Fashion's Footprint

Fashion, particularly "fast fashion" (you know the stuff--the cheap and easy quickie clothing purchases at the department or box stores) has a significant footprint when it comes to global impact, manufacturing, resources, synthetic fibers, microplastics, carbon footprint, and more. 

I landed on this graphic from 1 Million Women's Facebook page which details what makes up our clothing. The numbers are striking, and it may make you rethink your wardrobe, where your purchasing dollars are going, and if you truly need that next new "flavor of the month" outfit (which may really only be an impulse buy). Also, worth consideration as you are planning your Halloween costume!!

As I was reading their post, 1 Million Women mentioned their source for the image as Fashion Revolution. A few clicks let me to both their Facebook page and their website.

Fashion Revolution is an organization that began in 2013 by people in the fashion industry who are sustainably-minded, valuing "people over growth and profit." Knowing that human and environmental exploitation can be a part of the fast fashion industry, their aim is to create safe and humane working condition on the supply side, conserving resources & moving away from a throw-away mentality on the environmental side, and living wages for the workers on the economic side. 

Here is a video from their website. Additionally, they have loads of resources there where you can learn more.

Image from https://www.facebook.com/1MillionWomen/posts/pfbid023aLQXZvyfa5dhtjuMUrjCunZrkHWLk9gTT4fejR1oK6rvUaD8BoAQ2rsTjujKJxHl, Video from https://www.fashionrevolution.org/fashion-transparency-index/

Face Masks for a Cause

Once you start looking up some product, it's amazing how your Facebook feed starts giving you all sorts advertisements of items in that category. With the coronavirus still lurking out there and masks & hand washing coming up as definite deterrents, building my "cute face mask collection" has been one of my recent quests. And, with the potential of a vaccine still being a ways away, face masks are going to be with us for awhile.

Given all of that, it's obvious that more and more places are finding their footing in the face mask market. Here are a few companies I've been particularly impressed with as they are not only making masks, but they are doing it for a cause.

These two I have happened upon given my own personal exploration and recommendations from friends:

Cotopaxi: Named after an active "stratovolcano" in the Andes in Ecuador, Cotopaxi's founder Davis Smith wanted to pay tribute to the poverty he saw while growing up in Latin America. Every Cotopaxi purchase gives 1% to support poverty and community development. They also have a grant program where they promote multiple organization to help improve living communities as well expecting ethical work environments from their suppliers. Their company creed: "Do Good." The have a significant environmental philosophy and use recycled items when possible--and scrap fabric is the basis of their mask making efforts. Also, when you buy in bulk, they give the same amount of face masks to those in. need.

Mango & Main: An Annapolis-based store (though the e-commerce came first), Mango & Main is part of the Fair Trade Federation and supports "artisan entrepreneurs" from 23 countries across the globe. Their business values center around making a positive impact, creating opportunities, promoting fair wages & safe working conditions, respecting cultural identity, cultivating environmental stewardship, and ensuring the rights of women & children. Given it's Maryland store, I literally can shop locally and globally simultaneously.

But wait, there's more: These 48 others clearly show me that it's a very good business model that a lot of companies are adopting!  Check out: Who What Wear's "48 Face Masks to Buy From Brands That Are Giving Back"


Logos from https://entrepreneurship.wharton.upenn.edu/blog/launch-pad-davis-smith-g11wg11-founder-cotopaxi/ and https://www.facebook.com/mangoandmain/; Mask images from https://mangoandmain.com/collections/accessories/face-mask and https://www.cotopaxi.com/pages/teca-cotton-face-mask.

Holiday Shopping in the Resale Market

'Tis the season... for holiday shopping. Yet trends in shopping are shifting. Black Friday and Cyber Monday have already passed us by... so if you missed those deals and the big box stores, boutiques, and shopping online isn't doing it for you, maybe you need to check out one of these trending gift destinations, where you're destined to get something one of a kind. What's this new shop in town?  Well, it's really not new. It's the idea of "thrifting," or getting your gifts from thrift stores, consignment or second hand shops, and taking advantage of a circular economy by saving money and saving resources.

Articles such as the November 14th, 2019 Bloomberg's "Used Stuff Is the Next Big Trend in Christmas Shopping" reiterate this concept. The "pre-owned marked" isn't as frowned-upon as it once was. In fact, ThredUp (an online thrift store) has forecasted resale as a booming and growing industry. Projections suggest the resale market could grow to a $51 billion industry by 2023. (There are a lot of great infographics here on ThredUp's 2019 Resale Report, including the screenshots shared here.)

Some big name companies are getting into the game as the resale market shops have been booming:

• Fashionphile, an online portal for pre-owned purses and accessories, is a Neiman Marcus investment.
• ThredUp partnered with Macy's Inc. & J.C. Penny Co. this August.
• RealReal Inc is a high end consignment shop that went public in June to the tune of $300 million.
• Poshmark has been on the resale rise since its founding last year.

Other shops that might be new to you in this "new-to-you" market:

• Depop
• Heroine
• Thrilling
• And of course, eBay's been around for awhile. As have Goodwill, Salvation Army, and your local consignment shops.

With all this in mind, clearly people are beginning to shop differently. Might be worth a pursuit or two this year as you are looking for "that perfect gift." Or, some of these platforms might be worth pursuing when you are looking to downsize old sizes or make room for all the new holiday gifts coming your way later this month!

All images from ThredUp's 2019 Resale Report: https://www.thredup.com/resale

Repurpose. Repreve

Recently got together with my brother--no easy feat given we live about 7 states away. But he and his son were on a guys trip filled with baseball & battlefield (and a couple other boy stops along they way), and made their way to Gettysburg for a day trip (which isn't far from us). As he is want to do, he often passes forward eco-finds for me, because he knows I have this here li'l eco blog.

His latest find one came by way of his wardrobe, as he handed over the following 2 tags (front and back):

This, of course, let me to a little bit of research and digging, because I wanted to find out more about this very cool brand.

Surprisingly enough, you can't find much on Joseph Abboud's website about the "Joe: Just One Earth" Brand. (I love the symbolic nature of both the name, the acronym, and the logo.) This surprises me as I think he's want to put something like that on his website if he's going to have it on his tags. But I digress.

You do get more on the Men's Warehouse write ups with his clothing made by the Repreve fabric:

"This stylish sport shirt has a subtle check pattern. It's woven with Repreve®, a recycled polyester made from plastic bottles. Repreve® is one of the most certified, earth-friendly fibers available. High-quality, recycled polyester yarns are made from 100% recycled materials, including post-consumer plastic bottles, pre-consumer industrial waste or a hybrid blend of both. Help conserve energy and natural resources with recycling and the use of recycled products."

So, my brother's short sleeve button up shirt was made with approximately 5 up cycled plastic bottles. That's pretty cool.

Where it starts getting even more interesting is on the Repreve website. Their running tally board had swiftly moving counter with 16.6+ billion bottles recycled when I last looked. They have a pretty extensive sustainability commentary on their Discover page, including an excellent video that is not on their YouTube Channel (different from the one listed below).

Here's a little bit about how it works--and why it should incentivize all of us to make sure our recycled bottles are indeed RECYCLED!!


I was going to list the brands that use Repreve, but their alphabetical list is way too long. There's about 71 brands that use them, many you'll recognize!! Check it out yourself. We should all shop accordingly!  They also pride themselves in their Performance Technology. You can also shop directly on their website.

From their website alone, you can tell their commitment to sustainability, driven by innovation, to help make a "reprieve on the planet." Imagine the world we'd have if more companies followed suit! It gives you some inspirational hope for people out there, committing to solving problems!

Tag montage from my tag pics & created at Canva.com; Logo from https://repreve.com/news/unifi-announces-inaugural-champions-of-sustainability; video from https://youtu.be/YqzL6ttn988

Upcycled Dog Toys

We have a rowdy and rambunctious dog that lives with us. He's mouthy--both when it comes to noise (obnoxious barking) and chewing. At times he can be sweet--but that's usually when he's sleeping, or tired. We have a backyard pool that he loves (he is a Portuguese Water Dog) and is a major fan of chasing the tennis ball or some other toy. Those are about the 2 only ways we can wear him out.

I was at Target the other day and got him a little nylon floating Frisbee, thinking that this could make for extended fun, combining his love of fetch with his love of the pool.

That Frisbee seriously lasted less than 3 days. There may be a smidge of life left in it, but not much. Now I have another something that's going to wind up in a landfill.

Clearly, I ran across this resource from 1MillionWomen.com about 3 days late: do it yourself dogger toys. The material of choice: old T-shirts. It makes perfect sense. Who doesn't have an extra, old T-shirt (or 20) laying around? [It reminded me of the braided jump rope I made years ago out of "plarn" (aka: plastic yarn made out of plastic grocery bags).]

What I really liked about the 1Million Women article was their emphasis on how clothing waste "wears" on our environment (pun intended). Especially in the era where everyone is "Marie Kondo-ing" and clearing out all the clothing that is not "sparking joy" in their closets after decades of trying to stay with the fashion trends, fashion waste is a huge thing. Additionally, the water that's sucked into the creation of  cotton clothing makes huge demands on our water supply--especially when some areas are experiencing droughts while other areas struggle with clean drinking water. Makes you wonder if that water is being well-purposed. Upcycling also has a greater value than even donating those old clothes to charities. By repurposing your T-shirts or other clothing, not only have you given your pup a little bit of entertainment, you're saving yourself some money and keeping things from getting dumped.

To make your own dog toys, check out these two sites for directions--your fur-buddy will thank you for it:

• How to: Make Your Own Upcycled T-shirt Dog Toy
• 5 Different DIY No-Sew T-Shirt Dog Toys

All the pictures from my own trusty camera.

Hogwarts... Always. For the Win, Environmentally Speaking!

Last year I got bit by the Harry Potter bug... HARD.
And I came out changed.

After 25 years of teaching, with a classroom library to rival the school library... I had never read any of the Harry Potter books. Not when they first came out. Not after having them in my classrooms. Not after watching copious numbers of kids read them over the years. I never watched any of the movies, despite their popularity, because they were never “my genre.”

But last year that changed after we booked a trip to Orlando over Spring Break, with plans to hit Universal Studios hard. My son had been reading them and was up to book 5, and about a week before we left, our family binged #1-6 of the Harry Potter movies. It was really pretty cool, watching one a night, and watching the kids grow and the storyline continue over.

Then, after spending the week at Universal... I was totally and completely in awe. We were in Diagon Alley. We had butter beer in Hogsmeade (I will say, I won't drink that again). We waved our wands and rode the train. I came home with a book contest with my son to read #7 so we could watch the last 2 movies. I've read the entire series, several books more than once. The illustrated editions are my favorite!! There were things that happened in the series that even 20 years of it being out in the movies and spoilers galore online that were still totally new twists and shocking to me. I'm not sure how I managed to live under that rock so long!! But transformation is complete, and I am a true and total Potterhead fanatic at this point, just going to show that you always can change.

Along my Hogwarts journey, I always gravitated towards Ginny Weasley's spunk and fire as she grew. She was kind of my gal. Given that, I got all warm and fuzzy when I learned Bonnie Wright (who played Ginny) was an environmentalist! Again, it would seem as I'm a little late to the party, as she's been an environmental activist for awhile.

Bonnie's anti-plastic and marine debris campaigns speak close to my heart, much like her character of Ginny does as well. No, I'm not an avid surfer like she is. But that connection to the ocean makes it make sense that this issue would speak to her heart. She's not only raising awareness of the amount of plastic in our oceans right now, she's also heavily involved in encouraging kids to upcycle their toys as a way to reduce waste. Additionally, in March of this year she worked with Greenpeace UK as one of their ocean ambassadors researching micro plastic levels. She's also been to Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta, with petition in hand of over 500,000 signatures, to urge them away from from single use plastics. She also backed TREE AID this past World Environment Day. TREE AID is a reforesting program that works to transform the deforested drylands of Africa, which in turn will turn the tables on poverty. (To learn more about this program, check it out here.)

She's also been known to write a time or two:

• In her January 23, 2018 article for i-D' entitled "Actress-Turned-Activist Bonnie Wright’s Real Life Guide to Saving the World" she details 10 ways you can start right at home, making a difference to eliminate extraneous plastic.
• In her December 5, 2017 Teen Vogue article "Bonnie Wright Shares Why She’s Teamed Up With Greenpeace" she wrote about her experience on the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise where they were investigating the plastic content of our ocean.

Along my research of Bonnie Wright's travels, I also discovered that a few other Hogwarts alums have an environmental slant:

• Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) is an avid women's rights activist and a sustainable fashion trendsetter. (Some call this an "ethically curated wardrobe.")
• Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) is a vegan activist who sees both compassion and veganism as the way to heal our planet.

...Leading me, like Severus Snape to say to say of my Hogwarts love: "Always!"

Pictures from https://www.pngkit.com/view/u2r5y3i1r5t4o0a9_l-borders-rolled-harry-potter-harry-potter-logo/, https://www.peacefuldumpling.com/bonnie-wright, http://www.mugglenet.com/2019/06/bonnie-wright-oceans-ambassador/, https://www.playbuzz.com/hermionejeangranger12/text-group-hermione-luna-ginny, and my camera.

Bombas: The Socks That Give Back

For Christmas, despite the family gift exchange, one of my sister-in-laws had a little something for everyone. On the count of 3, we all opened.

Socks! She got us socks!

(Which I will say, as an adult, excites me far more than it ever did when I was a kid.)

And this year, it excited me more, as the socks came with a story. The socks were Bombas socks, and with every pair purchased, another pair is donated to the homeless.

My sister-in-law, with the help of us having feet and needing socks, donated about a dozen pairs of socks to help out the homeless.

The company was the inspired beginning with a Facebook quote that struck Randy Goldberg and Dave Heath: socks are the #1 requested clothing item from homeless people. That reminded me of a series I wrote about a five years ago when a college friend of mine did a 10 day stint at purposeful homelessness to experience what many of his patrons at Illinois' Freeport Area Church Cooperative. After doing the Susan G. Komen 3 Day//60 mile Walk for Breast Cancer, I even have my own personal experience on the importance of socks and footcare--especially in the rain! Good socks are a must!

These 2 videos show Randy & Dave in action, from inspiration, to 1 million socks donated, to 5 million socks donated!

1 Million Pairs of Bombas Socks Donated from Bombas on Vimeo.

 

So as I'm wearing my Bombas, and they are indeed feeling like the most important socks on Earth! Gifts that keep giving are perhaps the best ones to get!


Videos from https://vimeo.com/182428753 and https://bombas.com/pages/about-us; images from https://bombas.com/pages/giving-back and https://bombas.com/pages/million and https://bombas.com/pages/about-us

Repurposing Oceanic Debris to New Products

With an annual estimate of  "14 billion pounds of trash" finding its way to the ocean each year, that's a lot of UNnatural resources and pollution.

But sometimes you need to think outside the box, especially if you are an innovator.  In doing so, you might land on a solution or two.

B the Change's December 14th, 2016 article entitled "5 Products Made From Recycled Ocean Waste" by Matt Clough focuses on 5 companies and their products that take innovation by storm by mining the ocean for these UNnatural resources--then turning that plastic debris into something greater than it was before.

Clough's article focuses on these 5 products pictured above & their manufacturing companies.

Ahi Performance Cruiser Skateboard  


From Bureo
This Los Angeles company takes discarded fishing nets and transitions them into skateboards.  Approximately 30 square feet of recycled nets are washed, melted into small pellets, then formed into these $195 skateboards.

Kayu Sunglasses
From Karün
Now a partner with Bureo, but even before that nature always served as inspiration for Karün's sunglasses. Their Ocean collection is made from Bureo-sourced fishing nets in a process similar to how Bureo makes their skateboards. Additionally, part of their profits from their $139 sunglasses go for education programs in plastic pollution-affected fishing communities.

River Bank Backpack
From Fishpond
This outdoor lifestyle/travel adventure company of Colorado lines their River Bank Backpack with a material called "Cyclepond." Again, recycled commercial fishing net is at play.  Additionally, it's a type of material that uses less natural resources in its production that water-consuming fabrics like cotton. At $149.95, you can have a sturdy backpack lined with a fabric that helps cut down on greenhouse gasses.

Graphic Tee Collection
From United By Blue
This company that makes a variety of fashionwear for both men and women doesn't make their nature-themed T-shirts from oceanic plastic debris, yet they are heavily committed to the environment.  With each purchase of their $36 T-shirts (and other products), United By Blue works to eliminate a pound of trash from the ocean.  They pride themselves in hosting over 170 cleanups and removing over 360,000 pounds of trash.

Ocean Plastic 2-in-1 Dish & Hand Soap
From Method

This is a company you may have heard about as their products are in many local grocery/department stores. The plastic for their $3.99 bottles is collected from Hawaiian beaches. The soap itself is biodegradable to further spread the message of environmental sustainability.



Images above compiled from http://www.bthechange.com/stories/products/innovative/5-products-made-recycled-ocean-waste/ into a collage created at PicMonkey.

40 Days & 40 Items

Regardless of your religious leanings, it's probably somewhere on your radar that it is Ash Wednesday.  (Or maybe the bigger radar for you was that yesterday was Mardi Gras!)

Ash Wednesday commemorates the 40 days of Lent. These are the 40 days between Ash Wednesday & Easter Eve (the Saturday before Easter).  I did not grow up following the tradition of getting ashes on Ash Wednesday, though I did grow up in the church.  That part of the Easter Season just wasn't a major focus for my family. Other things did.  

One of the elements of Lent, if that was/is your tradition, is to either give up something meaningful to you for 40 days... or the twist: do something additional/out of your typical routine for those 40 days of Lent.  You are sacrificing one way or another.  Giving up chocolate is an all time popular favorite.  Though, I have heard up people more recently going on a social media fast (to bring more connection to their lives), exercising for 40 days, or making other lifestyle choices during that time period between Ash Wednesday and Easter to enhance their lives. 

That's where today's post starts.  I like that idea of 40 items in 40 days.  I saw this picture on Facebook today, which actually served as inspiration for this today.

There's also the larger tackle:  40 BAGS in 40 days.  Yes, that would be some major "decrapifying" (to quote the image below).  Given it's report card season, that seems pretty darn intense for this kid.  But 40 items.  I think can handle that.

So whether you observe Lent or not, it's a good way to gear up for spring, and carve out a little extra room in your closet.  But whatever you do, don't throw it away (there IS no away). So go forth and donate or regifting.  Keep those landfills free and clear.

Images from http://www.whitehouseblackshutters.com/40-bags-in-40-days/, http://www.marladeenfit.com/2015/02/18/40-days-with-no-facebook-my-40-days-of-lent/, https://stchrysostoms.wordpress.com/2016/02/09/have-a-joyful-lent-think-outside-the-box/,  Forty Days-Forty Items pic from https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=838255086320876&set=a.121992851280440.37463.100004091769607&type=3&theater, 40 days list from http://www.letmeorganizeit.com/declutter-for-lent-40-bags-in-40-days 

Re-Purposing the "Li'l Black Dress"

From the 1920's "It Girl" actress Clara Bow...to Audrey Hepburn's Holly Golightly in the 1961 movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's"....to perhaps every 20-something to 80-something year old in America today, the "little black dress" is a staple in many-a-closet.  Dress it up, dress it down, it'll take you anywhere.  If it's classic enough, it'll be with you for a lifetime!

That's precisely the premise of Sheena Matheiken's "The Uniform Project."  But with a twist.  1 year.  365 days.  1 little black dress (well...okay, for laundry's sake, 7 identical black dresses.)  A tunic-style dress that can be worn with the buttons in the front or back, open or closed.  Then add in lots and lots...and lots...of accessories.  Mostly vintage, hand-me-downs, or creative inspirations & inventions of her own.  From May 2009 to May 2010 she daily reinvented her uniform...and took photographic proof of it while it happened.  One outfit, 365  different looks!  Must see TV at it's finest--you most definitely MUST watch the video book of snapshots:   http://www.theuniformproject.com/

Her goal:  Creating a uniform for herself to showcase sustainable fashion, but at a price--to raise money for the Akanksha Foundation, and educational movement in India that helps kids in need get the finances for their own school uniforms & other educational expenses.  A mere $360 finances a child in India's schooling for a year.  From The Uniform Project's donation page,  here's the rest of the facts:

"Today, there are 7.5 million Indian children that never get to attend school.  The Indian government spends an average of $360 on each child's schooling, 80% of whom drop out before reaching the 10th grade.  Akanksha has vowed to spend the same amount on every child in the slums--not a penny more, not a penny less--to afford them a better, more holistic education.  The money raised from this project will go toward funding Akanksha's new schools in Mumbai and Pune.  To learn more, visit www.akanksha.org."  ~ Quoted from http://www.theuniformproject.com/home/donate.html

 To date, Sheena & The Uniform Project crew have raised $95,206, putting 264 kids in school.  Amazing.  And dressed to the 9's as she did it, showing us all how easy, affordable, and eco-friendly outfitting ourselves can be!!

Find the Uniform Project also on Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/uniformproject?ref=search&v=wall

Picture from http://www.theuniformproject.com/home/about.html
Special thanks to Constantinople for sharing the link & sending forth the inspiration!!