I LOVE this piece. Since the election I've been paying particular attention to why conservatives hate the "libs" so much and a good part of it is that there are just too many people out there making too many people feel blamed for too many things without having an appreciation for context or circumstances.
I hate Walmart but I will never forget telling my daughter that a lot of people shopped there because they had to, and that they just disdn't have the money to support mom and pop stores. I told her because, at that time, we were those people.
Financial limitations are the realest thing for those of us who are facing them and unfortunately they frequently trump long term sustainability concerns.
That said YAY for thrifting and buying pre-loved, and to that I'll add clothing swaps and buy nothing groups. I've gotten some of my favorite items from my neighbors via our Buy Nothing group and it's saved me a ton of money.
While I can't speak for other people for sure, I say this exclusively to content creators, especially those who can afford NOT to buy from them but will because, like you mentioned, "fashion trends keep changing." And while the affordable part of that statement doesn't apply to them, they, for whatever reason, can't bear to part with their money. I'm speaking specifically about those ones you see doing $500 Shein hauls every few months, carrying, seemingly, brand-name bags like Prada and all, that they swear is authentic while also living in $8000+ apartments. THOSE ones have no excuse.
I used to believe that this didn't even apply to most of us here in Nigeria because I know people who shopped in RedTag and the like and wore it for years.
I'm people.
The concept of "wear once" and not wanting to be known as an "outfit repeater," which is like the most damaging part of fast fashion right after the poor treatment of the workers, was only introduced to me when I was made aware of Western consumer habits. I don't know enough people, or is it enough bougie people, to know if some of our people are doing this now too.
True, I think creators like that just do it for the content and I cannot be on the side of the fence where they sit. Because if you can afford Prada then you can afford to buy Patagonia - that’s sustainable. But not everyone cares about sustainability.
On the other point, I do think as Nigerians we have a consumerism culture. At some point I used to be one of those people who “don’t wear the same thing twice” when going for a public event. But I quickly realised my wardrobe was filling with clothes I couldn’t rewear or wear in my day to day life. So I stopped, because I found it wasteful. But not everybody cares.
We are also a people with an asoebi culture, and even though you wouldn’t catch me buying asoebi to every event, there’s the sentiment of buying clothes when it’s my mother’s party or my sister getting married.
Because I can sew, I do try to occasionally deconstruct those clothes into functional pieces I can wear on a random Sunday, but I’ve decided maybe it’s not worth it.
On the flip side I do find joy in giving away things I no longer wear and I do a yearly donation for things I realize I haven’t worn through the year.
So maybe it’s about every individual finding ways within their behavior to do better.
I think in promoting a particular way of life, people forget context and intersectionality at large! Vegans say zero animals should be eaten but tell that to the Inuit people where vegetation is very little. Environmentalists say reduce carbon emissions by reducing personal car usage and opting for public transportation - I should danfo hop everyday? And now me, averse to danfo hopping, should I advise people with income lower than mine to also avoid danfo? With what funds? Let people do the best with what they have without feeling like they've let someone down or contributed to evil in world.
“Danfo hop every day” just made me remember that I stopped danfo hopping because I almost got kidnapped twice. So we can talk about reducing emissions, but there’s also the big issue of safety and security.
I LOVE this piece. Since the election I've been paying particular attention to why conservatives hate the "libs" so much and a good part of it is that there are just too many people out there making too many people feel blamed for too many things without having an appreciation for context or circumstances.
I hate Walmart but I will never forget telling my daughter that a lot of people shopped there because they had to, and that they just disdn't have the money to support mom and pop stores. I told her because, at that time, we were those people.
Financial limitations are the realest thing for those of us who are facing them and unfortunately they frequently trump long term sustainability concerns.
That said YAY for thrifting and buying pre-loved, and to that I'll add clothing swaps and buy nothing groups. I've gotten some of my favorite items from my neighbors via our Buy Nothing group and it's saved me a ton of money.
Yaaay! Thanks for plugging me to Buy Nothing
While I can't speak for other people for sure, I say this exclusively to content creators, especially those who can afford NOT to buy from them but will because, like you mentioned, "fashion trends keep changing." And while the affordable part of that statement doesn't apply to them, they, for whatever reason, can't bear to part with their money. I'm speaking specifically about those ones you see doing $500 Shein hauls every few months, carrying, seemingly, brand-name bags like Prada and all, that they swear is authentic while also living in $8000+ apartments. THOSE ones have no excuse.
I used to believe that this didn't even apply to most of us here in Nigeria because I know people who shopped in RedTag and the like and wore it for years.
I'm people.
The concept of "wear once" and not wanting to be known as an "outfit repeater," which is like the most damaging part of fast fashion right after the poor treatment of the workers, was only introduced to me when I was made aware of Western consumer habits. I don't know enough people, or is it enough bougie people, to know if some of our people are doing this now too.
True, I think creators like that just do it for the content and I cannot be on the side of the fence where they sit. Because if you can afford Prada then you can afford to buy Patagonia - that’s sustainable. But not everyone cares about sustainability.
On the other point, I do think as Nigerians we have a consumerism culture. At some point I used to be one of those people who “don’t wear the same thing twice” when going for a public event. But I quickly realised my wardrobe was filling with clothes I couldn’t rewear or wear in my day to day life. So I stopped, because I found it wasteful. But not everybody cares.
We are also a people with an asoebi culture, and even though you wouldn’t catch me buying asoebi to every event, there’s the sentiment of buying clothes when it’s my mother’s party or my sister getting married.
Because I can sew, I do try to occasionally deconstruct those clothes into functional pieces I can wear on a random Sunday, but I’ve decided maybe it’s not worth it.
On the flip side I do find joy in giving away things I no longer wear and I do a yearly donation for things I realize I haven’t worn through the year.
So maybe it’s about every individual finding ways within their behavior to do better.
I think in promoting a particular way of life, people forget context and intersectionality at large! Vegans say zero animals should be eaten but tell that to the Inuit people where vegetation is very little. Environmentalists say reduce carbon emissions by reducing personal car usage and opting for public transportation - I should danfo hop everyday? And now me, averse to danfo hopping, should I advise people with income lower than mine to also avoid danfo? With what funds? Let people do the best with what they have without feeling like they've let someone down or contributed to evil in world.
“Danfo hop every day” just made me remember that I stopped danfo hopping because I almost got kidnapped twice. So we can talk about reducing emissions, but there’s also the big issue of safety and security.
Just as you said, there’s no one size fits all.