Clotheshorse with Amanda Lee McCarty
Host Amanda Lee McCarty (she/they) decodes and demystifies the fashion and retail industries, and takes on topics like consumerism, workers rights, personal style, and why fashion is a case study in capitalism gone awry. Your money is as powerful as your vote! "If you wear clothes, you need to listen to Clotheshorse." --Elise "If you are human and live in the world, you need to listen to Clotheshorse." --Individually Wrapped
Episode 249: I'm With The Brand (in Japan), part seven
This episode is part seven in an ongoing series about brands and how they influence our identities and drive consumerism. In this episode, recorded in Kyoto, Japan, we'll unpack how the importance of IRL shopping in Japan impacts the ways brands build emotional connections with customers:
How nature creates the ultimate "Call To Action" for food shopping (and how the US has made most food non-seasonal),How Trader Joe's has built an intensely loyal customer base,Examples of the "collab madness" happening in Japan right now,Why many big brands in Japan includes cafes and other experiences in...Episode 248: ATTN: Confidential with Maggie Greene
This year, Clotheshorse all star, Maggie Greene (The Halloween Queen) embarked on an epic international, cross-country adventure that she called The Tragic Optimist Tour. Along the way, she recorded conversations with the people she visited, eventually turning them into a new podcast called ATTN: Confidential. And of course, she and Amanda had to record a conversation togetherâŠbut with a twist: For the first half of the session, she interviewed Amanda. For the second part, Amanda interviewed Maggie.  This weekâs episode is part 2 of the conversation, where Amanda interviewed Maggie. You can listen to part 1 here.
Episode 247: Let's build the future we want (LIVE IN PORTLAND)
Live in Portland, OR at Holocene, Amanda is joined by Karen, Cassie, and Frances to talk about how sewing is an important part of a better future. We will also discuss:
Maybe instant gratification isn't really that gratifying at all?Where and how sewing became an uncommon skillWhy our lack of knowledge about sewing makes us overconsume (and expect things to be cheap and fast)Ways for teaching more people how to sewHow sewing and making things actually makes us happierThoughts on the ethics of the textile supply chain and how to minimize our textile waste when sewingHow...Episode 246: Doomerism is boring (LIVE IN SEATTLE!)
Live in Seattle, WA at the Here-After, Amanda is joined by Nivi, Kim, and Janelle to talk about optimism, activism, and why doomerism is just so @#$%ing boring. We will also discuss:
What it means to be a steward of your clothingWhy it's more than "just clothes"What we sacrifice in favor of convenience cultureHow to lead by example for those around youAnd how to keep the conversation about difficult topics going
Nivi: Soapbox Project, @soapboxproject
Kim: @heavydutyvintage
Janelle: @janelleabbott
Get your Clotheshorse merch here: https://clotheshorsepodcast.com/shop/
If...
REWIND: Why new sweaters are kinda garbage, with Dani of Picnicwear
Sweater season has arrived for many of us, so let's revisit a favorite episode from last 2023!
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. Â
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 to find swe...Episode 245: I'm With The Brand (bots in the algorithm), part six
This episode is part six in an ongoing series about brands and how they influence our identities and drive consumerism. In this episode, we'll unpack how social media has been harnessed as a tool to drive trends, spread misinformation, and create influence. Also, Corinna, Cat, Bonnie, Kevin, and Miriam share their own thoughts about brands, loyalty, and consumerism. In this episode:Â
What is an algorithm anyway?Why do Amanda and Dustin have very different social media feeds, despite sharing many common interests?How does social media distort our perception of reality?What do Cracker Barrel, the 2024 election, and A...Episode 244: Mending is a radical act, with Jeanna and Mary
This week, we are taking a break from the I'm With The Brand series to talk about mending! Jeanna and Mary are here to talk about their new book, Stitch It, Donât Ditch It: Simple Hand-sewn Repairs to Help You Love Your Clothes For Longer.Â
In this episode, we will talk about the following:
How and why Jeanna and Mary ended up writing a book about mending togetherWhy it has become unusual to repair your clothing (and how we can change that)Why we should make the time to mend our clothes (and...Episode 243: I'm With The Brand (we, the customers), part five
This episode is part five in an ongoing series about brands and how they influence our identities and drive consumerism. In this episode, we will unpack how brands use customer information to create that emotional connection:
A nostalgic trip back to the 00s:Â the rise and fall of Urban Outfittersâ âcoolness", and what it revealed about aspirational vs. actual customers.Why brands claim to be âobsessed with the customer,â yet often misunderstand whoâs really shopping with them.The shift from emotional branding to data-driven surveillance marketing and how companies now know us better than we know ourselves.Very specia...Episode 242: I'm With The Brand (Nostalgia, convenience, and hope)
This episode is part four in an ongoing series about brands and how they influence our identities and drive consumerism. In this episode, we will explore three more "emotional branding" trends of this century: convenience, nostalgia, and hope. This episode includes the following topics:
An explanation of trend forecasting and why most large brands are selling essentially the same stuffWGSN and how "big trend forecasting" might be bad for fashion, workers, and customersThe Ouroboros of hustle culture and convenience marketing, along with all of the products and industries that have thrived in a time when people are working...Episode 241: I'm With The Brand (cause marketing), part three
This episode is part three in an ongoing series about brands and how they influence our identities and drive consumerism.
In this episode we will be unpacking and exploring various examples of "cause marketing:"
Additional...
Episode 240: I'm With The Brand (emotional branding), part two
This episode is part two in an ongoing series about brands and how they influence our identities and drive consumerism.
In this episode:
Episode 239: I'm With The Brand (unpacking how brands influence our brains), part one
This episode is part one in an ongoing series about brands and how they influence our identities and drive consumerism.
In this episode:
Weâre going to break down what brand and branding mean, using fizzy water and boxed macaroni and cheese as examplesWe will walk through the history of âbrandsâ and âbrandingâ leading up to this century, where it evolves from a little brand on a jug to full-on marketing teams and brand theoryWhy it's so wild that food brands got obsessed with masked taste tests in the 70s and 80sHow Amanda teaches brand and branding t...Episode 238: Five Years of Clotheshorse
In honor of five years of Clotheshorse, Amanda brings back the very first episode of the show (mandatory listening for any one interested in slow fashion), "Romper Drama and Useless Safety Pins, or It's a Cents Game."
Before jumping into that episode, Amanda talks about what has changed over the last five years. She explains why and how Clotheshorse has given her hope and joy in dark times. And she also gives a little minisode on tariffs (and why they won't "fix" fast fashion).
If you've loved listening to Clotheshorse, give the podcast the ultimate gi...
Episode 237: Billionaire Boycott List, with Ariel of Cobbled Goods
Would you be surprised to hear that your favorite shoe brand is neither family-owned nor as punk as it portrays itself to be?
Did you know that wealth inequality and shoes are directly connected?Â
Could your latest shoe purchase be subsidizing lobbying efforts to fight a rise in the minimum wage or reduce taxes for the wealthiest people?
Amanda is joined by Ariel, the founder of Cobbled Goods to talk about how shoes, wealth inequality, and politics are entangled. He will introduce us to his Billionaire Boycott List. In this episode, we will also cov...
Episode 236: Ripped From the Headlines...
In this episode, Amanda explores and explains a few different topics that are âripped from the headlines,â including some news submitted from listeners:
A recap of Amanda's day at the United Nations Fashion and Lifestyle Network Annual MeetingAn update on the Fashion ActHow boycotts are affecting Target (and their nightmare 2025 Pride collection)What Joann has in common with Toys R US, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Nasty GalWhy Torrid is closing a ton of stores (and why this is a problem)And so much more!
JOIN AMANDA FOR THE CLOTHESHORSE BIRTHDAY CRAFTERNOON ON JULY 20!
Ad...
Episode 235: Reading, Writing, and Hanging out at the mall, with Jane and Molly of Content Queen
This week you are going to meet Molly and Jane of Content Queen, a two-person Bay Area-based zine publisher. And we are going to talk about all kinds of very hot topics (including literally Hot Topic):
Episode 234: Who killed Jo-Ann?
What happened to Jo-Ann (the massive fabric/craft store chain)? In many places, it was the only game in town. It had a captive audience. And sewing and mending are on the rise.  So Amanda set out to find out who killed Jo-Ann. Itâs a lot more complicated than you think! In this episode we take a journey full of twists and turns:
Was it just private equity? And WTF is private equity anyway?What do Jo-Ann and Red Lobster have in common? Unfortunately it's not Cheddar Bay Biscuits.How has society's relationship with sewing changed over the las...Episode 233: Making the secondhand economy more equitable, with Valeria of Thryft Ship
A better future for our planet means most people buying secondhand clothing most of the time. Right now we live in a âgolden eraâ of shopping secondhandâŠif youâre the customer! But the infrastructure as it exists right now for the people doing the work of finding, repairing, cleaning, and selling secondhand clothing needs a lot of improvement. This week, Amanda is joined by Valeria Brenner of Thryft Ship to dissect how and why the current state of secondhand resale isnât equitable for the people doing the work:
We will break down the reality of the fees that t...Episode 232: Wear what you want to wear, with Marlee of Style Me Slowly
Understanding what your personal style and wearing what you want to wear? AMAZING! Not only does it feel great to love your clothes, it's also an essential part of a more sustainable way of life. In this week's episode, Amanda is joined by Marlee of Style Me Slowly to talk about how to find "closet contentment."
Why âflatteringâ is kind of a myth (and puts the focus on the wrong personâs happiness)The challenges of breaking up with the ârulesâ we have been taught about what we can and cannot wearWhy understanding what you really want to wear is a v...FROM THE DEPARTMENT: Secondhand News (the recurring and always controversial trend of secondhand fashion),Part 4: The 2010s
Amanda is currently googling "fast home remedies for nonstop cough" with a tissue jammed in her nose, so please enjoy part four of this series from The Department about the history of secondhand shopping. Â
This episode was originally released in April 2023.
From the original episode description:
Amanda + Kim end their journey through the history of secondhand shopping as a social, retail, and style trend in a decade so close, yet so far away: the 2010s.
Get all the details at thedepartment.world.
FROM THE DEPARTMENT: Secondhand News (the recurring and always controversial trend of secondhand fashion), Part 3: The 2000s
Amanda's still coughing and feeling pitiful, so here's part three in a series about the history of secondhand shopping from The Department.
This episode was released in April 2023.
From the original episode description:
Secondhand shopping is having a major moment right now and it isn't without controversy. Amanda + Kim take a deep dive into the trend cycle of secondhand clothing, because it turns out secondhand fashion isn't a first time fashion trend. This episode (part three) focuses on the 2000s.
Get all the details at thedepartment.world.
FROM THE DEPARTMENT: Secondhand News (the recurring and always controversial trend of secondhand fashion), Part 2: The 80s and 90s
Amanda is out with the most disgusting cold this week, so here's part two of The Department's series about secondhand shopping!
This episode was originally released in April 2023.
From the original episode description:
Secondhand shopping is having a major moment right now and it isn't without controversy. Amanda + Kim take a deep dive into the trend cycle of secondhand clothing, because it turns out secondhand fashion isn't a first time fashion trend. This episode (part two) focuses on the 80s and 90s.
Get all the details at thedepartment.world.
FROM THE DEPARTMENT: Secondhand News (the recurring and always controversial trend of secondhand fashion), part 1
Hi everyone! Dustin brought one souvenir back from his recent tour with his band American Motors: a really gross cold, which I now have the pleasure of experiencing right now. I'm in the constant coughing/lost my voice stage of it this week, so there is no new episode of Clotheshorse.
Instead, I thought I would share a few of my favorite episodes of my kinda RIP/kinda on-hiatus podcast, The Department, in which Kim and I talked about the history of secondhand shopping. I am going to share all of them on the Clotheshorse feed this week, s...
Episode 231: This is not a eulogy for Forever 21.
Last month, Forever 21 filed for bankruptcy for the second time. It is planning to close all of its stores in the coming months as it winds down its operations. This is not a eulogy for Forever 21, but it is a deep dive into how one retailer change changed our habits, along with the entire business of making and selling clothing.
Weâll be talking about the following topics:
The history of Forever 21: where it started, how it grew, and where it went wrong,The many ways that Forever 21 changed our relationship with clothing, including how much we...Episode 230: Everything is better with community...fridges, with Christa of Material Union
How can we do good things in difficult times? The seemingly small things we do as individuals are actually really radical, impactful, and important. And if we do these good things with members of our community, they become even more powerful. This week, Christa of Material Union joins us to share how her community fridge has changed her life! We will be covering the following topics:
How to get a fridge started in your community. Weâre going to cover all of the nuts and bolts: electric bills, permits,the best kind of fridge to use, how it all...Episode 229: Every community needs a Radical Sewing Club, with Scout Quiquivix
How can we do good things in difficult times? The seemingly small things we do as individuals are actually really radical, impactful, and important. And if we do these good things with members of our community, they become even more powerful. In this week's episode, Scout of Radical Sewing Club shows us how mending and sewing are radical political acts. They will will share how we can start our own mending club in our own community!Â
We will be talking about important things like venue, cost, materials, and even how a typical Radical Sewing Club evening plays out...
Episode 228: Thrifty Business with Sara and Shan of Bargain Thrift Center
Over the past few years, we have explored many different facets of the secondhand economy: resellers and the ethics of reselling secondhand items, the various secondhand platforms, the fine art of thrifting, and even where all of the unsold stuff from thrift stores ends up! In this episode we'll learn what it's like to run an independent thrift store, with Sara and Shan of Bargain Thrift Center, a thrift store in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA. We will discuss
How the unrealistically low prices of ultra fast fashion impact the prices most people are willing to pay f...Episode 227: How to find accurate news in unprecedented times, with Elizabeth Segran
One of the challenges facing all of concerned citizens is where and how to find accurate and reliable news. This week Amanda is joined by Elizabeth Segran, Senior Staff Writer at Fast Company Magazine.
They tackle some very important questions about news, media, and how we can determine what is fact, fiction, or something in-between:
How can we tell the difference between editorial/opinion pieces and news reporting?Is it dangerous for people to get their ânewsâ solely from social media?Is there a âHippocratic oathâ for journalists?What are the processes journalists and news organizations follow fo...Episode 226: How To Be Okay
2025 is a lot. Things are kinda overwhelming right now: thereâs a lot of news to digest and it's coming fast, itâs hard to suss out reality from fiction, and we donât know what we can do to help. And soâŠitâs hard to be okay right now. But it sure is easy to be overwhelmed. Frightened. Angry. Trapped in a sense of powerlessness.Â
Find this episode's transcript (and so much more) at clotheshorsepodcast.com
This week we are going to talk about how to be okay, whether youâre facing fascism, climate change...
Episode 225: Slow Fashion & Inclusivity Round Table
This is part four in a continuing series about slow fashion and inclusivity. Amanda is joined by some rad people doing great work making slow fashion more inclusive:
Itohan Asemota is the founder of HNI Collective, a Philadelphia-based fashion service agency with a focus on size inclusivity and sustainability. Find Itohan on Instagram: @itsitohanhey
Marlee Rosen is a slow fashion personal style coach and the host of Style Me Slowly Podcast, where she features size inclusive, slow fashion brands and designers. Find Marlee on Instagram: @stylemeslowly
Nico Herzetty is the founder and CEO...
Episode 224: Slow Fashion & Inclusivity with Itohan and Marlee
This is part three in a continuing series about slow fashion and inclusivity. In this episode you'll meet two people working to get more people into slow fashion and highlight size inclusive ethical brands:
Itohan Asemota is the founder of HNI Collective, a Philadelphia-based fashion service agency with a focus on size inclusivity and sustainability. Find Itohan on Instagram: @itsitohanhey
Marlee Rosen is a slow fashion personal style coach and the host of Style Me Slowly Podcast, where she features size inclusive, slow fashion brands and designers. Find Marlee on Instagram: @stylemeslowly
In...
Episode 223: Winning the Battle Against Doomerism
Despair. Apathy. Not believing that things can change and be better. Just fully discounting any possibility of progress. Have you struggled with these feelings? It's called doomerism and you're not wrong for feeling that way. Â
In this week's episode, Amanda talks all about doomerism (and how to fight it off):
Amanda shares what she learned on her desert road trip in search of optimism, with stops at National Parks and more than one geodesic domes.She will share her advice (gained through experience and lots of reading about this topic) for saving yourself from doomerism, while al...Episode 222: Capitalism, The (Board) Game
In the final episode of 2024, Amanda is inspired by a conversation with her friend Janelle to explore board games that teach children (and adults) the âwinner takes allâ aspect of late stage capitalism and/or reinforce the message that success=stuff.
Weâll take a journey through the history of board games, with a deep dive into the Game of Life.Weâll check out the shopping focused games of the 1980s and 90s, including Mall Madness.We will touch on some other games that just seem agonizing for adults to play, like Payday (too real).And weâll explore...Episode 221: Slow Fashion & Inclusivity with Nico and Donnelle
This is part two in a continuing series about slow fashion and inclusivity. In this episode you'll meet two people working to make slow fashion more accessible for more people:
Nico Herzetty is the founder and CEO of Phoria, " a platform to help people find what fits their bodies, their style, and their prioritiesâand how we can support each other in that journey." Find Phoria on Instagram: @phoriafits
Donnelle Jageman is the founder of The Plus Swap and a cofounder of Philly FatCon. Find Philly FatCon on Instagram: @phillyfatcon
In these two one...
Episode 220: Slow Fashion & Inclusivity with Sushmita of Ethical Fat Fashion
Amanda is joined by Sushmita, the person behind Ethical Fat Fashion, the "coolest fat positive fashion newsletter amplifying ethical size diverse brands.â Â In this episode--recorded in a karaoke room in Tokyo--Amanda and Sushmita discuss the following:
âSustainable fashionâ has an inclusivity problem. Meaning: it still focuses on thin, white, young, wealthier cis-gendered women. Why is that still the case, years into the sustainability movement in fashion?How can we change that? I always feel like I am part of a growing diverse community of primarily working class people, yet I still see many brands and organizations continuing to focus o...REWIND: Episode 144: The 12 Days of Slow Gifting (part one), with Maggie Greene
Amanda has a cold, so this week's episode is the return of a 2022 classic, Part 1 of the 12 Days of Slow Gifting with Maggie Greene!
Gifting is an easy place for us to begin to educate others about the impact of overconsumption, while creating new traditions and changing societal behaviors! Maggie Greene (The Halloween Queen) joins Amanda to introduce The 12 Days of Slow Gifting. This is part 1 of 2. Weâll be explaining what slow gifting is, how to have difficult conversations about gift boundaries (like âno giftsâ) with the people in your life, the importance of shopping small and we w...
Episode 219: Clotheshorse in Japan: Why is Everything So Cute?
Clotheshorse (aka Amanda) was in Japan!
And in this week's episode--the last in the Japan series--Amanda breaks down why everything is so cute in Japan.
We'll talk about the following:
Why are the fruit bus stops of Konagai a lesson in Instagram versus reality (but also so cool and special)?What is Don Quijote and why is the song a real earworm?What are eki-melo (é§ ăĄă) and why are they an important tool?Why are signs and public information so cute in Japan?What is the history of kawaii culture and aesthetic?And why does Amanda believe...Episode 218: Clotheshorse in Japan: Fake Food (Shokuhin Sampuru), Parfaits, and Pudding
Clotheshorse (aka Amanda) is in Japan!
And in this week's episode, recorded in Nagasaki, Amanda shares the story of fake food (Shokuhin Sampuru, éŁćă”ăłăă«) in Japan.
We'll talk about the following:
The history of food replicas in Japan (and why showing the actual food available in a restaurant was necessary for a long time),How department stores in Japan compare to department stores in the US,Why Takizo Iwasaki is considered the "Father of Japanese Fake Food,"How fake food is made,Amanda and Christine's trip to Sample Village Iwasaki in Gujo Hachiman, where they tried their hand a...Episode 217: Clotheshorse in Japan: Konbini, Egg Salad, and A Love for Denny's
Clotheshorse (aka Amanda) is in Japan!
And in this week's episode, recorded in Kyoto, Amanda shares the history of Japanese convenience stores and why they are loved by tourists and the Japanese alike. We'll talk about the following:
And of course, so much more!
Read Convenience Store Woman by...
Episode 216: Could AI Save Fashion?
AI is being pitched as a solution for many of the world's greatest problems, including the environmental and ethical crisis that is fast fashion. Is AI a real solution for a more sustainable fashion industry? Or is it just hype?
This week's episode is a longer version of Amanda's recent talk about AI and fashion for the 2024 Fashion Changers conference in Berlin.
Amanda breaks down the following on her journey to figure out if AI really can save fashion:
