There is no question that travel impacts both our planet and its people.  Yet it's also an amazing opportunity to explore both ourselves and world, while deepening our understanding for the other humans sharing this planet. Can we travel more responsibly, finding a balance between ethics and exploration?  Amanda is joined by Desirée of The Pewter Thimble and travel writer/educator Ginger to break it down.  In this episode we will explore the following questions: What is responsible...

Amanda is joined by Maxine Bédat, author of Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment and the founder/director of sustainable fashion think tank New Standard Institute. In 2021, Maxine led the introduction of the New York Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act...aka the Fashion Act!  In this episode we will answer all of your questions about this groundbreaking piece of legislation, including Why is the fashion industry largely unregulated?What are the policies within the...

What if we could use secondhand resale as a way to push brands toward making higher quality, longer last clothing? And what if resale could be more equitable for everyone involved?  In this episode, Amanda is joined by Jake and Yulia of Treet.  We will discuss how helping brands create their own resale platforms could benefit customers, the planet, AND the brands themselves.  Also, in this episode, most brands are at crossroads: try to compete with the ultra fast fashion brands like Shein...

Amanda answers questions from members of the Clotheshorse community.Here are just a few of the things covered in this episode: How do we avoid overconsumption at the thrift store?How can we simultaneously take control of our finances and reduce our consumption?How do we find our personal style in a sea of "kinda garbage" clothes?Why is it so difficult to find clothing in larger sizes? And why are so few brands offering extended sizing?What changes does Amanda wish the industry had made a long...

In this episode, Amanda is joined by artist and print designer Erin Cadigan to talk about how AI impacts the world of print design and really, all creative jobs.  Erin is the print designer for UK slow fashion brand The Hippie Shake. You will get to hear about the importance of art, design, and creative exploration in Erin's life, as well as her thoughts on the larger issues of economic justice associated with generative AI.  Dustin also drops by to help Amanda explain AI, how it works, and...

Happiness feels so...elusive right now, right? Happiness coach Sandra Ann Miller joins Amanda to talk about how we might have happiness wrong.  In this episode we will explore the following questions: Are unhappiness and consumerism linked?What is hedonic happiness? How is that different from eudaimonic happiness?Can money buy happiness? And are billionaires happy?How and where can we find happiness (you might be surprised)?What's the difference between being happy and toxic positivity?Is...

Emily Li Mandri, founder and design behind MLE, joins Amanda to talk about all things accessories and jewelry, including What is costume jewelry? And why is metal content important?The drawbacks of "fast jewelry"What are the challenges of running a small, ethical accessories brand?How are knockoffs and copycats a big part of the jewelry/accessories industry?What happens when bigger brands don't pay their invoices?And so much more! Read more about what is happening with Neighborhood Goods and...

New clothes ARE kinda garbage these days, from low quality synthetic fabrics to zippers that are a problem from the very first wear to lack of detail and poor fit.  And the low quality and short lifespan of this clothing is creating an environmental and ethical crisis for the planet and its people.  Why are these clothes just so bad? In this three part series, Amanda breaks down the hidden reasons that new clothing is kinda garbage. This episode covers the following: How the illusion of free...

New clothes ARE kinda garbage these days, from low quality synthetic fabrics to zippers that are a problem from the very first wear to lack of detail and poor fit.  And the low quality and short lifespan of this clothing is creating an environmental and ethical crisis for the planet and its people.  Why are these clothes just so bad? In this three part series, Amanda breaks down the hidden reasons that new clothing is kinda garbage. This episode covers the following: How are returns causing...

It's the first episode of Clotheshorse in 2024! And it's another CH first, too: an entire episode about ONE email!Amanda received this email in mid December. It sparked many, many hours of reading, research, and conversations with other members of the community. In the quest to find a response to this message, a lot of other conversations began: Is it greenwashing to say "Small Business Is The Future?"Where is the nuance within slow fashion? How does that nuance influence the way we start...

New clothes ARE kinda garbage these days, from low quality synthetic fabrics to zippers that are a problem from the very first wear to lack of detail and poor fit.  And the low quality and short lifespan of this clothing is creating an environmental and ethical crisis for the planet and its people. Why are these clothes just so bad? In this two part series, Amanda breaks down the hidden reasons that new clothing is kinda garbage. This episode covers the following: What is planned...

Slow fashion is not a trend. It's a way of life. A community of passionate, creative people. A movement fighting for a better future. In this episode, Amanda is joined by artist and slow fashion superstar, Mikaela Friedman (Mutiny Market, Shop Slow, Psychic Outlaw).  We talk about a lot of things in this episode: Shop Slow, a new slow fashion boutique in Austin, TX that focuses on artisanal clothing made by collective of makers with a focus on recycled textiles.  Check out the Shop Slow...

Emma Zack of BERRIEZ is here to tell us all about the lessons she has learned over the past few years as a small business owner.  She will share advice she has for all of you small business owners out there, whether you’ve been doing it for years, just getting started, or maybe just fantasizing about leaving your dumb job to work for yourself!  She'll also tell us what she would like to say to the big fashion brands out there that refuse to offer plus sizes. We'll also hear audio essays from...

Nearly 1 out of 4 of the new garments we purchase end up being returned to the brand/retailer.  While retail companies tend to keep the true data about returns under wraps, industry experts estimate that half of returned clothing is never worn by another person, ending up in the landfill instead.  So yeah, returns are a pretty big deal across the entire retail industry (even outside of clothing).  Amanda is joined by Emily Austin, who has a lot of experience in the world of returns, customer...

Dani of Picnicwear joins Amanda to explain why (most) new sweaters are low quality, (near) future garbage (instead of future vintage).  It's a complicated tale of synthetic blends, increasing margin targets, and lower prices.   We'll explain how the fast fashion industry has kept prices low and profits high by swapping out yarns, cutting out details, and making copies of copies, while walking through the design process of most big retailers/brands.  We will unpack why it's really difficult...

Writer and all-around rad person Rachel Greenley (@rachel_greenley_words) is back! You first met her in January, when she dropped by to talk about her New York Times essay, This Is the Reality of America’s Fast-Fashion Addiction. In that piece of writing, she shared her experiences working in a facility processing Amazon returns. Her essay is a must-read for anyone who has wondered what happens with the items we buy online and then return! If you haven’t listened to that episode yet, you...

Meet Kristi and Chiarra, board members for the Indie Sellers Guild, a nonprofit dedicated to providing education and support to all online creative indie sellers around the world.  The Indie Sellers Guild got its start in 2022 while organizing the Etsy Strike, when about 17,000 shops put their Etsy storefronts on vacation mode, effectively preventing customers from shopping.  In this week's episode,  Kristi and Chiarra will explain how "reserves" are having a negative impact on small...

Meet Kristi and Chiarra, board members for the Indie Sellers Guild, a nonprofit dedicated to providing education and support to all online creative indie sellers around the world.  The Indie Sellers Guild got its start in 2022 while organizing the Etsy Strike, when about 17,000 shops put their Etsy storefronts on vacation mode, effectively preventing customers from shopping.  In this week's episode,  Kristi and Chiarra will be telling us about what led to the Etsy strike, the outcome, and...

It's that time again…time for Clotheshorse to SAVE Halloween! And for this very important mission, Amanda is joined by a Clotheshorse all-star, Maggie Greene, the Halloween Queen!  You’ll get to meet some fabulous guests while we talk about all of the ways we can save Halloween from the ghouls of capitalism, waste and overconsumption.  You’ll be haunted by all of the scary facts about Halloween waste, but hopefully you’ll also be inspired to make this Halloween better than ever, putting the...

It's that time again…time for Clotheshorse to SAVE Halloween! And for this very important mission, Amanda is joined by a Clotheshorse all-star, Maggie Greene, the Halloween Queen!  Over the next two episodes, you’ll get to meet some fabulous guests while we talk about all of the ways we can save Halloween from the ghouls of capitalism, waste and overconsumption.  You’ll be haunted by all of the scary facts about Halloween waste, but hopefully you’ll also be inspired to make this Halloween...

In part three of three, Amanda explores fast fashion 1.0 and 3.0 through the lens of her career: How the industry uses things like #Girlboss, feminist tees, and cause marketing to sell you more stuff. When fast fashion becomes desperate and starts embracing greenwashing and new revenue streams like rental and resale. WTF is the de minimus rule and how is it benefitting fast fashion 3.0? We'll be talking a lot about Shein and its peers. Additional reading:"After Months of Reported...

In part two of now THREE, Amanda explores fast fashion 1.0 and 2.0 through the lens of her career.  In this episode we will break down all of the acrobatics brands did to bring their customers more and more newness, faster and faster.   How fashion got faster with some help from social media and the normalization of shopping online. How retailers began to commodify every holiday and occasion, creating products we didn't really need for every and any "event." Why fast fashion retailers...

In part one of three, Amanda explores the rise of fast fashion 1.0 through the lens of her career as a buyer: How economic and social factors helped it blow up in the 2000s (and why millennials are "The Fast Fashion Generation"). Its impact on workers throughout the world. How it altered both consumer behavior and our perception of price and value. The changes brands made in order to remain highly profitable while selling everything at a lower price. And we'll learn who coined the term "fast...

Amanda is joined by Zoe Edwards, host of Check Your Thread.  This is part two of their conversation. Zoe gives us advice on how we can sew more sustainably.  And Amanda explains "fast fashion 3.0" and Cider. Get connected with Zoe:Check Your ThreadIntroduction to Garment Fabrics (by Zoe)Zoe's personal sewing blog Instagram: @checkyourthread Additional reading:"How Cider became TikTok’s go to brand, despite ‘cultural appropriation’ and ‘stolen’ designs," Lydia Venn, The Tab."Don’t Bother...

Amanda is joined by Zoe Edwards, host of Check Your Thread.  This is part one of their conversation. They will be talking about how and why Zoe started a podcast about sewing and her relationship with sewing. They will also unpack the privileges that make sewing more challenging or inaccessible for many people (and how it could be better).  Amanda explains the connection between Temu, "996" work culture, and forced labor. Get connected with Zoe:Check Your ThreadIntroduction to Garment Fabrics...