April 2010
1 post
Aaaaand I'm back
My poor, neglected blog…I went on vacation, came back and forgot that I really enjoy working on this blog- similar to the way I sometimes forget that I enjoy being outside my apartment, or eating vegetables. Then I log on/leave the house/eat a pear…and think, This is AWESOME! I should do this ALL THE TIME!
Moving on.
Last Friday, the thoroughly amazing organization where I...
March 2010
4 posts
1 tag
The Way I Feel Under Your Command
In the states, I don’t have a CD player in my car, just a tape deck. I’ve only got three cassete kicking around in there, and one of them is Patti Smith’s Peace and Noise.
Can we talk about how amazing she is? Can you believe she is 63 and still so badass? I can’t even wrap my mind around it. If I could posess maybe 0.00001% of her level of cool, all the cells in my...
Handmade Easter (& My Heathen Ways)
So…Spaniards think it best to celebrate Easter like this:
No, those aren’t Klansmen, just observant Catholics during a Semana Santa (Holy Week) procession. Basically, they wear these traditional (and to me, terrifying) hooded outfits, carry huge statues of Jesus on their shoulders through the streets, and occasionally, self-flagellate.
While I certainly admit that these folks know...
Natural Dyes: Kickstarted!
Have you heard of Kickstarter.com? It’s this website project where anyone can propose a project (generally of the creative or activist variety), and set a minimum for the amount of funding they would need to do it, as well as a deadline for the dough. They make a video appeal, and then kind-hearted strangers make donations (usually getting some kind of reward, everything from postcards to...
I thought Spain was supposed to be sunny?
It’s shaping up to be a wet and gloomy spring here in Madrid, and today I caved in and bought a made-god-knows-where umbrella in the metro, out of sheer soggy desperation.
When it inevitably falls apart, I will find a couple of its sad umbrella cousins (easily scavenged sticking out of trash cans all over the city), and make this skirt. Or this one! My umbrella’s black, so I’d...
February 2010
9 posts
Which do you want first- the good news or the bad?
Being abroad means I am usually a bit behind on news from the US. I was so disappointed today to learn that No Sweat has shut down their retail business. Up until recently, No Sweat was an awesome Massachusetts-based company making sneakers and casual clothes in trade union certified factories around the world.
I started buying sneakers from them upon learning about Nike’s purchase of...
Haiti Benefit Sale at GILT
There’s a benefit sale on at Gilt today- proceeds to to rebuilding Haiti. I’m a little suspicious of the whole “shop for a cause” concept, but if you are planning to do some shopping anyway (particularly for FEED totes or Tom’s Shoes), you might as well go for it!
Here is my invite code (to buy things at Gilt sales you have to be a member):...
Built By Wendy: Dress Patterns and Literary...
Sad story: when I was packing to move to Madrid, I left a Very Important Dress at my mom’s house. I made it last year of a lovely cornflower blue jersey printed with big Marimekko-inspired flowers, with this Built by Wendy pattern:
(I used the dress pattern on the right. So sweet).
Built By Wendy is the creation of Wendy Mullins. Nowadays, in addition to its pattern offerings, it’s...
Made-By Button Awesomeness
This post about ethical fashion “jargon-busting” calendars reminded me to poke around the Made-By site.
“MADE-BY is an independent consumer label for fashion companies who continuously improve and are transparent about the social, economic and ecological conditions throughout the whole supply chain of their collections.”
Basically, they work with different companies and...
2 tags
Harris Tweeds = My Fashion Valentine
At New York Fashion Week, John Patrick showed a collection of tailored, classic jackets, shorts and little dresses with a 60’s-ish aesthetic, all topped with messy beehives.
pics via ecouterre The leather in the collection is vegetable-tanned and the silk digitally printed (which apparently is a less toxic method), but for me the real standout fabric is the Harris Tweed!
According to the...
Paper-less Magazines
Source
As I’m living in Madrid at the moment, my regular supply of fashion magazines been cut off. In the States, I have a love/hate/eye-rolling relationship with Nylon and Lucky. I also like to sit around at the bookstore browsing the better magazines I can’t really afford (Lula, Craftzine).
While there are plenty of Spanish mags, I haven’t found any that I want to buy...
Yet another reason not to wash your jeans...
Putting your jeans in the freezer seems like a fifth-grade sleepover dare, but is apparently also a legit way to save water.
A Brazilian company called Tristar is selling 100% organic jeans with instructions to pop them in the freezer overnight, instead of washing them:
From TreeHugger:
“All it takes to kill the bacteria is 24 hours in the freezer, owner Jandira Barone told the Jornal A...
Bra Recycling!
Unfortunately, most bras consist mainly of nylon, which is non-biodegradable, so it’s a real shame to chuck them out with the trash.
Lately I have been wondering about possible ways to recycle or repurpose old bras, and beyond the ever-popular bra hat, have come up woefully short.
(No, Mom- this is not my boyfriend.)
Thankfully, I have discovered (via Ecouterre) The Bosom Buddy program,...
Emma Watson for People Tree
Emma Watson of Harry Potter fame* has collaborated with UK fair trade company People Tree to design a line of juniors clothing which will be released at the end of this month.The Times Online quotes Watson as saying, “I think young people like me are becoming increasingly aware of the humanitarian issues surrounding fast fashion and want to make good choices but there aren’t many options out ...
January 2010
1 post
The Inaugural Post!
*Shyly clears throat*
Welcome to The Genuine Article, a brand new blog dedicated to ethical fashion. In this space, I’ll be exploring sustainable materials and fabrics, fair trade issues and products, vintage and second-hand clothing, as well as DIY projects and ideas for remixing and upcycling what you’ve already got! I also intend to serve up some inspiration, in the form of...