#summer edwards

[realcollegehoneys]

Summer Edwards

Georgia Southern University (GSU)

Kappa Delta

[thenotepasser-blog]

How to Slim Down (Your Wardrobe) for the Holidays

Thanksgiving is Thursday, inevitably followed by Black Friday here in the US. It's the discordant season of thankfulness followed by excessive greed. So much so that some brands are actually opting out of the day.  

But let's say that, like many of us, you are unhappy with your wardrobe and the siren song of holiday sales is calling you. This time of year, right before a fresh new start could be the perfect time for you to slim down your wardrobe. Maybe you'll have extra coats for winter collections. Perhaps you'll finally have that dress tailored before your New Year's party or shop the sales for only the essentials. It's a good time to get some deals — if you know what you need.

However, the only way to know what you need is to evaluate what you have. Evaluate, sort, sell, mend, then shop. I've been through this process and I must say that it is well worth the time and effort. I made some cash off the stuff I no longer wanted and now have more items I absolutely love in my closet, making it easier for me to dress and feel good in my clothes.  

One thing that helped me sort out my piles of clothes was Summer Edwards' 6 Steps to a Sustainable Wardrobe (disclosure: I did the artwork and I'm a sales affiliate for the book). A slow fashion expert, Summer will help you responsibly transition your clothes and consumption. She's also available to provide answers and support as you work through the steps; when I needed encouragement to power through my mending pile, Summer cheered me on over Instagram. Her simple guide will take you through the steps of sorting what you have and evaluating what you need so that you end up with a consciously curated wardrobe.

Below is an excerpt from 6 Steps to a Sustainable Wardrobe along with a special discount. Enjoy and happy holidays!

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Decluttering, minimalism and a sustainable wardrobe

If you are interested in creating a more sustainable wardrobe, there is a good chance that you will stumble across to minimalism. Minimalism is the movement that aims to simplify people’s lives by untangling their attachment to ‘stuff’, downsizing, and offering alternate vision of success- one that doesn’t promote more (money, things, experiences, work), and focuses on quality over quantity.

At its essence, minimalism is a very sustainable concept. It frees you from materialism and the need to buy new and better, or to consume your way to happiness. However, as happens when a concept is in vogue, there a great deal of very poor minimalist advice out there.

Decluttering is an important process for you to go through. However, if you simply purge your clothing quickly, without mindfulness, you are likely to keep continuing your poor purchases and overconsumption habits. It is important to clear your wardrobe over time, taking the time to mindfully recognise what motivated you to buy something you never wore, or hold on to something that doesn’t fit and so on. If you don’t recognise your motivations for the clutter, you will simply keep repeating old mistakes. Let’s face it- how many times have you cleared out your wardrobe before?

So, as you work through the decluttering process, whether it takes you a week or a year, be sure to give yourself the headspace to really examine your attachments to your clothes. This way you won’t continue to accumulate and hoard a wardrobe full of clothes you have no use for.

To declutter sustainably it is also important that you try to find new homes for the clothes that you can. Try a clothing swap, giving to family and friends, selling your clothing second-hand, donating directly to a women’s or homeless shelter or so on. Donating to charity/thrift stores should be a last resort, especially for fast fashion items. It is estimated that one third of donated clothing is resold, one third is shipped to the developing world where it is resold -undermining local artisans and industry in the process- and, the final one third cut up for rags or going to landfill. If you have good quality items, you can probably donate them safely. But if you have fast fashion items you should consider just using them yourself until they fall apart and need to be recycled or repurposed. If you keep these items for another year, and you still don’t wear them, donate them then. This way, at least, you can be sure that having them as a constant reminder of your poor shopping choices will motivate you avoid the same mistakes again!

And just finally, a sustainable wardrobe needn’t be a bare minimalist wardrobe if that doesn’t suit your personality. A sustainable wardrobe is one that contains good quality clothing, in sustainable fabrics, that you wear regularly and get good use out of, and then dispose of in a sustainable way. Whether that means owning 30 items or 100 is up to you. 

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Get your copy and get control of your closet this year.

Summer is offering a discount! Get your copy through January 30th for just $10 with the code, newyear. 

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[thenotepasser-blog]

Textile Primer: Manufactured Non-biodegradable Fibres

Textile choice is at the heart of ethical fashion. Organic, recycled, handwoven, biodegradable, manmade. These are all options that have different environmental and social costs to consider when shopping. I've asked my knowledgeable friend Summer of tortoise & lady grey to help us sort them out. In the following primer, she has laid out the benefits and drawbacks of the most common manufactured non-biodegradable fibres and made recommendations for buying new textiles. 

Nylon

Nylon is a hard-wearing and versatile manmade fibre derived from petrochemicals that is used for a range of products, including swimwear, pantyhose, and even carpets. 

Benefits

Nylon is hard-wearing, and high-quality nylon lasts well. The textile is infinitely recyclable. Water-intensity of production is much lower than for natural fibres. Recycled nylon is available, which enables designers to access the function of nylon (particularly for swimwear and pantyhose) whilst reusing waste nylon. Econyl is a certified recycled nylon made from fishing nets and clothing. 

Drawbacks

Nylon is a petroleum-based fibre, thus made from a carbon-intensive non-renewable resource. Nylon is not biodegradable and will persist in the ecosystem even as it eventually breaks apart. Production is energy- intensive, taking three times the energy of conventional cotton. Nylon can only be dyed with the most harmful dying practices and is not suitable for low impact colouring techniques. It is chemical-intensive too, and results in the release of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas that has contributed significantly to global warming. During the 1990s, N2O emissions from a single nylon plant in the UK were thought to have a global warming impact equivalent to more than 3% of the UK’s entire CO2 emissions. 

Recommendations

Avoid purchasing new nylon products, unless they are made with recycled nylon. If you have old nylon clothing to dispose of, investigate where you can have it recycled to ensure that existing nylon stock is reused and does not end up in the landfill. 

Polyester

Polyester is another manmade petroleum-based fibre that is also quite versatile and frequently used for its wrinkle-free properties. Polyester clothing tends not to need to be ironed to maintain its shape and surface. 

Benefits

Polyester does not need special care or ironing to be properly looked after, so it is a convenient textile. It tends to be quick drying. High-quality polyester lasts well and maintains the quality of it’s surface. Water-intensity of production is much lower than for natural fibres. There are an increasing number of new polyester-type fabrics that are made from recycled plastics, including the certified recycled fabric Repreve, which is made from recycled plastic bottles and commonly used in sportswear and men’s swimwear. There are also some producers that recycle old polyester clothing to create new textile stock. 

Drawbacks

Polyester is another petroleum-based fibre, thus made from a carbon-intensive non-renewable resource. It is not biodegradable and will persist in the ecosystem even as it eventually breaks apart. Although it is less energy- intensive than nylon to produce, it still requires more than double the energy of conventional cotton to produce. The production of polyester uses harmful chemicals, including carcinogens, which, if emitted to water and air untreated can cause significant environmental damage. Most polyester clothing on the market is cheap, poor quality fast fashion, which will last few wears. 

Recommendations

Avoid purchasing new polyester garments unless they are manufactured with fabric made from recycled polyester or recycled plastics. If you have old polyester garments to dispose of, investigate where you can have them recycled so that existing polyester stocks do not end up in the landfill. 

Visit Summer's textile review section to get updates, or sign up to her mailing list here. 

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[thenotepasser-blog]

Textile Primer: Manufactured Biodegradable Fibres

Textile choice is at the heart of ethical fashion. Organic, recycled, handwoven, biodegradable, manmade. These are all options that have different environmental and social costs to consider when shopping. I've asked my knowledgeable friend Summer of tortoise & lady grey to help us sort them out. In the following primer, she has laid out the benefits and drawbacks of the most common manufactured biodegradable fibres and made recommendations for buying new textiles. 

Bamboo

Bamboo fibre, also known as bamboo cotton, is a type of viscose­ — a manufactured fibre that is produced by chemically processing cellulose from wood. It produces a high-quality soft textile that maintains the structure of its surface quite well, and is commonly used in underwear, t­-shirts, leggings, dresses, and babywear. Whilst this textile has many environmental benefits, it also has some drawbacks that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Benefits

Bamboo is a fast-growing highly-renewable crop which requires no irrigation and is not water intensive. It does not require fertilisers or pesticides, and can be grown on marginal and degraded land to improve the quality of the soil. It is considered a carbon neutral crop. The fabric produced is affordable and is a long-lasting high-quality fibre.

Drawbacks

Processing raw bamboo into fibre is chemically intensive, and this process does not operate on a closed loop system, meaning some of the chemical pollutants are released as waste. The majority of the world’s supply of bamboo comes from China where environmental and worker protections are far from ideal.

Recommendations

There are more environmentally sustainable textile options available which are worth trying to buy first. However, bamboo is affordable and good quality so the options for bamboo clothing are abundant. If your choice is between another conventional textile (polyester, non organic cotton, etc.), then bamboo is a lower­ impact choice. If buying bamboo clothing, try to go for reputable small-scale brands that ethically produce their clothing.

For more comprehensive coverage of these issue, please see my textile review on the environmental impacts of bamboo. 

Viscose/Rayon

Viscose­, also known as rayon­, is a soft man­made fibre derived from cellulose that is commonly used for dresses, shirts, and as linings. It's strong, doesn’t wrinkle easily, maintains the quality of it’s surface well, and is often used as a "natural" alternative to petrochemical­ based fibres. However, the production of this fibre involves significant environmental impact.

Benefits

Soft but strong, maintains a good quality, and doesn’t wrinkle easily. The fibre source is natural and renewable­ cellulose from softwoods such as beech. The raw material crop is considered carbon neutral and does not require pesticides or chemical fertilisers. The fibre is biodegradable and is more environmentally friendly than fibres derived from petrochemicals and is considered slightly less impactful than conventional cotton.

Drawbacks

Producing viscose from cellulose is both water and energy intensive. The cellulose is bleached and chemically treated to manufacture the fibre. The production is not on a closed loop system, and in most countries of manufacture the waste water is not treated before being released into waterways. Waste water contains harmful chemicals, heavy metals and oil and is devoid of oxygen (thus cannot support micro­organisms).

Recommendations

Viscose is not a sustainable fibre but despite this it is often used by labels trying to claim some eco credentials. It is best avoided when purchasing new garments because, despite being derived from a natural raw material, it is still a highly impactful fibre. Lyocell/Tencel is a similar fibre that is considered sustainable, so look for this as an alternative to viscose.

Lyocell/Tencel

Lyocell is a soft manu­factured fibre that is similar to viscose, but requires less chemical processing. It has similar use in clothing as viscose, commonly used for dresses, shirts and as lining. It holds its shape and surface quality well. Tencel is a trade­marked version of Lyocell which uses certified sustainably managed wood stock and is GMO free.

Benefits

Lyocell/Tencel is biodegradable, soft and strong, maintains good quality, and doesn’t wrinkle easily. It's made from renewable soft­wood crops, and the raw material is considered carbon neutral. Chemical processing of the fibre operates on a closed loop system, meaning that 99.5% of chemicals are captured and reused in continuous processing. The small amount of effluent that is discharged is considered non­hazardous. The manufacturing process is reasonably low in water and energy intensity. It does not require bleaching and can be coloured using low­ impact dying processes.

Drawbacks

Depending upon the origin of the fibre, it's possible that it has been made with wood from irresponsibly managed forests (and therefore may be contributing to deforestation) or may be derived from GM crops.

Recommendations

Lyocell is considered a low­ impact fibre and can be considered sustainable if it's been derived from sustainably managed forests. To be certain that you are choosing a sustainable garment, opt for garments made from Tencel, or ask about where the material was produced before deciding whether to purchase.

Modal

Modal is another soft man­made fibre which is manufactured from cellulose using chemical processing. It is commonly used as an alternative to cotton jersey (t-­shirt fabric), and is used for t-shirts, soft dresses, and cardigans.

Benefits

Modal is biodegradable, soft and strong, and drapes well. It is made from renewable softwood crops, and the raw material is considered carbon neutral if from a responsibly managed source. The chemical processing of the cellulose into fibre operates on a closed loop system. Modal can be dyed using low impact dying processes.

Drawbacks

Modal that has been produced in Indonesia is known to be manufactured with wood that has been taken from clear­felled rainforest. Indonesian modal is therefore a significant contributor to climate change through the deforestation of vital rainforests. Modal garments manufactured in China are often made with Indonesian modal.

Recommendations

It is essential that you find out the origin of your modal before buying. If manufactured outside of Europe and North America ,it is likely that the modal was not sustainably produced; but if derived from a sustainably managed forest, it can be considered a sustainable choice.

Visit Summer's textile review section to get updates, or sign up to her mailing list here. 

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