Garmology - A podcast about clothes, and stuff.

In this episode of Garmology, Nick is joined by investigative

journalist and author Tansy Hoskins to discuss her fascinating new

book, Charity Shop World. What begins as a conversation about

Britain's beloved charity shops quickly becomes a deep exploration of

clothing consumption, waste, fast fashion, global trade, community,

charity, and the hidden journeys our unwanted clothes take after we

drop them into a donation bag.

Tansy shares how a chance conversation in a charity shop during the

cost-of-living crisis sparked the idea for the book and how

volunteering in a charity shop for over a year transformed her

understanding of fashion's waste stream. From muddy hiking boots and

unwanted Christmas jumpers to enormous clothing exports, charity shop

volunteers, textile waste in Ghana, and the surprising history of

second-hand clothing, this is a wide-ranging and often eye-opening

conversation.

Although the book doesn't shy away from difficult truths, it's also a

celebration of community, generosity, repair, reuse, and the

extraordinary people who keep charity shops running. Thoughtful,

entertaining, and surprisingly hopeful, this episode may permanently

change how you think about donating clothes.

You can find more information about Tansy's work on the web at tansyhoskins.org and on Instagram as @tansyhoskins



Garmology is by Nick Johannessen. There is no advertising or sponsorship, but you are welcome to support the podcast via my Patreon at patreon.com/garmology or you can buymeacoffee.com/garmology
Nick Johannessen is also the editor of the WellDressedDad blog and WellDressedDad on Instagram. You can email Nick as Garmology (at) WellDressedDad.com.
Garmology theme music by Fabian Stordalen.

In this episode of Garmology, Nick stays in Norway and heads to the spectacular west coast to meet Solveig, founder of Indigo Indigo, a fabric and sewing pattern business based near the famous Lysefjord in Norway. 

What follows is a fascinating conversation about creativity, craftsmanship, sustainability, and the often surprising journey from photographer to fashion magazine assistant, IT developer, clothing designer, fabric merchant, and pattern maker. 

Solveig shares how working in the fashion industry left her increasingly uncomfortable with fast fashion and overconsumption, leading her down a path of sewing her own clothes, sourcing exceptional fabrics, launching a small clothing label, and eventually building a business around helping others make better garments themselves. 

Along the way, they discuss Japanese textiles, pattern cutting, zero-waste design, the psychology of sewing, why so many people buy fabric they never use, the difference between marketing and genuinely helping customers, sustainable materials, technical sportswear, craftsmanship, and the overlooked value of making things yourself. It's a warm, thoughtful, and often very funny conversation about clothing, creativity, and finding a better way to engage with the things we wear. 

You can find Solveig as @indigoindigo.no on Instagram and as indigoindigo.no

Garmology is by Nick Johannessen. There is no advertising or sponsorship, but you are welcome to support the podcast via my Patreon at patreon.com/garmology or you can buymeacoffee.com/garmology
Nick Johannessen is also the editor of the WellDressedDad blog and WellDressedDad on Instagram. You can email Nick as Garmology (at) WellDressedDad.com.
Garmology theme music by Fabian Stordalen.

In this episode of Garmology, Nick heads to Edinburgh to meet Laurence, founder of Woolkind—a colourful knitwear brand built on a deceptively simple idea: what if clothing was made exactly how people wanted it, and made to last? 

A former accountant, IT specialist, and software executive, Laurence left a successful corporate career during the pandemic to pursue a lifelong obsession with knitting. What emerged is Woolkind, a made-to-order knitwear business where customers choose colours, garments are produced one at a time, and every detail—from the wool source to the sewing thread—is scrutinised with almost obsessive care. 

The conversation explores customisation, craftsmanship, sustainability, traceability, wool sourcing, the economics of small manufacturing, and the challenge of building a business without falling into the endless cycle of trends and overconsumption. 

From knitting machines and merino wool to Black Friday alternatives and the myth of recycled polyester, this is a fascinating discussion about making things properly—and finding joy in the process. 

You can find Laurence and Woolkind at Woolkind.com and on Instagram as @woolkind

 

Garmology is by Nick Johannessen. There is no advertising or sponsorship, but you are welcome to support the podcast via my Patreon at patreon.com/garmology or you can buymeacoffee.com/garmology
Nick Johannessen is also the editor of the WellDressedDad blog and WellDressedDad on Instagram. You can email Nick as Garmology (at) WellDressedDad.com.
Garmology theme music by Fabian Stordalen.

In this episode of Garmology, Nick heads to London to meet Anthony Princi — designer, educator, and founder of Fashion Department. What unfolds is an intense, honest, and deeply practical conversation about how fashion actually works behind the scenes.

Anthony shares his journey from Australia to Paris and London, working across every level of the industry—from tailoring at Levi’s to designing for major brands—and how that experience led him to build Fashion Department: a platform focused on bridging the massive gap

between fashion education and real‑world industry skills.

Together, they dive into what really makes a garment work: construction, process, logistics, and communication—not just creativity. From tech packs and manufacturing relationships to deadstock, overproduction, burnout, and the illusion of sustainable fashion, this episode challenges many of the assumptions people have about the industry.

It’s fast‑paced, brutally honest, and packed with practical insight—an essential listen for anyone serious about clothing, design, or how

things actually get made.

 00:00 – Intro 

01:20 – Who is Anthony Princi? 

05:10 – What is Fashion Department? 

10:40 – Why fashion education doesn’t prepare students 

18:30 – Creativity vs logistics in design 

24:50 – What is a tech pack (and why they fail) 

33:10 – Working with manufacturers (the reality) 

45:00 – Why skill matters more than creativity 

52:40 – The truth about working in big vs small brands 

01:05:20 – Overproduction, stock, and sustainability 

01:18:10 – The reality of starting a fashion brand 

01:30:00 – Digital tools vs physical making 

01:42:30 – Why designers need to understand materials 

01:52:00 – The obsession with having a brand 

02:00:00 – Final thoughts

You can find Anthony and the Fashion Department on the web at fashiondepartmentlondon.com and on Instagram as @fashiondepartment.ld

Garmology is by Nick Johannessen. There is no advertising or sponsorship, but you are welcome to support the podcast via my Patreon at patreon.com/garmology or you can buymeacoffee.com/garmology
Nick Johannessen is also the editor of the WellDressedDad blog and WellDressedDad on Instagram. You can email Nick as Garmology (at) WellDressedDad.com.
Garmology theme music by Fabian Stordalen.

Peter Noah joins Garmology for a refreshingly honest conversation about influencer culture, personal style, and the reality of creating content in the menswear world. 

What starts as a story about launching a YouTube channel quickly becomes something deeper—a reflection on free products, brand relationships, algorithm pressure, and the uneasy feeling of becoming part of the marketing machine. Peter shares why he stepped back, deleted sponsored content, and began rethinking his purpose. 

Together, he and Nick explore authenticity, overconsumption, and the joy of dressing for yourself rather than for attention. This is a candid and thoughtful episode about clothes—but also about identity, influence, and figuring things out along the way. 

Peter Noa is on Instagram as @petersprism and YouTube as @petersprism

Garmology is by Nick Johannessen. There is no advertising or sponsorship, but you are welcome to support the podcast via my Patreon at patreon.com/garmology or you can buymeacoffee.com/garmology
Nick Johannessen is also the editor of the WellDressedDad blog and WellDressedDad on Instagram. You can email Nick as Garmology (at) WellDressedDad.com.
Garmology theme music by Fabian Stordalen.