Hey everyone, welcome back to The Tamnation Gilsey Podcast. I’m James Mitchell, and today I would like for us to consider—sustainable fashion. Now, if you’ve been following the show, you know we’ve talked about sustainability from a bunch of different angles—retro tech, lost skills, even the resilience of trades in the face of AI. But fashion, that’s a whole other beast, right? It’s everywhere, it’s personal, and honestly, it’s one of the most polluting industries out there. So, where did this whole sustainable fashion thing even start? Well, the roots go back further than you might think. The philosophy is pretty simple: make clothes that don’t wreck the planet. That means using eco-friendly materials, cutting down on waste, and rethinking how we produce and consume clothing. I remember, back in the early 2000s, covering the first so-called ‘green’ fashion shows. There was a lot of skepticism—people thought it was just a marketing gimmick, or that eco-friendly meant you had to wear a burlap sack. But slowly, as the science around climate change got harder to ignore, and as more designers started experimenting with organic cotton, recycled fabrics, and low-impact dyes, the movement gained real traction. The industry’s carbon footprint is massive—think about all the water, energy, and chemicals that go into making a single t-shirt. Sustainable fashion is about shrinking that footprint, and honestly, it’s been fascinating to watch the shift from skepticism to genuine acceptance. I mean, it’s not perfect, and there’s still a long way to go, but the conversation has definitely changed. People are asking tougher questions, and brands are being pushed to do better.And, you know, it’s not just about the environment. There’s this whole philosophy around slowing down, buying less, and really valuing what you wear. It’s kind of like what we talked about in that episode on retro tech—repair, reuse, and mindful consumption. The same ideas are showing up in fashion, and I think that’s a good thing.So, let’s talk about vintage. If you ask me, vintage clothing is the heart and soul of sustainable fashion. I mean, what’s more eco-friendly than giving old clothes a new life? Secondhand shopping has exploded in the last decade, and it’s not just about saving money—though, let’s be honest, that’s a nice bonus. It’s about finding pieces with history, with character, and, yeah, with a much smaller environmental footprint. Every time you buy something vintage, you’re basically skipping the whole resource-intensive process of making something new. No new cotton fields, no new factories, no extra shipping halfway around the world.And there’s something special about vintage style. You get access to designs and fabrics you just can’t find anymore. I’ll never forget stumbling across this classic Levi’s jacket at a thrift shop in Chicago—mid-80s, perfect fade, you know the kind. I wasn’t even looking for it, but there it was, just waiting for a second act. There’s a thrill to that kind of find, and it’s not just nostalgia. It’s about connecting with a different era, and, in a way, making a statement about what you value.Plus, vintage and secondhand shopping are central to the whole sustainability movement. It’s like what we discussed in the retro tech episode—restoring and reusing isn’t just practical, it’s a way to push back against throwaway culture. And honestly, the more people get into it, the more it changes the industry. Thrift shops, online resale platforms, even high-end vintage boutiques—they’re all part of this secondhand revolution.Now, let’s get into the ethics side of things, because sustainable fashion isn’t just about the environment—it’s about people, too. Ethical sourcing and fair labor are huge issues. You can have the greenest fabric in the world, but if it’s made in a sweatshop, is it really sustainable? More and more, brands are being called out on this, and consumers are starting to pay attention. There’s a new wave of eco-conscious brands out there—some big, some just getting started—that are trying to do things differently. They’re transparent about where their materials come from, how their workers are treated, and what goes into each piece of clothing.But here’s the tricky part—how do you know if a brand’s claims are legit? There’s a lot of greenwashing out there, and it can be tough to separate the real deal from the marketing spin. My advice? Look for third-party certifications, dig into the company’s supply chain, and, if you can, support smaller brands that are open about their process. It’s not always easy, but the more we ask questions, the better the industry gets.As for the future, I think we’re just getting started. The market for responsible clothing is growing, and the next big steps are probably going to be around transparency and circularity—making sure clothes can be reused, recycled, or composted at the end of their life. It’s a big challenge, but if the last few years have shown us anything, it’s that change is possible.Alright, that’s all for today’s episode. Thanks for joining me on this journey through the world of sustainable fashion. We’ll keep exploring how culture, technology, and ethics intersect in future episodes, so stick around. Until next time, take care—and maybe check out your local thrift shop, you never know what you’ll find.

Episodes

Vintage Redux