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
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
Episode 264: pLEAsE, no more nostalgia slop (dELiA*s revisited)
As we discussed in the previous episode, nostalgia is so @#$%ing lucrative. So of course, everyone is trying to cash in with some nostalgia slop of their own...including
Sep 6 1 h 40 min
Episode 263: Nostalgia for sale (featuring Esprit)
From reissues of iconic toys to the resurgence of our favorite middle school brands, there is nostalgia for sale all around us. In this episode, Amanda unpacks why nosta
Aug 31 1 h 41 min
Episode 262: How to "background check" a brand (featuring Quince)
In a world of greenwashing, wall-to-wall podcast ads, and affiliate marketing "listicles," it's really hard to know if a brand is actually as sustainable and ethical as i
Jul 20 1 h 39 min
Episode 261: I'm With The Brand (Everlane + Stickergate), part ten
This episode is part ten in an ongoing series about brands and how they influence our identities and drive consumerism. In this episode, we are going to examine brands an
Jun 17 1 h 50 min
Episode 260: Your beliefs are your superpower, with Malena of The Slow Era
Forget apps, AI, and "miracle" eco fabrics...the solution to the fast fashion and overconsumption crisis is…PEOPLE. The future is human! And one way people come into pla
May 19 2 h 20 min
Episode 259: I'm With The Brand (pyramids & price tags), part nine
This episode is part nine in an ongoing series about brands and how they influence our identities and drive consumerism. In this episode, we will continue to explore how
Apr 27 1 h 44 min
Episode 258: Let's get hyperlocal, with Sara + Matthew of The York msprint
There are so many ways we can be an active, positive force within our communities. Sometimes it’s just hard to know where to start! This week you’re going to meet Sara a
Apr 16 1 h 39 min
Episode 257: There IS (more) ethical consumption under capitalism (part two) with Lisa of Retro Housewife Goes Green
Yes, there IS more ethical consumption under capitalism, but it all starts with understanding the impact of where and when we spend our money. In this episode (part two
Mar 25 2 h 31 min
Episode 256: There IS (more) ethical consumption under capitalism (part one) with Lisa of Retro Housewife Goes Green
Yes, there IS more ethical consumption under capitalism, but it all starts with understanding the impact of where and when we spend our money. In this episode (part one
Mar 17 1 h 43 min
Episode 255: I'm With The Brand (the price is right?), part eight
This episode is part eight in an ongoing series about brands and how they influence our identities and drive consumerism. In this episode, we will talk about how the pric
Mar 3 1 h 41 min
Episode 254: How (and why) I worked in fast fashion, part 2
In part two of two, Amanda explains how and why they worked in fast fashion. This episode picks back up at Amanda's worst job ever, takes a journey through the very opaqu
Feb 11 1 h 37 min
Episode 253: How (and why) I worked in fast fashion, part 1
In part one of two, Amanda explains how and why they worked in fast fashion. This episode gets started in Portland, OR in 2002, travels to the Urban Outfitters home offi
Feb 3 1 h 49 min
Episode 252: Survival is Political, with Lisa of Retro Housewife Goes Green
Survival *is* political. This week -- for the first episode of 2026 -- Amanda is joined by Lisa Sharp, aka Retro Housewife Goes Green. Lisa shares her own experiences be
Jan 20 1 h 56 min
Episode 251: A Japan-isode, part 2
You asked for it, so here it is: a recap of Amanda's first two weeks of her 2025 Japan trip!
What Amanda covers in this episode:
Tips for finding the best prices on air
Jan 2 1 h 56 min
Episode 250: A Japan-isode, featuring Mr. Dustin Travis White
Hey! It's a little end of year treat: Mr. Dustin Travis White joins Amanda to talk about the two weeks they spent together in Japan, traveling from Nagoya to Fukuoka to B
Dec 25 2025 1 h 57 min
Episode 249: I'm With The Brand (in Japan), part seven
This episode is part seven in an ongoing series about brands and how they influence our identities and drive consumerism. In this episode, recorded in Kyoto, Japan, we'll
Nov 24 2025 1 h 40 min
Episode 248: ATTN: Confidential with Maggie Greene
This year, Clotheshorse all star, Maggie Greene (The Halloween Queen) embarked on an epic international, cross-country adventure that she called The Tragic Optimist Tour.
Nov 11 2025 1 h 53 min
Episode 247: Let's build the future we want (LIVE IN PORTLAND)
Live in Portland, OR at Holocene, Amanda is joined by Karen, Cassie, and Frances to talk about how sewing is an important part of a better future. We will also discuss:
Nov 2 2025 2 h 10 min
Episode 246: Doomerism is boring (LIVE IN SEATTLE!)
Live in Seattle, WA at the Here-After, Amanda is joined by Nivi, Kim, and Janelle to talk about optimism, activism, and why doomerism is just so @#$%ing boring. We will a
Oct 26 2025 2 h 00 min
REWIND: Why new sweaters are kinda garbage, with Dani of Picnicwear
Sweater season has arrived for many of us, so let's revisit a favorite episode from last 2023!
Dani of Picnicwear joins Amanda to explain why (most) new sweaters are low
Oct 19 2025 2 h 25 min
Chart trend
Position in the Fashion & Beauty chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#52#102JulAugSepOct
#8
all-time peak
2
days in the top 10 since Nov 2024
Chart positions
Where Clotheshorse with Amanda Lee McCarty ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 22, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
I've truly learned so much from this podcast. I was initially hooked by Amanda's soothing voice (a podcast qualifier for me) and long form episodes. I'm also from around the Portland area and in high school in the Urban Outfitters ruling era, wishing I had enough money to buy their clothes, so the commonality built initial trust for me. I can't share enough how little I knew before listening, and how much of an impact Amanda has had on the way I think of quality, purchasing, sustainability (etc. etc.) not only for clothing, but basically everything purchasable. It's incredible how much of a difference it's made in my life, and I want to shout it from the rooftops! But, according to Amanda, there's better ways to help people change their minds - and you'll have to listen to hear her explain 🙂 It's been so influential for me that it's rubbed off on my boyfriend too, so much so that he didn't care when I threw away all his synthetic socks behind his back (haha). Thank you Amanda for the hard work, time, effort, energy, money, and love you put into Clothes Horse. You ARE making a difference. Reduce, refuse, resist! - 💚 from Central Washington 🏔️
AlyssaC7 · May 2026
I have enjoyed this podcast since I found it about a year ago. Recently, a road trip buddy canceled last minute and I found myself driving ~8 hours alone. Amanda’s brand series kept me awake, alert, and entertained. I learned a lot! This show has deepened my interest in dismantling consumerism and de-influencing myself and my life. I highly recommend!
Becauseihaveto18 · Sep 2025
Thoroughly researched and accessibly delivered, this is a smart and necessary podcast in an increasingly throwaway world. The depth of the research never ceases to impress me. Amanda’s knowledge, empathy, and passion need to heard by more ears.
JesseJaneReads · Sep 2025
I check my podcast library daily for a new episode, and am so happy when Amanda posts one! I’ve learned so much from them, and a lot of it was stuff I questioned when I was in the luxury skincare industry. Things are making sense, and I love learning from Amanda’s previous work and their research.
MissLisaRo · Sep 2025
I came in expecting a cerebral yet entertaining fashion podcast, and left feeling sorely disappointed by the delivery and lack of actual substance.
There were *way* too many anecdotes presented as facts - e.g. McCarty discussing her own personal background, but instead of using anecdotes to story-tell alongside a factually substantiated argument, they became the *actual* argument.
It felt like she was using the episode as personal catharsis / therapy session. Maybe that’s just her style, which is ultimately fine - it’s her podcast - but her delivery also felt…sanctimonious, for the lack of a better descriptor.
She didn’t get to numbers and research until the final 15min, and even then they were thin and relied on one study, thus feeling cherry-picked to support her slow fashion thesis.
I would’ve appreciated if she presented multiple viewpoints too to round out her central POV - eg “now, others may say” or “you may be asking right now…”
For a 90min episode, it also took 30min to get to the actual or subject (fast fashion and classicism). I ended up listening to the episode at 1.5x and finished it feeling like the entire thing could’ve been distilled into 4 sentences.
Overall - I don’t actually disagree with her on her main points, but I’d expected an intelligent, well-rounded discussion to back them up and instead got a poor facsimile thereof.
RU6116 · Feb 2025
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Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Clotheshorse with Amanda Lee McCarty, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
