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.)

Might the U.S. finally catch up with Canada?

It's not fashion, but it's good news to me, anyway. About twenty-three years ago, we visited my brother in Ontario and marveled at the milk bags that had replaced plastic bottles and cartons. They fit in a special holder and use MUCH less material than the jugs so common in the U.S. Now I have seen about six articles about the wonders of milk bags and how they might actually be adopted in the States.

It's about frickin' time!

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Fashion Week watch #1

“Sustainable fashion has all the makings of a trend...but we know now it’s a movement.”

That's Julie Gilhart, fashion direct of Barneys, talking about the stampede of top designers to participate in the Earth Pledge fashion show on the eve of New York Fashion Week. In what is becoming a predictable tone, the NY Times article is alternatively informative and snarky:

"Jessica Stam, the leonine fashion model with honey-colored hair and outstanding high arches, tried on a very short ivory dress by the label Rodarte. It was described as being made of hemp silk and a “Piña cobweb,” which sounded as if it might be a drink order for Elvira."

Heaven forbid a reporter should explain that piña is a cellulosic fiber made from pineapple leaf fibers that has a long history of use in Philippine traditional dress. Or help consumers make informed decisions about its sustainability or the ethics of its manufacture. So here's my bit (with help from various internet site, especially AKLAN forum journal and Barongs R Us:

Piña is similar chemically and physically to linen; its production nearly died out in the second half of the twentieth century, as traditional Philippine dress declined in use. Even with a revival of interest in piña over the last twenty years, it is still far from being a mainstream fiber. Is it eco-friendly? Sustainable? Ethically produced? Right now piña is produced on a small, local scale, and the fiber comes from native varieties of pineapple. I didn't find a whole lot of scientific information on piña cultivation, but it seems to be better than regular cotton (which requires lots of pesticides to produce) and slower than bamboo (pineapple leaves take 18 months to grow to a usable size, compared with bamboo which grows like Jack's beanstalk.) Production is small-scale, labor-intensive and time-consuming, which means it's not likely to be industrialized. It would be nice to be able to verify that the fiber producers and weavers are fairly paid, but -- again -- it's not clear. As always, the manufacturers who can make those claims and know their value will let buyers know, but lack of information doesn't tell you much. The main drawback for the average consumer -- green or not -- is that piña cloth remains a VERY expensive material. Don't expect it in your local Target any time soon. Even the high fashion versions are often blends with silk; when using silk brings DOWN the price, you know your wallet is in jeopardy!

Examples of piña and piña-blend fashions advertised as environmentally friendly and/or fair trade:

La Herminia (Philippines)
Patistestoro (Philippines)

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Who said it's about sacrifice?

There are some folks out there who believe that sustainability means painful sacrifice and a bland, boring life. There are even some who question whether trying to simplify the holidays isn't somehow Grinch-like, if not downright patriotic. Some of them apparently write for the New York Times. Yes, I know there are some grim-faced environmental zealots who try to turn every conversation into an object lesson on climate change. But, if the recent scientific reports are even half-true, we could use a few more of them and fewer wasteful, thoughtless consumers. Being the Nice White Lady that I am, I prefer to keep my efforts personal (but not necessarily private). Here's my consumer fantasy: a sustainable lifestyle that preserves my time, energy and money without sucking the fun, novelty and delight from life. Am I crazy for thinking that one of the wealthiest economies in the world can't provide that in its diverse and creative marketplace? Of course I'm not! And if several million other consumers insisted on this new American dream, I think it would be an exciting sign of hope. Looks to me like the real Grinch is the one who's writing Style section articles that quote an American Enterprise Institute scholar on environmental issues without comment or critique, reserving his satirical flourishes for the "green evangelists" he profiles.

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