I love how you tied in the message about behavior with some of the mainstream examples we’ve seen. The Everlane partnership sort of confused me at first because everything I’d seen from them seemed to just speak ‘sustainable brand’ where you’re paying more for quality and the celebrity partnership just felt a bit like fast fashion bait.
Also curious if you might be looking for volunteers to support you getting the conference off the ground?!
That’s such a great point. It’s interesting because whenever so-called “sustainable brands” do something that taps into culture or the zeitgeist, people say they’re acting too much like a traditional brand or using traditional marketing tactics.
It’s kind of like the Black Friday/Cyber Monday debate, whether sustainable brands should participate or not.
This is definitely something I want to unpack more because there’s a reason those tactics work. If you’re trying to earn attention, buy-in, or participation, you have to play by the rules that drive behavior, at least until you have enough influence to shift them. But at the same time, you don't want to alienate your sustainability-first customers.
In Everlane’s case, I think their new branding and marketing is about trying to gain more market share and rebuild social relevance, which has definitely taken a hit. If I were advising them, I’d tell them to take a different approach. I see what they’re trying to do, but it’s not hitting for me, ha.
And YES to conference volunteers! More on that soon 🤓
Love this direction🤍 Behavioral insight really is the missing link. Sustainability won’t scale until it resonates with identity and emotion, not just ethics.
‘ it’s about shifting perception and participation—making sustainable choices feel intuitive, visible, and rewarding enough to replace old habits.’
Aaaah Brittany! Your work is incredible - unearthing the core of the issue. Change is no longer to be trusted in the efforts of the suppliers. Change is in each of our hands.
I teach lifestyle sewing in hopes of making a massive change one loving stitch at a time. This is the missing link in my message. It is up to each of us to change our habits. We need to individually, actively PARTICIPATE in this chain.
But actual effort is exhausting in our busy busy busy world…
Thank you for what you do. Looking sincerely at tickets to your event. This is giving me a lot of hope!
Thank you so much! That means a lot! I'm forever grateful to be able to share my nerdom with a community that finds this stuff as fascinating as I do.
Unsolicited thoughts, but as I was reading your comment, I started thinking about the cultural framing of repair and sewing versus resale. Repair can sometimes be perceived as maintenance, a chore. Not that it is, of course, but that’s often how it’s framed. One feels exciting and expressive, the other feels a little like homework.
The unlock might be reframing the narrative of sewing and repair to tap into the same emotional and cultural triggers that make resale feel aspirational: creativity, uniqueness, and identity signaling.
That shift can absolutely start with individuals like you bringing creativity and meaning into the conversation, but it will take multiple touchpoints across culture, from brands and media to creators, for it to really stick.
Repair could totally have its resale moment and become the next “cool flex,” especially as people look for ways to personalize and stand out. But social signaling and social proof will have to be part of that rebrand, because people need to see others doing it for it to catch on.
Anyway, that’s me spiraling. I clearly can’t help myself once the nerd in me kicks in, ha! 🤓😅
Yeah - homework and also the thing their grandmas did. Like, participating in what one needs to live (growing food, building houses, making clothes) is archaic. Old world. Passé.
If I were to speak in to the shift of perception of the narrative - it is sexy and powerful to have the skill in hand ready to craft your visual identity. Our clothes are so personal. To be able to personalize them makes them a form of home. Unique to each of us.
It is also peaceful. And empowering.
I think about this wayyyyy too much. Glad to meet you, nerd:)
Hi! I love this piece and would love if you checked out my new piece I wrote on the death of fashion and individual style because of microtrends and fast fashion!!
We see this a lot in food packaging, even when sustainable options exist, adoption only scales when they align with identity and experience, not just compliance or cost.
In many cases, packaging becomes the “interface” between sustainability and the consumer. If it doesn’t signal clearly or fit naturally into usage habits, behavior doesn’t change.
Feels like the next frontier is less about innovation alone and more about behavioral integration.
1. I also think that the people's preference to secondhand shopping can be attributed to increased quality. Fast fashion use cheap material, have quick stitches, and have very derivative patterns.
2. I wonder if sustainability actually created a moment around their lines would that help. I think many brands kinda feel the same (clean, simple, longlasting etc) but they are missing the part where fashion is fun and playful. Nobody wants to buy clothes because they *should* they buy things because they can't wait to wear it to their graduation or they have a date on friday etc. I think giving the clothes an actual setting or purpose would make the brands connect more.
I love how you tied in the message about behavior with some of the mainstream examples we’ve seen. The Everlane partnership sort of confused me at first because everything I’d seen from them seemed to just speak ‘sustainable brand’ where you’re paying more for quality and the celebrity partnership just felt a bit like fast fashion bait.
Also curious if you might be looking for volunteers to support you getting the conference off the ground?!
That’s such a great point. It’s interesting because whenever so-called “sustainable brands” do something that taps into culture or the zeitgeist, people say they’re acting too much like a traditional brand or using traditional marketing tactics.
It’s kind of like the Black Friday/Cyber Monday debate, whether sustainable brands should participate or not.
This is definitely something I want to unpack more because there’s a reason those tactics work. If you’re trying to earn attention, buy-in, or participation, you have to play by the rules that drive behavior, at least until you have enough influence to shift them. But at the same time, you don't want to alienate your sustainability-first customers.
In Everlane’s case, I think their new branding and marketing is about trying to gain more market share and rebuild social relevance, which has definitely taken a hit. If I were advising them, I’d tell them to take a different approach. I see what they’re trying to do, but it’s not hitting for me, ha.
And YES to conference volunteers! More on that soon 🤓
Love this direction🤍 Behavioral insight really is the missing link. Sustainability won’t scale until it resonates with identity and emotion, not just ethics.
1000% percent! It's about damn time we center behavior in the sustainability/sustainable fashion conversation!
I love this post
Thanks so much for reading! And commenting! Sometimes getting people to talk on here is a struggle, ha!
‘ it’s about shifting perception and participation—making sustainable choices feel intuitive, visible, and rewarding enough to replace old habits.’
Aaaah Brittany! Your work is incredible - unearthing the core of the issue. Change is no longer to be trusted in the efforts of the suppliers. Change is in each of our hands.
I teach lifestyle sewing in hopes of making a massive change one loving stitch at a time. This is the missing link in my message. It is up to each of us to change our habits. We need to individually, actively PARTICIPATE in this chain.
But actual effort is exhausting in our busy busy busy world…
Thank you for what you do. Looking sincerely at tickets to your event. This is giving me a lot of hope!
Thank you so much! That means a lot! I'm forever grateful to be able to share my nerdom with a community that finds this stuff as fascinating as I do.
Unsolicited thoughts, but as I was reading your comment, I started thinking about the cultural framing of repair and sewing versus resale. Repair can sometimes be perceived as maintenance, a chore. Not that it is, of course, but that’s often how it’s framed. One feels exciting and expressive, the other feels a little like homework.
The unlock might be reframing the narrative of sewing and repair to tap into the same emotional and cultural triggers that make resale feel aspirational: creativity, uniqueness, and identity signaling.
That shift can absolutely start with individuals like you bringing creativity and meaning into the conversation, but it will take multiple touchpoints across culture, from brands and media to creators, for it to really stick.
Repair could totally have its resale moment and become the next “cool flex,” especially as people look for ways to personalize and stand out. But social signaling and social proof will have to be part of that rebrand, because people need to see others doing it for it to catch on.
Anyway, that’s me spiraling. I clearly can’t help myself once the nerd in me kicks in, ha! 🤓😅
Oh Brittany thank you for the nerd in you.
Yeah - homework and also the thing their grandmas did. Like, participating in what one needs to live (growing food, building houses, making clothes) is archaic. Old world. Passé.
If I were to speak in to the shift of perception of the narrative - it is sexy and powerful to have the skill in hand ready to craft your visual identity. Our clothes are so personal. To be able to personalize them makes them a form of home. Unique to each of us.
It is also peaceful. And empowering.
I think about this wayyyyy too much. Glad to meet you, nerd:)
Warmest regards, Bonnie
Can’t wait!!!
OMG will we get to meet IRL?!?!
Signs point to yes 🎱
Hi! I love this piece and would love if you checked out my new piece I wrote on the death of fashion and individual style because of microtrends and fast fashion!!
Really strong point on behavior vs. materials.
We see this a lot in food packaging, even when sustainable options exist, adoption only scales when they align with identity and experience, not just compliance or cost.
In many cases, packaging becomes the “interface” between sustainability and the consumer. If it doesn’t signal clearly or fit naturally into usage habits, behavior doesn’t change.
Feels like the next frontier is less about innovation alone and more about behavioral integration.
1. I also think that the people's preference to secondhand shopping can be attributed to increased quality. Fast fashion use cheap material, have quick stitches, and have very derivative patterns.
2. I wonder if sustainability actually created a moment around their lines would that help. I think many brands kinda feel the same (clean, simple, longlasting etc) but they are missing the part where fashion is fun and playful. Nobody wants to buy clothes because they *should* they buy things because they can't wait to wear it to their graduation or they have a date on friday etc. I think giving the clothes an actual setting or purpose would make the brands connect more.
Great post as usual! Will SFF26 be recorded and available online?