Dear Emma Chamberlain
please,please,please
For today’s release we had another article prepped and ready…but mid-Tuesday, a friend texted, “Have you seen the talk about the Emma Chamberlain closet clean-out video? I feel like you would have thoughts.”
I needed to pivot.
If you don’t know Emma Chamberlain, she is a YouTube sensation, a creator turned model/personality, owns a coffee brand and has major influence over many young women across America and beyond. My introduction to her was through my little sister seven years ago when she vlogged about learning to drive, having bad acne, making dank coffee, and going on thrift-shopping hauls.
She has come a long way since than, but her latest video has been a major bummer for me and the sustainability community. Here is my brief letter to her.
Dear Emma,
I am disappointed in you as a long-time watcher, as you went on adventures to San Francisco with your Dad getting Philz Coffee, finding thrift stores, to moving to Los Angeles, and going through mental health struggles. It wasn’t just me; the world has been with you even when you’ve vlogged through your teens to adulthood. But this, I beg. In the words of Sabrina Carpenter, please, please, please.
Capsule Wardrobe is systemically sustainable, but your use in this video is not. A better method you could have mentioned is creating a capsule closet for a season and packing away clothing you love and will wear again that may be out of fashion for now, knowing it will return in trend in a few years. As a fashion girl, you know trends are cyclical. Your reason behind keeping some clothing felt impractical, which is going to lead to eventual purchasing again when a need comes.
Solution: Help educate your audience — Don’t throw away everything. Instead of throwing out/donating. Save practical items you love or even like and would use again, then next time you have an itch to buy, look through what you saved; this is sustainability efforts at its finest.
Where has all your clothing gone? Your YouTube following has 12 million subscribers, and the video has started a massive wave of fans doing as you do, getting rid of massive amounts of clothing. However, what you did is not conducive to fighting waste and the overconsumption issue due to excessive buying. You’re adding gasoline to the raging fire of the fast fashion problem.
Solution:This would have been a great oppurtunity to point your fans to resources to donate, to not just thrift stores. Local efforts Across the world are helping fight climate change and the enviromental impact of clothing waste. Simply donating is not the solution. We need help with education.
Wherever you donate your clothing, only 20% to 30% will make it to thrift stores; the other percentage will go to landfills overseas. Any way to temper excess consumption is key here. There is a concept called circular economy, where the hope is to keep giving new life to each piece of clothing to keep it out of landfills. Donating is a 60% chance you are directly giving it to a landfill.
Your video ends with some real, honest steps about adapting and changing the shopping haul and excessive shopping lifestyle. It is brave to admit and start to adjust. I know you have been in this habit for years, showcasing hauls and thrifting on your channel. Thank you for beginning this journey.
When you mentioned the fashion Hampster wheel—that is real, we hear you, but with your privilege and power, you can help adjust that wheel.
All it takes is 10% of research. Ask some questions, and bring in a professional who understands, and help push the needle in the correct direction.
As this was really about your journey about personal style to get off the proverbial online fashion hamster wheel: the rub here is ultimately the mismanaged power, you created such an outpouring of others to do as you did which will lead deeper into the significant systemic problem—more clothing waste—by not learning about the issue and showcasing even a slight understanding of sustainable efforts to your fan base who respect and love you. Please, please, please deal with the excess clothing properly and make steps with us in the right direction for all our sustainability efforts.
With the utmost respect,
Leigha
love this.