I do a lot of posts attempting to normalize and cool-ify hella subversive stuff
#VisibleMending
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I'm also a big fan of the new trend of visible mending — normalizing those patched clothes is important. (I just wrote a short story this fall literally called *Visible Mending* 🙂 ) #VisibleMending
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visible_mending
It's important to understand culture definitionally changes in the underground, below the radar.
"People will never shop used at scale."
This is the status quo lie (alongside "no change is possible unless it's the product I've invested billions in").
Thrifting exists in the underground long before anyone (except those doing it) know it's "a thing.
It becomes "cool" long before it goes mainstream.
Wholesale change of the culture is possible and in ways billionaires can do nothing about.
I had a discussion with my daughter over the holidays because I've been, for years, giving the kids clothes (or gift cards) to get NEW clothes from sustainable clothes places. I tell them explicitly that I want them to try new things from places that are making durable, fair trade, sustainable clothing.
My daughter said she really prefers used clothes, and I super support that, but when you need (or just want) something new, it's important to support these fledgling companies...
They're remaking the clothing industry to be more sustainable. Many are new (and there are more every year!) but if we don't support them, then the only options will be fast fashion.
I'm a firm believer that both work well together. Thrift/reuse primarily... you'll save money and the planet... and then when you want/need something new, you can afford to spend more and support a business that's trying to remake the industry into something more sustainable.
@susankayequinn Susan, this is insightful. Since you are into this stuff, I recommend this fantastic post by Hans Stegeman on shoes: https://hansstegeman.substack.com/p/50-put-on-your-running-shoes
* 23 billion pairs produced each year
* Repairable leather is almost totally gone, and everything is now sneakers: plastics, composite materials, fossil fuel-heavy, almost impossible to repair and recycle
* Norms change in that case went anti-environment.
* Norms change can be a placebo for systems change.
@alberto_cottica
Thanks for the article, I will check it out.
But what you're calling "norms change" is marketing — it's just "we decided to make shoes that are unsustainable and people are like YUP THAT'S FINE" — that's actually not a norms change at all (because the "norm" is unsustainable manufacturing that the average consumer doesn't concern themselves about at all, ie consumerist culture).
The *real* norm change is rejecting consumerism and that's not placebo, that *is* systems change.
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