Aleksandra Wlodarczyk
European Climate Pact Ambassador | Speaker
Webisode Season 1
Top Guests Webisodes
Subscribe and be part of the movement.
If you care about fashion with meaning, conscious living, and real voices making real impact, you’re in the right place.
Subscribe Newsletter
Receive updates, new episodes, behind-the-scenes content, and sustainability insights.
The Psychology of Buying - Why We Keep Shopping?
Summary:
In this episode of ZÁY SHEEN Webisodes, Tafreed sits down with Aleksandra Wlodarczyk, a Polish fashion industry veteran who walked away from her own sourcing agency after witnessing the human cost of fast fashion during the pandemic. She shares how years of working inside supply chains in countries like Bangladesh and Turkey opened her eyes to unpaid factories, exploited workers, and a system built on low prices and pressure from big brands. Aleksandra explains the psychology of buying, how dopamine, stress, and insecurity fuel our urge to shop, and how marketers carefully design stores, prices, and online experiences to keep us hooked without us even realizing it. Together, they break down why fast fashion is so dangerous for people and the planet, why price does not equal quality, and how consumers can reclaim their power by buying less, choosing better pieces, learning to recognize true quality, and practicing minimalism. Aleksandra closes by reminding us that one decision may feel small, but multiplied by millions of people, it can reshape the future of fashion.
The Psychology of Buying
Why We Keep Shopping: The Hidden Psychology Behind Our Fashion Habits
In our latest ZÁY SHEEN Webisodes conversation, sustainable fashion advocate Aleksandra Wlodarczyk breaks down one of the biggest questions in modern consumer culture: why do we keep shopping even when we know the impact? After spending more than 20 years in the fashion industry, including owning her own sourcing agency, Aleksandra saw firsthand how fast fashion exploits workers, pressures factories, and floods the world with low-quality clothing. But she also explains that the problem is not just a lack of awareness. It is human psychology.
Shopping gives us quick hits of dopamine, a short burst of pleasure that fades fast and pushes us to want more. At the same time, marketers design everything from store layouts to website colors, pop-ups, music, lighting, and pricing to keep us buying without thinking. The result is a cycle of impulse purchases, overflowing wardrobes, and a planet drowning in waste.
Aleksandra reminds us that fashion itself is not the villain. Style can bring confidence, joy, and self-expression. The issue is overconsumption. Her advice is simple but powerful: buy less, buy better, wait before purchasing, learn how to recognize quality, and choose brands that respect both people and the planet. Fashion should feel good, not cost the earth.
For both Izzy and Tafreed, sustainability is not only about fabric, water usage, or recycling. It is also about the people who make our clothes. Many garment workers in countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal earn far below a living wage. They often work long hours in unsafe environments to produce inexpensive clothing that sells in the West.
Tafreed’s own background in Thailand gave him firsthand experience with this reality. He met workers who did not receive fair wages and saw clothes produced with little regard for quality or ethics. It was this environment that pushed him to say no to fast fashion and to start building something better.
The episode highlights a powerful message. Change begins with awareness. It grows through conversation. And it becomes real when brands and consumers choose ethical production, fair wages, and quality materials.
Fashion lasts longer when it is made with intention. The world becomes cleaner when we buy less and use what we already have. And the industry becomes fairer when we think about the hands behind every stitch.
Fashion for Change is not just a podcast. It is a reminder that style can be beautiful without harming people or the planet. With voices like Izzy and Tafreed, the movement continues to grow, inspiring listeners to choose better, live consciously, and support fashion that values humanity.