Clotheshorse with Amanda Lee McCarty cover art

Clotheshorse with Amanda Lee McCarty

Clotheshorse with Amanda Lee McCarty

By: Amanda Lee McCarty
Listen for free

About this listen

 Host Amanda Lee McCarty (she/they) decodes and demystifies the fashion and retail industries, and takes on topics like consumerism, workers rights, personal style, and why fashion is a case study in capitalism gone awry. Your money is as powerful as your vote! "If you wear clothes, you need to listen to Clotheshorse." --Elise "If you are human and live in the world, you need to listen to Clotheshorse." --Individually Wrapped© 2025 Amanda Lee McCarty Art Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Episode 236: Ripped From the Headlines...

    Episode 236: Ripped From the Headlines...
    Jun 11 2025
    In this episode, Amanda explores and explains a few different topics that are “ripped from the headlines,” including some news submitted from listeners:A recap of Amanda's day at the United Nations Fashion and Lifestyle Network Annual MeetingAn update on the Fashion ActHow boycotts are affecting Target (and their nightmare 2025 Pride collection)What Joann has in common with Toys R US, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Nasty GalWhy Torrid is closing a ton of stores (and why this is a problem)And so much more!JOIN AMANDA FOR THE CLOTHESHORSE BIRTHDAY CRAFTERNOON ON JULY 20!Additional Reading:"Dear Fashion CEOs, Stop Undermining Climate Action," Maxine Bédat, Business of Fashion."Target sales fall sharply in 1st quarter and retailer warns they will slip for all of 2025," CBS News."Target Moves Pride Merchandise Aside To Spotlight Father’s Day And July 4th Holidays," Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes."'Cowardcore:' Everyone Is Noticing The Same Thing About Target's Pride Merch," Brittany Wong, HuffPost."Nervous Corporate Sponsors Retreat From New York Pride," Liam Stack, The New York Times."Michaels acquires Joann brand: What it means for store inventories," Lori Comstock, USA Today Network.Get your Clotheshorse merch here: https://clotheshorsepodcast.com/shop/If you want to share your opinion/additional thoughts on the subjects we cover in each episode, feel free to email, whether it’s a typed out message or an audio recording: amanda@clotheshorse.worldDid you enjoy this episode? Consider "buying me a coffee" via Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/clotheshorseClotheshorse is brought to you with support from the following sustainable small businesses:Slow Fashion Academy is a size-inclusive sewing and patternmaking studio based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Designer and fashion professor Ruby Gertz teaches workshops for hobbyists and aspiring designers, so that anyone can learn the foundational skills of making, mending, and altering their own clothes. Ruby also provides professional design and patternmaking services to emerging slow fashion brands, and occasionally takes commissions for custom garments and costume pieces. She has also released several PDF sewing patterns for original designs under her brands Spokes & Stitches, and Starling Petite Plus. Check the schedule for upcoming workshops, download PDF sewing patterns, and learn about additional sewing and design services at www.slowfashion.academy.The Pewter Thimble Is there a little bit of Italy in your soul? Are you an enthusiast of pre-loved decor and accessories? Bring vintage Italian style — and history — into your space with The Pewter Thimble (@thepewterthimble). We source useful and beautiful things, and mend them where needed. We also find gorgeous illustrations, and make them print-worthy. Tarot cards, tea towels and handpicked treasures, available to you from the comfort of your own home. Responsibly sourced from across Rome, lovingly renewed by fairly paid artists and artisans, with something for every budget. Discover more at thepewterthimble.comSt. Evens is an NYC-based vintage shop that is dedicated to bringing you those special pieces you’ll reach for again and again. More than just a store, St. Evens is dedicated to sharing the stories and history behind the garments. 10% of all sales are donated to a different charitable organization each month. New vintage is released every Thursday at wearStEvens.com, with previews of new pieces and more brought to you on Instagram at @wear_st.evens.Deco Denim is a startup based out of San Francisco, selling clothing and accessories that are sustainable, gender fluid, size inclusive and high quality--made to last for years to come. Deco Denim is trying to change the way you think about buying clothes. Founder Sarah Mattes wants to empower people to ask important questions like, “Where was this made? Was this garment made ethically? Is this fabric made of plastic? Can this garment be upcycled and if not, can it be recycled?” Signup at decodenim.com to receive $20 off your first purchase. They promise not to spam you and send out no more than 3 emails a month, with 2 of them surrounding education or a personal note from the Founder. Find them on Instagram as @deco.denim.Vagabond Vintage DTLV is a vintage clothing, accessories & decor reselling business based in Downtown Las Vegas. Not only do we sell in Las Vegas, but we are also located throughout resale markets in San Francisco as well as at a curated boutique called Lux and Ivy located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jessica, the founder & owner of Vagabond Vintage DTLV, recently opened the first IRL location located in the Arts District of Downtown Las Vegas on August 5th. The shop has a strong emphasis on 60s & 70s garments, single stitch tee shirts & dreamy loungewear. Follow them on instagram, @vagabondvintage.dtlv and keep an eye out for their website coming fall of 2022.Country Feedback is a mom & pop record shop in Tarboro, North Carolina. They ...
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 57 mins
  • Episode 235: Reading, Writing, and Hanging out at the mall, with Jane and Molly of Content Queen

    Episode 235: Reading, Writing, and Hanging out at the mall, with Jane and Molly of Content Queen
    Jun 4 2025
    This week you are going to meet Molly and Jane of Content Queen, a two-person Bay Area-based zine publisher. And we are going to talk about all kinds of very hot topics (including literally Hot Topic):Why do Jane and Molly make physical zines rather than virtual/online content in 2025? The answer is important and might get you thinking…How has the kind of “content” we consume (especially the content we READ) changed in the social media era?Two of Content Queen’s zines that are explicitly fashion-related: Stressful, Awkward, Envied: ‘90s and ‘00s Brands From Those Who Wore the Clothes, Worked the Registers, and Modeled for the Catalogs AND Wendy’s World, “an immersion into the early-’90s downtown New York world of the ultimate cult indie fashion label, Built by Wendy.”Along the way Molly and Jane will tell us what it’s like to vend at a zine fair in 2025 (and why it’s different than it used to be). And we’ll wrap it all up by making our trend predictions. Amanda gets things started with explaining why something as simple as reading is a radical act of resistance in 2025 (and why we need to protect books and libraries).Go order and read Molly and Jane's zines so we can talk about them: contentqueenzine.comFind them on IG: @contentqueenzineJOIN AMANDA FOR THE CLOTHESHORSE BIRTHDAY CRAFTERNOON ON JULY 20!Additional reading:"It’s so boring’: Gen Z parents don’t like reading to their kids - and educators are worried," Alaina Demopoulos, The Guardian."The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books," Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic.Banned and Challenged Books dashboard, American Library Association.Get your Clotheshorse merch here: https://clotheshorsepodcast.com/shop/If you want to share your opinion/additional thoughts on the subjects we cover in each episode, feel free to email, whether it’s a typed out message or an audio recording: amanda@clotheshorse.worldDid you enjoy this episode? Consider "buying me a coffee" via Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/clotheshorseClotheshorse is brought to you with support from the following sustainable small businesses:Slow Fashion Academy is a size-inclusive sewing and patternmaking studio based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Designer and fashion professor Ruby Gertz teaches workshops for hobbyists and aspiring designers, so that anyone can learn the foundational skills of making, mending, and altering their own clothes. Ruby also provides professional design and patternmaking services to emerging slow fashion brands, and occasionally takes commissions for custom garments and costume pieces. She has also released several PDF sewing patterns for original designs under her brands Spokes & Stitches, and Starling Petite Plus. Check the schedule for upcoming workshops, download PDF sewing patterns, and learn about additional sewing and design services at www.slowfashion.academy.The Pewter Thimble Is there a little bit of Italy in your soul? Are you an enthusiast of pre-loved decor and accessories? Bring vintage Italian style — and history — into your space with The Pewter Thimble (@thepewterthimble). We source useful and beautiful things, and mend them where needed. We also find gorgeous illustrations, and make them print-worthy. Tarot cards, tea towels and handpicked treasures, available to you from the comfort of your own home. Responsibly sourced from across Rome, lovingly renewed by fairly paid artists and artisans, with something for every budget. Discover more at thepewterthimble.comSt. Evens is an NYC-based vintage shop that is dedicated to bringing you those special pieces you’ll reach for again and again. More than just a store, St. Evens is dedicated to sharing the stories and history behind the garments. 10% of all sales are donated to a different charitable organization each month. New vintage is released every Thursday at wearStEvens.com, with previews of new pieces and more brought to you on Instagram at @wear_st.evens.Deco Denim is a startup based out of San Francisco, selling clothing and accessories that are sustainable, gender fluid, size inclusive and high quality--made to last for years to come. Deco Denim is trying to change the way you think about buying clothes. Founder Sarah Mattes wants to empower people to ask important questions like, “Where was this made? Was this garment made ethically? Is this fabric made of plastic? Can this garment be upcycled and if not, can it be recycled?” Signup at decodenim.com to receive $20 off your first purchase. They promise not to spam you and send out no more than 3 emails a month, with 2 of them surrounding education or a personal note from the Founder. Find them on Instagram as @deco.denim.Vagabond Vintage DTLV is a vintage clothing, accessories & decor reselling business based in Downtown Las Vegas. Not only do we sell in Las Vegas, but we are also located throughout resale markets in San Francisco as well as at a curated boutique called Lux and Ivy located in Indianapolis, ...
    Show More Show Less
    2 hrs and 42 mins
  • Episode 234: Who killed Jo-Ann?

    Episode 234: Who killed Jo-Ann?
    May 14 2025
    What happened to Jo-Ann (the massive fabric/craft store chain)? In many places, it was the only game in town. It had a captive audience. And sewing and mending are on the rise. So Amanda set out to find out who killed Jo-Ann. It’s a lot more complicated than you think! In this episode we take a journey full of twists and turns:Was it just private equity? And WTF is private equity anyway?What do Jo-Ann and Red Lobster have in common? Unfortunately it's not Cheddar Bay Biscuits.How has society's relationship with sewing changed over the last 80 years?Who is Faith Popcorn and why is Amanda obsessed with her?Where are the mechanized hugging booths?Does anyone remember Cargo Express?Where did Jo-Ann's leadership go wrong?How would Amanda "save" Jo-Ann?What is the future of fabric stores? And how are we all a part of it?So many sources and so many links for this episode.First: some suggested fabric stores from Amanda:Firecracker FabricsL'Etoffe FabricsNacho Ann's FabricsMake & MendCheck out Oddly Specific with Meredith Lynch Sources and additional reading:"How private equity rolled Red Lobster," Gretchen Morgenson, NBC News."How trend forecasting keeps the biggest brands on top," Peter Firth, City AM."Faith Popcorn’s predictions five years later," Patrick Kevin Day, Los Angeles Times."The Essence of Cocooning," Beth Ann Krier, Los Angeles Times."Cloth World stores sold to chain," Alan Goldstein, Tampa Bay Times."Fabri-Centers Agrees to Pay $3 Million to Settle Charges," Leslie Eaton, The New York Times."Staff Said The Free Mask Kits At Jo-Ann Fabrics Are Just Scraps From The Clearance Bin," Amber Jamieson, Buzzfeed."Did private equity kill Joann fabrics?" Sam Becker, Fast Company."How Joann Fabrics went from a cult-favorite retail darling to a bankruptcy disaster," Lila Maclellan, Fortune."Sixty-seven years of fabrics and crafts," Janet H. Cho, The Plain Dealer."Sixty Years of Serving Creativity," Marsha McGregor.Get your Clotheshorse merch here: https://clotheshorsepodcast.com/shop/If you want to share your opinion/additional thoughts on the subjects we cover in each episode, feel free to email, whether it’s a typed out message or an audio recording: amanda@clotheshorse.worldDid you enjoy this episode? Consider "buying me a coffee" via Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/clotheshorseClotheshorse is brought to you with support from the following sustainable small businesses:The Pewter Thimble Is there a little bit of Italy in your soul? Are you an enthusiast of pre-loved decor and accessories? Bring vintage Italian style — and history — into your space with The Pewter Thimble (@thepewterthimble). We source useful and beautiful things, and mend them where needed. We also find gorgeous illustrations, and make them print-worthy. Tarot cards, tea towels and handpicked treasures, available to you from the comfort of your own home. Responsibly sourced from across Rome, lovingly renewed by fairly paid artists and artisans, with something for every budget. Discover more at thepewterthimble.comSt. Evens is an NYC-based vintage shop that is dedicated to bringing you those special pieces you’ll reach for again and again. More than just a store, St. Evens is dedicated to sharing the stories and history behind the garments. 10% of all sales are donated to a different charitable organization each month. New vintage is released every Thursday at wearStEvens.com, with previews of new pieces and more brought to you on Instagram at @wear_st.evens.Deco Denim is a startup based out of San Francisco, selling clothing and accessories that are sustainable, gender fluid, size inclusive and high quality--made to last for years to come. Deco Denim is trying to change the way you think about buying clothes. Founder Sarah Mattes wants to empower people to ask important questions like, “Where was this made? Was this garment made ethically? Is this fabric made of plastic? Can this garment be upcycled and if not, can it be recycled?” Signup at decodenim.com to receive $20 off your first purchase. They promise not to spam you and send out no more than 3 emails a month, with 2 of them surrounding education or a personal note from the Founder. Find them on Instagram as @deco.denim.Vagabond Vintage DTLV is a vintage clothing, accessories & decor reselling business based in Downtown Las Vegas. Not only do we sell in Las Vegas, but we are also located throughout resale markets in San Francisco as well as at a curated boutique called Lux and Ivy located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jessica, the founder & owner of Vagabond Vintage DTLV, recently opened the first IRL location located in the Arts District of Downtown Las Vegas on August 5th. The shop has a strong emphasis on 60s & 70s garments, single stitch tee shirts & dreamy loungewear. Follow them on instagram, @vagabondvintage.dtlv and keep an eye out for their website coming fall of 2022.Country Feedback is a mom & pop record shop in Tarboro, North Carolina. They specialize in used ...
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 57 mins
No reviews yet