21 May 2012

Saving the Planet Looks Good on You


Saving the Planet Looks Good on You: 
Tailoring Thrifted Clothing
By Carly Brynelson

Let’s talk about threads, bay-bee.  You know, the ones covering your body right now, that were on you yesterday, and the ones you’ll be wearing tomorrow.  Your clothes, as with everything you use/eat/smear on your skin/face/hair/naughty bits have an impact on you, the earth, and the other billions of people living on it.   
  
Buying clothing second hand from a thrift store or a consignment store helps prevent new toxins from being dumped into the environment around you and in you. For instance, new cotton clothes are produced from new cotton crop. That means pesticide use, and lots of it. 

Consider this shocking fact from a great article on the subject:  Though cotton uses only 2.4% of the world's agricultural acreage, its cultivation involves 25% of the world's pesticide use, more than any other crop. Most of these are insecticides, but fungicide is another fraction of the total. Also, consider that it takes about one-third of a pound of pesticides and fertilizers to grow enough conventional cotton for just one T-shirt.
 
According to the same article, there are a host of other standard chemicals used on new fabrics, including flame retardant, which helps prevent the fibers from catching on fire during transport and is  also linked to cancer in humans.  For more, see:  http://www.naturalnews.com/022803.html

Buying used clothes out of the ‘waste stream’ (see: treasure trove of vintage and thrift stores) throws a wrench in this chemical blowout, saving you and the rest of the human species another drop in the yuck-bucket we call the chemical or toxic load.  

Another AWESOME thing about the choice to buy used clothing is that you will look much cooler than the average schmoe that shops the malls.  Your wardrobe will become a unique mosaic, almost like a stylistic thumbprint.  One of a kind.  

Now then, as with any great thing, there is a dark side to scavenged style.  No, I’m not talking cooties--an afternoon skip to the laundromat will take care of those hygiene concerns. The dark side I speak of is that your awesome thrifted Pendleton flannel or outrageous eighties frock is only truly useful if it looks good on you and you want to wear it, which involves making it fit you. Fit is, of course, a subjective term and experience.  Hell, some people like their pants belted at the knees, for instance.  

I, for one, like my clothes to fit my body and show off my curves.  I’m chesty with a smallish waist and muscular biker legs.  And no, you can’t have my number.  I’m saying, fellow Pinchers, that NOTHING fits me right off the rack. Good thing there are magical creatures called TAILORS who can take care of fit problems on the cheap, no matter your size, shape, wiggle, jiggle, boo-tay, monkey arms, whatevs. There are, like, five body types for which the fashion industry makes clothing.  And there are countless phenotypes in the human genome.  Run that through your Singer.

You, friends, can (and should) take a class and learn to tailor your fine finds, bringing the magic home.  Once you learn a few basic techniques, you will sweep through your closet, wanting everything to fit you for real, having learned how righteous a truly fitted garment feels. You will probably still buy some new clothes in spite of my environmental admonishments, and even those puppies will need tinkering. 

I teach a basic tailoring class  at the Craft Center at the University of Oregon in Eugene.  There may be similar classes in your area code, though it would be hard to find one as cool as mine.  If you aren’t into DIY, I would suggest you look for a good tailor. These wondrous creatures are to be found in better dry cleaning businesses around your locale.  

In Eugene, you can get your pants hemmed or darts put into a blouse, button-down, or dress for around $12. I’m not sure how that compares to other locales, but a quick Google search should be revealing. So if the thrifted dress cost you $15 and the darts to help it hug your curves cost $12, total price tag for a unique, tailored-to-fit-your-body look is only $27. 

If you’re a guy who likes a European fit rather than shirts that make you look like you’re sporting a circus tent, you’re looking at ten dollars for a thrifted oxford at Goodwill and maybe $14 for expert tailoring. Total price for a really sharp shirt: $24.  Thrift stores like Goodwill also give money to charitable causes and/or employ community members that might not otherwise find meaningful work.  

All in all, you’ll probably still want to buy some new clothes from time to time.  I’m thinking underwear, for example.  There are lots of nice organic options out there.  But in the mean time, thrifted clothing (tailored to you if needed) represents a conscious decision to make your consumption of clothing more cost-effective, environmentally sound, and community-minded.  And THAT, Penny Pinchers, looks good on you. 

Above:  A babe-tastic summer party dress I made out of a colorful bedsheet.  I paid fifty cents for the sheet, maybe a buck for thread, and another two for a thrifted zipper.  Total cost:  $2.50. Hot dress, custom fitted, that also helped the planet AND the Humane Society?!  Priceless.   Top of article:  A horrid and boxy thrifted linen dress gets a sexy makeover.  I believe I paid seven dollars for this one.




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