Why Haul Videos are BROKEN and How We Can Fix Them

This is intended to be an aesthetic parody of haul video clickbait thumbnails. Please don't take this too seriously.

Most sustainable fashion influencers and minimalists aren't too keen on hauls and unboxings, and their distain has inspired trends like the anti-hauls and haulternatives. However, as someone with one foot in the sustainable fashion community and the other in the alternative fashion community, I truly believe that haul videos have a place in the fashion community, but in their current form, they promote unhealthy spending habits, contribute to anxiety, and cheapen the relationships we have with our possessions. This week, I will go over the positive aspects of hauls/unboxings, the negatives, and what we can do to improve them.

What are the pros of hauls and unboxings?

There are many points one can bring up to identify why haul videos are useful and enjoyable. These include:

• Seeing someone talk about something they’re excited about. Excitement is contagious. Whenever we see someone else who is happy, that will often make us happy to. Because of this, videos where people talk about the things they’re excited to have can impart that sense of joy onto us. The main reason why I enjoy Pixielock’s haul videos so much, even if they do bother me a little bit, is because seeing her genuinely happy about her new items makes me feel happy too.
  
• Learning about new brands and products. We fashion lovers are always on the hunt for new items to add to our closets, and when your style is as niche as mine, it can be especially difficult to find stuff that fits the rest of your wardrobe sometimes. I wouldn’t have several of my most treasured items right now if it weren’t for watching fashion influencers talk about and show off these items and brands.
  
• Finding out which items are worth the money/hype. This is especially true for when you’re looking to buy online and there’s no way to determine what an item would be like in person. Watching reviews, hauls, or unboxings from influencers you trust that include the item you’re considering can be a great way to gauge how high quality, true to size, or true to image an item is. For my formal dress back in high school, I did extensive research on the Infanta Rose Churches dress in red before ordering it. If it weren’t for unboxings and reviews, I couldn't have made the purchase with confidence, and thus wouldn’t have had such a special dress for my formal.

Why are hauls and unboxings often problematic?

That being said, hauls and unboxings are still problematic in their current form. Some reasons for this include:

• Promoting excessive consumerism and materialism. In my opinion, no fashion channel should be posting a new haul/unboxing video more than once a month, and even once a month is a bit excessive. Too many YouTubers in the alternative fashion community almost exclusively post hauls and unboxings. This is problematic because it promotes the idea of constant consumerism in which people are always looking to the next big thing instead of appreciating what they already have. Overconsumption causes huge waste problems on a global scale, hence why we desperately need to slow down.
  
• Endorsing fast fashion brands. I understand that hauls from Wish, Spreepicky, Aliexpress, Forever 21, H&M, Youvimi, and similar brands/stores get views, but considering how all of these places and more are known for stealing designs, or sourcing their products from shady suppliers and manufacturers, or refuse to be transparent about their supply chains, it’s entirely unprofessional for influencers to support these brands while also ignoring or being unaware of their issues. Influencers have to research the pros and cons of any brands they’re looking to publically endorse, and while some brands are good at hiding their problematic nature, influencers should ask brands questions and take any lack of transparency as a red flag. Encouraging one’s viewers to purchase from unethical and unsustainable brands hides and even trivialises these problems.
  
• Being a source of anxiety for viewers. The thing about hauls and unboxings, especially if they’re large, expensive, and/or frequent, is that they convey an unrealistic standard to viewers of what it means to be fashionable. It’s about having a large wardrobe stuffed with items from big brands like Lazy Oaf and Dolls Kill and YRU and UNIF and Irregular Choice and Current Mood and Punk Rave and Angelic Pretty and Innocent World and Liz Lisa and need I go on? People like these brands for a reason. I like some of these brands for a reason, and own or would like to own at least one of their products. I also know that by watching people shop and unbox and frequently haul items from expensive brands, I used to always look at my own closet and feel inadequate and unfashionable. Did my closet have problems? Yes, but stuffing it with expensive items from prestigious brands wasn’t going to help. We need to spread the message that good taste comes from careful curation and styling. Fashionableness is a learned skill; not something you can purchase. I don’t think any influencers or even some brands intend to send this kind of problematic message, but that doesn't change the fact that it's harming their audiences.

How can we fix them?

Unlike the fast fashion business model, I don’t believe haul videos are inherently bad and incompatible with sustainable fashion and minimalism. In fact, I think that by doing the following, haul videos will not only become less problematic, but result in smarter and more entertaining content overall.

• Support smaller brands. When I asked the members of the Alternative Fashion Lovers For Sustainability Facebook group why they like hauls and unboxings, one popular reason was learning about new brands and products. If everyone is posting hauls about the popular brands, that means there isn’t as much to discover. I also believe that supporting smaller brands in your hauls is incredibly beneficial if you’re a small creator, because small brands are grateful for any publicity and are thus more likely to give you a shoutout on their social media. What could be a more wholesome haul to watch than a small creator supporting other small creators?
   
• Post fewer hauls and unboxings. One of the biggest issues regarding hauls and unboxings isn’t neccessarily the videos themselves, but the number and frequency of these videos. By posting fewer hauls/unboxings, you’re not perpetuating the unhealthy image of constant shopping. But what sorts of videos should you make instead of hauls, unboxings, or other videos focusing on the accumulation of stuff? Well, I personally would love to see more lookbooks, wardrobe challenges, up-cycling, and fashion advice videos. I want more videos focusing on how to wear the clothing one already has in new and exciting ways, because what really makes fashion and new items fun is the creative joy of coordinating new outfits. Why not focus on that aspect of fashion more?
  
• Properly justify a purchase. If we are to fix hauls and unboxings, no item should be purchased just because the buyer liked it. We should always question ourselves before buying an item, and we should answer those questions in our hauls. Why do I want or need this item? What purpose does this item serve? How does it fit my wardrobe? How does it fit my lifestyle? How comfortable is it? Is any discomfort something I’m realistically willing to deal with? How long do I plan on using this item for, and how frequently will I be wearing it? Can I create three distinct outfits with this item using what I already have? All very important and interesting questions that I would love to see answered in every haul video I watch.

I hope this blogpost helped you realise the true pros, cons, and potential of haul videos and unboxings. Contrary to what most fashion activists believe, I don't see them as the enemy of sustainable fashion. By promoting conscious consumerism and small businesses doing the right thing, we can still enjoy our haul videos while also making the world a little better.

For more resources discussing haul videos, I suggest you check out the following:

• 'Fast Fashion Reviews and Hauls Are Problematic' by Tiffiny Ferg.
• 'Why Do People Like Haul Videos?' by WheezyWaiter.
• 'Dear Influencers...' by Fashion Revolution.
• 'Is YouTube Bad for my Mental Health?' by Ashleigh Wood.

If you enjoyed this post, chances are you will also enjoy 'Who Is My Fantasy Self and How Do I Shut Her Up?'.

Want to join the conversation surrounding haul videos and sustainable, alternative fashion? Be sure to join the Alternative Fashion Lovers For Sustainability Facebook group.

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Question of the Week: What's your opinion on haul videos? Let me know in the comments below or on social media.