00:00The inshittification of everything has become one of the defining forces of our time.
00:04It's come for politics, comment sections, and yes, our clothes.
00:08It's 102 pounds, so it's actually incredibly overpriced for what this is.
00:11I mean, look at how sparsely knitted that is.
00:15It's not your imagination.
00:16Clothes really are getting worse.
00:17As commercial standards go, what the hell?
00:20For example, backlash ensued over a love story using modern knockoffs of 90s Calvin Klein
00:25and resulted in reshoots.
00:27The decline in quality has become impossible to ignore.
00:30What we're wearing today reflects a broader shift, what we're calling the shianification of fashion.
00:36A century ago, wardrobes were built to last, grounded in natural fibers like cotton, silk, and linen.
00:42Then came polyester, born out of a World War II innovation.
00:46A cheap, durable, plastic-based fabric, polyester's rink resistance and low-cost made it irresistible.
00:52Today, nearly 60% of clothing is made from synthetic fibers.
00:55You can see this shift by putting pieces from different eras side-by-side.
01:00This vintage Forever 21 cami compared to this one from Sheehan.
01:0420 years ago, Forever 21 made 100% silk tops.
01:08At a similar price point today, you get a top that is 94% polyester.
01:13Even the shirt I'm wearing right now, I've had it for more than 15 years, it's 100% silk from
01:17Forever 21.
01:18What's more surprising is where those synthetics show up.
01:20It's not just fast fashion.
01:22We did a survey of 12 major brands, and even in the contemporary tier, where tops can cost $300 to
01:27$800, 80% were made from synthetic materials or blends.
01:32Luxury does a bit better, but not perfectly.
01:35About 35% of items still contain synthetics, often blended intentionally for stretch or structure.
01:41Yet even there, corners are cut.
01:43Every jacket surveyed had a polyester lining.
01:45The result?
01:46Clothes that look good for a moment, but aren't felt to last.
01:49When fabric is engineered to be cheap and disposable, what exactly are we wearing?
01:53Fashion or waste?
