Maggie Greene is back to help Amanda wrap up the laundry series, but this episode is way more than just a wash/dry cycle! We’ll talk about clothing storage. And then after that, Maggie will share her expertise in “seasonal wardrobe management,” which sounds really intimidating but is actually a great way to organize your clothing and get maximum wear out of all of them! Before all of that we’ll talk about the “romantic industrial complex” and Valentine’s Day. And Amanda announces the theme for the next round of audio essays!
Read Maggie’s essay “Wear, What, When: Seasonal Wardrobe Management.”
ABOUT MAGGIE
Maggie (she, her) is a cisgender, pansexual woman, a recovering marketing professional, and a trauma and abuse survivor. Maggie is also the Chief Everything Officer of Maggie Greene Style, an ethical microbusiness on a mission to transform how you see yourself by putting the personal in brand and style. Maggie helps leaders, entrepreneurs, and individual contributors of all gender expressions show up as their radically authentic selves, at work and in life, with confidence and without compromising their core values and ethics. You can learn more by visiting her 100% DIY website here: https://maggiegreenestyle.com.
Sign up for Maggie’s weekly newsletter: https://maggiegreenestyle.hubspotpagebuilder.com/welcome
Welcome to Clotheshorse, the podcast that has never met a box of chocolate that they didn’t like.
I’m your host Amanda and this is episode 154. And guess what? Maggie Greene…the Halloween Queen (and so much more) is back to help me wrap up the laundry-sodes! We’ll talk about clothing storage. And then after that, Maggie will share her expertise in “seasonal wardrobe management,” which sounds really intimidating but is actually a great way to organize your clothing and get maximum wear out of all of them! Before all of that we’ll talk about the “romantic industrial complex” and Valentine’s Day because this episode is coming out a few days before February 14.
Does that sound like a lot to discuss? It sure is! So you won’t be hearing much of an intro and outro from me. We are going to jump right into our conversation. And afterwards, I’ll be sharing the theme for our FIRST audio essay series in 2023.
All right, let’s get going!!!
Thanks again to Maggie for sharing so much time and expertise with all of us! I am going to share all of Maggie’s contact info, along with a link to her essay “Wear, What, When: Seasonal Wardrobe Management.” If you need more help with this process, I would encourage you to hire Maggie to help and support you. Friends, this is what her small business is all about! I am so grateful for all of the great inspiration and knowledge she is sharing with us for free, but ultimately, hiring her is a great idea! It’s an investment in a higher quality of life, less stress about clothing, and living a more sustainable lifestyle. This is not a commercial for Maggie, but I do think it’s important to call out that many of the experts who share their time with us are also trying to make a living off doing things the sustainable and ethical way.
Okay, one last thing: let’s talk about our first audio essay series of 2023!!
Okay, so what is an audio essay?
It’s a recording you make–using either your phone or your computer. You email it to me at [email protected], and I edit it and mix it, and add it to an episode.
And for our first audio essay series of this year, we’re going to be talking about our relationship with shopping!
As we began to talk about at the end of last year, we are practically trained to be consumers from birth. From sticker collections to toys to the commercials on the Saturday morning cartoons, we have been told that new stuff = a better life. More happiness. Popularity…and even in the case of the “romance industrial complex,” it means love and appreciation. Shopping is a social activity, the subject of copious amounts of magazine articles, blogs posts, and social media content. For some families (like mine) shopping is the only way they can spend time together and get along!
I want to hear about your experiences with shopping, and how it fits into your life. Here are some ideas of things you can cover in your audio essay:
How did shopping fit into your childhood? Was it a part of your relationship with a family member? Did it change over time?
Do you find yourself engaging in so-called “ retail therapy?” Does it help? Have you found something that helps more?
Are you addicted to bargains and deals? Have you found a non-shopping way to scratch that itch?
Does shopping make you happy? Sad? Angry? Why?
Are there any specific shopping memories that have shaped how you approach clothing as an adult?
Or maybe you have your own theme you would like to cover! That’s fine, too!
Write out what you want to say before you record it. Try to fit it into 5 minutes or less.
If you want your contact info (name, instagram handle, business) to be included in the episode, please tell us in the recording. If you want to be anonymous, that’s fine, too!
It’s okay if you make a mistake while recording, just say that part again and keep going. I’ll edit out the mistake!
Record in a quiet room away from fans, air conditioners, bus stops, and howling hound dogs.
Be sure to double check your recording before sending. Yes, I have received fully silent recordings.
When you email it to me, include your name, pronouns, and IG handle.
The deadline for this project is March 15.
Some of you may have noticed that I have been doing a lot more personal writing this year. That is an intentional decision on my part, even if it is very scary to be vulnerable on social media. I share my stories because I know they resonate with many of you. I have always been a big fan of memoirs and biographies. I learn so much about what it is to be a human from reading the stories of others. And often when someone seems completely different from me, people who lived in different times in history or had a very different day-to-day life than I have had…I still find commonality with them. Many of the feelings and fears we have are almost universal. Life is complicated, confusing, and often, scary.
As I have said many, many times before…one person can’t change the world alone, but when we all work together, real change does happen. A major element in building community is sharing our stories. After all, we are all humans, no matter what we wear or what we like. And it is humans working together that can make the world better for future generations.
Thanks for listening to another episode of Clotheshorse.
If you want to share your opinion/additional thoughts on the subjects we cover in each episode, feel free to email, whether it’s a typed out message or an audio recording: [email protected]
Thumbprint is Detroit’s only fair trade marketplace, located in the historic Eastern Market. Our small business specializes in products handmade by empowered women in South Africa making a living wage creating things they love like hand painted candles and ceramics! We also carry a curated assortment of sustainable/natural locally made goods. Thumbprint is a great gift destination for both the special people in your life and for yourself! Browse our online store at thumbprintdetroit.com and find us on instagram @thumbprintdetroit.
Picnicwear: a slow fashion brand, ethically made by hand from vintage and deadstock materials – most notably, vintage towels! Founder, Dani, has worked in the industry as a fashion designer for over 10 years, but started Picnicwear in response to her dissatisfaction with the industry’s shortcomings. Picnicwear recently moved to rural North Carolina where all their clothing and accessories are now designed and cut, but the majority of their sewing is done by skilled garment workers in NYC. Their customers take comfort in knowing that all their sewists are paid well above NYC minimum wage. Picnicwear offers minimal waste and maximum authenticity: Future Vintage over future garbage.
Shift Clothing, out of beautiful Astoria, Oregon, with a focus on natural fibers, simple hardworking designs, and putting fat people first. Discover more at shiftwheeler.com
High Energy Vintage is a fun and funky vintage shop located in Somerville, MA, just a few minutes away from downtown Boston. They offer a highly curated selection of bright and colorful clothing and accessories from the 1940s-1990s for people of all genders. Husband-and-wife duo Wiley & Jessamy handpick each piece for quality and style, with a focus on pieces that transcend trends and will find a home in your closet for many years to come! In addition to clothing, the shop also features a large selection of vintage vinyl and old school video games. Find them on instagram @ highenergyvintage, online at highenergyvintage.com, and at markets in and around Boston.
St. Evens is an NYC-based vintage shop that is dedicated to bringing you those special pieces you’ll reach for again and again. More than just a store, St. Evens is dedicated to sharing the stories and history behind the garments. 10% of all sales are donated to a different charitable organization each month. New vintage is released every Thursday at wearStEvens.com, with previews of new pieces and more brought to you on Instagram at @wear_st.evens.
Deco Denim is a startup based out of San Francisco, selling clothing and accessories that are sustainable, gender fluid, size inclusive and high quality–made to last for years to come. Deco Denim is trying to change the way you think about buying clothes. Founder Sarah Mattes wants to empower people to ask important questions like, “Where was this made? Was this garment made ethically? Is this fabric made of plastic? Can this garment be upcycled and if not, can it be recycled?” Signup at decodenim.com to receive $20 off your first purchase. They promise not to spam you and send out no more than 3 emails a month, with 2 of them surrounding education or a personal note from the Founder. Find them on Instagram as @deco.denim.
The Pewter Thimble Is there a little bit of Italy in your soul? Are you an enthusiast of pre-loved decor and accessories? Bring vintage Italian style — and history — into your space with The Pewter Thimble (@thepewterthimble). We source useful and beautiful things, and mend them where needed. We also find gorgeous illustrations, and make them print-worthy. Tarot cards, tea towels and handpicked treasures, available to you from the comfort of your own home. Responsibly sourced from across Rome, lovingly renewed by fairly paid artists and artisans, with something for every budget. Discover more at thepewterthimble.com
Blank Cass, or Blanket Coats by Cass, is focused on restoring, renewing, and reviving the history held within vintage and heirloom textiles. By embodying and transferring the love, craft, and energy that is original to each vintage textile into a new garment, I hope we can reteach ourselves to care for and mend what we have and make it last. Blank Cass lives on Instagram @blank_cass and a website will be launched soon at blankcass.com.
Vagabond Vintage DTLV is a vintage clothing, accessories & decor reselling business based in Downtown Las Vegas. Not only do we sell in Las Vegas, but we are also located throughout resale markets in San Francisco as well as at a curated boutique called Lux and Ivy located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jessica, the founder & owner of Vagabond Vintage DTLV, recently opened the first IRL location located in the Arts District of Downtown Las Vegas on August 5th. The shop has a strong emphasis on 60s & 70s garments, single stitch tee shirts & dreamy loungewear. Follow them on instagram, @vagabondvintage.dtlv and keep an eye out for their website coming fall of 2022.
Country Feedback is a mom & pop record shop in Tarboro, North Carolina. They specialize in used rock, country, and soul and offer affordable vintage clothing and housewares. Do you have used records you want to sell? Country Feedback wants to buy them! Find us on Instagram @countryfeedbackvintageandvinyl or head downeast and visit our brick and mortar. All are welcome at this inclusive and family-friendly record shop in the country!
Located in Whistler, Canada, Velvet Underground is a “velvet jungle” full of vintage and second-hand clothes, plants, a vegan cafe and lots of rad products from other small sustainable businesses. Our mission is to create a brand and community dedicated to promoting self-expression, as well as educating and inspiring a more sustainable and conscious lifestyle both for the people and the planet. Find us on Instagram @shop_velvetunderground or online at www.shopvelvetunderground.com
Selina Sanders, a social impact brand that specializes in up-cycled clothing, using only reclaimed, vintage or thrifted materials: from tea towels, linens, blankets and quilts. Sustainably crafted in Los Angeles, each piece is designed to last in one’s closet for generations to come. Maximum Style; Minimal Carbon Footprint.
Salt Hats: purveyors of truly sustainable hats. Hand blocked, sewn and embellished in Detroit, Michigan.
Republica Unicornia Yarns: Hand-Dyed Yarn and notions for the color-obsessed. Made with love and some swearing in fabulous Atlanta, Georgia by Head Yarn Wench Kathleen. Get ready for rainbows with a side of Giving A Damn! Republica Unicornia is all about making your own magic using small-batch, responsibly sourced, hand-dyed yarns and thoughtfully made notions. Slow fashion all the way down and discover the joy of creating your very own beautiful hand knit, crocheted, or woven pieces. Find us on Instagram @republica_unicornia_yarns and at www.republicaunicornia.com.
Cute Little Ruin is an online shop dedicated to providing quality vintage and secondhand clothing, vinyl, and home items in a wide range of styles and price points. If it’s ethical and legal, we try to find a new home for it! Vintage style with progressive values. Find us on Instagram at @CuteLittleRuin.
