seen from Iceland
seen from Germany
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from Ireland
seen from Norway
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from Iceland
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from Australia
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
If you're a designer creating a sustainable fashion collection or consumer who is trying to dress sustainably, the question of whether rayon, Tencel, Modal, or lyocell biodegrades is an important one. Is it a circular fabric? What happens to it when it's no longer being worn? Is it contributing to microfiber pollution? I've got the answer to all those questions.
As 2018 comes to a close, it’s a great time to synthesize what we’ve learned this year about being a sustainable and ethical fashion lover…. and challenge each other to do better in 2019. So, I’ve pulled together all the knowledge I have about sustainable fashion and organized it into...
When I look at brand pitches, I consider whether it's authentically sustainable and ethical, whether it's cute, and –– most importantly –– whether the product is something new and fresh. Most of the time, it's not.
Sustainable, Green, Eco-Friendly, Ethical, Conscious: The careless practice of using these terms lightly and synonymously, especially by marketers, has created a bit of confusion. So to clear things up, here are some basic guidelines for those who are curious about the many shades of green.
Capsule wardrobes are a sustainable alternative to fast fashion, and can cut down on your fashion waste and costs. Here are our favorite bra
I'm discovering various sustainable brands that align perfectly with my personal style goal of creating a capsule wardrobe. It's an exciting process that allows me to make more conscious and sustainable fashion choices.
Rumpl is featured on EcoCult.
UVPM: 38,668
Do animals help you stay warm? Are you anti fur? Alden Wicker at Ecocult has an incredible story outlining the many sides of this issue - linked in the image from her article above and right here. There are so many complicated issues surrounding what we wear, and animal based materials like fur and leather surely have historic debates. When it’s cold, we suit up, and often fur and leather helps us stay warm. But did an animal have to die for us to stay warm? Of course that’s not how things have to work in this age of convenience and comfort; But we absolutely use animals for our survival. Food, warmth, even love from our domesticated pet are examples of us using animals for our survival. Themis and Thread makes and sells Fur Head Warmers made with real fur, and in the photo above I am also wearing a leather jacket, and here's how I justify it: The Fur Head Warmers are created from factory deadstock of vintage fur rescued from a bankrupt coat factory. Not only did this company go out of business, but there was a glut of materials they had yet to use. These pieces came to me to avoid the landfill. Something that has already been created is always better used than destroyed. This head warmer is made from 100% post consumer product with an upcycled stretchy band making it comfortably wearable. The leather jacket was an updated coat from the 80's that I completely redesigned. It was otherwise hanging in a closet not being worn. These are ways many of us feel comfortable using these materials.
A close friend of mine was recently attacked for wearing fur at an Ice Bar event. Like myself she has inherited family heirloom furs. A fancy winter cocktail party with an outdoor feature seemed to be the perfect opportunity to wear her fur head piece. She was comfortable defending her fashion choice, and the other woman was aggressively passionate about fur being murder. Perhaps that animal had been killed for the pelt to create a fashion item generations ago. Personally I agree that wearing an inherited vintage fur item is different than buying a new piece of fur fashion. Regardless, these conversations are important and powerful.
Do you know what faux fur is? Sometimes it’s actually real fur of animals that are “illegal” to use like rabbit or coyote; But most of the time faux fur is a synthetic petroleum based product not dissimilar from polyester. Aside from these being highly toxic to produce, any petroleum based material sheds microplastics every time it’s washed, adding plastics to the water system, chronically harming animals, plants and people. This is hardly a safer alternative.
An artist friend of mine and @hectorhandmade featured artist, Lisa Baechtle traded some custom design work for a beautiful deer hide. (If you’re interested in working in trade shoot me an email to let me know what you have in mind at [email protected]!) This deer leather is incredibly soft and lovely, and very durable. Here in The Finger Lakes we are very much in rural New York and hunting is a big part of life for many families. Deer populations are in desperate need of regulation (population overgrowth means starvation, damage to farms and crops, and car accidents), hunters help maintain a healthy deer population and are only allowed to shoot a certain number of doe and buck. Almost everyone in my town at least eats venison, if they don’t do the hunting themselves. But nearly no one uses or tans deerskin leather. Lisa’s deerskin hide came from a Taxidermist in Minnesota. The process of curing and preserving a hide is very difficult and time consuming. Deer hunters locally can sell the hide of their catch for only $10-$20.
But the person who would buy that hide has a lot of work to do. A friend of mine with a passion for “doing it herself” and a deep connection to Alaska (a land of do it yourself of die) tried her hand at preserving a buffalo pelt recently. She knows someone who sells buffalo meat. “Farming” buffalo for meat is arguably the only reason this magnificent animal is not extinct. So any time we eat an animal there is waste, and often times the hide is discarded. Trying, but not really loving buffalo meat, got my friend thinking, what about the rest of the animal? So she asked the person who sold buffalo meat if she could have a hide, which he gave her with the understanding that she would have to do it herself. Determined and head strong she dove into the challenge. Twenty hours in, she was deeply saddened to admit defeat. The thick skin and remaining flesh needed specific tools and skill sets she simply did not have. Luckily she was able to find help, several hours away from her home. A drive to a taxidermist was her only hope to save this hide she so desperately wanted to honor. Do you think that she was doing a bad thing? Do you think that the buffalo farmer or taxidermist is doing a bad thing? These people all have one thing in common, they respect, and admire the buffalo population, which they are in some way sustaining.
Another person I know who respects, admires and sustains a unique animal population is Sandy Liggett from Whispering Spirit Alpacas in New Mexico. Wool from alpacas and sheep are the most gently procured warm materials. Alpaca fur is incredibly soft and very warm. At Themis and Thread we send specialty fabric scraps to Sandy to felt alpaca onto, creating a new, warm, durable, beautiful fabric. Our most recent creation with this fabric is our Alpaca Lined Headbands and Texting Gloves. Alden Wicker agrees “Alpaca Is Eco-Friendly and Cruelty-Free” and has written about her experiences in Peru.
How do you feel about all of this? These conversations are complicated and important, please think about it and talk about it! The value of an entire life is ultimately what we’re discussing every time we consider or debate the price of a burger or morality of wearing fur.
Conspiring our success. 👩❤️👩 #talentedwriter #blogger #ecocult #aldenwicker #ebbandflow #boatparty #burningmancostume #3dprinted #3dprintedheadpiece #success #whiteoutfit (at Pier 83)
