The Danger Of Influencer Hauls

You may be familiar with Youtube Influencer ‘Hauls’. But did you know that in the UK there are £30 billion worth of unworn clothes! We take a look at the effect that these hauls are having on overconsumption in the UK.

Here at The Vendeur we are no strangers to the causes and effects of fast fashion. This website was created precisely to address this very issue. Whilst we all have a part to play in the conversation, arguably social media influencers should be at the forefront of this. If you’ve bought something based off an influencer recommendation or watched a Youtube ‘haul’ video you’ll know what we mean. If you’re not familiar with hauls, they are videos in which influencers open often very large shopping bags from specific brands, namely cheap, fast fashion retailers. They discuss each item in detail, and ask for their followers input as to whether they should keep or return the item. The amount of hauls available to watch online is enormous, meaning that influencers are seemingly spending thousands of pounds regularly on cheap clothes that they admittedly only plan to wear once or twice. And they are encouraging their followers to do the same.

Image: @venetiafalconer

Love Not Landfill is a campaign set up to encourage young Londoners to donate unwanted clothes to charity. Their aim is to  take action against what they believe is the perpetuation of over consumption. Last week for Fashion Revolution Week they launched the #dehaul. This is an initiative designed to inform consumers on how to responsibly clear out unworn clothing from their closets. As well as highlighting the issue of excessive overconsumption. According to Love Not Landfill, 300,000 tonnes of unwanted clothes go into landfill or get incinerated every year in the UK. With our Earth reaching the pinnacle of a climate crisis, we believe this is simply not a viable option. It’s just plain wasteful!

“We need to change how we think about fashion. A dehaul is like a detox for your wardrobe; pull out everything you haven’t worn for 12 months and think about why you bought it and whether you will ever wear it again.” – Hannah Carter, #LoveNotLandfill

‘Influencer hauls encourage excessive consumption and therefore increase the amount of wearable clothes that end up in incinerators or landfill,’ they told us. Lets face it, we all have nearly new or unworn clothes in our wardrobe, so it makes sense to put a halt to buying new clothes and deal with what we already own. ‘Re-use is always better than recycling.’ Can you give a bag of items to a friend or younger sibling? Why not attend or organise a Swap party to get rid of anything you no longer wear? Organisations such as Love Not Landfill in London and Traid collect clothes all over the UK to resell, meaning it’s never been easier to find a new home for your unwanted clobber.

Image: Love Not Landfill

Their #dehaul videos, the first created by Adeola Patronne and Venetia Falconer aim to encourage responsible wardrobe clear outs. The exact opposite of hauls. “If haulers talked more about looking after clothes, wearing them regularly and disposing of them responsibly (#dehaul) that would be great,’ LNL agreed. However they also believe that followers have a responsibility too. ‘It’s up to followers to call them out and question whether hauls are a positive thing for anyone apart from the brand of clothes that are featured.’

“Clothes should be worn for as long as possible so if you don’t want them anymore then swap, pass on, give to charity or put in a clothes bank.” #LoveNotLandfill

Image: @apatronne

While we’re not in the business of finger pointing, we do agree with Love Not Landfill that influencers need to take more responsibility for the conversations they have with their followers around shopping and disposing of clothing responsibly. Buying 25 items of clothing from brands such as Topshop, Primark and Zara (all regular brands featured in haul videos) simply because they were ‘cute’ or ‘cheap’ is contributing to our planet’s climate crisis. We did reach out to several Youtube Influencers for comment on hauls but no one wanted to be involved. So what what can we do? Be proactive as a follower. Comment on influencers videos and social media posts asking to see less hauls and more information on styling existing pieces, caring for clothes or dehauling responsibly. Or create your own #dehaul.

#LoveNotLandfills’ tips for Dehauling

Film yourself clearing out and bagging up old fashion items you don’t wear so you can take them to a clothes bank. Check out their video here.

  • Tell your followers and friends why you’re getting rid of those clothes
  • Tag #LoveNotLandfill and #dehaul in your posts
  • Remember old knickers, bras, stained or torn clothes and broken shoes, bags etc can all go in a bank – don’t bin it!

Disclaimer: The people and models in the images featured are not associated with The Vendeur and do not endorse it or the products shown. This post may contain affiliate links. Prices correct at time of publishing.