Haul videos originated c. 2006 through the beauty community on YouTube and really gained relevance from 2010 onwards. I can remember a certain period of my life when I exclusively watched haul videos on YouTube. It was like an obsession. I couldn’t seem to feed my constant curiosity about what other people were buying. This culture still exists on YouTube but has also expanded to other platforms given the rise in popularity of TikTok length videos this past year. Now in a minute or less, you can see 10-30 items a person bought and how you too can obtain these items.
Haul videos can be really helpful. They expose you to new brands, give you inspiration, and keep you up to date with current trends. At the same time, they can also be really detrimental to the way we think about and approach shopping.
Given the pandemic, online shopping has become increasingly more desirable, and with many videos providing direct links to all of the clothes, hauls make it easier than ever to impulse buy. The aspirational nature of the videos leads viewers to believe that the content creator is presenting the ideal life, a life that we should all strive to obtain by consuming more goods. While luxury hauls exist as a niche in this realm, typically the videos are for less expensive brands and are often accompanied with a discount code from the creator, further incentivizing the viewer to purchase the products.
This is simply not a sustainable way to shop.
It is important to be aware of how sustainable and ethical the brands are that you purchase from. A great resource for this is the app Good On You, which gives brands ratings based on labor, environmental, and animal impacts. It also gives suggestions for similar brands, so you can find more sustainable alternatives to your go-to fast fashion brands.
However, sustainable fashion (aside from thrifting) is often quite expensive and not realistic for the average consumer. So, what becomes more important is not necessarily where you buy from, but how much and how often you buy in general. It is impossible to be completely sustainable in a capitalist society but being more aware of what you buy is a good first step. This is referred to as conscious consumerism.
Personally, before I purchase anything, I like to sit down and think about how much use I would get out of the item and if it is really a necessary addition to my life. If I can’t stop thinking about an item for several days or weeks, that’s probably a good indicator that I should purchase it. I also like to plan out my purchases in accordance to what I already own. If I know I am on the hunt for a certain type of top or pair of jeans, then I am more likely to focus on perfectly satisfying that want as opposed to impulse buying loads of other things.
Everyone has their own methods that work the best for them and their lifestyle. This isn’t to shame shopping habits or say that you shouldn’t want to keep up with trends (good old-fashioned retail therapy is the best solution in some cases). However, the pervasiveness of haul culture in our society should make us pause and work towards being more conscious consumers for the benefit of ourselves, others, and the planet.
Written By: Becca Morency