Comments on: current TV: haiti’s ‘pepe’ (aka secondhand clothing) market

By: (quick) fashion question(s): would you wear garbage? | bits and bobbins

(quick) fashion question(s): would you wear garbage? | bits and bobbins — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:52:58 +0000

[...] but saved from the landfills by me and other finders”. to which YOU could contribute… -current TV: haiti’s ‘pepe’ (aka secondhand clothing) market: a post i did a while back about “pepe” in haiti — how secondhand goods are used [...]

By: midoritsuru

midoritsuru — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:43:49 +0000

I do believe that secondhand clothing retains something of its past wearer(s). Literally! Hair tangled into knits, traces of favorite perfume, the odd receipt or photograph in a pocket. I can understand why this bothers some people; you just can’t know where it’s been. But I think of it similarly to water and air and other resources which everyone shares and are constantly recycled. To me, secondhand clothing is a reminder that we are all connected, and that what you cast out of your life doesn’t just disappear, it moves on. And besides, who am I to feel superior to the previous wearer, so that their used clothing aren’t “clean” enough for me? I would hope my castoff clothing is considered good enough to wear by someone else! I guess I’ve always understood clothing as something to be shared.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come across my old clothing in thrift stores. I can tell it was mine once just by looking at it. I’ve successfully left my mark!

By: Stacy

Stacy — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 01:07:27 +0000

I think one reason that I love vintage clothes and jewelry is due to that history. Maybe I’m an optimist (who knew?), but I’ve only had positive thoughts regarding the previous owners – a handmade dressed kept the love or hope that went into its creation. A vintage formal retains the glamor of the wearer’s big night. I have vintage pieces of jewelry that I feel the same way about: a diamond ring in a 20’s deco setting that makes me feel secure and confident. A vintage locket with gold Mary and Jesus inside, which always brings a safe and calm feeling. I wear it every day, almost. Whether it’s clothing or jewelry, I have this impression of all the women who wore or created them standing with me, sharing their power for this next leg of the journey.

By: Phalla

Phalla — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 01:01:44 +0000

I too enjoy the thought of carrying on the life of a garment and where it might have gone before I became its owner. I think that people can develop a real emotional attachment to clothing based on the experiences they have while wearing them and adding to those experiences is really a great part of that process. And it definitely makes for a more interesting story when you can ponder the ‘wear’ that’s been worn into a garment and what things the old wearer may have done while in them rather than thinking about the sweatshop or factory another garment may have emerged out of. Thanks for the mention!

By: tricia

tricia — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:44:48 +0000

julia: incredibly good point! the first “user” of a piece of clothing is but one of many “spirits” one could argue are perhaps present in one piece of clothing, or really, any object.

tee: i used to love doing that to friends who would comment upon or compliment my thrift finds…”where’d you get that?” or “that’s nice…” to which i’d cheekily respond, “oh, the thrift store. cost me $3!” i loved seeing them squirm.

By: julia

julia — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:08:45 +0000

I do think about the “energy” that went into clothing before I owned it, though I am not sure I believe in it or can feel it. But one of the things that squicks me out about new clothing is the thought of who might’ve made it, whether they were treated well, whether they might (understandably) resent the future owner, etc. It’s not like clothing enters into the world fully formed and new and in someone’s closet. There’s the raw materials, the transit, the manufacturing, the designers, the buyers, the warehouse, the store…

By: tee

tee — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:22:28 +0000

I have never had a problem wearing other people’s clothing. When I was in high school, I would wear dresses from the 50s and imagine who had owned them before me. I really wanted to know where the clothes had been… were they worn to a dance, dinner, the soda shoppe? Now I keep things more modern, and have supplemented my wardrobe with several thrift finds.

One of my girlfriends, however, REFUSES to wear thrift finds. It’s gross to her. I can only imagine she is thinking of their sweat and skin and whatnot being trapped in the fiber forever. I don’t understand her phobia, but she just won’t do it. I often rub it in when I walk into work with a new thrift find and she compliments it. I just look at her, shrug, and say “thrift store.”

By: Barry Wright, III

Barry Wright, III — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:44:02 +0000

Really cool pod from current! These are some really interesting concepts, and in line with the growing sustainability movement. A related pod I really enjoyed documents Megan Nicolay’s involvement with “fashion hacking,” related to my pet project of microdesign. Cool stuff.

http://current.com/items/77356981/fashion_hackers_in_istanbul.htm

By: Sal

Sal — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:34:58 +0000

Funny. I firmly believe that most objects and certainly houses/places can retain the energy of previous owners and inhabitants … but it never affects me with clothes. Maybe since washing and cleaning clothes is something we all do regularly (or so one hopes!), they don’t retain as much of the easy-to-sense energies of previous wearers?