Weekly Book Post: Over-Dressed

We've been hearing the story of sweatshop labor and outsourcing in the clothing industry for a very long time now.  And it's not that this story isn't important - it's very very important but we've mostly stopped listening. Every now and then something shocking happens that makes us pay attention to it again, but then we quickly go back to the status quo.

I borrowed the book Over-Dressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion from the library because it was featured on The Non-Consumer Advocate, and because I have been mulling over ethical clothing choices since the latest Bangladesh factory tragedy.  I expected there would be talk about sweat shop labor, but the book covers more than that.

Cline covers the story of how we became addicted to fast fashion, how design and retail has become more generic, and what happens to all the clothing we discard (68 lbs of textiles per person go into the landfill in the US every year!), and what the environmental impact of manufacturing all that clothing is in the first place.

I found this book disturbing and compelling.  If you haven't even thought about how your cheap, fast, almost disposable clothing impacts the world, this will be eye-opening.  If you have been thinking about it, as I had been, this will add further breadth to the issue for you.  Overall, I think everyone who wears clothes should read at least part of this book.

(If you don't have time/inclination to read the book, there is also a good list of What We Can Do on the book's website.)

My old favorite Tshirt

It was my favorite.  The kind of shirt that strangers said "cool shirt" while I was out and about.

But it was stained.  It wasn't really fit to be worn anymore.




So it was nice that I had a red tea towel stashed away in my embroidery supply box.  It was from Sublime Stitching, bought more than a decade ago and never used for an embroidery project.

I really wasn't ready to put that red rolling pin in the rag bin.  Now I don't have to!

The Consumption Cycle

I decided to do a "Buy Nothing New" year (just personally; my husband and kids didn't want to join me) in 2013 (confession time: I have "cheated" and bought a new pair of shorts and a new sundress for my vacation, and half-cheated by giving my husband such strong hints about my desire for new slippers that he bought me a pair), and I've also been very moved by the Bangladeshi factory collapse to look more closely at where our stuff comes from.  Consumption and "stuff" just seems to happen in our culture, far too easily.

But what to do when your daughter's favorite pair of shoes looks like this?  I really wanted to throw these out and get her some new shoes (that she would actually wear).  Finding fair trade or Made in the USA shoes for kids (that she would like and wear) turned out to be very difficult.



Trips to the local thrift shops turned up nothing.  Research into shoe companies that at least tried to be ethical in some way led me to lean toward Keens or Toms as being slightly better options (although not perfect).  I finally ended up getting her a pair of used Toms on ebay, and then she was willing to throw away these old purple shoes.  Although I hate to add things to the land fill, these were beyond repair or repurposing that I could think of.

We also sorted through her clothing, and filled two large bags for donation with stuff she has outgrown.  Some of that was replaced when I went to the 50% off sale at the Value Village, and came home with three bags of clothing for the four of us.  I feel pretty good about the thrift store cycling of clothing.

But sometimes things can't just keep going around and around forever.  I had a sweater that I bought from the thrift store for myself two or three years ago, and it has seen pretty heavy wear in the last few years because I liked it a lot.  Now it is just worn out, too misshapen and thread bare in places to go back to the thrift store for another go-around.




But before I threw it away I snipped off the buttons and added them to my button box, and I salvaged two hats out of it.

I used another hat as a pattern (another hat I made a few years ago also from an old sweater).



And just cut around it, then stitch right-sides together.  Easy as can be.




"Use it Up, Wear it Out, Make it Do, or Do Without".  I'm trying.

Does this Outfit Make Me Look Heartless?

Like many others, I have been horrified by the collapse of a garment factory in Bangladesh last week - with a death toll now over 300 people.  I saw a political cartoon this week, which I now cannot find again, that showed a woman holding up a garment to herself in a department store and saying "does this make me look like I'm oblivious to global working conditions?"  I'm just horrified that the real price for our cheap and semi-disposable clothing is being paid by low-wage and high-risk workers in poor nations.

I decided to do a little look through our clothing to try and figure out where most of it was made.  These two piles of my children's clothing are pretty typical: a mix of one homemade item, a few gifts, a few hand-me-downs, lots of stuff bought in thrift shops or on ebay, and a few things bought new from Lands End or Costco.  They were made in:

The Philippines
Sri Lanka
Bangladesh
Korea
India
Honduras
China
Vietnam
Cambodia
My homemade item that was made right here
and one item said "Made in the USA"

I can't personally travel to all these places to see how workers are treated in each country, but I tried googling it to get an idea.  It was actually very difficult to get any sort of information, other than a disquieting sense that, no, it's not good in any poor nation with minimal government regulations.

So what to do?  I'll keep doing some of what I have been doing anyway (for other reasons).

1.  Reduce.  There's a reason it comes first in the "reduce, reuse, recycle" mantra.  Just reducing the amount of clothing that my family purchases and owns is the best step to take for the environment, my wallet, and my laundry load.  It also would mean less contribution to the exploitation of workers.  My grandma used to say "buy quality, not quantity", and she was right.  I'm thinking about the notion of the Minimalist Wardrobe, as well.

2.  Reuse.  A lot of that clothing shown above was purchased used.  (In fact, in those laundry piles only the socks, underwear, two pairs of pants, and one pair of pajamas were purchased new.)  Yes, it was originally made cheaply, but reusing it still is better for the environment, my wallet, and my contribution to worker-exploitation.

3.  Mend what you have, or upcycle it (or when that fails use it as a cloth rag).  When clothing gets worn out around here, I fix it, or it gets upcycled into hats, rugs, quilts, etc.  When all else has been tried, it gets used as a cloth rag.  We don't use any disposable paper products here except toilet paper. However, this post isn't about disposable paper.  But mending and upcycling can extend the lifespan of an article of clothing, thereby reducing the impact to environment, wallet, and worker-exploitation.

4.  Buy Fair Trade.  This would be ideal.  But I've done a bit of internet searching about fair trade options this week and I find them slim for men and almost non-existent for kids.  I can probably dress myself Fairly, but that's partly because in my work setting and living in the Pacific Northwest I can get away with a certain "hippy" look to my fashion.  My favorite Fair Trade sources:

• Maggie's Organics is my usual source for women's socks, tights, and leggings.  My local food co-op carries them, as well as the Fair Trade store in town.
• Mata Traders is a Fair Trade line that is carried in the store in town, and I've purchased two sundresses from them that I'm very happy with.
• Fair Indigo carries a good selection (for women), and I always check them out, although I have yet to purchase anything.
• We're really lucky to have a Fair Trade store in town, that sources from all around the world but can tell you the "story" of every item in the store.  I've bought many things there and will continue to do so (such as Ethletic shoes).

Fair trade is usually better for the environment (most is organic as well as fair trade) and it's definitely better for the workers.  It is NOT better for my wallet.

5.  Buy Made in the USA.  It's really hard to find anything Made in the USA in the box stores.  But there are some websites that specialize, so that is helpful.  A cursory search, however, leaves me with the impression that I'll only be able to buy really basic clothing and stuff more suited to outdoor work or camping.  Which is fine - we need that stuff too - but it won't be a complete source.  Buying USA made is probably not really better for the environment (maybe less factory pollution because of regulations, maybe less energy used to transport it here to me?), but it is better for worker conditions and for our own economy.  Not better on my wallet.

6.  Make it myself.  I enjoy sewing, but this isn't going to become the main source of our wardrobes.  For one thing, I just don't have time.  For another, I can't make some of the stuff we need: socks, underwear, my husband's button-up shirts for work (he's particular), or jeans. And where does the fabric come from?  I like to order from Near Sea Naturals,  but if I only get my fabric there this is once gain Good for the Environment, Good for Workers (well, it's more work for me, but ) But NOT good for my wallet, or my time.

So that is my Six-Point Plan: Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Fair Trade, Buy USA, Make it Myself.  I'm really going to miss my Lands End core wardrobe staples, though.

Random Things Making Me Happy

With the way pants are sitting so low, below the waist, this is pure genius!  I love them!



This arrived in the mail - seriously the best book recommendations by age!  I know what we'll be reading (and yes, I'll also order something from the catalog, because I have to support the business, not just take the book recommendations to the library and check out all the books.  I do that too.)



My family has figured out how to be totally quiet when I need to do a virtual meeting at home!  I managed to do a whole hour long meeting at my desk (which is housed in the living room, and previously I've had to go hide in an uncomfortable corner of the house to get some quiet).



In a similar vein of independent off-spring, I didn't decorate for Halloween this year.  I just got the boxes down from the attic, and then the kids are in charge of what they want to do with it all.  Or not.  I really don't care.



Apple peelers.  The right tool for the job makes it so much easier.  Last year I hand peeled all the apples I made into sauce - this year my MIL gave me this beauty.


And we got Modern Family from Netflix, and had a marathon.  I know I'm terribly behind on this, but that's life without TV.

What does he DO to his pants?

This picture shows the normal state of the boy's pants: patched, and patched again, and then ripped again.

The pants below in the picture are the new "Iron Knee" pants from Lands End.  With the hype that they were basically indestructible, I had to order some.  Unfortunately, he seems to be taking the new pants as a challenge, to see if he can rip out the knees.  He puts them on and slides across the floor on his knees.

Sigh.

A Pattern Making Fail

It started off with a trip to the fabric store to let the kids pick out what they'd like for pajama fabric.  They've both been growing so much, they just don't have any pajamas anymore!

My kids have interesting taste right now, BTW.



Then Carbon told me he needed a new pair by tomorrow.  He has a sleepover tomorrow night, and he wants new pajamas for it.  I had to head into work tonight, so I really didn't have time - but I tried to squeeze it in between setting out dinner and heading to work.

And I Screwed It Up.  This is what I get for rushing it and not using a pattern.  These are cut like low rider hipster pants - except in kiddie print flannel with an elastic waist.  And if the fabric shrinks in the wash (I didn't prewash - no time!), they will have to get passed down to his sister.

A Big Fail.  Oh well, at least I tried.

Shoes he loved

First, the front door mat looks awful in this picture. Of course, it's purpose in life is to catch dirt. And it does that pretty well - that's why all the dirt is on the mat. :)

Yes, my son likes to wear pink socks. He's happy, and it's all good.

And, yes, he tried to fix his own shoes with duct tape. He loved these shoes (purchased used in a lot box of boys' shoes from ebay), and he especially loved that they are pull-ons with no need to tie them. He CAN tie his shoes, but he really doesn't like to bother. So when the toes wore through and his sock was sticking out of the top of the shoe, he didn't want to just throw them away. He was sure the duct tape would work (hey, they apparently mended a leaky boat with the stuff on Mythbusters, his favorite show).

But the weather has been pretty wet, and from the picture above you probably get an idea of how much fun it is to wear these shoes now. He FINALLY let me throw them away, and he picked out a new pair of sneakers at the store. Goodness, keeping the whole family just decently clad is such a chore. (Not Little House on the Prairie size chore, but still.)

the mending

This is my mending basket. I have a lot of it! I keep thinking of some old book I read - probably Jane Austen - where they were saying that the young ladies had to be good and do the mending before they were allowed to do their "fancy sewing". I need to do the mending, darn it!

But I managed to turn one mending project into a bit of fun, when I converted an old ripped up pair of Carbon's jeans into a cute jean skirt for Hypatia. The knees had been patched and ripped to shreds, so I cut it off above the knees, slit the pants open, added a triangle of fabric front and back, then a ruffle around the bottom.

A little summer dress

I stayed up way too late last night finishing up this dress, so that my sewing table could be folded up and put away before the housecleaners come tomorrow. Two things: (1) having a housecleaning schedule keeps the pressure on me to put the clutter away, and (2) moving soon (fingers crossed still) is putting the pressure on me to use the fabric stash or lose it.

Fabric: a quilt kit I bought when Hypatia was a baby. This was going to be an Olivia baby quilt. Since we are past the point of needing baby quilts around here, it was give it away or use it for a different purpose. I worried the stripe print would look weird in a dress, but this seems to have worked out OK.

Pattern: "Girls Jumper" from All Dolled Up: Sewing with Nancy.

Problems: It's a bit too wide in the chest, so I'm going to have to take it in a bit I think. It's too short to just wait for her to "grow into it".

DRE Fashion Dilemmas

My Sunday morning fashion challenge is to find a variety of outfits that can do all this:

1. Say "take me seriously, I am a professional"

2. Be both mature and young/approachable, formal yet friendly, never sexy but not frumpy either

3. Let me sit on the ground gracefully when I need to

4. Be something I could dive into an art project while wearing

5. Not kill my feet after the hours of walking hallways, moving furniture, and standing/dancing/jumping rope that I might end up doing on a Sunday morning

6. Generally match the culture of my congregation

Here are three recent looks that tried to do all that (my son took these pictures with my smart phone camera - they aren't glamor shots but they do show me at work)

What to Wear to Work

In April, back on my other blog, I wrote:

Thoreau warned, in Walden, that we should beware of any enterprise that requires new clothes. How true!
When I got my job at the church, I stressed a bit about what clothing I should wear. As Director of Religious Education, I should look professional. When I needed to go in front of the whole congregation, I needed to look put together. But then I also would be doing arts and crafts with little kids, sitting on the floor, and standing on my feet for hours.
Back in the fall, I really felt like I needed to be more professional looking. I bought three pairs of nice women’s slacks from Lane Bryant - really nice well fitting pants.
The thing is, I don’t wear those pants at all. They’re nice, and they probably are appropriate for the job. But, they are not “me”. I had never had any pants like that before, and it turns out I just don’t feel very comfortable in them. I’m much, much more comfortable in corduroys, chinos, and skirts (if they are the “right” skirt). In fact, the item I purchased last fall that I wear the most to work is a jean skirt I got at Goodwill for $4. It looks great with all my tops and sweaters, and I’m comfortable in it.
Now, I’m sure my “comfortable” look isn’t quite as professional as the look of those pants that are just hanging in my closet gathering dust. But, honestly, living here in the Northwest I don’t think anyone at church cares. If I’m not wearing faded blue jeans and sneakers with a fleece pull-over, I’m more dressed-up than a good 3/4’s of those in attendance at church.
Fashions come and go, and sometimes “identities” that require a certain “look” come and go too. But, the kind of clothing that I’m comfortable wearing and put on day after day has not changed in years. Maybe I’ll look dated. Maybe I’ll look boring and conservative (I’m sorry - I like polo shirts and khaki pants!). But why spend money on clothing I won’t really wear when I’m pulling things out of the drawer in the morning? I reach for my favorites, not what I “should” wear. So, bring on the L.L. Bean catalog!

As Fall and Ingathering at church approaches, I'm still working on this whole clothing issue. I got through the summer very nicely with skirts, bare legs, a nice pair of "mary jane trekker" shoes from Lands End, and assorted "dressed up" (ruffles and tucks and detail work) t shirts from JCPenney. Now, I have that "back to school" feeling that tells me I want to start fresh with the Fall. And I read a blog called Beauty Tips for Ministers which serves to remind me that there is a look that is appropriate for the clergy and looks that are not. It's my little fashion fix, although it's not completely appropriate advice for me (east coast vs. northwest regional fashion norms, and I'm not a minister so I have different particular issues).

I started by ripping out pictures I like from the catalogs I get in the mail: JCPenney, Lands End, L.L. Bean.

And next I did a smart thing and called my mom. She took the time to listen to me go through my closet and describe what I have and what I like to wear. I have a few skirts I love, and yes, some of them are denim skirts. I have three cotton blouses that I have to iron, one crazy cool orange paisley corduroy blazer, and two turtleneck sweaters. I have three cashmere cardigans in bright red, black, and pink. I have a pair of corduroy paints and a pair of dressy gray slacks.

What do I really need to be a Director of Religious Education? As a profession, we want to be taken seriously and respected, and dressing well is part of that effort. On the flipside, I think dressing too professional turns off the kids and youth that I'm actually working with. A little "I'm still fun and hip" for the youth, and a little "I don't mind sitting on the floor or climbing on the playground equipment for the younger kids". Actually, I'm a bit inspired by Ellen DeGeneres.

Her look, of fun shoes and clothes that she can move in and is comfortable in, is really cool.

Okay, I've done my research and talked to someone close to me and thought about it, but now I need to shop. What I'm going to buy for the Fall:

1. A new pair of dark denim jeans. Not for Sunday mornings, but for weeknight meetings and around town. (Last year's jeans, being faded now, get demoted to housework and park play with my kids).

2. A couple plain knit tops that will look good under sweaters.

3. One more good, well-made, and classically styled cardigan sweater, in a fall color (green, brown, or burnt orange).

4. New tights.

5. Maybe some new skirts if I see something really cute.