Comments on: (not so) random links

By: bART

bART — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:27:25 +0000

ps – we tried to make a cowgirl dress for the ladies and learnt that its not an easy endeavour at all! http://www.kilakituclothing.com/cowgirls.php – we decided to put the idea on hold until we get our guys clothing running steady. Our lady friends (pictured) told us they wouldn’t actually buy a dress online without being able to try it on – whats your policy on buying online?

By: bART

bART — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:24:53 +0000

I find these discussions really interesting. It was one of the reasons I started Kilakitu in Kenya. There was such a surplus of cast off clothes which were still perfectly great fabrics. Viewed purely from a utilitarian use – we could make new clothes from this surplus. Then it became an art to try and fashion unlikely combinations. Our first 58 shirts were such a huge success because people liked them enough to buy them! Our tailors and models and so excited to keep trying and trying and creating. There is a certain spirit to our work which I feel so privileged to be a part of. I must say, I can feel the same spirit in your work. Wishing you all the best!

thanks
bART from kilakitu clothing

By: current TV: haiti’s ‘pepe’ (aka secondhand clothing) market | bits and bobbins

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:02:43 +0000

[...] (one of my awesome commenters) left a comment on my last (not so) random links post giving me a link to a short documentary about ‘pepe’ or secondhand goods in haiti. it [...]

By: Phalla

Phalla — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 00:13:02 +0000

I purchase almost equal parts crappy commercial clothing, high end clothing and thrifted/vintage clothing alike. It does depress me sometimes to see the lack of thought that a lot of girls put into their wardrobes lately, pouncing on the stretchiest, shiniest item they can get their hands on and blending in with the crowd. Even at the age of 24 I to have really seen a rapid deterioration of the great things I used to find in thrift stores really become taken over by commercial castoffs. Overall I think a lot of people don’t understand the big difference there is between used thrift store clothing and actual vintage. Anyway, I thought you might enjoy this video I saw on Current a while ago. It showcases where a ton of our discarded American clothes go and the ‘pepe’ or “secondhand’ phenomenon that those items have in Haiti. http://current.com/items/88838892/pepe_secondhand.htm

By: laura

laura — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:40:03 +0000

here in germany, second-hand-shopping is still not considered chic by most. many people think old clothes are loathsome and they dislike the fact that someone has worn them before – especially when it comes to clothes that are worn directly on the skin. i, however, am of the same opinion as you: we have to rethink our habits. i try to buy less clothes and make more things myself (out of new & old materials), because i’ve noticed that i love my handmade clothes more. the reason might be that i have to think about what i want the garment to look like again and again during the making process and that it fits better. in addition, i shop for vintage clothing that i change.

i hope the depression doesn’t make people buy more cheap things, but change their attitude. it would be great if people started to buy less things that have a better quality, could be worn for a longer time and repaired or reworked afterwards and buy more vintage clothes instead of new.

most of the time, i only look at streetfashion websites for the eyecandy. however, i also save pictures with beautiful clothes in my “sew it yourself some day”-folder now and then.

By: kasia

kasia — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 07:33:28 +0000

reading this i remembered something from a magazine like elle or cosmopolitan that i read in early highschool, so maybe 8 years ago: a comment in an article along the lines of ‘wearing jeans that someone else wore? eww, gross!’
now mainstream magazines are featuring stylish girls who are wearing those secondhand jeans, so there is a different attitude clearly visible today. at the same time, i can think of friends who never got into thrifting who would still be disgusted by it.

interesting post, lots of things to think about

By: elliebelle

elliebelle — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 19:20:13 +0000

You ask great questions! I often struggle with the inner demons of cheap fashion. For me, I know a lot of why I buy in excess is more of a body image issue, rather than trying to have the next best thing. I see advertisements or blogs or whatever, with someone looking beautiful and chic, and I fall for it – I want whatever that person has. And when some of the products are inexpensive it becomes very difficult to pass up. I always feel like this one piece will complete my wardrobe! It never does of course, and then I’m on to the next thing. It becomes a difficult thing to curb – and since we are all bombarded with fashion images all the time, how can you resist the temptation? This year I am vowing to try to stop so much of the purchasing of throwaway fashion and sew more of my own clothes that will allow me to feel great in! So there’s my two cents. I really liked your post!

By: vasiliisa

vasiliisa — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:47:31 +0000

In fact I should thanks the 1990’s recession for making me thrifter. Before that, thrifting was much more uncommon in Finland. I certainly can’t say what the attitudes were, because I didn’t even know anyone who thrifted. When the ecomony collapsed, there were suddenly thrift stores everywhere, and people learned to shop at them. Then it was a necessity – now second hand has become rather trendy as well. I hope that if a new recession is evident, it will at least help thrift stores flourish.

However, I do think thrifting can also be a part of the consumerism problem and not the solution. People learn to think that dumping stuff at thrift stores is a honourable way of getting rid of old clothes when you get bored with them and want to buy new ones. In result, way too many cheap disposable clothes are brought to charities and thrifts, and what we see is just the top of the iceberg.

By: midoritsuru

midoritsuru — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 01:20:08 +0000

You raise so many timely and essential questions here, it’s hard to choose which one to address first!

You’re right, the quality of thrift has generally gone down, unfortunately. However, you could also look at that situation as having rewarding folks ahead of the curve, which is a good thing, I think. In terms of the quality of the clothing as it’s been manufactured recently, I wouldn’t argue that it’s mostly schmattes. However, I think any raw material can be made into a high-quality product. I believe all that schmattes can still be useful, but not necessarily in its current incarnation. That’s where everyday crafty entrepreneurs come in. In any case, we’ll eventually have to work with what whatever we’ve got!

Concerning why remixing isn’t a widerspread trend, I say, give it time! I do believe that’s in our future, if only because it’s healthy and an everyday application of creativity, which is what makes life fun. At least for me )

Finally, street style: I enjoy it on several levels. On one level I enjoy the actual items some people wear, like a gigantic mohair sweater, knee-high Doc Martens or a nice, crisp bow tie. On another level I enjoy imagining what that individual’s style may be, since any snap is just a moment in time. For all I know that person could have worn something completely different the day before. And then I enjoy the blogger’s eye, trying to gather a sense of their aesthetic based on what they deem interesting enough to share. I am so glad there are more street style blogs than there were even two years ago.

I’m with you in hoping that the new year will see the end of mindless consumption. I also hope that conscious living will become a widespread trend!

By: ambika

ambika — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 05:19:47 +0000

As a child, we went to Value Village because we were poor. & we never talked about it because it was an insult to be so poor that you needed to shop there. In high school, with the explosion of grunge, it suddenly seemed like you couldn’t hit up a thrift store without running into half a dozen high school & college kids.

I agree with the commenter who said the thrifters are consuming just as much as the retail shoppers–it’s stopped being about making do with less & just about saving money & supposedly being original.