This is a misguided criticism I'm increasingly witnessing in fashion spaces - sometimes, the best option for a garment to be made out of is polyester. That is to say, there are some things that synthetic fibers in general do better than natural fibers. A π§΅
Multiple dresses and new shoes for a single date, and he's taking you to a fine dining restaurant but only wants you to shop from SHEIN... much to unpack here
I'm not seeing people talk about this enough: The founder of Selkie, Kimberly Gordon, tried to use dead black children - specifically, the genocide going on in the Congo, to defend her use of AI art.
people always hate on women for enjoying completely benign, harmless little treats like Stanley cups, pumpkin spice lattes, and Taylor Swift meanwhile what are men addicted to? Porn. School shootings. Podcasts.
ah, yes, "wasting vintage" is when we alter garments into things that we would love and wear instead of letting them gather dust in a closet or, worse, tossing them into a textile landfill
like i know itβs her dress she can do what she wants with it or whatever idc but like u couldβve just bought any other dress instead of wasting vintage
When you're purchasing a garment, you're not JUST paying for the fabric - you're paying for the design, the patterning, the construction, the intricacy, and the labor required to create that garment.
The hatred for slow fashion brands because they "charge too much" and for resellers because they "charge too much" for their garments is rooted in the same idea: an entitlement to the cheap labor you're used to from fast fashion companies.
People seem to really believe that every garment factory around the world is just a shein factory that makes every article of clothing to ever exist and all of the fashion brands that exist actually just get their clothes from the shein factory and mark it up unfairly
The better criticism of polyester is from a sustainability and usability standpoint. Plenty of people avoid polyester for environmental reasons, and/or because it's not breathable, it can cause skin reactions, and it sheds microplastics.
"I'll buy from sustainable fashion brands when they're more size inclusive" is a sentiment I see very often. Thing is, they very much exist, and they need your patronage. When you don't purchase from them or even signal boost them, they close up. Businesses need customers.
Iβve seen 5 size inclusive indie brands close up this year alone. Dupe culture is killing us, choosing corps over us is killing us. Very soon your only option will be bad fitting plastic clothes everyone else has.
the idea that if a garment, no matter how intricate, is made of a textile you don't like, that it's 'overpriced.' That is a devaluing of others' labor, and that's wrong!
The "budget" I'm running on is "I respect the labor of garment workers and I buy clothing way less often in order to save up for pieces that I really, really want." You can always wait for their sales or search these brands on secondhand resale sites, too - I do this as well. :)
It would be very difficult to achieve the iconic silhouette of a Selkie dress with any other textile within the same price range. Even silk organza wouldn't hold its shape as well and would be wildly more expensive.
Again, though, this doesn't make a garment "overpriced" for merely being made out of polyester - THIS is the rhetoric I take issue with. We should have as little polyester in our wardrobes as possible, and a lot of things are made out of it when they don't necessarily have to be.
We're going to be using Selkie as an example because it is what inspired me - this is not a defense of Selkie as a brand. I'm well aware of the current controversy and past ones. However, some of the criticisms lobbied at them for "charging $300 for polyester?!" are misguided.
Now, let's talk about why polyester is probably the best choice for Selkie's designs, given their price range. It begins with color choice - the vibrant, intricately-patterned designs intrinsic to Selkie's "Brand" are best executed by a colorfast textile like polyester.
The pleats, the puffiness - these are things that are best achieved by polyester, especially considering how much fabric these dresses use to obtain said puffiness!
Underconsumption as a trend isn't about 'rebranding being broke.' You can overconsume at just about any income bracket, thanks to the likes of Temu and SHEIN. Underconsumption is about reminding people that the lifestyles influencers lead and encourage are harmful to the planet.
Now, for someone who desires to avoid polyester to not want to pay $300 for polyester, that's completely fine. That's not the issue. The issue is a misunderstanding of polyester's place in garment construction and
It's just not factual to deny that polyester has a place and a purpose in fashion, though. Even in things like lingerie or activewear, polyester is often the best option.
please stop saying garments do or dont look "flattering," when nine times out of ten what you really mean to say is "that garment does / doesn't make you look skinny." it's insidious and upholds a weird, toxic beauty standard - the end goal of fashion shouldn't be to look skinny
Polyester takes on dyes very well and is often the best choice for vibrant, brightly-colored garments. It also holds its shape - which brings me to my second point.
And again, this is not a defense of Selkie. Selkie has had quality and shipping issues for a long time on top of their recent use of AI art - the founder of Selkie even tried to use what's happening in the Congo to defend her use of AI. More on that in my next thread.
Hey by the way did you know that if a dress takes 10 hours to make and the laborers are being paid $10/hr for their work (notably, still not a living wage) then the dress is already worth $100 in labor alone? Just a fun fact!
Daily reminder that sustainability is a practice borne of necessity, not a "luxury reserved to the rich." The most sustainable garment, after all, is what's already in your closet.
@camelotslibrary
i agree with this completely. palestinians have a right to feel traumatized by this symbology. the problem is when non-jewish non-palestinians try to tell me (as they did when i talked abt this on TT) that the star of david triggers THEM in their cushy homes in the global north
Selkie (the brand) recently posted pictures of their new collection on their instagram, and when prompted, admitted that the patterns on the garments were generated with AI. However, the founder's attempts to defend her actions were absolutely the nail in Selkie's coffin.
There's no way in hell so many people see the sentence "You should wear the clothes you already have instead of buying a new outfit" and interpret it as CLASSIST consumerism has you all by the balls I don't know what to tell you.
For size-inclusive, sustainable, ethical Selkie alternatives (that, bonus, sell garments at a fraction of Selkie prices!), allow me to introduce you to
@LOUDBODIES
,
@misscandyholic
, and
@ShopMyViolet
!
I'm not seeing people talk about this enough: The founder of Selkie, Kimberly Gordon, tried to use dead black children - specifically, the genocide going on in the Congo, to defend her use of AI art.
For as long as we're going to say, "poor people deserve nice things!" with regards to consuming fast fashion, I want to know which poor people you're actually talking about. Are you talking about the garment workers (who are poorer than you) that have to make those garments?
@kuchidzuke
This looks so much like the art style of one of my friends who is a trans man that was also in a psych ward in 2020.. It's a slim slim chance but I wonder if we know the same guy
These screenshots were posted in a FB group I'm in dedicated to the problems with Selkie as a company. Kimberly later tried to do a dirty delete of the post that most of these comments were left on.
I'm seeing a lot of people misunderstanding the point of the underconsumption trend and referring to it as "rebranding being broke."
Underconsumption actually exists because of a number of factors, but primarily in response to the overconsumption that influencers encourage.
To say, as a person living in the global north with more privilege in your pinky finger than a Congolese child will ever have in their entire lives, that it's so hard for you to "pick and choose" what to support is disgusting.
Her defense, initially, was as shallow as "I'm an artist and a painter! I think AI art is cool actually, I deserve a voice in the conversation!" and when pressed quickly spiraled into something much more sinister. Lots of hiding behind "as a woman-owned small business."
Additionally "interesting" is that Kimberly has, in the past, expressed that dupes of Selkie dresses make her upset and hurt her business. This is a completely fair thing to say up until you throw other artists under the bus to defend your plaigiarism of their work.
i would really encourage people who must have a diamond to consider an alternative to lab grown diamonds too, which take a ton of resources to produce. consider antique/vintage diamond jewelry, which makes use of a pre-existing diamond & doesn't contribute to the industry
Two incredibly easy ways to help the Congolese:
1) Donβt buy blood diamonds. Thereβs 10trillion much more beautiful, much more ethical stones. And if you do love the way a diamond looks, good news! Lab grown diamonds are so good these days they fool jewelers sometimes.
@OgLakyn
Saw this the other day and had half a mind to message the seller and tell her how absolutely useless it was to rely on the tag size. Oh, you pre-package them? Okay, include taking measurements as part of the listing process then. π
When you want to be more ethical about your phone use, you use a phone until it breaks and then buy refurbished (or another ethical alternative.) There is no ethical defense of using AI art to generate patterns for your work. You have the money to pay an artist.
"Some garments need to be made out of synthetic fibers, as they are able to do things that natural fibers cannot" is true.
"So actually, buying synthetic fibers is better than buying natural fibers because natural fibers break down!" is not true, however
It's disingenuous because most people need a phone to function in society, and MOST people aren't overconsuming phones. Most people buy a phone and use it for a few years, then replace it.
Happy National Thrift Store day! Thrift stores exist to fund the charities that run them, so no matter who you are, what your tax bracket is, or how much you're buying, you're doing a great thing by shopping from them - supporting a charity & keeping clothes out of the landfill.
What are you "rebelling against" exactly by using the tool that has stolen your work to steal others' work for profit? Seriously, are these responses AI-generated too?
Corporations developed propaganda convincing you to absolve yourself of "individual sin" for contribution to climate change whilst also propagandizing you into mindless, constant consumerism via "retail therapy" and hauls so that you'd, ultimately, do nothing about any of it.
That being said, this is what buying clothing was like before fast fashion and we need to get back to it. Machines do not make your clothes! Every single garment on the planet is made by real human hands and those folks need to feed their families, too!
This is just categorically untrue. "Good quality" clothing isn't subjective, it's moreso that you haven't been taught how to identify a good quality garment. This is why you have people swearing up and down that SHEIN garments are "good quality" when you can see crooked seams.
The jist is that, by and large, fashion brands are more incentivized to produce a ton of cheaply-made, lower-quality garments than a smaller amount of higher-quality ones. This drive to maximize profit has entrenched the entire industry in a race to the bottom.
"No ethical consumption under capitalism" should inspire you to consume as little as possible and seek out the *least unethical* options, not justify a $500 SHEIN haul
"I would never spend more than $20 on a [new] top!" is rhetoric that, in addition to obviously devaluing the labor of garment workers, honestly feels like a lack of self-love or self-appreciation, too. Let me explain π§΅
@scythegenderr
This guy is a grifter. He pretty heavily plagiarized a video I made about current events that was about a pretty niche topic, but his following is so much larger than mine that I didn't consider it worth it to call him out on it. No one else was talking about it at the time!
On the "visiting NYC and experiencing culture shock" thing: born & raised in NC here, visited NYC 2 weeks ago and this is SO real, lol. It was so nice to see "fashion forward" girls walking around. For once, I felt like I didn't stick out like a sore thumb!
"Your prices are too high for me to afford, therefore you're GREEDY! I demand that you exploit literally everyone in your supply chain so that I can have a marginally cheaper dress." - Person without an ounce of self awareness.
Wasteful practices, such as trashing damaged items instead of repairing them, "shopping as a hobby," and buying a new wardrobe just for a vacation have become extremely normalized in our culture. These aren't practices that serve us, they serve the CEOs of companies like Temu
Here are some of my favorites, indie brand owners please feel free to promote yourself in my replies.
Gloomth & The Cult of Melancholy is a victorian gothic indie brand that specializes in "modern mourning attire." They offer a size range of S-6XL.
Collecting was slow and thoughtful by nature. Many collectors had to wait years and years for the right rare item in the right condition to pop up within their budget. Or, in some cases, collections signified a life that was lived, such as shell or state keychain collections.
It's depressing to realize that even the most basic knowledge of how the fashion industry works seems to elude the study of some of the most self-proclaimed 'progressive' people, seemingly because they perceive it as this vain and superficial thing unworthy of further inquiry.
If the only thing you do is overconsume and promote the consumption of fast fashion, and *ESPECIALLY* if you defend these systems that shit on the global south, you do not love fashion, you love consumerism and how capitalism personally benefits you π
You're a "socialist" who prioritizes your perceived "access" to cheap trendy clothes over the material reality, human rights, and safety of the people in the global south that the fast fashion industry exploits? Sounds pretty capitalist to me π
Corporations do *not* want us to realize our collective power. I, for one, am sick of billionaires trying to convince me I have problems that can only be solved by their shitty products.
"i don't subscribe to the theory of personal responsibility" sure is a fancy way of saying "if everyone else is exploiting enslaved garment workers, i should be able to as well π₯Ί"
@rianphin
I encourage you to go back and reread your own responses regarding garment workers. I donβt subscribe to the theory of personal responsibility but thatβs just my politics. Have a good day
The first reason folks are latching onto underconsumption is that people are becoming more cognizant of our effects on the environment as consumers and the role that influencers have played in that.
@Yanastarda
YEP. My hometown and the surrounding towns have been absolutely devastated by PFAs in such a way that the true effects of them are quite literally still being discovered - my grandparents are part of a study being conducted at the local university about it.
Loud Bodies is one of the most size-inclusive brands I've ever seen, specializing in dreamy, romantic gowns and garments you might see on a cute little doll.
They offer a size range of XXS-10XL, and do custom sizing free of charge.
hey did you know that the most sustainable thing is to wear the clothes you already have and that the next is to shop secondhand / resale (which exists at all price ranges, including free!)?
Then factor in the cost of materials, designing the garment, translating it into a pattern, any value added services such as embroidery or prints, the testing process, etc.... It should be fairly obvious that you're paying for more than just the fabric alone.
@ihateraats
the entire point of a reusable cup is to reduce the need for disposable, plastic cups, of which people use a lot of.
owning an entire collection of the same reusable cup negates that.
and SHEIN, who have everything to gain from pushing the idea that you can just buy a haul of cheap stuff to feel better. This is how Temu got to generate $14 billion+ in revenue - we have swathes of people passively, constantly shopping and not even realizing they have a problem!
@rianphin
no rian you dont get it its actually because women are channeling their innate gathering instincts and in the absence of little nuts and berries the obvious target is $50 cups
@jovisuwall
exactly - and sometimes, polyester is the best choice for a garment! it would be so insanely difficult to achieve selkie's pleats, puffiness, or bright, vibrant colors with anything else for their price range
Hot take: grandma clothing doesn't really exist, you just lack what it takes to recontextualize the garments you're finding into actual outfits. That's a skill that can be developed.
Also, this is just untrue - if anything, thrift stores are overrun with past microtrends.
"you can get cheaper clothes, just go thrifting"
Thrift stores generally have stuff mostly older people have thrown out, not online fashion trends popular amongst younger queer people.
There are 6 charity shops literally on my road and they're all mostly grandma clothing lol.
Now, by and large, you see influencers showing off collections of things like Stanley cups. Fads / trendy items that they are actively trying to sell to you. They don't feel genuinely passionate about these things, they just have an affiliate marketing code.
*Brand that is clearly using sustainability as a gimmick voice*: While certifications are great, we find that they tend to be focused more on profits than on actual sustainability, which is why we decided to have absolutely none of them at all :)
I've noticed that it affects the way that people see collections as a whole - they see it as something you bought in an instant vs something accumulated over time. If you have a large collection of something, it must mean you're wealthy vs it means youre passionate and dedicated
They trained you into apathy by convincing you that there was nothing you could do about it, so you might as well do whatever you want. Thus, consumers continued to buy their products whilst shouting, "you can't blame individuals, blame corporations!"