Pamoyo -- Green Design with a Difference

Since I set up my various ecofashion news and blog alerts many months ago, my inbox has been flooded with PR from dozens -- nay, scores -- of emerging designers and boutiques. Some are interesting, but too many were just the same ol' same ol' -- all about the fiber (100% cotton! bamboo, the wonder fiber!) both otherwise built on the existing industry model. After a while, the eyes glaze over.

Enter Pamayo, the brainchild of a Swedish designer living in Berlin. It has the usual stuff -- sustainable fibers, repurposed vintage -- but it promises to add one interesting twist: it is the first open source fashion label, as in Creative Commons. (You may need to scroll down on the blog; it was posted on April 28.) They plan to publish patterns and designs online, thereby connecting the DIY and independent design community with a RTW fashion line.

I have only one, tiny quibble.In their April 22 blog entry, I find this:

"Every piece is hand made and unique. Integrated recycled materials and a rough sewing style make them feel authentic and exclusive." As a craftsperson, I rankle at the suggestion that it is necessary to "dumb down" my technique to convince prospective customers of the authenticity of the product. For centuries before the industrial revolution, people made beautiful handmade textiles, clothing, pottery and other goods. No one expects a homebrew to taste crude and nasty; why does microproduced fashion have to be rough and amateurish?

DIY Eco-Friendly Cosmetics

I love the fine people at Threadbanger, with all their creativity and enthusiasm. After you watch their video on "How to Make Eco Cosmetics", you may love them too!

Improving the lifespan of cotton knit tops

I estimate that about 20% of my wardrobe is knit cotton tops (T-shirts, tanks, turtlenecks), so it is a category that cries for attention from the green consumer. Because I wear (and wash) them frequently, cotton knits need to be replaced more often than my wool blazer and dressy black trousers. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the tendency of cotton knits to shrink, lose fibers and fade in the laundry cuts their lifetime for work and dressy occasions. For this post, I'll put my PhD-in-textiles hat on and offer a few suggestions for buying and maintaining these wardrobe staples.

1) Don't be a purist; a little spandex goes a long way. Adding a touch of spandex (often listed as the brand name "Lycra") adds stability, stretch recovery and can reduce shrinkage. If you air-dry your clothes (and you should, see below), you'll find the shorter drying time a plus, as well. Yes, you can find organic cotton T-shirts with Lycra online and at your local REI store, if you have one.

2) Wash each garment less frequently. I know, I know, some of you are thinking "ew"! But just as some folks have gone overboard with the disinfectant wipes and sprays, some people are too quick to toss their washables in the hamper. Here's a baby step: if the T-shirt you are wearing during the day is still unstained at bedtime, wear it to bed. By doing this, you are halving the environmental load of maintaining that shirt. (Bonus: you won't need to buy pajama tops.)

3) Wash your cotton knits in cold water on a gentle cycle. Unless your clothing is heavily soiled (say, after a day of gardening). It doesn't need any more, and the agitator gives clothes a real beating -- that's why you're not supposed to stick your hand in the machine when it's washing.

3) Air dry your shirts, instead of tumble drying. While cotton can withstand high heat, the tumbling -- like agitation when washing -- results in loss of fibers over time, which is why your T's seem to get thinner and thinner. Line-drying your shirts not only saves energy, it helps improve your T-shirt's "wearage". If you want to avoid the wrinkles and stiff hand that can plague air-dried fabrics, go ahead and give them a quick (5-minute) tumble in the dryer on medium heat.

T-Shirts, continued

Given the popularity and ubiquity of T-shirts, over the last 35 years, it's possible that some of us have several years' supply in our closets and drawers. The best way to reduce our fashion footprint is to increase the milage (wearage? I am liking that word) of the things we already own, so thinking of ways to extend the useful life of T-shirts and other lightweight cotton and cotton-blend knits could be an excellent start.

I offer few ideas that have popped up here and there.

1) T-shirt cutting, which is repurposing shirts by slashing, decorating and generally getting creative with them. If you are feeling creative (and you are over 18), you can enter Greenloop's T-Shirt Cutting contest.

2) layering them under sheer or lacy tops. This is working well for my two-year old shirts which are still wearable but have aged enough to make them less appropriate for work and dressy occasions. I wore an old turquoise tank under a salmon-colored thread lace sweater the other evening and got lots of complements. Last night I noticed a friend sporting a solid color T-shirt under a long-sleeved white shirt in a burnout patterned fabric.

3) Transforming children's beloved but outgrown T's into decorative items such as pillows and quilts.

4) Framing your favorite rock concert or protest event T so you can enjoy the memory on your wall, where it will last longer than on your body.

Send us your old stuff, so we can make more green stuff

Now, there's two ways to read that sentence. It could be a plea for recyclables (good thing) or to could be a green-tinged ploy to make a lot of cash with free raw materials (maybe not so good). Take a look at Loomstate and Barneys' latest foray into eco-fashion. Your call:

Is it

a) a way to keep T-shirts out of the landfill

b) a way to turn donated freebies into pricey items for the Barneys holiday 2008 collection

c) a way to get eco-fashionistas into Barneys (note the helpful link)

It's nice that part of the proceeds from the recycled shirts will be channeled through 1% for the Planet (a network of business that contribute to environmental causes), because at the usual Barneys' prices, it's unlikely that the shirt donors will have anything to show for their own generosity. I think I'll hang on to my old T-shirts, restyle myself and save the carfare to ship them to Loomstate.

Eco-Barbie!!

Now we know for sure that green consumption -- and its for-profit cousin, greenwashing --has gone mainstream. Mattel has announced a collection of "eco-friendly" accessories for Barbie, sold exclusively through Toys "R" Us. The Barbie BCause" line uses scrap fabric and trims that would otherwise be trash and turns them into patchwork bags and other accessories. Richard Dickson, Senior Vice President of Marketing, explains: Barbie BCause is for eco-conscious girls who believe that being environmentally-friendly is the right thing to do, and we are thrilled to give extra meaning and extra style to what was once just extra Barbie doll fabric.”

Here's a thought: Instead of buying Barbie BCause merchandise for a unrecyclable, over-packaged, sweatshop made plastic caricature of a woman, the eco-conscious girl could make her OWN totes and pillows out of fabric scraps. If she has naked dolls (and all of mine were bald and naked within weeks of acquisition), she could even make clothes for her dolls out of her own old T-shirts, pj's and other clothing. Since Mattel claims they developed the line to educate a younger audience on the importance of becoming more eco-friendly, I know they'd think this would be a great idea!

A drop in the bucket

In an uncanny Earth Day point-counterpoint, I bring you dueling commentary by Michael Pollan of the NY Times and Hank Stuever of the Washington Post. Pollan, in "Why Bother?" argues for the virtue of being a drop in the bucket of environmentalism. It's a brilliant, passionate article that ends with a plea for home gardens (no big suprise; Pollan has built his reputation as a food writer). Stuever, in short order manages to declare Earth Day dead and buried ("What Killed Earth Day? Too Much Fuss And No Bother") and even references Pollan's article with a dismissive suggestion that "insisting that everyone garden, right now" was just too much silliness. (I've read and enjoyed some of Stuever's other nonfiction and this was a lazy shadow of a much better writer; trust me.)

It's easy to say that the environmental movement has had no impact, since we are in such a pickle today. It's very easy, apparently, to string together 373 words with a few superficial pop culture references in a bored, post-modernist tone and claim that Earth Day is dead at a time when it's been the focus of more activity -- serious activity -- than I've witnessed in years. Yes, there's greenwashing. Yes, there's confusion about exactly what the "right choices" are. But to say that there hasn't been change or progress since 1970 is not only facile, it's misinformed. I know, because he's talking about my entire adult life.

Unlike Hank Steuver (who appears to be in his early 40s, and therefore a tot in 1970), I was on the verge of my twenty-first birthday on April 22, 1970. I was a junior in college and wondering about my future and the future of the world, feeling utterly powerless in the face of nuclear proliferation, global conflict and the seemingly endless assassinations of my heroes. You'd think that Earth Day, with its doomsday predictions of environmental crisis, would have pushed me into permanent depression. But the power of the environmental movement, for me, is that the personal level means something. There WAS something I could do; in fact there were lots of things. I could choose to live and work near public transportation. I could grow and cook my own food. I could have no more than two children. I could redefine the American Dream for myself and my family, and raise young adults who shared that dream. I could live and consume consciously, with open eyes.

I wasn't alone; I was one of millions of people around the world who heard the message and applied it to their lives in a million different ways. Yes, we still have problems, yes we may still experience a global crisis. That's because millions of other people have made other choices, or had their choices limited by greedy producers and investors. Everything we do in our daily lives is "a drop in the bucket"; but the millions of us who have been reducing, reusing and recycling all these years represent drops in the RIGHT bucket. Imagine: we'd all be much worse off if we hadn't made those choices.

I haven't been perfect, and never will be. But I think about the choices I make and the result has been a rich life, not a poor one: satisfying work, good music, tasty meals shared with people I love, time to think and the resources to invest in improving my community. That's what I want for my children and all the world's children, and for their children.

Thread debuts: online ethical fashion magazine

The BBC announced Thursday the launch of a new online magazine, Thread, dedicated to ethical fashion and catering to the large and growing portion of the 16-30 age groups who claim an interest in sustainable style. (Not to be confused with Threads, for about the last twenty years the periodical for people who care about slow, hand-made fashion that -- gasp -- doesn't look "homemade".)

The premiere issue of Thread has a great mix of informative articles (here's one on the hidden cost of cheap clothes) and style layouts (mostly for skinny young things, but, hey, it's their turn). All I want to know is when BBC America or some other US channel is going to air the BBC four-part series "Blood, Sweat and T-shirts":

Six young fashion addicts experience life as factory workers in India,
making clothes for the British high street. In this four-part series,
the six work in the mills of India’s cotton belt and stitch clothes in
cramped back rooms, sleeping next to their sewing machine. See how it
changes their attitudes to cut-price clothing.

On a brighter note...

My very favorite makeover reality show, "What Not to Wear", featured eco-friendly, sustainable and even vintage/thrift fashion on last night's show. Heavy on the entertainment and light on the info, but well done overall. (I got tired of "eco-friendly" after the first 15 minutes -- there are other terms, after all.)

Dear G Living: There's no such thing as five "must-buy" jeans for spring.

As part of my effort to keep up with eco-fashion news (or, as it seems recently, eco-fashion "news"), I subscribe to a soul-crushing number of (supposedly) green blogs. Some are better than others, most most are breathless, greenwashing fashionista sites who want to replace Paris Hilton's accessory dogs with $50 organic cotton T-shirts. But I digress.

Today's G Living post leaves no doubt in my mind about their environmental purity: it's a paean to the Alternative Consumer's list of the top five organic denim jeans. The Alternative Consumer's Victoria Everman offers a spare listing -- five pics and links -- and no explanation of what makes them so fabulous, other than they're being "from some of the most eco fashion forward brands". (Translation: so tight in the butt you need a thong and ranging in price from $108 to $238.) G Living confirms the NWL's suspicion that they really don't give a rat's patootie about climate change in a few quivering lines:

"From skinnies to high waisted, straight leg to boot cut, a cool pair of
jeans (or thirty), are essential capsule wardrobe components for any
serious fashionista."

"now that there are so many fabulous organic varieties on offer, we don’t have to feel guilty about new purchases"

I've never claimed to be a fashionista, and the proof is probably that I haven't owned 30 pairs of jeans in my entire adult life. In fact, I now own 4 pairs all at once, which is a record; they range in age from two to eight years. Moreover, I'm going to pass on this year's skinny jeans as long as I am still sporting this decade's rear end.

Now if (IF!) I were in a mood to replace these jeans right now, here's the NWL pick for "might buy" denim for Spring 2008:

Levi's eco Mid Rise Boot 553 Jeans ($58 until 4/27)
Loomstate "Ethos" straight leg jeans ($89 on sale at Bluefly.com)
Loomstate Cotton Maiden jeans ($98)

In search of the perfect T-shirt

It's a been a travel-and presentation-intensive month for the NWL, with a mountain of makeup work waiting when it was all over. Along the way, I did my biannual wardrobe shift, packing up the fall/winter duds and pulling out the spring/summer clothing. I realized while doing this that I am short on tops; many of the T-shirts I bought three years ago are looking really worn and faded. In my world, that means fine for home and bed, but not for work. T-shirts have been part of my slow fashion strategy since the 70s, when I first started including solid T's as a wardrobe staple -- always one white, one red and one black, which coordinate best with my professional wardrobe -- and a couple "fresh" colors to keep things interesting. This year, only the black on and one other was looking presentable enough for work, meetings and other "dressy" (for me) occasions.

So I started looking for replacements, hoping to apply some of the newer eco-fashion principles to the search. I shopped Greenloop but gagged at the outrageous prices (can I harvest my own bamboo and send it to them for fabrication?) and the proliferation of tops designed but the young and slim. (No cap sleeves, please!). The usual catalogs have arrived, full of T's in a lovely assortment of colors, but none of them in organic cotton or made in the U.S. I visited American Apparel downtown and liked some of what I saw, but their "fine jersey" strikes this over-educated consumer as lovely to look at and wear, but less durable than the heftier cotton I usually buy.

An aside -- this is the problem with cotton jersey T-shirts. Cotton IS absorbent and it holds up well to repeated washing. But T-shirt wearers have probably noticed how their favorite shirts (and jeans, for that mattter) get thinner, more faded and softer over time. That's why we love them so much and also why they need to be replaced more often than some other items in our wardrobe. Unless the fiber used is fairly long (for cotton, that means 2-2.5 inches), fibers tend to wash away over time. Flat jersey knits are also less durable than pique or rib knits. So the perfect T for durability would be made of long-staple fiber (Pima, Supima, Egyptian)  in a slightly heavier, textured knit fabric. I have noticed that my T's with a touch of Spandex seem to be holding their shape a color well, also.

So far I've made one purchase --  a stripe (heather blue and white) Liz Claiborne shirt in a medium-weight, tiny rib. Value Village, $1.95. They had scads of cotton T's, but they all looked like the ones I'll be sleeping in this summer.