The Rosie and Roula Show

209: Fast Fashion Manipulates You: Why You Keep Buying It & How to Stop

• Roula Abou Haidar and Rosie Burrows

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This week, Rosie & Roula dive into the uncomfortable truth behind fast fashion, overconsumption, textile waste, unethical labour, and why “cheap clothes” cost far more than we realise. From clothes ending up on the shores of Congo to the pressure of constantly buying new outfits, this episode exposes the hidden side of the fashion industry—and offers real, doable solutions. 

 

You’ll hear: 

• What “fast fashion” really means   

• Why cheap clothing isn’t actually cheap   

• How textile waste ends up in places like Congo   

• The psychology of overconsumption & buying pressure   

• Why swapping, thrifting & buying local actually matters   

• How to build a more mindful, sustainable wardrobe   

• Roula’s Pinterest hack to stop impulse buying   

• The emotional + environmental impact of constant consumption   

 

Whether you love fashion or hate shopping (hi, Rosie 👋), this episode will shift the way you think about your wardrobe and your habits.


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Rosie (00:00)
Right. We're starting the

Roula (00:00)
Mm.

Rosie (00:01)
again, cause that was like minutes of boringness. Starting now.

Roula we have had to restart this episode because you were waffling on about crap and I was getting very frustrated. I didn't like our dynamic then. So we're starting again. We have had a couple of listeners complete the survey we mentioned in last episode. Link in the description if you want to help make this show better, by the way.

And they listed some topics that they would like us to cover on the podcast. Big, big topics. Cost of living crisis, lack of apathy, ⁓ sorry, apathy for the environment or lack of empathy and problems with fast fashion. So which one Roula are we going to talk about? Cause three heavy topics in a short episode, we're brilliant, but I don't know if we're that brilliant.

Roula (01:03)
Mm.

pick up the fast fashion.

Rosie (01:12)
⁓ yes, I feel like you're going to have opinions on this. ⁓

Roula (01:13)
because I'm very angry about this topic I can't promise

you I will not be angry on this episode okay yeah

Rosie (01:19)
No, but I like it when you're angry. Feisty is good. Some emotion.

Stop being so well put together. It's annoying.

Roula (01:28)
Fast fashion. Fast fucking fashion. The FFF. That's what I'm gonna call it. The FFF. Fuck fast. Fuck fast fashion. Yeah. You know, when I was younger and I had a job at the office, I wanted to everyday look good and dress nicely. And I bought a lot of clothes for my work.

Rosie (01:29)
Mmm.

Alright.

Fuck it.

Roula (01:56)
But the fashion wasn't as fast as today. So it was seasonal. Every season I would go and buy what I need for that season. And now every two days we're buying something new. And especially with all these, I'm not going to name their name because they don't deserve the name on our show. All the one you like to and I order from them too.

Rosie (02:03)
Okay.

Roula (02:26)
the ones that are that you go on the website and you find everything that your mind can think of. We think they're cheap, but they're not as cheap as we as they represented. And this is we are so stupid. We think they're cheap, but they are not as cheap. We're just not looking at the quality. We're just looking at the quantity.

Rosie (02:26)
Hmph.

It's cheap.

Roula (02:52)
Because at the end, when I order something for 150 euros of crap, I could have ordered something for 70 euros for good quality. So I can't make the balance.

Rosie (02:53)
the quant-

Okay, okay, okay. Let's go back a minute. I want Roula's definition of fast fashion. What is fast fashion?

Roula (03:13)
are all these shops that are bringing every two weeks a new collection that manufactured in cheap countries where on one hand it's good to give business to this cheap country on the other hand it's a kind of new modern slavery. This is fast fashion for me when we buy things we don't wear them because we bought something new we don't have enough days in the year to wear all the stuff so we throw them away or we give them to

to whatever container we put it in and they end up on the shores of the Congo.

they are all washed away in the sea. Do you know that? Everything we return, the clothes we return, when they are from fast fashion, I'm not going to name the shops. We all know what fast fashion shops are and whatnot. When we buy fast fashion and we think we're returning the products, these products are going in huge storage places and these storage places are filled into containers.

Rosie (03:53)
What? No, what?

Roula (04:18)
and sent to countries like Congo because they thought in Congo they're going to recycle them. They're going to do something with them. And yeah, they started. But the volume of fast fashion ending up there is being thrown on the shores of their sea because they don't have storage and they don't have regulations. Did you know that? Yeah, yeah.

Rosie (04:36)
what the fuck? What the fuck? I did not know that. What the fuck? So like if we

don't like a product and we return it or if we donate it, is that an example somewhere or?

Roula (04:48)
Donating

also is some donation. We have to be very careful where we donate because some are labeled donating for a good cause, but they're not. actually being used by some kind of businesses.

Rosie (05:00)
So you're better off,

you're better off donating locally to like your local shelter or option. Okay, okay. This is interesting. Cause an element you spoke about, other than this clothes ending up in the ocean craziness when there's people who need it, that's nuts. But I want to go back to what you were saying about, there's not enough days in the year to wear all this, these clothes we're buying. I'd never thought of that. To me, the first thing I think of when I hear fast fashion,

Roula (05:05)
Absolutely. Yeah.

Rosie (05:30)
is yeah, cheap, nasty clothes. They're affordable. So lots of people buy them and we don't really treat them with care because it's so cheap and we can just replace it. the other point you mentioned is, you know, they're manufactured in less economically developed countries and often they are paid ridiculous amounts. It's inhumane. If that was to be done,

in the Netherlands or in Australia, there would be an uproar. So so many different layers to this. Like what's the answer, Roula?

Roula (06:10)
We're ditching quality for quantity. And when we're young, I'm saying this now, maybe a few years ago, I would be still doing fast fashion because I'm influenced by the pressure to dress up in a certain way, to wear everyday something different, something new, not wear the same like shirt twice a week to work. There was this pressure, this high pressure. And

For now, let's talk about solutions. What I really like now is that we... ⁓ Something that culture think, I'm too good to do this or I will insult you if I do this. If you want to throw away clothes, why don't you let me know first? Maybe I can take pieces that you don't want anymore and enjoy them. Instead of throwing them away, I can use them from you again. And if I look after them,

Rosie (07:01)
Mmm.

Roula (07:08)
I could give them to someone else to use them again.

Rosie (07:09)
Is this not something that

happens regularly where you are? Do people not share their clothes? Yeah, yeah.

Roula (07:13)
Well, I thrift shop a lot.

And you have shops where you bring your clothes and you take something from there. Like the the swapping, swapping clothes. And I'm not sure if thrift shopping is more sustainable. It could be because the stuff that I wear and buy are really old, but I like them and they're good quality. So I buy them.

Rosie (07:23)
Okay, kind of swapping.

Mmm.

Roula (07:41)
⁓ but what I'm saying, I'm saying on our individual levels. So my friends and I, for example, we don't talk about this. We don't, we don't, what did you say? Rowland is in Dutch swap. don't swap clothes because we have some level of ego that I can afford my clothes. I'm not going to swap clothes with my friend, but honestly, if we swap clothes with each other, how much do we save?

Rosie (08:00)
⁓ my god.

That's silly.

Roula (08:11)
on fast fashion, how much do we save on our bank account? We can invest this money in something else and still dress something new and nice.

Rosie (08:13)
True. Oh, true.

True.

That's true. Yeah, because something I struggle with, I try not to think about it too much in terms of the conditions people are working in to make this cheap clothing. Because I find... ⁓

more expensive, high quality things, very expensive and hard to afford. But the other thing is often these brands are just as bad at exploiting workers in these less economically developed countries. So how do I know, Roula, who to trust?

Roula (08:52)
to investigate the brand we're buying from and buy local from local designer from local clothes makers. Yes, they are expensive, but one piece will be special. Not 100,000 person in the mall is wearing the same thing. I don't like to wear things that everyone's wearing. That's why I like thrift shopping. And notice I didn't say I buy expensive clothes because yes, they're too expensive.

Rosie (08:57)
Ah, local! Local, yes! They are.

Mmm.

Roula (09:20)
But if I buy something, I know I'm gonna wear it for a long time, but also I'm gonna wear it more often, because I invested in something. So I want to wear it until I have a return on my investment.

Rosie (09:20)
Yeah.

Okay.

till it's falling apart.

Roula (09:40)
We need to encourage

buying good quality from local shops and designers. ⁓ It's in our hands. We have been brainwashed by marketing to buy fast fashion. And I think it's time for us now to kind of say, fuck fast fashion. I don't care if I'm wearing the same thing twice or thrice a week. We have to stop being like this.

Rosie (09:44)
Mmm.

It is.

Yeah, maybe we need, what do they call it?

A micro wardrobe or something. You have like, you know, three t-shirts, a couple of pair of pants, one skirt, one, like just a very minimal wardrobe, but you can mix and match.

Roula (10:19)
That's also, that's great idea. Yeah, too. Even though I will keep thrifting to have more stuff than just three T-shirts.

Rosie (10:24)
Hmm. I bet your wardrobe is fucking huge. You're talking about don't care about wearing

the same thing several times a week. Your wardrobe, Roula I bet it's out of control. Is it huge? Yeah.

Roula (10:36)
Yeah, but this is what I do, Rosy.

Before I go shopping, I get inspiration from Pinterest and then I go to my wardrobe and I pull out all the stuff that I can combine like what I liked on Pinterest. And then I realized I don't need to go shopping because the stuff that I have forgotten in my wardrobe, I pulled them out now and I can combine them in a way that I like. And that's it. And I don't go shopping.

Rosie (11:04)
Mmm.

Roula (11:06)
That's also a way in having this impulse to buy something new, just to step back and say, okay, let me look in my wardrobe and see what can I combine to make it look nice and new without buying something new. Because believe me, there's nothing in the shops that we don't have already in our house.

Rosie (11:07)
Yeah.

Jesus, sorry. Tilly, hey, this is all right. She says no to fast fashion. That's what Tilly says. But, you know, I'm saying all these things, but my entire wardrobe is fast fashion because bottom line is it's affordable, honestly. And I actually really hate shopping. I just despise it. But my wardrobe.

Roula (11:34)
She's complaining.

Rosie (11:53)
Tilda Burrows. Shush. Lie down. Thank you.

Roula (11:59)
The last name of her dog is Boros.

Rosie (12:04)
She's part of my family. She's my daughter basically. But my wardrobe, I don't think I have an excessive wardrobe. It is one shelf. I should measure it for you. I'm not going to do it right now, but it is one shelf. That is my wardrobe, but it is all fast fashion. However, I probably shop once a year, once every 18 months. So at least

Roula (12:07)
I know, I love her.

Yep, you're okay.

Rosie (12:34)
Thank you. But I do like this idea of supporting local, being less wasteful, know, choosing where your money goes. Hand me downs, we call it here. Hand me downs, like hand your clothes down to someone else. They're going to be absolutely so excited.

Roula (12:35)
You're okay.

love

it yeah this is what I'm what I'm saying and we don't have to hand them down to someone in need we can hand them down to to the people around us

Rosie (12:58)
Right!

Yeah, it's not a status thing, is it? Get over yourselves, everybody. Let's just share.

Roula (13:06)
Yeah, you remind me now, I want to

tell my husband because we talked about how I borrowed the stuff from him without asking him his clothes. But now I'm going to give it a new a new shape spin. Like I really like your shirt or whatever your Spencer. So it's a shame that I go and buy a new one while I have one at home.

Rosie (13:14)
Yes, stealing, yes.

You can make a new spin to it. Yes.

It seems so manipulative, that's so naughty. So naughty. I mean, it's true, but also you manipulate, you? I look forward to hearing how that goes. think it might work.

Roula (13:38)
Yeah, yeah, that's very manipulative. And I think I'm gonna try it. Okay, but

now we're not talking about manipulation. We're talking about safeguarding ourselves from the devil of fast fashion.

Rosie (13:55)
Yeah,

I think the message I want our listeners to go home with is just try to be more mindful. I don't want to shame anybody for the clothes they choose to buy, but I think I want to encourage people to be more mindful.

Roula (14:10)
Okay, because we know I talk and I want to walk my talk. Is this how we say? Talk the talk and walk the walk. Really, and I'm working a lot on ditching fast fashion. Though I did receive a package because we're having 80s Christmas party somewhere and I want to go as Cyndi Lauper.

Rosie (14:17)
Yes. Yes.

Mm.

⁓ you know what? Roula Roula That is the name that popped in my head. I almost said, what, her Cindy Lauper? And I thought, no, Rosie, bite your tongue. And you said it. ⁓

Roula (14:42)
really? yeah i love this lady yes so

i did order stuff that will make my outfit complete in the cindy loper style and they were all from a cheap shop but i'm gonna save them and hope that we will have more 80s party because every time i'm gonna go as cindy loper

Rosie (15:05)
I love that so much.

Roula (15:06)
time after time

I'm gonna go as Cindy Lauper and if I fall you will catch me and you'll be waiting time after time as Cindy Lauper

Rosie (15:12)
That was good. Nicely done, Roula.

Roula (15:19)
want to add one last thing if you like you can go to our website rosieandroula.com forward slash coffee and buy us a cup of coffee like this when you're drinking your coffee and we're drinking our coffee we know that we both contributed in it look at me yeah

Rosie (15:21)
okay, yes.

Yeah, sitting down with a cup of coffee over an

episode. I love it. And you get to choose how much. So it could be like a miniature cup of coffee, just a drip. That's fine. Or it could be a huge, like one liter iced coffee for me. Okay, I'm going to stop talking. All right.

Roula (15:51)
Alright, that's it!

Long episode, thank you, bye!