The Great American Apparel Diet » women

Is The Great American Apparel Diet Part of the Slow Clothing Movement?

Sally Bjornsen — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:00:19 +0000

Last night as I was rummaging around in my closet looking for something to wear it occurred to me that I have given, thrown or recycled a lot of clothes over the past ten years. Darn, I’d love to have some of those items back, and if not the items themselves the time it took for me to shop, clean, futz and manage them into my wardrobe. Especially now since I am no longer able to purchase any new apparel. I remember vividly, an amazing and probably overpriced DKNY sweater coat. A sort of retro 20s style with velvet accents. I wonder who’s wearing that gorgeous garment now. I wish I were.

This morning, right on the heels of my closet rummaging, I read an article in the NYTimes magazine about storage and consumerism. By 2005, according to the Boston College sociologist Juliet B. Schol, the average consumer purchased one new piece of clothing every five and a half days.

This eye-opening statistic got me thinking about a “slow clothing” movement. There are official slow food, slow money, slow travel and slow sex movements these days. Why not a slow clothing movement? I wondered. And is The Great Amearican Apparel Diet the beginning of it?

I googled “slow clothing” and “slow fashion,” and guess what…we’re slow to the movement. People have been blogging about this for a long time. “Wear local,” they say—is that like a sweater made with Fido the family dog’s hair? Or does it mean belting your neighbor’s old drapes and wearing them as a topper, a la Maria Van Trapp? Maybe we could learn from the Hispanics who wear huarache sandals made from repurposed flat tires? Buy from a thrift store and then remake your own, the experts suggest. Sew the arms of one sweater to the bodice of another, cut off pants and make them into a patchwork skirt, turn a tube top into a Rasta hair band. I am envisioning a renaissance fair.

In one article I read in the Christian Science Monitor, the author challenged US households “to create a single outfit for every man, woman, and child that is homemade.” Going back to a bygone era, she also suggested that people mend and darn their clothes.

Good idea for those people who:

a.) Know the meaning of darn in this context.

b). Know how to darn or sew http://www.ehow.com/how_648_darn-sock.html

c). Have a sewing machine. ( Investment Tip: Buy Singer, Ticker Symbol: SEW, you heard it here).

Darn (as in Darn-it), I wish I had that DKNY sweater coat and that brown Liz Claiborne maxi, corduroy coat from 1987, and let’s not forget the blinding Neon Obermeyer ski jacket I bought in 1992 to match the bottom of my K2s. Looking back, I admit, it was a wasteful, hedonistic and consumer-centric few decades—but we looked good.

Now, with my apparel budget cut to the quick and my participation in The Great American Apparel Diet, I am left fantasizing about my old wardrobe. I imagine a lovely waif of a “slow clothing movement” girl prancing down the runway of life in my old clothes and my Guess booties. I trust that she appreciates where her wardrobe began. I really hope, upon further reflection, that the “slow girl” hasn’t sewn the arms of my Obermeyer ski jacket onto the bodice of my brown Liz Claiborne Courdory Maxi coat. But if she has, all I can say is “you go–slow girl!”

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Who makes your clothes?

Patricia — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:02:42 +0000

146 women workers died in the Triangle fire, some from asphyxiation and others after they jumped from the upper floors where they had been locked in.

Before the diet, I used to ignore the sources of my clothing. It was hard enough to find things that fit my plus-size, pear-shaped body and looked good on me, without checking the labels.

In the time that I’ve been on the diet, I’ve become more of an activist in my community (there’s a video on YouTube of me leading a rally supporting my state’s workers), and also done some thinking about what I want to buy when the diet is over.

I still go window-shopping online sometimes, and I’ve given myself permission to buy if something is exactly right, but it never is.

Today is the 100th anniversary of the horrific Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. An article from The Boston Globe describes how we haven’t stopped putting garment workers in danger — we’ve just sent our sweatshops offshore. Sociologist Robert Ross:

I’ve been studying Bangladeshi garment factory fires. There’s a horrific crescendo, years after year, of garment factory fires there, and they resemble the Triangle fire of 100 years ago in terrible ways. … That the Triangle fire is in the past is comforting because that was then, this is now. I wish that were true. More than 90 percent of our clothing is imported from a market that’s mostly unregulated. What happens in each country is that the employers and the governments are worried that if they increase their standards and conditions, another country will beat them to the market.

I would love to buy clothes that fit me, look good on me, and are made in this country by people who were getting paid properly to do so. I may have to compromise once the diet is over, but I’m going to start my shopping on sites like these:

Sweatfree Communities
EthixMerch (this leans more toward uniforms and work gear, but if you need ‘em, might as well buy them ethically)
Union Label

Sweatshop-made clothes are a fact of life, unfortunately — try finding ethically made bras or underwear! — but whether they are in New York or Bangladesh, the people who make my clothing deserve my respect.

Footnote: OK, I have to be a little bit political here. On the day of the Triangle fire, a young woman named Frances Perkins was having tea nearby and arrived at the scene in time to see women jumping from 10th-story windows to their deaths, because their employers had locked them in to prevent unauthorized breaks. Moved by this, she went on to work for reform in working conditions and eventually became Secretary of Labor under Franklin D. Roosevelt, the first woman appointed to the U.S. Cabinet. Today, the governor of Maine, where her parents were born and where I now live, is trying to dishonor her work by taking her name off a conference room and removing a mural honoring her. If you agree with me that this is a lousy way to behave, call 207-287-3531 and make your feelings known.

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Cycling Girdle

Sally Bjornsen — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:39:49 +0000

Hi guys…anyone out there? Things are sort of quiet on the blog these days which makes me wonder….are you all still dieting? Remember only a few more months.

Some good news. My husband and I just got a tandem bike. The bad news…cycling apparel. For those of you unfamiliar with cycling shorts they are every girl’s fashion nemesis. The good news, I don’t have to spend anytime in a dressing room trying on cycling shorts like I did last year thanks to TGAAD. I will blaze forward in the same bad, unattractive shorts I wore last year. Which brings up a scary topic. Trying on bike shorts. If you haven’t done it don’t. It’s enough to make a girl give up on the sport. See my post from last Spring when I found myself in the same situation. Unfortuantely I was still shopping…

June 2009 (pre TGAAD)

I have recently and reluctantly re-taken up cycling, I guess you could call it recycling. I say reluctantly not because I don’t enjoy cycling or its benefits—forty miles equals a monster sized burrito and a frothy Hefferweizen. I say reluctantly because the clothes SUCK. I am being kind when I say that no one, not even Mark, my handsome, 2% body fat husband looks good in the stuff.

My re-entry into the sport began last spring when Mark talked me into upgrading my old, Raleigh ten speed to a fancy, schmancy, carbon fiber, eighteen speed something or other, with clip-in pedals. He said the upgrade was for me but I really think the old red Raleigh along side his pimped-out racing bike embarrassed him. My new bike, donned with all the components and the aero dynamic seat that is sure to give me hemorrhoids, is something he can stand by with pride. My outfit? Not so much. Upon completing the expensive bike transaction with the tattooed sales specialist, Mark insisted we stop by the apparel section of the store to check out some cycling pants. He obviously had a vision.

“Wait a minute,” I said, pausing in my tracks for effect. “Cycling pants? Are you !@#$%^ nuts? I told you I’d ride but I didn’t say I’d wear the pants. I would rather wear a pair of high waist, acid washed jeans than a pair of ugly, spandex, sausage legged shorts with a crotch chaffing, Kotex Maxi Pad chamois. It’s not my look.”

“Well then what are you going to wear?” he asked.

“My yoga pants.”

“Your yoga pants, for cycling?”

“Yeah, why not? They look so much better. You know the ones, the bell bottom lulu lemon pants with the hipster contrast border at the waist.”

“You’re not serious.”

“Yes. I am not wearing those weird pants. No way.”

I saw in his eyes his vision for our future of biking together slip away. “You can’t wear yoga pants babe. Not with your fancy new bike. It’s just not done.”

I knew then I was in over my head. This cycling business was so much more than the bike. It was a culture that demanded an aesthetic reset. I was now the proud owner of a fancy bike that required me to scrap my instinctive fashion sensibility and embrace the ugliest, most unattractive trend invented by man (a woman would know better).

And so right there in the bike store I acquiesced. I gathered six to ten pair of black cycling shorts and began the demoralizing task of squeezing my soft body into a variety of girdle like contraptions, one after the other in search of the “most flattering pair.” News flash, for those of you who have an issue with cellulite the issue becomes an all out crisis in bike shorts. I stood face to face with myself in the small, dingy fitting room and mouthed the words “you know better.”

Mark called from outside the dressing room, “hon, come out and show us.” The us included the youngish, sinewy sales woman. “Not yet,” I said, nearly out of breath and laboriously peeling off another pair of tourniquet shorts. The sales girl chimed in, “do you have a jersey?” And with that she hung three loudly colored polyester jerseys over the dressing room door. “Try these on, we just got them in. They’re awesome.” Awesome was not the word that came to mind. Logo-mad print designer on acid was more like it.

I finally settled on a pair of black, below the knee knickers with a stayfree mini-pad sized chamois. They were $90. Who knew that being unattractive could cost so much? My husband and his sales clerk side-kick were disappointed that I passed on the Jerseys. I was certain that I could get away with cycling pants and a Gap t-shirt for a while. At least until I found an inconspicuous jersey that didn’t scream “this is ugly.”

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Clothing Swaps! my new best friend

Jen Mason — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:22:20 +0000

Hi everyone,

I just joined and I’m so excited about this challenge
because it takes my current self imposed challenge to another level.
At the beginning of the year I made the personal decision to abstain
from shopping at any department/retail stores for one year and this
includes shoes. Yes, shoes! (will tell you later how I have overcome
that pain) As a result of my personal challenge my sewing skills have
been reignited, my Goodwill and thrift store shopping skills have been
enhanced and I have discovered the latest craze, Clothing Swaps!

In case you don’t know, the way a clothing swaps works is you bring a
few folks together who have clothes they decide they don’t want
anymore and trade with others. There is no limit to how much you can
take away or how much you can bring to the swap. Afterwards if any
clothes are left over you can donate to Goodwill or use for crafting
projects. Just this past weekend at The Green Living Expo I attended
a seminar given by Goodwill, I was introduced to the TGAAD and have
decided to participate. Since I cannot use thrift stores or Goodwill I
will be swapping at least once a month. Swaps more than anything have
allowed me to expand my wardrobe beyond belief. Ive attended 5 this
year. It’s amazing how much excess we have in our closets that we
don’t wear, that still have tags on them or that just don’t fit. I’ve
found suits, sweaters, shoes, boots and dresses. You name it you can
find it. And the larger the swap the better the selection.

To bring a little relief to this challenge we have embarked upon I
would recommend getting a group of your friends together and having a
small swap in your home. 5-10 people who wear nearly the same size
clothing swapping their wears can yield some great finds. In fact I’m
organizing a swap on May 1st in Bowie, MD. For those who are
interested and live in the DC, MD or VA area let me know and I will
send you the info or check out
http://www.meetup.com/PrettyGirlz-Clothing-Swap/ for more information.
If you need ideas or help getting organized in you city let me know
and I’m happy to help.

Oh and the self imposed shoe diet………Well I’m attending a shoe
swap in May. That should take care of my shoe needs through the end of
the year problem solved.

Happy Swapping!

Jenn

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Close call at the thrift store!

Debbie Y — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:05:21 +0000

This was almost going to be a confessional. I need a purple-ish top to wear for a family reunion in a few months. Found one at for $1 at the thrift store. I carried it around with me for a few minutes but ended up not totally loving it so I put it back and felt proud of myself. If I make one purchase and fall off my diet, then I better make it a good one.

But first I’ll look in my closet to see if I don’t already have a purple top.

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New Poll!!!

Sarah F — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 21:13:52 +0000

Thanks for all of the votes on our last poll, it looks like the majority of TGAAD Dieters are redistributing funds they used to spend on clothing to their (now growing) savings accounts! Coming in second to savings accounts was paying off credit cards (17votes) it’s awesome to see that the diet is positively affecting your bank accounts!

And now I’d like to address a topic of importance to the women of TGAAD…that topic is bras. Now, a majority of members are women and we know that it’s a challenge in itself to not purchase clothing, and make outfits work that haven’t been worn in years. So as you struggle with wearing old sweaters and layering all of the items which you do already own, take a moment to think about the items that are going on underneath all of that winter layering. An ill fitting bra can make an old top look more worn than what it actually is, so remember new bras are allowed (thank goodness!) and wearing a properly fitting one can make an old shirt look a lot newer than it is! One of our old dieters and a good friend to us at The Great American Apparel Diet, Rebecca Kotch, is doing some research on where we buy the undergarments we put on before we get dressed for the day or go out for the night. We love hearing your responses to all of the polls and are really excited for this new poll. Rebecca is hoping you can give some insight into how you purchase your often neglected (in our posts) but essential wardrobe items! We do have one question from the poll up on our site, but if you could vote through the link below, the information would be greatly appreciated! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6VB8JGX

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I Love Shopping. Still.

Admin — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 05:52:11 +0000

After a year of no shopping, and hearing my cohorts who are now at the end of the diet talk about how they are still not shopping, I realize that I love that particular activity. More than ever. The year off only honed my taste level and made me more mindful, focused, and particular when I shop. I am better at it now. During the diet, I could see what fabrics failed me, wore out too fast, seemed like disposable clothes. I took a mental note of that and paid attention to the fact that three cheaply made sweaters are the same price as one great, long lasting one. I would rather have fewer things than things made with the idea that they can be tossed out because the item is so “cheap”.

I love shopping alone, I love shopping with my friends, I love finding out about new businesses, meeting the owners, and telling my clients where they might find what they are looking for. Even my salon on Queen Anne has a series of photos in each room, photos of women shopping in Paris. The photographer, Esther Sirotnik, uses digital film, but does not touch up the images, crop or change them. The shot above is the shot she captured that day. I love it that only the dog is aware. I adore these images (Ms. Sirotnik also has a book called Unexpected Paris) because it captures these women, who are all doing the same thing, but they are from all different parts of the world. The photos really do capture the feeling of why I love wandering through shops, the feel of fabrics, talking to the boutique owners about their businesses, seeing what kind of buyers they are and what they are passionate about.
You can see the photos on Monday, November 8th from 4PM to 7PM during the Olivine “pop up shop” we are having at my studio. Or go to Esther Sirotnik’s website. But I warn you….if you are still on the diet here looking at the photos is like a person off sugar looking at pictures of Trophy Cupcakes.

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His Loss, My Gain

Tawnie — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 20:12:34 +0000

Hey Dieters!

Now, I’m helping out with this blog and not exactly partaking in the one year of no new apparel, but everyone taking on the challenge of not buying new clothes has really influenced my own thoughts about buying new stuff.

Being the young 20 something that I am, I’m in that crazy time of life when I’m trying to get a career started, network and meet new people and (of course) looking to impress some guy so I have things to do on Friday nights besides eating a bowl of cookie dough ice cream…..alone….. again. But recently, there was a guy- and I wasn’t even wearing a new outfit when we met!! I thought it was a good sign. Things were looking solid, then one day out of the blue everything just stopped. No answering of texts, no picking up phone calls, no message replies on facebook. At this point, “confused” would be the understatement of my mental state.

Shortly after I went shopping with a friend and I was about to go crazy on over-priced Ferragamos, Dolce & Gabbana duds and high heeled oxford style shoes that he had told me he loved seeing on girls. Just having graduated college, my little checking account would not be able to handle all that. But what did I care? I was hurt, distraught, rejected! I needed the biggest pick me up ever and some strategic move to get him to call me. Then it hit me – how was spending all this time and money going to change anything? Did I actually believe that maybe sporting expensive designer wear would make him all of a sudden pick up the phone, call me, and confess what a huge mistake it was of him to let me go and never return my texts? And I don’t even think my style aesthetic could include a heeled oxford – I was just considering them because he said he liked them.

So the moral of my story, dieters, is you all have reminded me that this journey is about finding myself and knowing who I am, first and foremost. I have my own kick ass closet which houses my own sophisticated style. And it currently does not include high heeled oxfords.

Keep on Truckin’

Tawnie

Team GAAD

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All that glitters…

Angela K — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 22:04:43 +0000

So it’s only been a month, but I have to say, this is harder than I thought! The temptation to shop is everywhere… Whenever I walk home from work and pass by all these beautiful stores on Fifth Ave, everything looks a little bit nicer… a little more sparkly… a little more AMAZING? Like those bauble necklaces in the shiny storefronts, which I’d normally never pay attention to, suddenly look so NICE. Were they always that way, or am I just in major withdrawal???

Hmm, on second thought… I think I need to find a new route home!

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Week 1: Five items I am loving this week.

Lesley — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:09:58 +0000

Going cold turkey on clothing expenditures has made me take stock of all the fabulous articles of clothing and accessories I have previously purchased. It is an exciting new challenge to now be creative with the plethora of basics and interesting pieces that have accumulated in my closet. I anticipate that creativity-in-dressing will necessarily become a part of my skill set, so I am determined to discover a few new items to love and incorporate into my dressing repertoire each week. Here are the five items I am loving this week:

1. Amazing purple snakeskin skinny belt to wear with jackets, sweaters, etc.

2. Black fitted blazer which will be worn for professional and fun events.

3. Vintage Diane von Furstenberg scarf that I had totally forgotten about until yesterday.

4. An army of white t-shirts (fitted, loose, v-neck, etc.) that I know will be indispensable.

5. Black, grey, and purple patterned silk top – just because it makes me happy when I wear it.

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