Latest news with #Langshaw
IOL News
a day ago
- Lifestyle
- IOL News
Why fast fashion is costing you more than you think
Fast fashion encourages a never-ending cycle of buying. Image: Freepik With the cost of living hitting hard, plenty of people are rethinking how they spend their money, and this fashion designer is one of them. 26-year-old Australian, Maddie Langshaw, is pointing out a common habit that seems like a bargain but ends up being way more expensive in the long run: fast fashion. She used to earn over $100,000 (around R1.2 million) working full-time in social media and marketing, but eventually walked away to start her own slow fashion brand. Her decision wasn't just about following her passion, but it was also a wake-up call about how fast fashion really works. 'It feels cheap at the time, but the cost adds up,' she told 'You end up constantly replacing poor-quality stuff, it harms the environment, and honestly, it just clutters your life with things that don't mean anything.' She says fast fashion encourages a never-ending cycle of buying. 'It makes you feel like you always need more, but nothing ever really satisfies you. It's not about style anymore, it's just waste,' she said. 'It's also mentally draining because you're stuck in this loop of always wanting, but never feeling happy with what you've got.' Langshaw's been there herself. She used to shop just because things were cheap or trendy, but the novelty wore off. 'The clothes didn't last, and I didn't feel like myself in them,' she said. 'Now, most of my wardrobe is second-hand or thrifted. If I buy something new, I do a ton of research first. I want to know who made it, what it's made from, and if I'll actually love it for years.' She believes fast fashion tricks us into thinking more is better, but it's a cycle that never really ends. 'It keeps us spending but never really satisfied. Once you break that mindset, you actually save money and end up with pieces that last and feel more like you,' she said. Langshaw's had her fair share of fast fashion fails. Like clothes falling apart after one wear, shrinking in the wash, or pilling within days. 'One time I wore a dress out to dinner and the hem literally came undone mid-meal,' she said. 'I remember thinking, 'Why am I spending money on stuff that doesn't even hold up?'' Now, she's ditched fast fashion almost entirely. 'Most of those brands are out of my wardrobe. They don't last, and it drives me nuts. In the end, I've actually spent less money by thrifting and I get way more wear out of what I own.' As much as most of us love a bargain and always being on trend, it's time we put a bit more thought into what we buy and add to our wardrobes.
New York Post
6 days ago
- Lifestyle
- New York Post
Gen Z designer's warning over young peoples' Temu, Shein obsession: ‘The cost builds'
The cost of living crisis has made most people reevaluate their spending, and a young Aussie has pointed out the common cheap act that is costing us more in the long run. Maddie Langshaw, 26, was earning more than $100,000 working full-time in social media and marketing when she decided to start her slow fashion brand Audrey Atelier. Advertisement It wasn't just her love of fashion that spurred on the decision — she said she also came to the realization fast fashion was a rort. 'It feels cheap in that exact moment but the cost builds,' she told 3 Maddie Langshaw understands the perils of fast fashion because she's been a consumer in the past. Instagram/@maddielangshaw 'Whether it's the constant need to replace poor quality items, or the environmental damage, or just the mental clutter of owning too much that doesn't mean anything.' Advertisement Ms Langshaw said the danger with embracing fast fashion was you were always left wanting to buy more. 'It encourages this mindset of constant consumption, where clothes lose all meaning. It's not fashion, it's waste,' she said. 'It's also emotionally draining, because it keeps us in a loop of wanting more but never feeling truly satisfied.' The fashion designer understands the perils of fast fashion because she's been a consumer in the past. Advertisement 'I definitely fell into it in the past, buying things just because they were cheap or trendy. But over time, the charm completely wore off,' she said. 3 'I definitely fell into it in the past, buying things just because they were cheap or trendy. But over time, the charm completely wore off,' she said. Instagram/@maddielangshaw 'The clothes didn't last, and honestly, I didn't feel like me in them. Now, my wardrobe is 90 per cent thrifted or second-hand. 'If I do buy something new, it takes me at least five or six rounds of research. I want to know who made it, what it's made of, and whether it's something I'll love long-term.' Advertisement Ms Langshaw argued that fast fashion created the illusion that more was better and clothes were disposable. 'It's a trap that keeps us buying and never feeling fulfilled. Once you shift the mindset out of it, you save more money long term and invest in pieces that you have forever,' she said. She's also had some horror experiences with fast fashion, where the lack of quality led to flat-out wardrobe fails. 'I've had seams unravel after one wear, things shrink beyond saving, and fabrics pill within days,' she said. 'Once, I wore a dress to dinner and the hem literally came undone mid-meal. I remember thinking, 'Why am I putting my money and energy into clothes that don't respect me back?'' she said. 'I have removed the majority of the fast fashion brands from my wardrobe due to this, the fact they don't ever last infuriates me, and over time I spend the same for less cost per wear thrifting.' 3 Langshaw's also had some horror experiences with fast fashion, where the lack of quality led to flat-out wardrobe fails. Instagram/@maddielangshaw Advertisement Ms Langshaw isn't the only one rethinking how she's spending her money on clothes — and she wouldn't have started her business if she was. Her marketing background helped her notice a big shift in consumer habits, with Aussies being more 'conscious' about where they spent their money. 'I think there's this amazing shift happening. Fashion isn't just about the look anymore, it's about the story,' she said. 'Conscious shoppers are choosing meaning over mass production.' Advertisement Ms Langshaw's been thrilled but unsurprised to see how shoppers have embraced her brand Audrey Atelier, where a blazer might cost $150 instead of $30 from a retail chain, but it is created to last. 'Even with tighter budgets, people want to feel good about what they're buying; they want pieces that last, feel considered, and come with a story,' she said. 'It's not about buying more, it's about buying better. Audrey Atelier connects with that craving for intention. 'It's a small, quiet revolution, and I'm so proud to be part of it. I have had overwhelming support from the community, with most of the buyers saying they want to support small, slower fashion.'
