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I am about to finish watching all five seasons of The Wire. WhoaConsumer sentiment shapes regulations and government policies. So it does matter. We're seeing some of this in how various parties and politicians are slowly shifting their views on gun control based on a shifting public sentiment. Let's be real, we don't vote for politicians because they propose banning plastic bags or some specific policy like that. However, when public opinion shifts, representatives take notice and shift policies (to keep their jobs).
I am about to finish watching all five seasons of The Wire. Whoa
it's real easy for snobby white collar StyleForum posters with disposable income to talk **** about the person shopping at H&M while taking Instagram pics of an Eidos overcoat they wear twice a year.
I’d agree with this point. I also think spending a lot on clothes keeps you from spending a lot on other things resulting in less consumption. Ultimately though, having more than you need is always a sin from an emissions / conservation standpoint. Not to sound like I’m coming from on high (because I can’t).I don't think these are the same things. High-end clothes can be recycled through the second-hand market for years and years and years. Margiela five-zips, EG Bedfords, Rick Intarsias, Kapital Ring coat, etc have remained relevant for more than a decade. People continue to buy them on the second-hand market.
For a variety of reasons -- brand snobbery, construction quality, and trendy design -- you can't do this with cheaper Zara and H&M clothing. That's the stuff that winds up in landfills and African rag markets, not some Yohji piece. Same for a lot of stuff coveted over on the CM side of the board -- Alden shoes, bespoke suits, J. Press ties, etc.
some aggressively bad takes here. first off, what's sustainable and how does that relate to ethics? is wool more ethical because it's more sustainable than synthetic fabrics as its a naturally derived product, or is it less ethical because it requires exploiting an animal? do we judge sustainability from the fabric itself, or from the process that produces the fabric, or how durable it is, or what happens to it post-wear as it sits in our landfills? (the answer is all of the above)
the idea though that because personal purchasing pattens have limited effect vs. say, the entirety of H&M, that we should buy clothing without thought or concern is an extremely stupid sentiment, both because it promotes edgelord climate change brinksmanship fatalism that functions to remove personal responsibility ("well I can't do anything, so I might as well give up!"), and because it ignores the cumulative effect of consumer sentiment that Greg points out.p
probably the best thing you can do is try to purchase clothing that is produced from durable fabrics from sources that aren't especially destructive to the environment and put together by workers paid a living wage, wear your clothing until it's worn out (or sell it through a second hand market if you no longer wear it), and try to limit consumption to what you need. the big caveat with all of this though is "if you can afford it." it's real easy for snobby white collar StyleForum posters with disposable income to talk **** about the person shopping at H&M while taking Instagram pics of an Eidos overcoat they wear twice a year.
I wonder if the rate of production and primary consumption can ever be matched by speed of the secondary market/recycling, etc...I don't think these are the same things. High-end clothes can be recycled through the second-hand market for years and years and years. Margiela five-zips, EG Bedfords, Rick Intarsias, Kapital Ring coat, etc have remained relevant for more than a decade. People continue to buy them on the second-hand market.
For a variety of reasons -- brand snobbery, construction quality, and trendy design -- you can't do this with cheaper Zara and H&M clothing. That's the stuff that winds up in landfills and African rag markets, not some Yohji piece. Same for a lot of stuff coveted over on the CM side of the board -- Alden shoes, bespoke suits, J. Press ties, etc.
Yeah when I was more in tune with the watch forums, I would see the same watch for sale every couple of years and would know exactly who had owned it along the way. Watch people are addicted to watches but their income doesn't allow them to have that many, so they enjoy a watch for a year (sometimes less) and sell it to fund the next shiny thing. Once in a while, a watch survives that ruthless cycle. They're called "keepers."I think that something has to be both valuable AND retain a fair deal of value for it to be used "sustainably". The category that jumps out at me right now is vintage watches, which can retain a great deal of value relative to pretty much any other luxury category. Vintage watches regularly pass through a half dozen hands. @gdl203 knows a lot more about this than do I, I think.