EP 77: Stop Buying Cheap Sh*t: A Real Talk on Fashion, Waste & Worth!

This week, I’m coming in hot — fresh off a plane, full of reflections, and done sugarcoating it. We’re talking fast fashion, quality control, and why I don’t do fashion hauls (and won’t be starting any time soon). From my time in Ghana to dancing at the London Landmarks Marathon, it’s been a week of flow, fire, and realignment.

I’m unpacking why manifestation isn’t just about big houses and flashy goals — it's about intention, expression, and daring to say what you actually want out loud. Plus, a little reminder that not everything that glitters (or has a Zara label) is gold.

If you’re tired of cheap clothes falling apart, questioning your fashion habits, or just want a vibe with substance — this one’s for you.

✨ Topics we touch on:

• Why I’ve stopped doing fashion hauls
• What Ghana taught me about sustainability
• Manifestation, growth & moving with purpose
• The real reason your clothes aren’t lasting
• Vanity metrics vs. meaningful content
• And a little designer tea (yes, Chanel’s in the mix)

Hit play, share it with your people, and remember — be the vibe you want to see in the world.

Chapters

• 0:00 Floating in Flow State
• 3:26 Post-Ghana Mindset Shift
• 8:54 Manifesting and Authenticity
• 15:49 Why I Don't Do Fashion Hauls
• 21:14 Quality Control in Fast Fashion
• 24:30 The Truth About Luxury Brands

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Not all podcast episodes are started the same, and this is one of them. Honestly, I have no clue what we're about to talk about, and I even had a little scroll through my photos of the week just so I could think hmm, what has actually even happened this week? Honestly, I think I'm still floating. I think I'm still in holiday mode. I'm still floating. I'm trying to figure out everything so that I can make my manifestations a reality, but also, but also, releasing enough just to let everything flow and to be.

Speaker 1: 0:38

The universe knows what it is that I want. It knows what my goals and my dreams and my aspirations and inspirations are. It knows what I want, so let me let it knows what my goals and my dreams, my aspirations and inspirations are. It knows what I want, so let me let it do what it does, but also understanding that I have to do what I does. I have to keep doing what it is that I do. I can't just lay in bed thinking that everything's gonna magically work into place. There might be a couple of I'm more inspired to do more things, that you know when that inspiration hits you and it aligns nicely with something that you want, so you just move in the direction of the things that you want. That's where I feel like I've been this week and it's moved me in the direction of expressing myself, saying what it is that I want to, like actually having these conversations, like sometimes I feel that we can be quite guarded with the things that I want and in years and I was about to say recent years, it's not recent years, this is for years the things that I've wanted, I've been scared to say because I thought someone was going to laugh at me or say what do you want to do that for? Like, oh, you can't do that. Oh, my friends tried to do that and it didn't work out for them. So I've been really guarded in my goals and dreams. But recently I've been talking more.

Speaker 1: 1:54

I've been saying what it is that I want and then it opens up conversations because somebody knows somebody knows somebody, a lot of people that make it a lot. Not everyone, don't come for me, but there are a lot of people. Let me put it that way. There are a lot of people that opportunities come to them because they were, they spoke to someone and someone said, oh, my god, I have a friend that does xyz. Do you know what. I'm going to talk to them. I'm going to talk to them and I'm going to see what they say Next minute. They're living their dream because they dare to share, but also we are guarded. We're guarded because we don't want to talk to the wrong people, and that's why it's just nice to really be in a state of flow and see what, see what happens like and just always hope that you know what, if I do open myself up to, to sparkle conversation with someone, I hope it is the right person, and if it's not, they can kick rocks.

Speaker 1: 2:51

Let me do my intro so we can get a little bit deeper, baby. This is why. This is why I need a video podcast, because if you lot can see what happens behind the scenes, it's all vibes, baby. But you knew that. That's why you come here every week.

Speaker 1: 3:05

Hi guys, welcome to another episode of the so flipping extra podcast, a platform for me to express, explore and connect and be so flipping extra why. I hear you ask well, baby, that's what brings me joy. So, without further ado, let's jump into this episode and let's just see where it takes us, because we're flowing today, guys. We're in flow and I don't know where it's gonna go boom. So I do want to apologize. It's an apology, but it's not that deep. Honestly, it's not that deep. I don't really care. But I do want to apologize for my diehards you don't know who you are for not producing the episode last week.

Speaker 1: 3:46

And the reason for not producing the episode is for two reasons. Actually, the main reason was because, baby, I just didn't have time. I stepped off the plane. I was doing, I was dancing for the London Lions no, london Lions, sorry, I wasn't. I wasn't cheerleader vibes. I was dancing with a lady called Sim, who produces costumes for a band called Genesis in Carnival, and she had a contract for the London Landmarks Marathon. That's what it was. So London Landmarks Marathon was last week, sunday, and I was booked to be one of their, the dancers.

Speaker 1: 4:30

So we had on Sims costumes and then we, there was a stage. We was on stage dancing. The stage was tiny, teeny, tiny, so we was down on the floor. We had, um, a lady called Claire. She was in stilts. Then we had DJ Piper on the decks on the decks right now, listen, the music was giving and it was all carnival vibes. It was so good.

Speaker 1: 4:50

So at the point where we were, it was nine miles in. So we started basically when the first runners came past. The first runners come and then boom, music. No, the music was playing before that, but that's when the party really started and we were just dancing for them. It was such nice vibes. The music was playing before that, but that's when the party really started and we were just dancing for them. It was such nice vibes.

Speaker 1: 5:07

Obviously the weather was good because you're welcome, I brought back the good sun. I did so. The weather was good. It was a beautiful day. Obviously people were there supporting their people. Some the thing of the thing with marathons some people just come to support the runners, whether they know someone or not. So it was just a nice vibe. So you had the people they're supporting their family, friends, and then you had people just supporting the runners in general. So it was such a good vibe. We were clapping for them, we was cheering them on. Some of them were stopping and dancing. It was so good.

Speaker 1: 5:40

But when I got back, like after leaving there which I probably probably left there about midday, so we done like the morning and then I went to my mum's and then getting home in the evening, I was beat. I'm not gonna lie, like jet lag didn't really hit me as soon as I came back. I don't even know if I had jet lag, but it was a few days and I was like I haven't rested since I've got back, so possibly I'm gonna take a rest. So I didn't want to do a midweek episode, I just wanted to jump back in this week and catch it back up for speed. So, but also the I said there was two reasons. The other reason is also because I didn't feel like I really promoted the weeks before episode and I didn't do it again this week, which is really bad of me, but you know, it's how it goes sometimes.

Speaker 1: 6:27

So I just wanted to give that that episode a chance to really marinate, because I'm it was such a great episode and if you haven't listened to it, I definitely urge you to go back and listen. It's not a long one, but and what if it is? Go listen, go support your girl. But it was really me really talking about manifesting, which seems to really be a thing. It definitely seems to be something that I'm talking about on a weekly basis, but I feel like I'm really allowing myself to to enjoy the things that really bring me joy, and I think I'm pretty sure I said this in the episode last week that it talking about manifesting was something that took me a while to really have the courage and confidence to talk about.

Speaker 1: 7:10

Because, although it's been a staple in my journey for you know, a lot of years now, like maybe the last 16 years, I was very conscious of people saying things like, oh well, you know, what have you manifested? Like I don't see you living in a big, massive house and I don't see your riches, like if you're going to manifest, aren't you going to manifest those things? But I honestly have had things that I've manifested come into play in like certain situations, and sometimes we don't even realise that we're genuinely living our manifestations in real life, because they change all the time, like we want something and then, as it gets closer, we want more, we want it bigger. So we forgot that it actually changed. I forgot that I changed it in my head. I wanted that. I wanted that like a couple of years ago and then I got it, but I'd already changed in my head that I actually wanted it slightly different. So you're like, oh, I'm so close. It's like, yeah, you're close, but you've also hit it. You hit it already. You hit it because you asked for it before and it came. And sometimes it could have come earlier.

Speaker 1: 8:18

Remember what I was saying before about just um, was I saying this before? Was I thinking it? I don't know, I don't even know was I saying it or thinking it, but just flowing. Sometimes we just flow. I don't. I've, honestly, I'm not even gonna lie. I've lost my train of thought a little bit. I can't remember what I'm talking about, guys, honestly, but just be. Oh man, where was I? Honestly, I could go back. I could just pause this here, go back and then pick up where I was coming from. But for the sake of authenticity and fun and realism, and not all the time we get it right and I'm a one man band, I can't be asked, so let's keep it moving. But you know what I'm trying to say. You do know what I'm trying to say, so don't act like you, don't't.

Speaker 1: 9:01

But also, I wanted to catch up to speed what's happened this week, what's happened since I've come back from Ghana, what's changed? My mindset has changed. Honestly, a couple months ago didn't even have a passport. Now I've got my passport, I have the bug like I feel like every day I've been thinking how am I getting back to Ghana and not only Ghana, there's so many other holidays but the reason I say Ghana is because you see it, you taste it, you touch it.

Speaker 1: 9:30

I've been there now. I've been on the soil, I've seen the red soil, I've seen it, I felt the sun on my skin and I've seen the opportunities that I can have over there to do my sustainability role for for life and earth and people. And I'm like there's scope for me here. There's a reason for me to be back here living. My dream and my dream is to travel for work, to do presenting all over the world and do hosting all over the world and do my workshops and speak to people. And there's a reason for me to be in Ghana. And I might not know everything yet and I might not figure it out, but someone has the answer for me, someone has the opportunity for me. I have the opportunity and the answers for myself. I just still gotta figure them out and I'm here for it and it's, yeah, like it's been nice thinking that this, this can happen.

Speaker 1: 10:22

Also, this week I have been opening my conversations and my dms, dms emails for brand partnerships like really jumping on the brand partnerships. So I've been contacting brands, probably not enough, but I've started. I've started in this bit again something I've been saying. You know I need to be doing this influencer work, this, this stuff, because I do it already, like I'm not just trying to connect with brands that I don't believe in. They're brands that I know of, I've heard of, I've used, and some of them I'm currently using and how can we work together so I can promote your stuff because I understand it and it's part of what I do.

Speaker 1: 11:01

So those are parts of the conversations that I've been having and a lot more conversations around fashion and sustainability I feel like I've been having, because, obviously, when a lot of people ask me about Ghana, as much as it was beautiful, the sun was shining, the restaurants and the food were nice, went out a couple of times and partied and stuff like that I was so drawn to my mission of what I really wanted to do. My mission of what I really wanted to do and that was to do a workshop out there, to do an upcycling workshop, to go and visit the secondhand market and really see what's really happening with these bells of clothing that's coming from like the US and the UK and how they're dealing with our shit over there, and so that's where the conversation keeps taking me and it also just makes me understand the power and the importance of what I am actually even really doing right now. Like if I had had, if I had gone to Ghana before I spoke at the Idol Home Show, that conversation that I had with those, with my listeners, with the people that came to listen to me talk, would have been so much more powerful. Because I've been doing this, because I understand it from where I'm standing, but to see what's happening to our clothes that we're just disposing of because it has a little the buttons missing and it has a tear and the hem's falling down and it's bubbling, so we're just discarding it, we're sending it to the charity shop, and then the charity shop is like well, there's no point in us fixing this, we're just gonna scrap this anyway. Obviously the conversation is so deeper than that because there's just too much stuff anyway. Where does it go? It goes to places like Ghana. Ghana, I think India, have a massive landfill as well and another second-hand market as well.

Speaker 1: 13:00

Um, so the conversation is so big and it's like I want to have this conversation with everyone. I know everyone's not interested, but it just feels like I'm grateful that the people that are asking me they they seem to be interested in the conversation. But, like I said, it just makes me realize how important it is what I do and even thinking about content like posting. Posting, um, what's that word? Uh, not consistently posting, like making the stuff that I'm posting makes sense and impactful that's not the word. But make sure that what I'm posting is impactful for the people that want to hear it, because the social, my social media, is not hitting the way it used to and I'm not getting the, the likes, I'm not getting the views.

Speaker 1: 13:46

So now what we're going to do is we're just going to post what it is that's in my heart to post. I'm going to post what the hell I want, because we're gonna do is we're just gonna post what it is that's in my heart to post. I'm gonna post what the hell I want, because you're not even engaging or you're not. The algorithm's not algorithming greatly right now, unless I post a sexy, cute little pic. But what's? That's not gonna tell you guys to stop buying bullshit and stop throwing your clothes away and it's not gonna teach you how to actually look after your stuff and buy better, is it? So yeah, every so often I might throw up a cute little sexy pic in my bikini, on my carnival costume, so I can get them vanity metrics, because we all love it. We all need a bit of vanity metrics, don't piss me off, but on the other hand, of that I need to be, I really need to.

Speaker 1: 14:29

My mission is clear. I need to keep talking about what it is that I want to talk about, because I love talking. So make it make sense. I love talking, so make it make sense and make the people that really want to listen and really want to engage engage. And sometimes there are conversations to chat shit because I love chatting shit. I love going out on the street with my little extra mic and just chatting shit because it's fun, and sometimes we need a break from reality, right? So, yeah, so it's been a great week. It's really been a great week getting back in.

Speaker 1: 15:02

I finally washed some clothes. So I have been back over a week and I finally did a wash. I did a wash yesterday and, yeah, I feel like I feel, feel like I'm a, I'm a human being again now, like you know, putting stuff away, washing stuff, drying stuff, putting it away and really actually putting it, putting my summer stuff lightly away. One because the summer is coming, we are, we are experiencing the heat and the hot weather, um, and also because I'm going to be away again and I don't know where I'm going. But business, like, I'm going to travel for work. That's what I've asked for, isn't it? So you know, I am an energy source, so it is going to happen. So here's a question that was asked to me this week. So someone asked me why I don't do. I don't do fashion hauls on my page, and there's a few reasons why I don't. Some of the some of the reasons are I don't actually shop like that anymore.

Speaker 1: 16:04

I used to shop so like, even when I used to shop on the high street. I used to love shopping, going to the shops, coming back with bags, having all these clothes, but I was also going out a lot. So every time I would go raving, I'd buy a new outfit for raving and I had jeans, like I used to work in Gap. So I think I was like 19 when I worked in Gap. I had I owned at one point like over 40 pairs of jeans I gap. I had. I owned at one point like over 40 pairs of jeans. I remember counting them. This is when I lived at my mum's. So I had over 40 pairs of jeans, probably wore three, four or five, maybe six, and had my phase. I used to. Not only were they gap jeans, I used to like designer jeans. So I had quite a few designer jeans as well.

Speaker 1: 16:45

Iceberg was my favorite, don't know why, I think it was Iceberg was quite. It wasn't a big, big brand. No, it was big, but it wasn't like Moschino and Versace and even what was that other one, evisu, like those were like the current ones at the time, like in the early 90s. So I didn't want to be like everyone else in it. So I was like I'm going for Iceberg and they just, they just used to fit me nice little low-waisted ting. You get me with my tiny little buddy, so I don't shop like that.

Speaker 1: 17:16

So even when I started shopping in charity shops so Caden was maybe about four, five, maybe four, it could have been younger and I started customizing denim jackets, so that's what really brought me to the charity shops. And so, for context of years, kay's now 18. And if I started going there when he was four. Quick maths in it. So 14 years, 14 years ago, yeah, oh, my God Go me. So 14 years ago I started shopping in charity shops and when I first entered it was literally, you know, a couple of denim jackets here and there. Then I really got a liking.

Speaker 1: 17:55

I loved shirts. I'd buy men's shirts. It was always men's clothes as well, because I always thought that men's clothes was always made better and more sturdier than women's. Women's clothes were just cheap and flimsy, so I only used to shop men's clothes in charity shops. So used to shop men's clothes in charity shops. So, yeah, denim jackets, men's shirts my selection of shirts is wild. One day I might actually just do a video of my shirts, like stuff that.

Speaker 1: 18:17

So, my, if I was to do a haul, like a dress up haul, it'd be on stuff that I already own, not, oh, I bought all this stuff and so, like I said, I don't shop like that anymore. So you know, when I used to do, when I used to go charity shop shopping, I would go and come back with bags. My back was breaking from all the bags I was carrying. If I went to a charity shop, I went to all the charity shops on that road and I definitely bought a couple things in each shop and the problem now is that I'm I'm stuck with bullshit that now and I say I bought good stuff, so it's not all bullshit, but it's stuff that I want to now get rid of because I don't wear the clothes and I'm trying and not trying, I'm decluttering and I'm just lifting all this load off of stuff that I have and that I've over over consumed. So I have no reason to do hauls.

Speaker 1: 19:04

And I think that the problem that I started realizing with hauls and during lockdown is what I really noticed is that everyone was doing these fashion halls because they were buying online. So they was buying stuff from like sheen pretty little thing, and they were doing these halls, these 500 pound halls of stuff that they bought shit. And then people like, oh my god, that's amazing, I'm gonna go out and buy that, and so then I would. I, in my head, I was thinking I'm gonna do a good thing, I'm going to go out and buy that, and so then I would. In my head, I was thinking I'm going to do a good thing and I'm going to do like a charity shop haul of stuff that I bought. So I was doing a few hauls and again, like it's like people like, oh, I'm going to get that, but obviously in my head I'm thinking you can't buy this because it's secondhand. But then what people do is just go out and buy something similar and I just didn't. I felt like it was a problem and I didn't want to be part of the problem. So I stopped doing hauls and I actually really enjoyed doing hauls. So it was just trying to. For me, it's figuring out another way to do it, because I like doing the style videos I like doing get ready with me.

Speaker 1: 20:02

But I also just like you. More than likely you already have it. You already have it. People will see you wear an outfit outfit and they'll want to buy the whole outfit and they'll go out and buy a whole outfit. But you have something similar. Just because you see it and just because my girl said it was from Zara. You have to get the whole outfit, check your wardrobe first, but then you can get it somewhere else and you might find it even cheaper. And you might find it okay because, like I said, we don't want to keep buying cheap shit.

Speaker 1: 20:32

But Zara's the quality of Zara. If you lot don't know this already, the quality of Zara is poor. I listen when you lot go out shopping. Do a favor, how about this? If you because there's a lot, I know a lot of my listeners like Zara just check, check it before you buy it. Check it because it's not just because it's bought in a cheap shop that the stitching is shit a lot of the time, or the manufacturing is shit or whatever. It is a lot of the time.

Speaker 1: 21:02

A lot of these places that they're like, kind of like using the same, the same um warehouses to make their stuff, the the quality is not on the people that's making the stuff. The quality of it is on that. They've had to rush to make it and they're not asking them to give them popper designer quality. They're saying just make it. And you've got to make freaking free dresses in two minutes, so they're rushing to make it. And you've got to make freaking free dresses in two minutes, so they're rushing to make it. It's not because they can't sew, it's because they're on a short time span of making it. So just check out the stitching and check out.

Speaker 1: 21:34

Turn it inside out, have a proper look at it, have a proper look at the quality, hold it up, is it see-through? Because instead of saying, my girl, my girl's doing a little walk on her page and she's saying, oh, I got this dress from Zara and you're not looking at it through her screen and it looks amazing, we don't know how. If she's pinned it a certain way, her body is not your body mate. Just go go there and look at it properly, check it out and try it on and sometimes, when you're not going to shops, bring a pair of heels to try it on with. Like, what would you wear it with? If you're gonna wear it with heels, try it on with heels.

Speaker 1: 22:06

Do I like the way my legs look in heels in this, or would I prefer it in flats? Actually, do I even like it because it looked good on my girl, who just looks good in everything, or she's got a whole different body shape. But do I like it on me? Even me, I'm a slim girl, but I've tried stuff and I'm like, ah, this don't work for me.

Speaker 1: 22:30

Not everything that's good on me, most stuff, stop it, stop it. Oh, my head is so big but I like to think most stuff looks good on me, but I have put stuff on it. I'm like, baby girl, this one ain't for you, this one is not for you. But quality control in general is gone downhill, so stop parting your money with stuff. That is just shit. Honestly, like I feel like. I feel like I need to start just giving it raw and how how it is and how I really feel like, because sometimes I feel like I sugarcoat it, man. I sugarcoat it because I don't want to come across as a bitch online. But you know what? Stop buying cheap shit and thinking it's gonna last. Honestly, it pisses me off. And then you don't want to bring it to me to fix it and then when I'm trying to sew it, I'm now messing it up even more because just my needle is making this thing look even crappier. It's got nothing to do with me. You bought it cheap in the first place. What? No, I'm laughing, but I'm so. I'm so absolutely serious about this.

Speaker 1: 23:36

I saw something today, so I'm gonna be my last point. We gonna wrap it up right quick, because I've got to edit this myself. I saw a video and, um, it's called the luxury podcast. It's not the actual. I don't think that's the full name, but I'll pop it. I'll probably put it in the notes and I saw a clip from it. And so the guy who runs a podcast and runs a page they've I didn't even know they had a podcast, but now I know they've got a podcast so I probably listened to it.

Speaker 1: 24:01

He asks his their guest, who was on, what is a brand that people think is luxury but actually isn't? And the gentleman said Chanel. And I agree. I think I'm. I think Chanel looks so cheap and tacky, but the reasons for why I think it looks cheap and tacky is not the same as his. So he was saying that basically, um, the quality of Chanel has gone so downhill like it's bad. You're paying like I don't.

Speaker 1: 24:29

I feel like Chanel is like maybe 10 grand or something, but I could be wrong. Is it two grand? I don't even know. I honestly don't know Research that. I don't give a shit to care about it. If you want to look, you can look, but Chanel is so expensive. But from what it was that how many years ago, when you had like proper gold plated buckles and stuff and the you know the, even just the glue, you couldn't see it. Like you go, you look at a Chanel purse now like a real authentic Chanel purse and it's tarnished, it looks cheap, the leather's cheap, everything and it's so much more expensive.

Speaker 1: 25:00

And I if you guys ever see me with a designer I have two Louis Vuitton bags and both of these bags I've owned for over 20 years and one of them is a cotton one. It's a little what? No one, what's the what's my little one called? I can't remember the name of it, but the corners are wearing wear and tear. But I use this bag. It's. It's funny. It's if I need a big, small bag because it fits quite a lot in there, like I can fit a pair of shoes in there bag it's. It's funny. It's if I need a big, small bag because it fits quite a lot in there, like I can fit a pair of shoes in there. So it's really good for that reason. But it's such a beautiful bag and it costs um 400 pounds.

Speaker 1: 25:35

The same bag now would cost a good couple grand. I think now it might cost about two grand. And then my other one is my never fall. And again you look at the inside of it. It's in, it's in a state, but on the outside it looks immaculate. These bags don't last like that now and you're not paying so much more for a designer. Honestly, if I just had money and I would buy into designers, I'd probably buy into. You know, handmade designers support black designers that are just making real good quality stuff. There are some leather bags out there that are such good quality that I would rather invest in them. I'd rather pay, give. I would rather give them my two grand. If I just had two grand to spend on a bag, I'd rather give it to a real person building up their brand, but to give it to these big designer companies that don't give a shit about how it looks, because they know you're gonna spend your money anyway, because once they put a Kardashian in it or another celebrity that you love, or this um banging, at that moment you're just gonna buy it.

Speaker 1: 26:38

I'm, I'm. No, I don't subscribe. No, thank you, sign me off of the subscription list. But yeah, anyways, hope you enjoyed this episode. Let me know what you want to hear more of. I really want to start making sure that I'm catering to what you guys want to hear, because you come back every week and I also want you to share it. I want you to say that was a banging episode. Someone else needs to hear this. I want to share this. So, with that said, I want to make sure I'm talking about stuff that you guys actually want to hear.

Speaker 1: 27:06

This episode is a little bit long. Today, allow me in it. I had a lot to say. I missed a week, but I love you. Peace out a town down west side is the best side, do I believe that? Yeah, not really.

Speaker 1: 27:17

Ghana was a vibe, though, but what I do believe is that wherever I am at is where the vibes's at, so every week, the vibe's here. Unless I miss a week, don't worry, it's not going to happen again, guys. It's not going to happen too often, but wherever I'm at, the vibe's at and the vibe is here all the time, the vibe is there. When I'm there and the vibe is there, be the vibe that you want to see in the world. Bring the energy, support the energy. You see when you see someone that's doing enough and they're being enough, but they're being a vibe. Don't be. Don't be a vibe killer. Don't be like oh, what are you doing? You're doing too much. Be the vibe that you want to see in the world and support the vibe that you want to see in the world. I love you, guys. Bye.