Rant: Fast fashion, greed, craftsmanship

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DuckieLady

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Something that has bothered me for a long time is fast fashion. Meaning most of the things we see in stores are meant to be tossed away in six months.

So we get it cheap, in excess, its useless in a few months, and then it is done away with.

I look through history and see how much people appreciated the little that they had because they put so much work into it. And it was cared for, properly.

There was a time when a woman might only have two dresses and be content. There was also a time when women used the cotton bags from flour to make the dresses, and when one company learned about it they started putting out floral prints.

ink.jpg


Men, too- soldiers during WW1 were encouraged to knit.

R.b165b1219e56e3d9153b6d1a5452926c


463063329_06f1da85ec.jpg


To me, it makes more sense to spend a month on a sweater to last up to ten years, and have maybe only a few but appreciate those few of good quality, rather than something cheap and more than likely, unethical. I can't help but myself feel like I am contributing to evil and being an enabler of some sort.

I wish we could go back to using old skills, or keep the flow of exchange between ourselves and the homemakers and the craftsmen, in our own way.

Otherwise, we are relying on sketchy workshops and handing money to men who are already have too much and hoard it up for themselves, and leave the weaker with too little.

It would be nice to use our own skills and take the flow back.
 
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Nancy

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Something that has bothered me for a long time is fast fashion. Meaning most of the things we see in stores are meant to be tossed away in six months.

So we get it cheap, in excess, its useless in a few months, and then it is done away with.

I look through history and see how much people appreciated the little that they had because they put so much work into it. And it was cared for, properly.

There was a time when a woman might only have two dresses and be content. There was also a time when women used the cotton bags from flour to make the dresses, and when one company learned about it they started putting out floral prints.

ink.jpg


Men, too- soldiers during WW1 were encouraged to knit.

R.b165b1219e56e3d9153b6d1a5452926c


463063329_06f1da85ec.jpg


To me, it makes more sense to spend a month on a sweater to last up to ten years, and have maybe only a few but appreciate those few of good quality, rather than something cheap and more than likely, unethical. I can't help but myself feel like I am contributing to evil and being an enabler of some sort.

I wish we could go back to using old skills, or keep the flow of exchange between ourselves and the homemakers and the craftsmen, in our own way.

Otherwise, we are relying on sketchy workshops and handing money to men who are already have too much and hoard it up for themselves, and leave the weaker with too little.

It would be nice to use our own skills and take the flow back.

Agreed, barter system!!! :) We really need so little to live on. It is time for me to go
minimalistic. If you have something you have not worn in a year and it is still wearable, give it to a clothes pantry. If anything else you don't use and it just collects dust...toss it all! (unless, of course, it holds sentimental value for you)
I despise clutter but, where ever I sit, I end up with clutter from soup to nuts!!! :eek: My table is full of PAPERWORK and coffee cup, water jug, a hat, pills, pens, a 3 lb. dumbell, two small puzzles in boxes, tissue, change, some used silverware, wires all over the place (dontcha just love this "paperless and wireless" society ? :rolleyes: ) And sundry others under all of that, lol. Hate it but, there ya have it! Gotta just start tossing "stuff"...or give it away.

 

DuckieLady

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Agreed, barter system!!! :) We really need so little to live on. It is time for me to go
minimalistic. If you have something you have not worn in a year and it is still wearable, give it to a clothes pantry. If anything else you don't use and it just collects dust...toss it all! (unless, of course, it holds sentimental value for you)
I despise clutter but, where ever I sit, I end up with clutter from soup to nuts!!! :eek: My table is full of PAPERWORK and coffee cup, water jug, a hat, pills, pens, a 3 lb. dumbell, two small puzzles in boxes, tissue, change, some used silverware, wires all over the place (dontcha just love this "paperless and wireless" society ? :rolleyes: ) And sundry others under all of that, lol. Hate it but, there ya have it! Gotta just start tossing "stuff"...or give it away.
Lol! But it all sounds useful!


During the Great Depression, even the old paper bags and things were saved to be used for taking notes. You could use them for making journals.

I tried to be a minimalist and had very little, I managed to live out of a bag (mostly) for over ten years!

But something I understand now, creative people cannot be minimalists.

We have paper everywhere, fabric scraps we can't decide on, an abundance of tools, and things just keep coming up out of thin air. I don't know how it happens.

No chaos, no creation. Evidence: the kitchen at mealtime. - Mason Cooley
 

Lambano

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I despise clutter but, where ever I sit, I end up with clutter from soup to nuts!!! :eek: My table is full of PAPERWORK and coffee cup, water jug, a hat, pills, pens, a 3 lb. dumbell, two small puzzles in boxes, tissue, change, some used silverware, wires all over the place (dontcha just love this "paperless and wireless" society ? :rolleyes: ) And sundry others under all of that, lol. Hate it but, there ya have it! Gotta just start tossing "stuff"...or give it away.

My friend is a hoarder. It’s an addiction, and it’s horrible. You could barely move around her house because of the piles of crap. When her mom died, she had to sell the house. I helped her salvage the bare essentials, the rest she abandoned to the new owners to sell or throw out. A friend took her in because she had no place else to go. And she’s started hoarding again. Empty boxes, shopping bags, crap she’s bought from Amazon…. It’s horrible.:( I keep praying she’ll get delivered from this addiction.
 

DuckieLady

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My friend is a hoarder. It’s an addiction, and it’s horrible. You could barely move around her house because of the piles of crap. When her mom died, she had to sell the house. I helped her salvage the bare essentials, the rest she abandoned to the new owners to sell or throw out. A friend took her in because she had no place else to go. And she’s started hoarding again. Empty boxes, shopping bags, crap she’s bought from Amazon…. It’s horrible.:( I keep praying she’ll get delivered from this addiction.
I've helped a couple of hoarders clean out before and it seems like within two weeks it goes exactly the way it was. (I have done it A LOT.) And they need a lot of comfort and understanding- and someone to really see what it is in them causing them to do it so that they can feel emotionally secure.

There's a lot of emotional attachment.

Other times, it isn't emotional, I had cleaned out a room for a family friend and there were empty 2-liter bottles of Coca-Cola up stacked up to the knee.


Absolutely awful.



How can anyone drink Coca-Cola
 

Lambano

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And they need a lot of comfort and understanding- and someone to really see what it is in them causing them to do it so that they can feel emotionally secure.
That is a good point, though it’s probably beyond my ability as a friend to do. Our pastor tried and just ended up getting frustrated.
Absolutely awful.

How can anyone drink Coca-Cola
LOL!:D:rolleyes:
 

marks

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Agreed, barter system!!! :) We really need so little to live on. It is time for me to go
minimalistic. If you have something you have not worn in a year and it is still wearable, give it to a clothes pantry. If anything else you don't use and it just collects dust...toss it all! (unless, of course, it holds sentimental value for you)
I despise clutter but, where ever I sit, I end up with clutter from soup to nuts!!! :eek: My table is full of PAPERWORK and coffee cup, water jug, a hat, pills, pens, a 3 lb. dumbell, two small puzzles in boxes, tissue, change, some used silverware, wires all over the place (dontcha just love this "paperless and wireless" society ? :rolleyes: ) And sundry others under all of that, lol. Hate it but, there ya have it! Gotta just start tossing "stuff"...or give it away.
I heard a good tip the other day, turn all your clothes hangers backwards, and when you wear something, and put it back, hang it the right way. Then, after 6 months or a year, collect the clothes from all the backward turned hangers and donate them.

My wife and I have a donation pile by our front door, and I'm noticing it ALWAYS has things in it. So that's a sad commentary on our shopping habits!

Much love!
 

DuckieLady

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There's an interesting thought! I MUST share this with my wife! Finally! An excuse!

Yay!!!
haha! It is true. I remember some good advice to try to keep it down to two projects.

One difficult one that will take a long time and one easy one for when you get frustrated with the difficult one, until you're ready to go back to it.

And then just finish them.

Helps to keep the encouragement.

I used to have multiple unfinished projects at a time everywhere :oops:

My biggest mess has been scraps and scraps and scraps of unfinished quilt rows during my Mennonite time.

I was never going to finish any of them.

I didn't have a sewing machine.

I said "No, I am the sewing machine."

No, I need a machine.
 
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Nancy

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I heard a good tip the other day, turn all your clothes hangers backwards, and when you wear something, and put it back, hang it the right way. Then, after 6 months or a year, collect the clothes from all the backward turned hangers and donate them.

My wife and I have a donation pile by our front door, and I'm noticing it ALWAYS has things in it. So that's a sad commentary on our shopping habits!

Much love!

Lol Marks, I rarely shop for clothes, i am fine with several pairs of jeans which last for ever, a few dressy outfits. And most of what I do wear, is years old.
Good idea about the hangers!
 
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Nancy

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My friend is a hoarder. It’s an addiction, and it’s horrible. You could barely move around her house because of the piles of crap. When her mom died, she had to sell the house. I helped her salvage the bare essentials, the rest she abandoned to the new owners to sell or throw out. A friend took her in because she had no place else to go. And she’s started hoarding again. Empty boxes, shopping bags, crap she’s bought from Amazon…. It’s horrible.:( I keep praying she’ll get delivered from this addiction.
Yep, I too have known and still do know hoarders. I'm just a clutter bug, I can clear the kitchen table and have it looking so nice but, within a couple days it is cluttering up again, lol...keys, receipts, mail...on and on. :confused:

I feel for your kind friend who took her in, hope she can keep up with the "stuff".
 
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Nancy

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Lol! But it all sounds useful!


During the Great Depression, even the old paper bags and things were saved to be used for taking notes. You could use them for making journals.

I tried to be a minimalist and had very little, I managed to live out of a bag (mostly) for over ten years!

But something I understand now, creative people cannot be minimalists.

We have paper everywhere, fabric scraps we can't decide on, an abundance of tools, and things just keep coming up out of thin air. I don't know how it happens.

No chaos, no creation. Evidence: the kitchen at mealtime. - Mason Cooley

"No chaos, no creation...." :D
The only problem is...how can you find anything?! Ahaha...o_O:p
 

quietthinker

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Yep, I too have known and still do know hoarders. I'm just a clutter bug, I can clear the kitchen table and have it looking so nice but, within a couple days it is cluttering up again, lol...keys, receipts, mail...on and on. :confused:

I feel for your kind friend who took her in, hope she can keep up with the "stuff".
I don't think I have any clothes younger than ten years, in fact, as I'm looking at them hanging on a rack above me from the bed, most would be at least twenty years old. They last a long time when you don't wear them. :)
 

Lambano

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These cheap meme T-shirts I order from Amazon are especially bad; the material is so thin...

(How thin was it?)

It was so thin, I could feel my fingers starting to tear through the weave of my new "Dumpster Fire 2021" t-shirt when I was taking it off after the first wearing. Seriously.

Of course, why would I expect anything better from Amazon?
 
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Nancy

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I don't think I have any clothes younger than ten years, in fact, as I'm looking at them hanging on a rack above me from the bed, most would be at least twenty years old. They last a long time when you don't wear them. :)

"They last a long time when you don't wear them. "
Oh, so THAT'S why mine have lasted forever, I just wear the same ones all the time! What's wrong with jeans and a T? ALL my clothes (almost all) come from thrift stores and let me tell you, I have been blessed with so many awesome things! I have a beautiful winter coat, rust colored, suede/leather that had a tag for $199.99 in it...I paid $60 bucks for it well over 10 years ago and still wear it as my main winter coat :)
Best clothes are used ones, :D ... although I know some folks would rather drop dead than wear something "used" :eek:
I say, meh! They clean and in good repair??? They are just fine then.
 

Nancy

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These cheap meme T-shirts I order from Amazon are especially bad; the material is so thin...

(How thin was it?)

It was so thin, I could feel my fingers starting to tear through the weave of my new "Dumpster Fire 2021" t-shirt when I was taking it off after the first wearing. Seriously.

Of course, why would I expect anything better from Amazon?

Last summer I bought a couple of summer tunic type tops. One washing and all the threads started to frey...and the T shirts??? I think they are made of rice paper! You are right brother, never buying that stuff again...they were very nice and bright looking and comfortable but...garbage :(
Oh yes, their sizes are WAY off for us hearty Americans...if you want a small order a large...if Medium get an ex large...they are tiny!
 

Lambano

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and the T shirts??? I think they are made of rice paper!
It didn't use to be that way. (Now I sound like a grumpy old man again. Get off my lawn, you kids!) This Seattle Mariners' t-shirt I'm wearing now, we bought that in Tacoma back in... 2005? I can feel the difference in the fabric between this one and the Amazon stuff.
 
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Nancy

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It didn't use to be that way. (Now I sound like a grumpy old man again. Get off my lawn, you kids!) This Seattle Mariners' t-shirt I'm wearing now, we bought that in Tacoma back in... 2005? I can feel the difference in the fabric between this one and the Amazon stuff.
Ha! Just the fact that that T shirt is from 2005 say's a lot!

"(Now I sound like a grumpy old man again. Get off my lawn, you kids!) "
:D
 
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