all, but she intentionally chose Amazon, a company that is detrimental to the environment, abuses their workers and pays them a poverty salary. All of which she has stated she was against.
These videos are so problematic and toxic. Sustainability is something to strive for, but everyone needs to make sure they can fit it into their lifestyle. If you’re too militant about it, you can discourage others to join in.
And it’s called having a job. We all have to do things we dislike. But people have to eat. Stop judging others, it will make your life much more enjoyable.
Hey Alyssa, I encourage you to watch the video before making these judgments. As you'll see, I'm not asking Ashley to be perfect, and I understand that it's her job. That's why I suggest some other ways she could make income, without promoting fast fashion. I try to view her decisions with empathy, and am not judging her - I just think her actions could align better with her words. You give her the benefit of the doubt and don't judge her, so I'd appreciate that as well :)
imperfectidealist I did watch your whole video. If you don’t see how or why this is problematic, it’s not my place to educate you.
@@alyssahayes6194 Likewise! If you don't see how this is constructive and inviting discussion and reflection on sustainability, then I really don't think you watched the video or understood it. Or, you might have an unhealthy attachment to Ashley. She is a public figure and celebrity, not a friend, and it's totally fair to discuss a celebrity's controversial actions in a constructive way. I invite constructive criticism and discussion, but your comments are just misinformed, as I've addressed your arguments in the video, and am not being rude to Ashley in any way.
imperfectidealist I disagree with you, so I’m either a liar or stupid? Seems like you’re fine giving criticism but not that great at taking it.
@@alyssahayes6194 That's not what I'm implying 😂 I'm saying that I have trouble understanding how you find this video toxic, and that it's hard to believe that you watched and understood it because I address the arguments you're making. I'm not trying to call you a "liar or stupid." Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean you're stupid! If you thought that that's what I was implying, then I'm sorry that my words hurt you. Like I said, I'm open to constructive criticism, but you don't seem willing to engage. I have engaged with people who have made really good constructive points! But you just said that "it's not my place to educate you." You just sling insults instead of having a discussion with me. If you want to give me constructive criticism, you can start by having a conversation with me about why you don't like the video, not just repeating arguments that I already addressed, or twisting my words.