Jun 23
Change Your Underwear!
A new favorite thing (and legal TGAAD purchase): PACT underwear. A “Hanky Panky” die hard, I’m pretty picky in this department, but PACT’s functional fashion and eco-friendly manufacturing has won me over.
PACT’s motto: CHANGE STARTS WITH YOUR UNDERWEAR. Not only are PACT panties incredibly comfy (and VERY sexy, especially those men’s boxer briefs), they’re made from organic cotton, sustainably manufactured and 10% of every purchase goes to a non-profit.
Started by ecopreneurs Jason Kibbey and Jeff Denby, designed by Yves Behar and based in Berkeley, CA, PACT has created a beautiful line with an impressive supply chain that supports organic cotton farmers, promotes responsible labor practices and makes positive change (from your body to the world’s).
All good from the inside out!
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Tagged with: eco-friendly, organic, Panties, Sustainable Fashion, underwear
Jun 14
- Designed and made in California
- “ecoSkin is a privately-held California apparel company offering chic, contemporary designs for the eco-conscious but fashion-savvy woman. Core to its planet-friendly mission, ecoSkin uses only environmentally sustainable luxury fabrics woven, dyed and sewn in the USA.”
My friends and I would shop at ecoSkin; pre-teens would shop at ecoSkin. My mother would shop at ecoSkin, and even my Aunt would shop at ecoSkin. That is only one of many appealing things about this earth-friendly brand made and designed in L.A. by industry veteran Sandy Skinner. Offering everything from casual shirts to evening-worthy dresses, there is something for everyone and every moment of your life. Outfits come in toned-down blues, reds and pinks as well as neutrals such as grey and beige. Their looser tunics and summer dresses caught my eye, and I know my mother would love the selection of wrap dresses; they are perfect for the office. The clothes are begging you to style them which allows fashion freedom and the ability for them to easily slip into any existing wardrobe. With Sandy closely watching every step of the process to make sure the clothes are made with environment in mind, you are sure to walk away feeling guilt-free and with a jump in your step that these flirty pieces will surely produce.
Twistflower Dress
- Prices are on par with Banana, though unlike Banana these items were not made in sweatshops in China, so overall a good deal.
- Sold in boutiques in 31 states as well as show rooms in LA and there is an online store.
http://www.ecoskincollections.com/ecoskin/index.html#
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Tagged with: eco fashion, ecoSkin, Sustainable Fashion, Twistflower Dress
Mar 22
By Sally Bjornsen
Sustainable Fashion, The Great American Apparel Diet, Uncategorized, diet, eco fashion, fashion, recession, recycled apparel, shopping, shopping addiction, slow clothing, women
“True fashion is about non-toxicity. If fashion pollutes, it should no longer be called fashion, it should be called pollution.”
-Horst Rechelbacher, Founder Intelligent Nutrients and AVEDA
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One of the best things about this diet is connecting with new people all over the world. Apparently this is a topic that has hit a nerve and has been pondered for a while. One of the people I have been in contact with is Kelly Drennan Founderof Fashion Takes Action, www.fashiontakesaction.com. Kelly has provided us with the facts below that are both depressing and enlightening. Kelly is a thought leader in the fashion/sustainability arena and is a great resource for information on sustainable fashion.
FACTS ABOUT THE FASHION INDUSTRY
Consumption & Waste:
- In North America, the average person consumes over 80 pounds of textiles per year.
- Synthetic (man-made fibres) products will not decompose, and while woolen garments do decompose, they produce methane gas which contributes to climate change.
- 38% of Canada’s methane emissions (greenhouse gases) comes from landfill sites.
- On average, 80% of textiles thrown away still have 75% of their wear-ability left.
- If everyone in Canada bought one reclaimed woolen garment each year, it would save an average of 300 million gallons of water and 400 tonnes of chemical dyes (imagine what this means for the U.S. which is 10 times the size of Canada).
- Fashion is the second largest industry next to agriculture in terms of water consumption.
Cotton:
- One pound of low impact dyed cotton uses 100 gallons of water.
- One single cotton t-shirt requires 357 gallons of water to produce.
- A single t-shirt uses about 9 ounces of cotton, an average of 17 tsp of synthetic fertilizers and nearly a teaspoon of pesticides that are classified as among the most toxic by the Environmental Protection Agency.
- Agrochemical companies make on average $2.2 billion selling cotton pesticides each year.
- Many of the agents used to spray cotton were originally developed in WWII as nerve gases.
Leather:
- 95% of US tanneries have moved overseas to avoid environmental oversight penalties. Tanneries are so toxic that many old tannery sites can’t be used for agriculture or built on or even sold
- Quick and permanent chrome tanning creates soft leathers, dyes easily etc; however chemicals are extremely poisonous and linger in ecosystems
- In addition to chromium, modern tanneries use synthetic chemicals such as sodium sulphide, formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, sulphuric acid, bactericides, paints, dyes, degreasers and surfactants various solvents which release volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Chromium (VI) is the most persistent toxin used by the leather industry. It is a known carcinogen with the following documented human health effects: skin rashes, upset stomachs and ulcers, respiratory problems, weakened immune systems, kidney and liver damage, alteration of genetic material, lung cancer and death (source: Organic Leather) – because of this most tanneries have switched to chromium (III) which is considerably less toxic but it commonly oxidizes into chromium (VI) during the tanning process and so the finished product contains toxins
- Even in the finished product, chromium (VI) causes allergic reactions such as skin rashes and ulcers, and because of its oxidized nature, it moves easily across membranes such as human skin
- According to EPA, 95% of all leather has been tanned with chromium.
Dyes:
- All synthetic dyes are made from coal tar, one of the most carcinogenic substances on the planet.
- Conventional dye process discharges massive quantities of toxic chemicals into the environment, including huge amounts of dioxins, the world’s number one carcinogen (source: Mike Betts, Director Better Thinking Ltd).
- On the local level – effects on ecosystems – wet processing effluent discharged into rivers and streams, resulting in dead zones due to effluent aquatic toxicity and biological oxygen demand; areas where chemicals are found disrupt normal reproduction of fish.
- On a global level – depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer due to emissions of chlorofluorocarbons and climate change due to CO2 and other greenhouse gases.
- Heavy metals such as chromium and cadmium, while capable of making bright and vibrant dyes, can pose a threat wherever they appear in the product life cycle – during mining, use of the dye in dye wastewater, or as result of composting or incineration.
Synthetics:
- Fibers, particularly micro-fibers, which are synthetic and petroleum derived, are perilous to our lungs. Tiny dust particles – micro-dust – coat our lungs, potentially inducing lung cancer. Some fabric dyes use cadmium, which with exposure to air, binds to small particles. It falls to the ground or water as rain or snow, and may contaminate fish, plants and animals. (source: Horst Rechelbacher)
- The main catalyst used in polyester production is antimony – a known carcinogen and toxin that affects the heart, liver, lungs and skin. By products of antimony cause bronchitis and emphysema.
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Tagged with: eco fashion, Fashion Takes Action, Sustainable Fashion, Toxic chemicals in apparel
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