Esta es la versión inglesa de mi boletín, puedes encontrar el mismo texto en castellano aquí.
I had an insight regarding the advice industry when watching The Home Edit reality show to later speak about it on the Orden a Tres podcast (you can listen to that episode – in Spanish, though – on SubStack, Spotify or Apple Podcasts).
In one of the episodes someone tells the professional organizers: “I love following you”, the implication being that there are two ways of consuming advice, this time regarding tidying, but it is applicable to all aspirational themes. There is the “how cool, I would like to have that / be that too” mode and the “how cool, I’m going to try it” mode. The curious thing about the first is that it stays at the enjoyment of the image, it is the consumption of fantasy without any real intention of applying it in real life. And sometimes we get stuck in that loop when scrolling Instagram or Pinterest already gives us the feeling that we are doing something to live a more beautiful, more organized, more sustainable life. “I am gathering information.” “I am looking for inspiration.” “I want to know how others do it.”
And it’s OK. Getting inspired is fine. Being informed is very good. Creating mutual support networks online and offline is great. But be careful not to confuse the consumption of images and information with action.
I thought of this when learning that another groundbreaking book revealing the shocking reality of the fashion industry has come out. In this case, Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment by Maxine Bédat. I have read one review and, instead of wanting to read the book, I am really not that interested.
I may listen to it eventually in an audiobook format. It may give me some details that I did not know yet or some very useful examples, since I do not doubt that the book is rigorously researched and well written.
But I don’t think it will reveal anything that will change the way I think of the fashion industry. I already have my perception of it consolidated and I have my resistance strategies in place.
In fact, the umpteenth account of all the horrors of the industry is more likely to throw me off my daily balance and push me into anger, despair, and even tempt to resign. Thank you, but I already have the quota of misery for this week filled with the latest IPCC report, I already yelled at the TV yesterday.
All the security measures and the number of people allowed for the Sunday swap have been clarified, so those of you who are in Barcelona have the opportunity not only to swap but also to volunteer for the event. You will find all the info in the Facebook event. See you!
Un buen resumen de todo lo que está mal con la gestión de residuos actual y los muy tibios intentos de legislarla supuestamente mejor: Compartiendo inquietudes sobre la gestión de residuos en el Congreso, por ejemplo, “Les recuerdo que para cualquier cosa que tengan a mano ahora mismo existen procesos industriales capaces de recuperar los materiales y convertirlos en nuevas materias primas. Lo que no existe es una demanda para el resultado y, en muchos casos, ni siquiera existe un sistema adecuado de recogida que haga viables los procesos de reciclaje.” Una versión más informal del mismo contenido por el mismo comunicador, aquí en formato de podcast: Cómo funciona el reciclaje en España con Alberto Vizcaíno.
I’ll take feminist-washing over Angels any day… and, yes, they do look weird now and didn’t 15 years ago: ¿Por qué nos enamoramos de los ángeles de Victoria’s Secret? / Why Did We Fall for the Angels? + Victoria’s Secret Swaps Angels for ‘What Women Want.’ Will They Buy It?
How’s a 40-Year-Old Woman Supposed to ‘Dress Her Age,’ Anyway? “I had naïvely thought that, as I aged, I’d be able to continue operating in the same way that I had been since I was a teenager: There constantly would be a plethora of trends and looks for me to choose from, and all I had to do was select one. And while on the one hand I resented the idea that I should “dress my age,” I also really just wanted to … dress my age. I didn’t want to wear anything tight or see-through or too short; I wanted to feel comfortable, but not like I had totally abandoned all pretense of caring about how I looked, because I do care about how I look and I don’t want to pretend that I don’t. But all around me, all I saw were clothes that I couldn’t imagine putting on my body.”
Essential and overlooked is a dangerous combination: Garment Worker Ranks as 7th Deadliest Job During Pandemic [in the US].
Sustainability and the brave people who dare to parent: Be Brave. Be Kind. Go Get ‘Em!
So cute when people who mostly review sex toys tell you about brains and how to take care of them: The Stress Response Cycle + Mental Health Practices.
And that’s it for this week! I hope that you enjoyed reading and would be very happy to hear from you, regarding the fantasy loops or anything else… in the comments below, via Facebook or Instagram, or via e-mail at luize.ratniece [a] gmail .com
Guardarrr is a weekly bilingual newsletter dedicated to sustainability and mindfulness in fashion. It is written by Luīze Ratniece, a sociologist and textile activist based in Barcelona. Guardarrr is both a tool for reflection and a crowdfunding channel for the wardrobe tracking app that Luīze is building. If you read this newsletter and value it, please consider going to the paid version to fund this project for a monthly equivalent of a coffee + pastry. Each subscription warms my heart immensely and helps going on, thank you so much for being here with me!
