Why don't we wear our clothes to death anymore? | Episode 45 | Sustain This Podcast
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 พ.ค. 2024
- Have you ever felt like you had to "save" an outfit for a special moment? Or that you couldn't wear the same dress to a different occasion? We've all been there. In today's episode, we discuss the joy of wearing our clothes out, embracing signs of wear and tear, mending, and building styling habits with what we already have.
LINKS MENTIONED:
Article: bit.ly/4aCRVZJ
mending site: the.seam.uk/
CHAPTERS
1:00: aspirational usage and topic intro
3:23: drawing the line between worn out or worn beyond repair
6:44: how to balance old items and wear them without feeling sloppy
7:28: reframing how we see "old" items
8:59: where to spend vs. save
11:30: social media and personal style
13:36: building better style habits
16:59: the most worn out items in our wardrobes
20:00: decluttering
23:58: mending
26:48: parallels between looking young and clothes looking new
33:00: aesthetic vs. aura and how it impacts consumption
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CONTACT US: sustainthispodcast@gmail.com
SIGNE HANSEN
TH-cam: / @useless_dk
Website: www.uselesswardrobe.dk/
IG: / useless_dk
TT: / useless_wardrobe
CHRISTINA MYCHAS
TH-cam: / @christinamychas
Website: www.minimalist-ish.com/
IG: / christina.mychas
TT: / christina.mychas
ALYSSA BELTEMPO
TH-cam: / @alyssabeltempo
Website: msbeltempo.com/
IG: / msbeltempo
TT: / msbeltempo
If you loved this episode please share it on your stories and tag us! We love to see which episodes resonate with you and it helps to spread the word more than you know, xo
-----------------
CONTACT US: sustainthispodcast@gmail.com
SIGNE HANSEN
TH-cam: / @useless_dk
Website: www.uselesswardrobe.dk/
IG: / useless_dk
TT: / useless_wardrobe
CHRISTINA MYCHAS
TH-cam: / @christinamychas
Website: www.minimalist-ish.com/
IG: / christina.mychas
TT: / christina.mychas
ALYSSA BELTEMPO
TH-cam: / @alyssabeltempo
Website: msbeltempo.com/
IG: / msbeltempo
TT: / msbeltempo
If you loved this episode please share it on your stories and tag us! We love to see which episodes resonate with you and it helps to spread the word more than you know, xo - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
To the people that are worried about wearing something because they don’t want it to get ruined: remember how often our bodies change, styles change, life changes, why not enjoy that piece now rather than later in case you won’t get the opportunity to wear it. Also, your taste could change down the road, maybe at least wear it once a month to get wear out of it and extend its life rather than letting it just rot away in the closet. Hope that makes sense lol. Thank you ladies for another great episode
I love this comment and am a living example of this. Becoming a mom changed my body and my needs from my clothes. I need my clothes to function differently for me, and half the clothes either stopped fitting me or they fit me differently. So now that I’m older and wiser (31 for one more day 😅) I wear my clothes every single day. And I wear my shoes too! Heels, why not!
So true!! I hv such wonderful pieces and bags that I save for anorher day. Need to tell myself to enjoy them now!!
Johnny Depp comes to mind as another example of looking homeless, but on him it’s considered fashionable and cool.
One of the only items I’ve ever actually worn out in my long life is a white Travelsmith Oxford shirt. After decades of constant wear and frequent washings, it finally got a small rip in one sleeve. But if I wear it with the sleeves rolled up, it still works. And I get more compliments on this shirt than anything else I wear! Quality matters.
I have boots I never used to wear because they were special until the soles fell off from being in storage. Now I wear the boots after getting them fixed
I'm a farmer so I wear a lot of clothes out. 🌱
I am very grateful to see you guys wear the same clothes over and over. It gives me the permission to do the same on mine.
I paused the video at 40:03 just to acknowledge and emphasize this point! I deleted my instagram app from my phone a month ago because I was overstimulated with everything coming my way. I am also a mom and have limited bandwidth anyway. I deleted instagram to free up some room in my life. I like youtube since I can choose what I decide to watch. With instagram you don’t get that choice. However what I noticed after deleting instagram was not what I expected. I used to have a very good sense of style and what I wanted to wear, I liked standing out, and with insta it kinds got lost in the mix. A month later I can attest to the fact that social media, particularly instagram, was the reason to constantly wanting more, and being confused about my style. Of course it’s not all bad and I learned A LOT from it, but I feel like it adds noise to our lives and dilutes our styles. Thank you for this conversation!
I am also a mama, who just had her third baby girl! I chose to log out of and delete my Instagram and Facebook apps and narrowed what I see on Pinterest and watch on TH-cam. I also enjoy the choice here compared to what you’re served on the former platforms. I also found that my style confusion stemmed from having so much in front of me to see. Once I eliminated and paired down, I found my style! I decided to do this when I was halfway through my last pregnancy and it’s been most helpful as I live through the postpartum transition. My previous style doesn’t suit my lifestyle now (kids are 5+ years apart) and my sizing is different. I couldn’t keep up with everything I was seeing in correlation to what my real life is like. I’m so relieved now wearing the same things over and restyling with some different earrings or scarves (really great for covering up to breastfeed!). I’m loving this conversation here!
I think people would be more inclined to keep their clothing for longer if they knew basic sewing skills. Missing buttons or small holes could be mended at home instead of paying someone else to do it. The reality is, a lot of people are lazy and it's easier to just toss the garment than bring it to a tailor and pay for their service. It would be nice to see schools bring back home economics classes.
This point is well timed for me! I reached out to my community to find out where I can learn basic mending skills. Not sure if I'm wanting the full sewing machine lessons, but hand stitch types, threads and when to use them would help me a lot!
Thank you Signe for talking about the disappearing MENDING/REPAIRING PROBLEM!!!
This is such a HUGE part of sustainable fashion puzzle that doesn’t get brought up often enough in slow fashion/sustainable living topic - The repair services are going away because:
1. Throwaway culture instead of Repair&Reuse culture; Capitalism & Corporate greed (fast fashion /Amazon) has made the cost of repairing higher than buying new products for the average Western consumer. This means people are less able to make a living as a repairer in the area.
2. Mending & Repairing (and in same vein, maintenance- think about all the shoe shine places that no longer exist) culture and skills itself are no longer considered essential because of the throwaway materials used. (For instance cheap plastic shoes that cannot be repaired/resoled)
And because of #1 above, consumers don’t go out of their way to make intentional choices to buy repairable products.
3. People are no longer taught basic repair skills/knowledge, thus don’t know what needs to be done(for instance reweaving is a dying art-and dying industry)/what they can fix/what they can bring to an expert/what good repair looks like. This also leads to Quantity over Quality problem- for career repairers, actually putting time into perfecting the craft isn’t rewarded, speeding up to churn out as many sloppy repairs as possible is.
What France is doing is a step in the right direction. (It’s designed after incentive program for household items repair; we have the same problem with all products, not just clothes).
WE ALL need to be demanding better from our governments / companies / from each other💪💪💪🙏
Yes! There is more awareness and skills in France to repair and decrease our hyper consumption. I was just talking with a 90 year-old French woman last Summer who reminded me how little clothes we used to buy. They bought good clothes that would last, but much less than today. And in turn, we were much more satisfied with what we had.
It's getting increasingly harder to find a cobbler in our area and I think this is the result of the throwaway era we live in. Rather than buy quality shoes and get them repaired, people will just buy cheap ones and replace them when they wear out (or just go out of style). 😢
I am turning 50 this year and can attest to say that the clothes and shoes back in our grandparents’ era were meant to last… just absolute great quality and timeless designs IMHO. I guess this is just a reflection of their simple lifestyles back then with less disposable incomes, no fuss attitudes and valuing their items/garments! And yet, as much as I am aware of these things.. I am so guilty of over consumerism! Go figure! But thanks to you ladies, you have kept me in check and accountable of my actions. 😊 great job Signe, Allysa and Christina ❤ I really wish that your podcasts are played in Secondary schools worldwide, so much knowledge to take away from you all. Cheers from Melbourne
I actually love when my clothes start getting a worn look! I feel weird wearing something brand new where it looks fresh out of the store, almost like it isn’t mine yet
Me to
I had an interesting experience a couple of weeks ago where I passed a man waiting for an elevator and noticed the leather messenger bag he was carrying. It was old and scuffed, but I immediately had the thought “that’s love” pop into my head. It made me realize that I don’t even give myself time to truly love many of the items in my closet. Lust I feel in spades. I lust after things all the time. But I feel like I don’t truly love much of what I own because I’m not very present with it. Instead, I’m usually outside myself thinking what I look like to other people, or how I compare to a photo I saw of a style I like, or how does the item make me feel but only in a surface-level way. It’s also not surprising that we’re seeing this trend in fashion along with increasing use of Instagram/tik toc etc that fosters distraction and quick dopamine hits. I even wonder if it’s related to how people approach online dating, moving from one person to the next quickly. It seems to be a pattern of behavior that permeates a lot of areas of life.
Compleltly agree! I think our fashion habits we discuss here really stem from a deeper seat in our minds that reflects in areas like relationships, finances, entertainment and education. I’ve been on a journey myself after making a similar realization you talk about here… to start enjoying what I have and connect with it in my everyday life. I needed to let go of some things that weren’t practical to enjoy in my lifestyle, others I’m learning to love again or embrace even though it isn’t particularly fashionable… I’m learning what my style is along with actually using things… and even deeper, my true and unique personality is more evident rather than imitating an aesthetic I like.
Christina, you are articulated perfectly what I've always felt but didn't have the words to express myself.. about not having that " privilege" of looking disheveled for fear of judgement.. I'm Mexican.. I remember reading a book.. the character was centered around a black family and the grandfather always made a point of being extra " polished" .. creasing his suits, polishing his shoes to a high shine.. everything pristine to gain every little bit of respect in a society where it was one of the things he could actually control.. this is really interesting.
Great topic! I actually started thinking about it after one of Signe videos where she wore those old shoes. I know where my issue coming from. I grew up in soviet/post soviet Russia where clothes were a luxury. It was very hard to get them in soviet era and in 90s we were so poor you could only afford to buy something may be once a year. I had like one pair of jeans, two sweaters my mother knitted, two t-shirts and exactly one pair of shoes for each season. So now any sign of closes distress is subconsciously associated with poverty. Like my mom literally started crying when she saw me in washed out jeans. Jeans were brand new but she though they were old and I could not even afford a new pair.
Saaaame I never thought about it this way!! Also from post Soviet country, born in the 90s. Had to wear my only school shoes until they literally had wholes in them and it was so embarrassing! I now have a very low tolerance for a distressed/worn look…. Very interesting insight 🧐🙏🏻 when something is too worn it gets put in my gardening closet, then after that I cut them up into rags to use in the workshop, so they do get recycled in a way 🤷🏻♀️
Isn’t the ultimate quiet luxury not caring how others feel about your outfit (worn out or not, on trend or not etc.)?
Great topic! I have clothes that are 15-25 years old that are still in usable condition. I got a compliment on my 24 year old skirt today. I found a great pair of leather boots at a thrift store for $3. They were navy and needed some serious love. My shoemaker fixed them for $28 ( he painted them!)and they look amazing. They are still worn but in good condition. I am loving them. We all have to buy less, even if it’s secondhand. I don’t buy white anything because it never stays white. Unfortunately there is so much pressure to get new things. Please keep emphasis in your videos on using our wardrobe and being creative as opposed to promoting new items. Thanks for what you do! ❤❤❤
Have you ever thought about doing a deep dive into WWII fashion? I know in England fashion designers of the time were designing for versatility and repeated wear.
Would love that topic 👏🏼
"We forget to look inwards and we are like who do i want to be? looking outwards all the time" SO TRUE !!!!!
Love this podcast girls❤️
I feel it's wild that you get critized for wearing the same clothes as, at least to me, that is literally one of the main points of your channels! Is that not what "shop your closet" mean! I personally love when I see you ladies re-wearing a classic piece like Christina's plaid blazer or Alyssa's sparkly bomber (and shorts) and Signe's ankle boots!
I do tend to wear things until they’re wrecked. I probably take it too far! But sometimes my life and body have changed before the item wears out.
I wish brands would have less new seasonal items. It’s so easy to get distracted by the new seasonal drop or multiple drops in a single season. I’d like to know what’s coming at the beginning of the season so I can plan the 1-2 pieces I will get. The multiple drops thing really keeps you hooked. Even brands beyond the high street are using this method (e.g. Everlane). The ideal for me would be for the brand to have their core foundational items and then just a very small seasonal drop at the beginning of the season with some different prints colors materials etc. Consumers want to change their behaviors, but these marketing strategies are really working against us. Thanks for another stimulating conversation ladies!
I do! I do wear almost everything until my cobbler or seamstress says it can’t be repaired! But I am the older generation so I have always done that. The question is why the younger generation gets so easily bored and needs constant change???
Back in the 90’s I had a pair of platform foam slides that I absolutely loved and wore them to death. They were super light and comfy and only cost me 10 bucks. Eventually the upper on one of them tore and I could not part with them. They were no longer selling them, so I did what any GenXer would do and I nailed the upper into the foam sole. I wore them a month until they ripped again, so I took them to the cobbler. He repaired them for $15. I was overjoyed!…until 2 months later they ripped again. I took them back to the cobbler and he said “NO!” ( total Soup Nazi vibes ) He reached in his back pocket and pulled out his wallet and threw 15 dollars on the counter and said, “Go buy yourself a new pair of sandals!! “
I love this topic! I think you should wear your items until they no longer make you feel good! I grew up in Guatemala, where many kids don’t have shoes or have really beat up ones. I was always careful with my items and would always give my shoes to those who needed them more than I did before I stopped feeling good in them. In my head I thought of it as a way to share my joy of the item with someone who really needed it.
Listening to it while also mending socks I have for almost 10 years haha
Nice!!! I just mended some 10 year old Smartwool socks, I won’t give them up yet 😂
This was so great! I truly thought of laugh lines and grey hair when you were talking about scuffs and wear of items being signs of love for your piece. ❤ laugh lines = joy/laughter, grey hairs are signs of the challenges I’ve overcome.
I love this!!! We can change our thinking of something as 'worn' to 'well loved' or 'well traveled' or 'a life well lived' and it is applicable to so many areas if our lives ❤
Signe's comment about people thinking that an effortless looking wardrobe requires no work was TOTALLY ME!
when i first started taking care of my clothes, i was so annoyed at first thinking maybe i had the wrong kind clothes b/c they required so much work or that i was doing something else wrong but no, clothes just require upkeep (like anything) if you want it to last a long time. and for me that entailed steaming, using a sweater shaver if needed, and just looking over my clothes so i can see when something was going to need a mend, ect.
I like how creative you guys are wearing the same cloths and shoes with all different outfits. Watching you ladies inspires me to wear my cloths all different ways. It’s a creative outfit that is new to me and doesn’t cost any new money spent and it helps the environment. I don’t need to have new cloths to give me value but I do want to enjoy them. To answer your question about the identity crisis, I am 62, I was taught my value as a person comes from who I chose to be, pretty is as pretty does, kind of thing. Our cloths needed to be clean and pressed to show respect for others around us when we went out. Judging others for what they could afford or not was a big no no. Those were the people lacked character.
I think we must relearn care and be happy with our own selves so we can say no to the things that tell us were not happy. It takes time to be you, to look at yourself in the mirror and just be. Just refusing what is given to us as normal and do what actually creates affect, being effective. Not what is sensual in the moment.
❤❤❤
I love the conversation you are having. This is who I am. I’m 70 and have always been this way. I rarely give clothes to thrift stores because I love them and wear them until they are unusable by anyone else. I am also someone who does not get bored with what I have. I only buy what I love. Consequently, I don’t keep up with fashion. I also mend and repair. In case you haven’t heard of her, Hikaru Noguchi has taken mending and made it an art form. Her mended clothes are in art galleries.
I’m glad y’all brought up thrifting as still a part of consumption. I’m no one to talk because I own an absurd amount of clothes, but I had to stop thrifting because I found I was walking away with a lot more stuff that I ended up not using , but justifying it as “it was a steal! How could I not!” I admire folks who can restrain themselves with thrifting. But I am not one of them. I have learned that I’ve got a very specific aesthetic, and buying second hand is more productive for me when I can go online and search for brands and styles I’m looking for. When it’s online, I have some time to mull it over as opposed to “buy it now before it’s gone “ at a thrift store.
One thing I would love y’all to address if possible is the concept of “collecting” clothes. I’m a fan of a specific niche indie brand. They are well made and fit beautifully and only use fair wage factories. But I find that I’m so easily tempted by new styles because I KNOW they will fit me perfectly. I KNOW they are well made. And I KNOW I am
Getting my moneys worth. The issue is…I’m still accumulating. Would love to hear yallz thoughts
Good observations regarding thrifting. I’ve been thrifting since 1987 (age 21) and what l learned was to pick the best quality, the pieces I really loved, etc because as you say, you can get caught in the trap of buy it because it’s inexpensive. There is no sense of owning a bunch of inexpensive clothing that you don’t wear, it’s counterintuitive.
I have been watching Signe and Alyssa for years (just started watching Christina and am really enjoying), and I want to say I love it when I see Alyssa or Signe take out an item I've seen them wearing for years and try it in a new outfit. I love that you are making me feel I can be stylish without buying new stuff.
Shop your closet. ❤❤❤
I feel the same way!
I wear my most of my clothes for many years, but personally try to take the best care of them so they don’t look terribly worn out. A celebrity of that caliber with a fashionista reputation can perhaps wear anything they like and create a trend. The average person walking into a store or restaurant with a bag in similar condition… I’m not sure it translates as stylish, but rather perhaps a bit of a question mark. Unless the trend really catches on, of course, like worn denim or leather jackets that are now after decades, iconic. Just thinking out loud, ultimately everyone should be themselves and, more power to that. 💕
My elderly neighbor’s daughter once complained to me about how her mother refused to get rid of certain pieces of clothing. They were ‘worn out’ and needed to go, in her opinion. But to me, they were beautiful. So what if a shirt had a mismatched button, or the corduroy jacket had worn elbows, or a hole in a skirt had been neatly patched? Those ‘flaws’ said the garment was loved and appreciated, and the wearer was mindful of their value.
I am just here to say that I have been addicted to this channel since I discovered it last week. Love the in depth, intelligent conversation, the self awareness and reflection and relatability that you all bring. I love your vibes too. I wish I have gfs like you 3. It's hard to meet people with the same attributes like mindfullness and also sharing the same passion for fashion and nice things. Feels like I haven't met my tribe but in the meantime, happy to be joining you 3 on here.
I’m a knitter, so I remember the gigantic fuss on social media that erupted over a cable-knit sweater worn by one of the characters in the first Knives Out film. It was worn and used in just the way you guys are describing, and I think it was genius of the costume designer to include it in the film - it just *screamed* ‘old money.’ And I think that’s a serious part of the rhetoric of well-worn quality garments made of natural materials - they can telegraph a subtle message that you’ve been able to afford nice clothes for a while? And that might be a part of what’s behind their aspirational quality. “Oh, this old thing? I’ve had it for ages…”
What a great observation! I have old woollen pieces I will never give up. And I adore that movie 😉
What a wonderful discussion! I bought a Gucci marmont shoulder bag 5 years ago for my 40th birthday. I was just looking at it the other day thinking to myself how it’s starting to look beat up (it’s my everyday bag) but I still love it! This discussion made me realize it’s ok to keep rocking it worn out and all as long as I love it ❤
I love this topic. The fact that the algorithm doesn’t bring me more folks speaking like you do about materialism brings me back to you more and more regularly because I’m just not interested in those haul and unboxing kinds of takes. Realism and respect for the environment, with taste and savor, are what I love. Keep getting philosophical, ladies. You’re doing such a beautiful service developing these views and bringing them into a public forum.
Hello from Romania! I am an admirer of all of you, separately, and I was thinking before you join forces, I honestly saw you as being suitable for each other. My personal explanation for the fact that I no longer wear my clothes until they are destroyed and the result is the hunger to continuously buy clothes, I think it's because I grew up in communism, where I had no money and the shops were limited.
Great episode, ladies! I really enjoyed this topic because I personally relate to loving worn out clothing and particularly dislike pristine or cookie-cutter styles... I have since unsubscribed to a lot of people who do not feature at least one secondhand or vintage item in their outfit/s or content. A head-to-toe brand new outfit is literally one of my fashion icks - sorry not sorry ✌🏽
I've been noticing this trend of everyone looking like a mannequin or a kid on the first day of school. Just all perfect, brand new clothes all the time. It's really plastic looking and "unsustainable" unless you want to be in debt. It's making me more inspired to work on my clothes buying habits.
i love the topic, decluttering is not the solution! my plan is not to declutter even if i feel i have too much, i prefer to store some stuff until I wore out pieces, and take more from storage slowly.
I agree, I do the sane thing❤😊😅
I recently lost weight and had to take in a few clothes. I am grateful I learned how to sew and mend from my mum and grandmother. I have been wasteful with clothes but now in my 50's I chose to reuse, dye, mend and alter to keep wearing things I love
I’ve been curating my clothes since I was 18 and had a wool bespoke maxi coat. I also had a seamstress make me a full length cape -which I wore during college and still have. I have a huge repertoire to draw on -I’ll be 70 this year -I love getting dressed. So I have no intention of minimizing. I limit additions to replacements or updating accessories-shoes are my opium😆. I wish we could collect instead of consuming. It’s like filling up on cereal instead of a lovely omelet. Love your work.
I have a pair of 1960s sandals that I bought from a seller on Depop - they belonged to her mother and had been sitting in the back of a closet for years. I wear them at least once a week and I LOVE them. I'm hoping to get the soles repaired, but I will continue to wear them as long as I possibly can 💖
I have some favourite items that I will keep indefinitely because I love them and feel good when I wear them. Favourite shoes I'll wear until they are no longer comfortable and the cobbler looks at me in that way... "These again?". I'm not trend driven, so I don't mind one bit wearing something considered out of date to others who deck themselves out in each new trend season after season. Alyssa, your wardrobe is fantastic. You are so creative, and you actually love and wear your items/outfits frequently. That is why I admire you so much. Thank you, ladies. Another brilliant topic ❤
Thank you for today's theme. It was a really valuable conversation.
Growing up, I didn’t have the option of getting new clothes often. Wearing clothes or accessories until they no longer function was normal for me. Even now, I hesitate to shop for new items. When I do shop, it’s because my body has changed, sometimes the reason I shop is because my style has changed. Great perspectives on the topic!
I wear half a dozen pieces from my late moms wardrobe. It makes me feel connected to her when I wear them.
I am obsessed with this episode 😍 literally listened 4 times already! It heals something in me and helps me to not want more new stuff 🥰
also, i don't think we're missing the wearing out piece. we're missing the "living in" piece.
I actually do tend to wear my items until they are worn out. They came into my wardrobe for a reason and I love them. As long as they still fit… and still fit my lifestyle…. job requirements etc. … why wouldn’t I? This had me actually wondering several times how nasty my fast fashion 12 year old pair of straight leg HM jeans (and other pieces alike) really is compared to people who shop “more consciously” just to declutter every year to then buy a new thing from another conscious fashion brand? 😅 We clearly have a very different understanding of what the word “fast” means. It’s interesting! Love the topic!
Lots of thoughts from this episode…
I wonder if the beat-up Mary Kate Olsen bag is aspirational at least in part because the subtext is that she can (easily) afford to wear out and replace her Hermes bag.
Also, I think it goes without saying that you should wear even your nicest things and not be afraid that they’ll show wear, but you can also show how much you value a piece by taking time to care for it. I feel the most love for my shoes and bags (which frankly, have to bear more use than any singular piece of clothing I own) when I clean them, condition the leather, store them away seasonally, etc. On the flip side, it drives me nuts when I see my husband throw his formal kilt on the FLOOR and leave it there for weeks and weeks-it makes me feel like he doesn’t value this outfit that I see as a tool in his arsenal.
I like old top leathers handbags. It has more characters that brand new one. Totally agree about converses.
You guys are awesome! To really bring the focus on who we are or who we want to be is so crucial, instead of looking outwardly for inspiration. How do we look at other peoples wants and what they have all the time to find out our authenticity? Probably not easy or not possible. The behavior to follow trends probably stems from the need to be like everyone else, instead of listen to and look inside of who we are. Staying humble is not a bad thing. Trying to look that we have a lot or look like everybody else from social media maybe the reason that we don’t use our things more than a couple of seasons because we are afraid to look dated. It’s ironical that most people say that “you do you”, but intrinsically we are all trying to follow what trends tell us to be like everyone else.
Good job on this interesting conversation and questions for us to think about. Love you ladies!
Finally started to watch your podcast, the title grabbed me. Really enjoyed this topic!
Once again, another fantastic episode, great food for thought x
What an amazing episode! ❤
26:56 such an important point!! Thank you! ❤
Great discussion! Thank you!
I've loved all your episodes, but this is by far the best! Love this.
This is a fabulous podcast!!! Thank you!!❤
Loved this one!
This was a great episode. It really inspired me to get better at mending.
I enjoyed this podcast very much. I believe that Signe’s idea about mending businesses encouraged or even owned or done in partnership with brands, especially those, who claim to be sustainable 🌱, is very good and wise🌿❤ And I am going through my April “no buy”, not many days yet, but still very inspired, because of your podcasts, ladies ❤ so I am very grateful for your work 🙌🏻
I appreciate your content always, and I especially enjoy that you deliver your topics with care for each other. Makes me feel like we could all share safely and that is hard to find! ❤
Great conversation, very thought provoking!
I love this conversation. I’ve started using a rental subscription company and I love it because I get to wear “new” things which also inspires me to use my current closet at a fuller capacity and shop my closet in new ways. I’ve noticed that this has helped me utilize what I own more, shop less, and yet my wardrobe has been elevated by pieces that I wouldn’t normally wear because of their higher costs ❤
Loved this! I am so inspired to wear my stuff out and not worry about keeping it in perfect condition. The psychology behind this is fascinating. Nice work ladies.
LOVED this episode. I think it would be amazing if you did a series of episodes on repairs. You ask so many great questions and I'd LOVE to see examples of repairs. I know how to sew on a button but you all have a great platform to show some repairs you've done. Also I'm with Christina - I've worn converse chucks literally my whole life and I always buy them second hand because they seem wrong new.
I am subscribed to all of youtube channels and have been watching all of you content for a while now but this is my first time listening to the podcast. And what a great one to start with! I have to tell you that I thought this was an amazing, thoughtful and interesting conversation. I have actually made a business out of selling other peoples gorgeous cast-offs and these are things that I think about often in my personal life and my work. All the fast fashion I see still with tags on discarded and donated has really been weighing on me lately. I think that it’s time that we think about changing our habits and thoughts about wearing and wearing out our clothes, buying less but better, wearing things longer and just consuming so much less. This is one that is really going to stick with me and that I am going to continue thinking about. Thank you!
I love this podcast! I do wear my clothes to death 'cause I make most of the pieces I own. I'm knitting while y watch this video and it takes much time to make a sweater or a cardigan, also I choose the yarn and the color so I love the piece even before it's done. Thanks for all of the information you share whith us, it helped me a lot ❤
Great topic! For I have the hardest time with shoes, when they start looking worn I dont want to wear them out completely so I stop wearing them but I also don’t want to get rid of them
Wow, this was so good on so many levels! I don’t wear things out nearly as much as I used to, and since I started working on my style at the beginning of the pandemic, I have added a lot of new pieces to my wardrobe. I don’t regret that, but definitely feel the need to put the brakes on more and enjoy what I have. And I loved Alyssa’s comments about wondering if we are afraid to wear things out because we’re afraid of aging. I had the same thought. I have had the privilege of working with people over 65 for most of my career in health care, and have met some beautiful people, inside and out, so I am less afraid of aging than I would have otherwise been, but I know many people who are really scared of aging. So thought provoking, thanks for all of this!
i really love you all
Amazing thought provoking podcast, It made me think... it was a bit like a trend we go from distressed to polished. But then society could change that and make worn look ok, and for some people maybe they don't like that look of worn or distressed. My favorite bag (The equivalent of Alyssa with her Puzzle bag) is a Mulberry Daria bag it's slouchy and beginning to look worn but I brought it knowing it would look like that, having seen others with worn versions. I still love it 7+ years on from buying it. Great topic well done Lady's.
Thank you.
I feel like men mostly wear their clothes and shoes far more than women do. I see this a lot in thrift stores. Great topic of discussion ladies!
So many points in this video resonated with me! I needed to make notes and respond to each, but that would've made my comment way too long.
One piece of clothing that I love and am wearing to death is a black leather fingertip-length coat that I bought 18-19 years ago. It's had some distressing naturally over the years, but I just dab some black shoe polish on those areas, and that works great. I've also had to mend a few small tears in the lining. I think I'll be buried in this coat! 😅
I bought coach soho bag used from one of my bosses for $25. I used it for at least 3 years regularly. It was green suede. I loved it. The tailors I spoke with didn't seem like they thought they would be able to mend it. I bought the same bag used in black leather and red leather in December of 2023. The red bag doesnt get much use because the leather is stuff. The black ine has been used on repeat pretty much ever since and we're going strong.
You didn’t mention dying your clothes when things start looking dingy. I got my colors done again and have been dying many natural fabric items to become in my new color palette. I also mend, polish my shoes & dye the leather ones if I want to change the color. I am 72 yrs old and follow all three of you and have followed Signe before she got married in Vegas. ❤
I feel like there is a vast difference between having 100 clothes for the same signature look and having 200 for totally different styles and purposes, which you are really using from time to time.
I totally agree that brands can and should do more to help consumers keep their clothes and apparel longer with repair services. That’s one reason I love BedStu, a brand that makes shoes and purses in Leon, Mexico. They have started a repair program where for a few, you can send them BedStu products that are in need of repair and keep these items that are well-loved. They fixed a purse that has been one of my favorites so that I can keep using and loving it for years to come. I also totally agree that looking “shabby” or like a “bag lady” in an acceptable manner is a rich, primarily white privilege; judgment is too quickly handed down if you don’t look like you have the funds and background to pull it off. So sad because so many more items would be continued to be used if there wasn’t potential judgment related to the use of a worn item. Love your podcast and all the content all three of you put out into the world. Thank you!! ❤
Hi all! Love your content and perspectives around sustainability and fashion. I'm interested on your thoughts about clothing rental businesses, such as rent the runway (are these rental approaches sustainable solutions to keep people from over-buying while maybe exploring their style, or do they perpetuate the single-wear standard?) no right answer, just curious to hear thoughts around these and other approaches to shopping/fashion. Thanks for creating this space to help spread intentionality around our relationship with ourselves, our clothes, and the planet!
My suff tends to look great on the outside because of the care I take of it. The insides not so much. Especially, shoes.
I have been trying to develop an intentional wardrobe for several years now and I’m also not super financially stable. So I’ve worn out all of the fast fashion items that I kept bc they fit my style. And then very slowly added higher quality items, hoping they would last. But bc my wardrobe is so small and I cannot purchase more than one or two pieces a year, I am actually wearing these pieces out as well. I’m still happy with my smaller and better wardrobe but I would like I slightly bigger selection bc even a beautiful merino wool sweater that I very rarely hand wash will eventually pill or felt a bit or stretch. Because I wear it several times a week.
I am 46 and I wear my own "Vintage" wardrobe: mesh shirts from Gauthier, slip dresses, my Balenciaga bags (worked at music festifals back than and received them from their PR). I wear my mum's blazers from the 80ties and my husband's very first suit which he got at the age of 18. And I shop mostly second hand and get men's suits tailored for my body shape. I am the head of a younger team and the garments they love are the oldest: my 25 years old leather jacket styled with tailored pants, my beaten bags, my leather belts. I feel the quality of fabrics, designs and tailoring was so much better back then, garments were made to last. And I feel peolpe don't wish to get envolved with the care of their wardrobe: how to clean and store/hang garments properly, how to repair, how to press ... this knowledge is so vital for prolonging the lifespan of your wardrobe.
Edit: I am very lucky to own a beautiful wardrobe which suits my lifestyle yet keep in mind it takes decades to find these treasures out there.
It was a great topic as always. So many thoughts to think about. Thank you. Keep them coming.😊
I do have this problem, where I tend to save items for better occasions. Afraid to ruin them, Any suggestions on how to overcome that and start enjoying my pieces
Many years ago I gor a pair of ankle boots from Roots which I loved and wore for years. After 10 years they were still in good condition as I take good care of my clothes and shoes but I was sick of them and gave them away....I did not think of temporarily storing them as I did not think at that time that I will ever wear them again...
I own a Stella McCartney bag (Le Sportsac I believe) which I am using for work since 2010. It's the most practical bag I have ever owned and I never found another one as practical like it. We are kind of growing old together. 😊
This is such a great discussion, and I have so many thoughts on this topic. I've chosen to get comfortable and relaxed with the practice about fit repeating. I think how do you style it 3 ways is helpful when you're purchasing but not necessarily once you're in your closet. It's I'm thinking that open a Pandora's box when we feel that we need to be able to style a piece number of ways and then continue to purchase other garments to go with it.
Outfit repeating. I find it's extremely valuable to know what tops to pair with what bottoms and pair them in the closet that way consistently. It makes getting dressed easier and I'm more likely to get more use out of the pieces over the long-term.
For the navy bag use navy leather shoe dye to touch up scuffs. On my black items I use a sharpie very carefully
Hi ladies, I was shocked that owning a piece for 9 months and longer reduces its carbon footprint so significantly. I also feel like we all should realize that we are lucky to have so many choices and take good care of what we own so it lasts.
Around 10 years ago I was teaching 4th grade in a private school. I was not informed of any specific dress code and it was spring so one day I went into class with my leather jacket. It was my absolute favorite jacket that indeed was very worn out but I kept wearing it cause i freaking loved it. At the end of the class two girls came to me and said to me "Miss, it seems that you need a new jacket." and just left the classroom.. I was mortified and I admit those 4the graders sort of bullied me into not wearing my favorite beat up jacket anymore 😂😂
I personally have always just taken good care of my clothes. Of course natural wear and tear is inevitable, I could wear a pair of jeans (20 years old and someone is like ohh new jeans!!) same with my LV bag, wallet & agenda it’s all almost 20 years old and is in good condition. I do have a few things I need to wear and not care though. I’m definitely guilty! 🩵
I had a stylist approach me at a networking event and told me that my jacket was worn and that she could style me better Now granted it was storming outside and I did not want to destroy my better wear so I opted for a favorite blazer. I was appalled that she sought to get me as a client by insulting me. lol I'm 6'2" tall and she is like 5'2" and I had a problem thinking that she could have more success dressing me than I had after modeling for years .
I remember the discourse around the Mary Kate picture when it was first printed, and the furor around it wasn't because it was aspirational to have a beat-up bag. It was because it was a beat-up *Hermès* bag - aka, she's so rich, she can afford to treat this crazy-expensive bag like crap, because she can just buy a new one at the drop of a hat. That's also sustainable and that's great, but I just wanted to point out the classism inherent in this conversation. Mainstream fashion at large only thinks distressed is cool when it's also obviously new - very few people are looking at visibly mended old clothes and calling at aspirational (outside of the sustainable fashion sphere). It's only cool to cosplay as poor - not actually be poor.
Very well said!
My parents wore their clothes out or would repair them. I am trying to wear my clothes as much as possible. I definitely wear out my jeans. I was wearing a pair last week and my daughter mentioned that I had a hole on the butt, I had to discard them, at my age I will not wear something like that. I wear my cashmere sweaters to work in an elementary school. I have them to wear after all and they keep me warm.
There is one UK slow fashion brand that offers to repair clothes from them. I asked them to take a beautiful tweed jacket where the sleeve lining was worn through. They refused this because it was more work than they would do which in reality is only very small repairs.
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I personally have pretty much exclusively tods or loro piana shoes and I beat of them daily because they work for my feet and are supremely comfortable. Same with my sweaters, shirts and polos. I love cashmere sweaters and cardigans from BC and LP and will wear mine whenever the weather requires it. I don't see the point of babying them especially when things like cashmere and well made shoes are designed to last.
Consider, even if we all wear the same outfit once a week, on repeat, you can only wear it 52x in the year. And figuring, we some times wear items once every 2-4 weeks. I love when my clothes are washed in order to wear it again. But it had to start with my heart on the matter
C est trp drôle que vous parliez de cela cette semaine, juste avant d ´ écouter votre podcast durant ma marche j ai revêtu un t shirt en me disant ça fait plus qu.e 24 ans que j ai ce t shirt que j’ADORE, la coupe, l’élasticité parfaite pour moi…plus de 24 ans si c est pas 30 pcq c est avant la naissance de mon fils ça venait d une boutique qui n existe plus au Québec depuis longtemps . Je me souviens qu a l’époque la bouteille s’a appelait L’officiel et j ai du payer 50$ ce qui était très cher pour un t shirt a l’époque mais si on calcule le coût par fois ou je l ´ai porté ça doit équivaloir à 0$ 😂en revenant de ma marche j ai ai vu un petit accro que je vais réparer c est certain. Merci les filles pour vos sujets discussions et complicité ça fait du bien a voir!
Are you familiar with the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi? It was described to me as the beloved, wind tattered robe of a priest. That well loved objects have a simplicity and imperfection that makes us feel comforted. (It is how I decorate also.) Excellent podcast! 22:39