The podcast delves into the decline in clothing quality, the impact of overseas manufacturing, and deceptive advertising tactics by clothing companies. It suggests alternatives for finding affordable and high-quality wool sweaters and highlights the importance of seeking garments made in places of need. The concept of flattering clothing is explored, along with the challenges of shopping amidst the current fashion landscape. The podcast also introduces the Culture Study Podcast and its aim to explore various aspects of culture.
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Trade Deal Expired Changed Fashion
The expiration of the multi-fiber arrangement in 2005 drastically changed garment production and quality globally.
This trade change led to lower material quality, worse workmanship, and widespread fast fashion decline in the US and Western Europe.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Old Sweaters Were Natural Fibers
Amanda found old sweaters from the early 2000s and before were often 100% natural fibers like wool or cotton.
Newer sweaters usually contain significant synthetic blends, marking a clear material shift over two decades.
insights INSIGHT
Bamboo Fabric Environmental Cost
Viscose and rayon fabrics, often marketed as "bamboo" fabrics, are chemically treated cellulose that cause environmental harm.
They are cheap to produce in countries with lax environmental regulations, enabling widespread use in cheap clothing.
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For the maiden voyage of the Culture Study podcast, we’re taking a hard look at a problem that plagues us all: terrible clothes. Why are shirts falling apart or pilling after just a few wears? Why does Gucci charge $3200 for a polyester sweater? What happened to ironing and will we ever dry clean en masse again?
Amanda Mull, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins me for a deep dive into the past twenty years of fashion production (and consumption) trends.
Show notes:
The tweet I describe in the beginning of the podcast:
You can see Amanda’s Jeffrey Dahmer glasses in the bio of her Instagram (which is private, so don’t friend request unless you actually know her)
Paul Mescal’s rat tail situation (perhaps more appropriately called a mullet)
This week, we’re looking for your questions for future episodes about:
Resurgent interest in early 2000s music (with Switched on Pop’s Nate Sloan)
The Mean Girls Trailer
A deep analysis of Taylor and Travis Kelce discourse
Kevin Bacon’s Hott Instagram and Gen-X/Elder Millennial Instagram in general
“Little treat” culture
You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here.
Now come hang out with us in the discussion — I’ve put a few ideas to get us started below:
What’s your best made piece of clothing — and what’s the piece of clothing that SHOULD be well made but has evidenced itself to be shit?
Did you go check the tags of your sweaters after listening WHAT DID THEY SAY???
How do we think of this general decline in clothing quality as a symptom of deregulation?
I’d love to hear your thoughts about the decline in ironing and “women’s domestic tasks” in general.
PLUS ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LOVE TO TALK ABOUT
As is the case in the rest of subscriber-only Culture Study, this is a private space, and our expectation is basically: don’t be butts. In this case, don’t be butts about clothes and other people’s relationship to those clothes, and let’s keep this one of the good places on the internet.
And if you’re looking for the fancy subscriber-only-question-form that allows us to prioritize your questions: it’s here.And thank you so much for subscribing — you allow us to make the show we want (which is also hopefully the show you actually like) free of advertiser imperatives, and that rules.
Culture Study Podcast