What Are Your Sustainable Fashion Choices?

Do you know what your sustainable fashion choices are?

Many associate this genre of fashion with organic clothing. But wait, sustainable fashion is more than that.

Before the term "sustainable fashion" was coined, terms such as "eco", "green"  fashion, and even "hippy" (think tie-dye and hemp) were used. 

By the 1990s, with growing consumer awareness of who were the people behind the garments, the terms "fairtrade" and "ethical" appeared.   Fairtrade means developing communities have better trading conditions, while ethical garments mean that the workers in the factories are treated fairly and ensured safe working conditions. 

Today, fashion brands are also going beyond the "make-use-discard" business model and are coming to realise the value of waste textiles from their production lines or post-consumer textiles. Think Circular Economy - "make-use-recover".

It's All About Choices

To me "sustainable fashion" embraces all these models, but "sustainable fashion" is not just about making sustainable fashion purchases. It is making SUSTAINABLE FASHION CHOICES that fit your values and beliefs.

Tweet this: Make #sustainable fashion choices that fit your values and beliefs http://bit.ly/1R4e6u6 #ecofashion [Source @greenissuesbyagy]

Not Buying  / Not Buying New

The first choice that you can take is reducing your purchases at the mall. Cut down on the number of clothes you have. You can repair torn garments, upcycle old clothes or even swap your clothes at clothes swaps. It's a fun way of spending your time, and did you know that it is very therapeutic? 

Singapore clothes swaps - Top Swop holds regular swops
Upcycling workshops - Don't forget I'm holding my next session on 27 March. Sign up here 
Repair sessions - Repair Kopitiam

But of course if you really need a "new" outfit, you can go to many of the thrift stores in your area.

List of Singapore thrift stores 

If you are buying....

There are many options available:
Fashion from

1. Organic Fibres
2. Natural Fibres
3. Fairtrade Sources
4. Ethical Production
5. Low Chemical / Low Energy Production
6. Zero Waste techniques
7. Upcycled techniques (pre and post-consumer)

But remember to do your research.
Look at the brand's website.
What are their values? Are their values aligned with yours?
Are they transparent - do they share information regarding their operations?
Are they certified? And is this of concern to you?

So what are your sustainable fashion choices?

I'll be doing a post on certification very soon so stay tuned!

Here's a list of sustainable brands and stores in Singapore.

You might be interested in my Fashion Designers Do Good series where I explore how they can design sustainable garments.

Peak Stuff

Have you reached peak stuff?

According to IKEA head of sustainability, we have (read here).

“We talk about peak oil. I’d say we’ve hit peak red meat, peak sugar, peak stuff … peak home furnishings.”

Actually, market statistics show peak gadgets too - sales for iPads and iPhones have either stagnated or dropped.

It's about time because, according to scientists, we are now officially in the Antropocene geological period, a period that begins when human activities started to have a significant global impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems.

People don't seem happy with stuff anymore, clearing out their homes, decluttering, and now buying less. I hope it remains that way because I miss the times when we borrowed or shared things. I remember when we shifted into our first home, and we got a lot of secondhand furniture (some still looked brand new). We made good friends in the process. 

Have you reached peak stuff? I know I have.

Image: Hannes Desmat

Sustainable Footwear

When people think about sustainable fashion, most would consider the materials their garments are made from, or perhaps the packaging it came in. What about the shoes we wear?

"In 2006, the US consumed 2,403,137,000 pairs of shoes

The worldwide per capita footwear is almost 2.6 pairs in 2005, although the US per

capita was 6.7 pairs annually

Researchers have estimated footwear consumption to double every 20 years"

The environmental impacts associated with footwear are predominantly in the manufacture of the component of the shoe, where chemical processes during the manufacturer of leather, synthetic materials and textiles pollute the water.

Eco Friendly Shoes

There are alternative choices.

We were given the opportunity to try out Natural World eco friendly shoes. Made in Spain, these sustainable shoes are made from 100% natural materials (e.g. organic cotton and natural rubber), and recycled materials (e.g. recycled rubber from tires). 

"we don’t use polluting products, we don’t emit toxic gases, we don’t spill toxic fluid, and we also promote environmental conservation by using biodegradable and recyclable substances."

Made In Green Certification

What I like about Natural World is that all their products come with Made In Green certification. Products with the certification are:

I originally thought that I could key in the product ID and trace the journey of my shoe from the materials to where it was pieced together.  Unfortunately, the product ID on our shoes were for internal tracking only - it was a little disappointing because it would have been a major plus to see where our shoes had been.

How Do They Fare?

My partner chose the Blucher Suede Brown while I selected Basket Enzimatico Beige.  

One thing that surprised us was the bubble gum smell - I wasn't expecting that!  

My partner's feet are extremely wide and prone to fungal growth because the hot weather here tends to make his feet sweaty. Here's his verdict on the shoes (in his own words) 

"Very comfortable with a lot of room for the toes, and considering we are in Singapore, the fleece does not make my feet sweat. "  

Unfortunately for me, the sizing was a little off. I wear EUR39, but with these my toes were up against the uppers, which was rather unfortunate. However, I do look forward to passing them onto my kid considering he's a size EUR37 now!

Disclaimer: This was a sponsored post. All views are my own.

Upcycle to Complement Your Wardrobe

So far my buy no new clothes has been successful - I was tempted by the post-Christmas sales at a sustainable fashion brand, and even thought that by buying it I would still be doing something good because it was an organic pair of pants (I love pants!). The only reason why I didn't buy it was because I had to rush off somewhere else and didn't get the chance to click "buy".  

I haven't upcycled much lately either because so far my wardrobe makes me happy - why would I want to change anything?

My only thoughts are that perhaps what I should upcycle / sew should complement what I already have. On reflection, perhaps there are some pieces that shouldn't have been made in the first place because it can't be worn with anything else and I would have to buy something else to get the look I wanted.  Realistically, it might have been better to have sent it to the thrift store or gifted to a swap.

Try to Aim for a Capsule Wardrobe
This concept has been around for over 30 years, and was made popular by Donna Karen, who launched her "7 Easy Pieces" range in 1985. I quite like the idea of having pieces that can be worn from work to play just by changing a certain item that you are wearing.  I'm not sure about just 7 having items only considering some of us live in extreme climes, and where I live we sweat buckets!  This article, has suggested some key pieces to put in your capsule.

Jennifer Scott talks about a 10 piece wardrobe in her TEDx talk, and gives some tips.

Complement Your Wardrobe
I think everyone knows that traditional colours will always be your staples whether it's work or play. But when you're upcycling a thrift store dress or a something from a clothes swap think about whether it will go with your blacks, creams, whites and navies in your wardrobe. I think what's more important is that you don't let too many colourful prints overwhelm what you have. I've usually found that I get distracted by the beautiful prints in the thrift store or swap, reconstruct it and THEN (only then) do I think about what I'm going to wear it with!  Let's break that habit.

Wear it 30 times?
Lucy Siegle has this rule of wearing something at least 30 times. She said that if you can't wear it at least 30 times then don't bother buying it. We should apply the same rule to upcycling our clothes. Why upcycle it when you're not going to wear it?


Have you thought about this when you upcycle your clothes?

Three Reasons Why You Should Avoid Black Friday

We don't need Black Friday!
This commercial day of over-consumption seems to be spreading worldwide, and it's the day to mark the first day of the Christmas shopping season. Apparently, it's so popular, that some places in the USA make it an official holiday, while some stores open their doors at 5am (yes, in the morning!) to the frenzied public. Hoards of people storm into their favourite shops, and you can imagine the chaos that ensues - injuries, check, stampedes, check. Do you really want to be there?

Here are a few reasons why you should avoid Black Friday

#1  It Will All Go To Waste
There might be a thrill in going to the shops in the wee hours of the morning just to grab a lot of things, but do you really need it? The euphoria of having purchased so many items would just die off.....and you will be left with..... emptiness. It's true. Remember this slide from Lucy Siegel's presentation at the Asia Fashion Future?  And where will all the stuff that you bought eventually go? The bin.



#2  Does Christmas Have to Cost the Earth?
Creating My Way to Success has a great list of craft and sewing tutorials to show you how Christmas should NOT cost the Earth, and many of her ideas are created from things in the house. People appreciate a gift that is handmade and, usually they are well thought out.  Jill started out on her DIY early and she's made lots of upcycled gifts now!



#3 Accumulate Memories, Not Things
How do you want to remember your Christmas (or any other holiday season)? Being with family and friends, or going shopping and receiving lots of presents? Why not accumulate memories and good times shared with a loved one - bake a cake with your partner, have a coffee with your bestie, or take a walk in the park with your child, and talk to each other (I think I know some of you will be glued to your gadgets, so put those to one side).  These are the moments that you will remember the people closest to you, and not the present.

Don't give in to the pressure, avoid Black Friday!

Fix It Friday - Fixing Yourself, Making It Better

Last week's Fix It Friday almost didn't happen because I had such a hard time getting out of bed throughout the week - I had a really bad migraine. It's the first time I had experienced it. I was actually wondering whether it was due to hormonal changes, stress or even dietary issues. I needed to fix myself!

I had to cancel all my appointments and then I had doubts about Friday too.

Eventually, I just had to reach for my Panadol .... and Friday happened, but it felt like a quick fix rather than something long term.

Friday Happened - Better Encounters

So when Friday happened, I met a wonderful lady before my Fix It Friday session. Vinisha of Better Breads bakes lovely vegan breads - no eggs, no preservatives, and her special ingredient - love! I watched her bake her bread and ended up buying two loaves - Bread Velvet and Golden Harvest.

I watched how fulfilled the ladies were at my Fix It Friday - they learned how to repair zippers, and by hand too!

After Friday
After Friday, and the migraine episode, I've decided to take better care of myself.

If I don't take care of myself, how can I get creative?

Eat Better
I will try to buy organic if I can afford it but I will definitely eat more greens and vegetables, grains and DIY my own. Fewer unhealthy snacks. We started to make our own nut butters; this one's cashew nut with pumpkin seed.

Give Time To Yourself
I only just realised why people go on sabbaticals; it's not to be lazy (as most people think) but to replenish themselves, get inspired, plan, and focus on the things that are important. I'm going to have small breaks throughout the day, go for a walk in the park, meditate, and if things get bad then a longer break! Oh, and it means switching off those gadgets too.....Ommm......

Exercise
I now do yoga every morning before I start work, and it helps me refocus. I've started following Yoga with Adriene  on her 30 day yoga programme.  You might not like yoga, so pick a sport that works for you. Gosh, you could even do dancing!

Have a Schedule
I think I'm at the age where I can't do late nights anymore. I feel much better when I stick to an early bedtime (ie no later than 10pm) and waking up earlier too.
A schedule also means planning out my day. Not a "what to do list" but when you are going to do what and between what hours of the day. I find this works for me and I get less stressed.

While I was writing this post, I realised how important it is to take care of ourselves, not just for the people around you but for yourself.  It makes us feels so much better (no migraines so far!), and it does help to get your creative mojo back if you're going through a rut.  I'll let you know how it goes.

How do you fix yourself to stay better?

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5 Reasons Why You Should Like Handmade Jewelry

Do You Like Handmade?

A couple of days ago, I was having a conversation with a friend about handmade goods. You see, she sells handmade jewelry, and she was lamenting at the fact why people would bargain with her and not see the value behind her products.

It really hurt her when someone said,

 "Why would I pay this much when I can get something for less from (insert high street fast fashion store)?"

Well. I am a sucker for all things handmade, not just with garments but jewelry as well. I was recently introduced to UncommonGoods , a platform that brings together designers and artisans who are passionate about the products they make.  I found a range of jewelry that was not only handmade but some of which were even made from recycled materials.  You can find more of their gorgeous pieces here and here. 

Here's why I like handmade.

#1 Attention to Detail

In contrast to mass manufacturing techniques, jewelry makers spend hours with each piece, making sure the design is perfected and ensuring there are no flaws.  Most makers use traditional jewelry skills and fabrication techniques which add to the depth of the pieces.  

#2 Unique Pieces

What you can be assured of is that you won't be caught off-guard wearing the same necklace as another guest at a dinner. Hand-crafted jewelry pieces are made by the hands of the artisan, who will carefully take their designs from concept, to prototype and finally to product.  Remember, an individual maker can only churn out a fraction of the items that a machine can, and because of the nature of the making process, no two pieces will be the same.

#3 Quality

The artisans spend hours and energy on one piece, and take the necessary steps and time to hone their skills to perfection. But because they are dealing with a smaller number of pieces as compared with the mass manufactured market, they have better control over the quality of the pieces.

#4 The Story Behind It
"Who made it?"
"Where did it come from?"

Every handmade item has a beautiful story behind it - perhaps a tale of what inspired the maker to create it, or insights to the intimate relationship between the maker and the making process. 

#5 Sustainable Practices

Most jewelry artisans ensure that their sources are not only reliable but share the same sustainable and ethical practices as them, while others use recycled materials in their designs.  What can be certain is that makers have more control over the material they use and where they are sourced from.

At UncommonGoods, you will find sustainable practices incorporated into their business decisions, from their commitment to offering handmade, recycled, and organic products, to donating a US$1 for good for every order received (and you get to select the non-profit who receives it!)

So, do you like handmade and why? Comment below!

This is a sponsored post. All views are my own.
All items shown are available at UncommonGoods

The Stories Behind My Picnic Mat

"We need more colour!"

And so I made a picnic mat.

I made a call for scraps, and they came!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the mat for the Maker Faire; no matter how big or small, I really appreciate it. 

As I was making the mat, I realised that each scrap has a story behind it. I thought it would be interesting to find out more, and so I interviewed the contributors.

#1  "These were curtains. We had ordered some for the spa and then found they were too long. We ended up cutting them shorter!"
#2  "I think my mum used to sew it into bolster cover"
#3  Uniform from Marina Bay Sands. It was going to be thrown out but the fabric from the waist coats was too pretty.
#4  "I think I bought that (top) when I was 15, with little I have, it only cost me $2 at a reject shop. I think it's vibrant and cute. Then I gave it to my sister. We both grew out of it"
#5  "My dad used to have a factory making garments for overseas export, but the textiles industry was moving to cheaper places like Bangladesh so his business went bust. All these fabrics used to be samples that he got from his suppliers."
#6  From the maternity dress that I made in 2005! It was baby pink and sweet - not sure what I was thinking of though.
#7  Cut offs from I bought from Fictive Fingers.
#8  "Clothing for a soft toy that I made for a swap!"
#9  Another maternity dress, the one that was converted into a skirt!
#10  "These were my daughters' (yes, all 3) pyjamas"
#11 Scraps left over from making my own sanitary liners (more details later!)
#12  Scraps from an old lady who passed away recently (story here) She was the lady who gave me the lace for my refashioned lace top.

For me, the story that touched me the most was #5, the one about his dad's garment factory closing down. It's a reminder that things don't always go as planned, no matter how hard you try. But then, the happy thing is that things turned out alright for them in the end.

Do you own something that has an interesting story/stories behind it?

Preparing for Singapore Maker Faire

There won't be any Fix It Friday this week as I have been very busy with two things, Repair@Schools (a spin off of Repair Kopitiam) and the preparations for Singapore Maker Faire (11-12 July). 

:

• FAIRE OPENING HOURS

  11th July 2015: 11am-7pm
  12th July 2015: 10am-6pm

• GETTING THERE

  15 Tampines Street 11   Free Shuttle buses will run from Tampines MRT (half hourly) and Vivo City (hourly).

Singapore Maker Faire

A group of us (under the One Maker Group) were given a theme to work on - Childhood Dreams - and I decided to make a huge interactive nest that families could weave on, the whole idea being that people could relive and experience the warmth of a mother's embrace (the nest), and also take part in building the nest using old t-shirts. 

Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to design it......

it got delayed.....

so eventually, I decided to transform the nest into woven hoops, akin to the Native American dream catchers. So, our plan is to have these hoops hanging from the ceiling and underneath, members of the public will get to weave a mini-version. 

I'm looking forward to it!

Check out the progress below:

Yup, we used a hand drill to wind up the t-shirt material!

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3 Reasons Why Upcycling is Not a Fad

5 Top Tips for Making Waxed Cloth

Last week my friend, Lee Cheng, (The DIY Secrets) invited me over to her home to experiment on making reusable waxed cloth with scrap fabrics and beeswax. We were exploring alternatives to using disposable cling wrap in the kitchen, and thought it would be pretty straightforward. Boy, were we wrong! We consulted a few sites on how to get it done, but encountered a few hiccups along the way. Here are our tips. 

Thank you to Lee Cheng for supplying the beeswax.

What You Will Need

Tip #1 Oven Method is the Best!

We experimented with 3 techniques.

Beeswax melts at about 60C and has a low flashpoint as we decided the best course of action for us would be to use a bainmarie.  We poured about 70g of the wax onto a lined tray (as shown in the picture below) and waited for it to melt. This took about a minute once the water in the lower tray was boiling.When the wax was completely melted, we dipped the cut fabric into the wax, removed quickly and let cool. The problem with this method was that we were left with pieces of waxed cloth that were extremely stiff and with blobs of wax in certain areas.

With the pour method, we melted some wax in a beaker and then poured the wax onto the fabric. This was less than ideal as the wax seeped into the cloth so quickly that we had no time to spread it, and in the end, we ended up using more wax than was necessary. But, I think it was better than the bainmarie method.

With the oven method, we sprinkled the wax over the cloth in a lined tray and popped it in the oven.  As soon as the wax melted we had to remove the tray immediately and quickly use a metal spoon to smooth out any pools of wax. There were a couple of times that we left it in too long and we were left with smoke in the oven!  To make sure we got full coverage, we sprinkled the whole cloth with beeswax - it felt like we were making pizza! The end result was waxed cloth that was still flexible enough yet did not crack. 

Safety note: set oven for < 200C, or you can pre-heat oven and switch off when melting the wax.

Tip #2 Choose the Right Fabric

We had experimented with a dish cloth and diaper pre-folds. As the latter was very absorbent, we ended up using all of the beeswax, and it was difficult to spread the wax easily because of the fabric's high absorbency. The whole process resulted in a piece of waxed cloth as stiff as cardboard! Remember, once the wax is absorbed, there's no way you can get it back out. So, try a small piece first. We found the dish cloth worked perfectly.

Tip #3 Use a Spoon

Yes, that's right, use a spoon instead of a brush. Once the wax cools, it will be difficult to remove the wax from the bristles, but with a spoon, you can scrape it off with a knife and reuse the wax (and spoon!). 

Tip #4 Use Chopsticks

We found that chopsticks were the best tool for handling the hot waxed cloths. Tongs or tweezers make marks on the wax. 

Tip #5 Perfect as Covers

The waxed cloths we made are great as covers as the cloth was flexible and didn't crack! On the other hand, I wouldn't recommend using them as wraps as the wax did crack slightly at the creases and I did get a few flakes (too much wax perhaps?)

Have you tried making your own waxed cloth? Share your tips here!

Like this? You might want to make this!

Tips on Caring for Your Clothes

In one of my Fix It Friday posts, I mentioned the importance for caring things. Why do we need to take care of our clothes? Well, not only will it make our clothes last longer, it will make us look better too.  I asked readers what there thoughts were. 

Don't Launder Every Time You Wear Them

One reader mentioned washing their clothes less frequently, and I definitely agree with that thought. All too often we throw on a pair of jeans and t-shirt just to go get the groceries, or dress up for a lunch appointment, and then when we get back home these clothes get chucked into the laundry basket even though they have been worn for just an hour so. They may need laundering if they are soaked in sweat or smell, but sometimes they don't!  

Don't Wash Your Jeans

Perhaps a little extreme, but that is what Levi's CEO Chip Bergh said. Tommy Hilfiger dished out the same advice too. They recommend spot cleaning them, and even freezing them to kill the germs. I haven't tried this out, but I don't know how this would work out in hot and humid weather.  For those of you who are willing to give this a go, you might want to check out this article from Smithsonian.com

Here's my advice

How do you take care of your clothes? 

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