The Four Rs of Textile Recycling

A blue bag with the textile recycling symbol and word “re-use.”

Around 12.8 tons of textiles end up in American landfills each year, according to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. Spread out across the population, that works out to around 80 pounds per person, per year. To turn this shocking statistic around, we need to “close the loop” on textiles by turning our focus to a model of recycling. Here is our four-step guide to textile recycling for a cleaner planet that can sustain us all.

1. Reduce

In the 1970s, the environmental movement coined the slogan “Reduce, reuse, recycle” to encourage a more conscious approach to consumption. The first of the Rs is reduce because honestly, we don’t really need a lot of the goods that catch our eye!

For textiles and clothing, there are several ways to reduce consumption and lighten your wardrobe’s environmental footprint:

  • Plan your wardrobe rather than buying on impulse.
  • Buy high-quality clothes that last.
  • Go for timeless classics rather than one-season styles.
  • Find some new hobbies (aside from shopping) to share with your friends — nature walks and volunteering are great!

2. Reuse

Once you have a well-planned, quality wardrobe, you should be able to make it last for years. For example, a solid pair of cotton jeans should last for at least two or three years of regular wear. Imagine how many tons of textiles could be saved if we reused the same pieces instead of purchasing more!

A strong, minimalist summer skirt can easily be reused for fall with leggings and boots and styled for winter with a nice pair of jeans. Some reversible designs are now coming out that give you two looks in one — a creative approach to reusing your clothes that doesn’t sacrifice variety.

3. Repair

For the more minimalist and conservative among us, the main challenge comes when a beloved piece becomes damaged, stained, torn, or hole-poked, and no longer has its original shine. In these situations, learning how to repair your clothes can give new life to a piece that might otherwise have been thrown in the trash.

A later addition to the original 3 Rs, repairing can significantly extend the life of our clothes — giving us several more years of enjoyment or making the piece usable by somebody else. Learn a few of these simple techniques to address the most common issues:

  • Take up and let down hems.
  • Mend holes and gaps in seams.
  • Apply appliqué and iron-on designs.
  • Use embroidery techniques to cover a hole.
  • Dye and tie-dye irreversibly stained clothes.

4. Recycle

Eventually, there comes a time when you need to pass a garment on. It may be that it no longer suits (or fits) you or has become so threadbare that it’s no longer warm. In both of these cases, there are options for recycling your clothes that don’t involve throwing them away.

Clothes that Are Still in Good Condition

The first rule for giving away a piece of clothing is to ask yourself, “Would you give it to a friend?” If a garment is still nice and not stretched or discolored, here are some options for sharing the love:

  • Take it to a homeless shelter or other charity that could put it to good use.
  • Bring it to a clothing swap.
  • Offer it online through Freecycle or Marketplace.
  • Donate it to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

Clothes that Are Stretched or Worn Out

Old clothes that are no longer nice to wear can be recycled in a variety of ways. While you’ll probably want to keep underwear for rags (seriously, no one else wants your briefs!), worn-out socks, tops, pants, and shorts can be used as raw material for yarn or used as a filling for insulation, furniture, and more.

The top organizations in the United States that take textiles for recycling include:

While many of these programs take lightly used clothes as well as old ones, we recommend recycling newer clothes closer to home through clothes swaps, thrift stores, or reselling near-new clothes online, as leftover donations are usually exported to third-world economies where they compete with local textiles for sales. 


Ultimately, buying used clothes near you is the most powerful way to close the loop and ensure that recycled clothes get recycled! And when you do buy new (those briefs, for example), make responsible, earth- and socially-friendly choices that you can be sure will enhance your wardrobe for years.


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How to Care for Delicate Stretch Eco-Fabrics

A dense clump of bamboo trees

Modern eco-fabrics like soy and bamboo offer a wonderfully soft finish and convenient stretch properties that make them popular as alternatives to polyester and spandex (elastane). These sumptuous textiles are also popular for intimates like lingerie, flattering stretch tops, and flowing spring and summer skirts.

While the elasticity of soft eco-fabrics is a treat to the eyes as well as the skin, it can also give the garments a tendency to stretch. You’ll often see them marked as “delicate” or “hand wash only” — a difficult proposition in today’s fast-paced world. If you’re a fan of bamboo and soy apparel and want to help your garments last, here are some practical tips for keeping them in tip-top condition for as long as possible.

1. Wear More, Wash Less

The number one way to help your delicate fabrics last longer is simply to wash them less frequently. Of course, when we’re talking about underwear, you definitely need to wash the garments after every use! However, for things like skirts, cardigans, or even tops, it’s often enough simply to air out the piece and wear it again the next day. 

2. Take Advantage of the Delicate Cycle

When the time comes to wash the clothes, delicate stretch fabrics require special care. Rather than simply throwing them in with everything else, wash these delicate items separately with cold water on the “wool” or “hand wash” cycle, which exposes the garments to far less friction. Some brands explicitly recommend not mixing these items with other fabrics, for the reason that the other fabrics could cause them to pill.

3. Use Wash Bag with Eco-Fabrics

Lingerie wash bag for eco-fabrics

Aside from using the gentle cycle, wash bags are your best friend when it comes to conserving the shape of your specialty clothes. We’ve probably all had the experience of opening the machine to find that our clothes (sleeves and pant legs, especially) have all become entangled. This is something you simply can’t afford when your delicate clothes could get pulled out of shape. Instead, turn the garments inside out, soap up any smelly bits by hand, and put each garment in an individual wash bag before placing them in the machine. This is also true for lacy garments as the lace often pulls or tears in the washing machine.

4. Dry Flat, Store Flat

Gravity is your worst enemy when it comes to delicate stretch garments. To prevent stretching as your garments dry, lay them out flat or at least folded in half to minimize the force of the water weight on the clothes. When putting the dry garments away, fold them and lay them flat rather than hanging them up — as well as preventing stretching vertically, you’ll avoid those unsightly “hanger shoulders!”

5. The Effort Is Well Worth the Reward

It might take a little additional work to give your eco-fabrics the TLC they need, but you’ll find that they hold their shape and maintain their soft texture much better over time. Thinking in economic and environmental terms, you’ll also save money on replacement pieces and reduce your contribution to landfills as well.

At Faerie’s Dance, we’re all about the delight that well-made, environmentally responsible clothing can bring. And sustainable stretch fabrics add so much to the range of fashions available to conscious shoppers today. Browse our collections of bamboo men’s underwear and sustainable women’s clothing to discover sumptuous soft stretch styles today.


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How Biodegrable Are Natural Fabric Clothes?

A meadow of flax flowers in the daytime.

We hear a lot about swapping, mending, donating and recycling your clothes. Of course, focusing on buying sustainable, natural fabric clothes to begin with is a huge sustainability bonus. But when a garment has reached the end of its life, can you simply throw it in the trash? Are some clothes more biodegradable than others? Let’s take a look at how long the most popular fabrics take to break down and how to compost your clothes at home.

Cotton – 1 week to 5 months

Cotton is one of the most biodegradable natural fabrics available — if it’s organic, untreated, and not mixed with synthetic fibers. Close the Loop estimates that pure, organic cotton can break down and return to its original carbon state in as little as a week if it’s composted under the right conditions. Before composting that cotton tee, underwear, or pair of socks, check that it’s 100% cotton and free from harmful treatments and dyes that could leach into your compost.

Linen fabric stacked

Linen – 2 weeks

Linen comes from the flax plant and is used to produce breathable fitted shirts and pants. As a 100% plant-based material, linen degrades extremely quickly when composted — two weeks according to some estimates. To help your linen fabric break down faster, cut it into small strips before composting.

Hemp – 2 weeks

Similar to linen, hemp clothing breaks down quickly in a healthy compost pile and returns to the soil from which it came. Hemp is becoming a popular material for everything from tees to tote bags and is valued for its low environmental impact. One hectare of hemp can draw down 10.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the air when grown using organic, regenerative farming techniques.

Denim – 10 to 12 months

While the original denim is made from 100% cotton, it takes a little longer to break down because of its thicker and denser construction. Before composting those worn-out jeans, check that they are made from pure cotton and don’t contain synthetic materials. Lee and Levi’s are two brands that sell 100% cotton jeans, though the cotton is not yet organic.

Bamboo, Soy, Pine, and Lyocell

These modern man-made fabrics are produced from processing plant-derived cellulose via the use of chemicals in a closed-loop system. While some estimate that pure bamboo viscose takes a year or more to break down, there is very little data available on the true biodegradability of these fabrics. Many of the cellulose fabrics produced today are mixed with synthetic fibers to make them stronger and help them to hold their shape. To make your purchases more sustainable, look for garments that are made from 100% plant-derived cellulose and colored with low-impact dyes.

Recycled Polyester

Polyester is a synthetic fabric that currently accounts for around 52% of the textile industry. Unfortunately, it takes between 20 and 200 years to break down. To tackle this pressing problem, some manufacturers are recovering used polyester and spinning it into a recycled polyester fabric for use in swimwear and activewear. While recycled polyester can’t be composted, it can be taken to a fabric recycler to be rewoven over and over again.

Tips for Disposing of Your Worn-Out Clothes

 Finding clothing from natural materials is easier than ever thanks to sustainable stores like Faerie’s Dance. But what do you do once you’ve worn the clothes for years and they are literally falling apart? After reusing, repairing, and repurposing your clothes, check that they’re 100% natural and toxin-free, remove any metal rivets and zippers, and add the fabric to the compost pile.

In landfills, clothes produce methane (28 times more warming than carbon dioxide over 20 years) rather than break down quickly with the help of microbes. By composting your well-worn, natural fabric clothing yourself, you will not only have complete control over the ingredients that go into your compost pile, but you’ll have rich organic matter for the garden (or the local organic hemp farm) and the cycle can start all over again.


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A thimble with sewing pins and safety pins on a piece of pink cloth.

Three Easy Ways to Mend Your Clothes

Garments that are not quite right often get discarded and replaced. However, with a little know-how and a willingness to try, you can transform these pieces into something you love! Learn three easy ways to mend your clothes, fall back in love with them, and reduce your contribution to landfills.

1. Take Up Hems

Unless you have your clothing made specially to order, it’s likely you have something that doesn’t quite fit — a golden opportunity for learning to take up the hem.

To shorten a garment (usually pants), you’ll need:

  • A piece of chalk or soap
  • A measuring tape
  • Thread the same color as the fabric
  • A needle or sewing machine
  • Scissors
  • Iron and/or sewing pins

Step 1: Put the garment on and mark the desired length with the piece of chalk or soap.

Step 2: Measure the length of the hem to be taken up to ensure an even hem on both sides.

Step 3: Iron the crease to create a sharp line and secure the fold with sewing pins.

Step 4: Hand- or machine-sew a double row of stitches around 1 inch from the bottom to secure the folded length firmly in place.

If the garment is far too long to begin with, you might need to cut it two inches from the desired length before folding the hem twice and sewing the hem by hand or machine.

Someone using a sewing a machine

2. Mend Holes and Gaps in Seams

Another common issue you might find with your clothes is a gap that appears in a seam — either because the thread was accidentally broken (when pulling on tight leggings, for example) or because their was a minor defect at the seam in production. (Even high-quality clothes are sewn by humans operating a sewing a machine, and anyone can have an occasional bad day.) This technique cannot be used for worn seams, such as a crotch, as you’ll need to use a patch instead.

To mend a seam, you will need:

  • Thread the same color as the seam
  • A needle or sewing machine
  • Scissors

Step 1: Turn the garment inside out.

Step 2: Sew over the broken section twice to reinforce the seam.

Step 3: Tie the ends of the new thread to the old thread to stop any further “undoing” and close the hole.

3. Patches: Iron-on and appliqué

Small holes in clothing can rarely be fixed by sewing one side of the hole to the other. The pulling will stretch the garment out of shape and can break the delicate threads around the hole. Instead, you can cover the hole with “visible” mending in the form of an iron-on patch or appliqué. 

Iron-On Mending Fabric

Applying iron-on mending fabric is the simplest way to mend a tear or hole because it doesn’t involve any sewing at all. You’ll need:

  • Iron-on mending fabric in the same color as the garment – or a funky complementing color or pattern if you want to make it stand-out. This is fun on pants or as patches on sleeves.
  • Fabric scissors
  • An iron
  • Aluminum foil

Step 1: Cut a section of iron-on mending fabric a little larger than the hole or tear. Round the edges for an easier transfer.

Step 2: Put the mending fabric glue side up underneath a tear or over a hole.

Step 3: Preheat the iron on the “cotton” setting for five minutes.

Step 4: Cover the area of fabric with aluminum foil to prevent sticking and press the iron over the patch for 30 seconds or until the section of fabric is firmly attached.

Appliqué

Appliqué is similar to an iron-on patch except that it is attached with thread rather than glue.

For needle turn appliqué, you will need:

  • An appliqué patch in the same fabric as the garment
  • Appliqué pins
  • 100wt thread that matches the garment
  • #10 sharps needle
  • Chalk or soap for marking

Step 1: Use the chalk or soap to draw a line where the patch will be stitched.

Step 2: Pin the design over the hole.

Step 3: Thread the needle and tie a knot at the end of the thread.

Step 4: Enter from the back of the patch to hide the knot and sew the patch to the garment, tucking the patch under the line and making alternating tiny stitches in the patch and the garment.

Step 5: Once the patch is sewn on, take the thread through to the back and tie it off on the inside of the garment.

The Most Sustainable Wardrobe

It has been said that the most sustainable wardrobe you can get is the one that you already own, and when you add mending to the picture, your current wardrobe can suddenly become much more exciting! 

If you’re exploring ways to become more conscious with your clothing and accessories, we invite you to check out the full range of sustainable, ethically-made fashion and jewelry at Faerie’s Dance. Our curated collections of clothing are made with years of wear in mind and many of our necklaces and earrings are recycled!

For more tips on living sustainably in style, read the rest of the posts on our blog.

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The Problem With Cheap “Sustainable” Clothing

Multiple bobbins of colored thread used in cheap sustainable clothing stacked in rows.

Many people considering the relationship between fashion and sustainability for the first time will be immediately discouraged by the higher price tag of an organic tee or eco-friendly winter coat. But what is behind the cost of the clothes you wear and is there really such a thing as cheap sustainable clothing?

Read on to discover the factors behind garment pricing and discover the best way to shop for eco-friendly and ethical women’s and men’s clothing you can feel good about!

The Value of A Garment: Can Sustainable Clothing Be Cheap?

You walk into a boutique retail store at the mall and see the skinny jeans, leggings, and blouses hanging in neatly arranged rows, each with a brand-name tag and detailed wash instructions. Prices range from $50 to $100 with a few items on sale for $25. A few stores down, the discount fashion store also has racks of colorful clothes, but the garments are offered for dirt-cheap prices starting from a mere $5.

If you’re looking for cheap sustainable clothing, you might be wondering if it’s better to choose the first store just because the prices are higher. However, a higher price doesn’t necessarily mean better quality or that the garments are more sustainable. Here are just some of the factors that influence garment pricing in fashion and sustainability.

Three bundles of gray yarn on a white surface

Fiber Production

Every garment begins with the soil. Whether it’s wool that comes from a grass-loving sheep, cotton that comes from the thirsty Gossypium shrub, linen that comes from the flax plant, or fabrics from bamboo and wood pulp cellulose, they all begin with the ground.

If you’re looking for sustainable clothing, it’s important to keep in mind that organic cotton will cost more to produce because of the costs of organic certification and the higher price of organic fertilizers and non-toxic pesticides. Likewise, organic wool from a free-range sheep that feed on fresh grass and high-quality hay will cost more than conventional wool that may be a product of cruel and unhealthy factory farming.

Spinning and Dyeing

The spinning process for all fabrics is pretty similar. However, the dyeing process has a big effect on the price of the final piece. The cheapest dyes used in fast fashion clothing are made from petrochemicals and can poison local waterways as well as irritate your skin. Sustainable clothing that isn’t as cheap typically uses non-toxic setting treatments and vegetable dyes that cost more to produce but are gentler on your skin and the environment.

Cutting and Sewing

The next stage in the garment manufacture process is cutting and sewing — which is the point at which we find the “sweatshops” so often mentioned in articles about fast fashion. Workers in these garment factories (often located in China, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Bangladesh) may be paid less than minimum wage, and the lack of appropriate safety standards means that the lives of the garment workers can be put at risk — even when manufacturing cheap “sustainable” clothing from organic materials. So pairing ethical production or Fair Trade standards with your sustainable materials is imperative.

Retail Salaries

Once garments reach their destination country, their price will be affected by the salaries of retail workers as well as the profit margin of the fashion label. An organic cotton T-shirt may cost $10 to buy wholesale but may be sold for anything from $20 to $50 depending on the profit margin of the company. Where does this profit go? Some of it goes towards the brand’s marketing budget, but the rest is often pocketed by the CEO.

So, when you find a piece of cheap “sustainable” clothing for sale online, the company may have found ways to keep their costs low through sticking to online sales and a low-profit margin. Then again, the brand might be making a profit while keeping those benefits from being passed downstream to the garment workers and cotton farmers who produced the clothes. Prioritizing your budget on smaller fashion brands that focus on sustainability in addition to profit usually results in the best overall value.

Male and female mannequins in a cheap sustainable clothing store window.

Making Fashion and Sustainability More Budget-Friendly

Even though many of us would like to choose eco-fashion for everything from bamboo socks to sustainable jackets, the cost of fairness (and quality) can still be a little out of reach. Here are a few tips to save money on fashion while avoiding the pitfalls of cheap “sustainable” clothing brands that aren’t giving you the full story.

Shop Pieces That You Can Mix and Match

An organic tee by itself is great, but a tee and a pair of organic women’s pants that go with all of your T-shirts are even better. Shopping sustainable clothing on a budget means being smart about style and going for classic cuts in basic colors that you can build into a minimalist capsule wardrobe  and mix-and-match to your heart’s content.

Calculate the Cost by Cost-Per-Wear Rather than the Up-Front Cost

A $10 tee or $2 cami looks great on the rack, but how many wears will it likely last? Even if it has been made under fair conditions, cheap “sustainable” clothing of low quality will end up costing you more if it only lasts for a few months before you have to replace it. In contrast, a $50 garment might look more expensive at the outset but could end up costing you only a few cents per wear if its strength and quality last for years.

Help Your Clothes Last Longer with Proper Garment Care

Our next tip for combining fashion and sustainability is one that we’ve learned the hard way: Follow the care and wash instructions! Fast fashion has got us used to throwing everything in the washing machine and hoping it comes out ok.

After spending a larger amount of cash upfront on authentic (not cheap) sustainable clothing, you’ll want to make sure that you keep your eco-friendly clothes in the best condition for as long as possible. This means respecting directions to wash-by-hand, to wash in cold water only, and to drip dry or dry flat rather than throwing everything into the dryer. Things like woolen coats that are quite expensive at the beginning can last a lot longer if you wash them by hand only when truly necessary.

Shop Genuine Sustainable Clothing for Less at Faerie’s Dance

Our final tip for enjoying cheap sustainable clothing? Shop the most responsible eco-fashion brands when their garments go on sale (like in our great clearance section!) If you know someone who would love some organic and sustainable clothing but might struggle to afford it, you might also consider giving them a Faerie’s Dance gift card that covers everything on our entire site.

Want to know more? Browse the rest of the articles on the Eco-Fashion Philosopher blog and shop our curated fashion and sustainability brands.


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Artistic Fashion – Turning Pen and Ink Drawings into Wearable Art

Modal art scarf spirals purple
Loveleen Saxena’s “Bold Spirals” Scarf Shown Full Width

We love fashion, sustainability and ART! At the 2019 Sustainable Fashion Forum in Portland, we met artist Loveleen Saxena, and fell in love with her pen and ink drawings. For the last few months, we’ve collaborated to bring you her bright, bold artwork printed on sustainable modal scarves using low-impact water-based inks.

Our first four art-inspired scarfs are online now. We thought you might want to know more about the artist and this fantastic alliance. So we sat down with Loveleen to talk about what inspires her.

Faerie’s Dance: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Loveleen Saxena in Modal Scarf
Loveleen poses in her “Spirals and Circles” art scarf

Loveleen Saxena: Hello everyone! I am a self-taught artist based in Katy, Texas. I have been dabbling in art since I was a kid. Creativity has always been a part of my life and career. Getting my education in architecture and construction fostered creative expression in a different way for me.

FD: How long have you been creating art?

LS: I rediscovered my love for art six years back when I started carrying my journal during lunch walks in Downtown Houston, while working in my corporate job. And I haven’t stopped since then.

First few years I made art to de-stress. And I loved sharing my work online. I never intended to become a full time artist. In 2014, my husband and I took a seven month backpacking trip to ten countries. That was a game changer. It gave me the courage to continue following my heart and live a purposeful life. Life that is in alignment with my truth.

So when we came back, a year later I decided to leave my career in construction and dive full time into art, along with starting a business with my husband.

It’s been a beautiful and unique journey so far!

I can say creativity is my meditation. My spiritual practices and creative expression have helped me learn so much about myself.

And that’s what inspires me to create everyday. So I can share those nuggets of wisdom with everyone, through my art. My vision is to awaken our inner joy, to spread love and see beauty in simple things. And I feel so grateful I’m doing that everyday.

modal art scarf sleeping beauty
Loveleen shows off the “Sleeping Beauty” Scarf

FD: Where do you create most of your art? Do you have a home studio, or prefer to work outside in nature?

LS: I have a home studio but my entire home is my workspace! Some days I work in our backyard, some days in the dining area and some days in my studio.

I just take my pens and paper and find a spot that calls me that day. I find it so freeing to create when I feel inspired. Be it a coffee shop, during my bus rides, in the plane or train, by the beach, in the park and even while I’m in a waiting area.

I do love working outside in nature the most. Especially during mornings. Making art while listening to birds is a precious experience.

FD: Are there particular places or things that inspire new designs for you?  Where does your inspiration come from?

LS: Nature is my biggest inspiration. Hanging out in our backyard and talking to our trees is one of my favorite things to do.

But my spirituality is the force that brings out new designs on paper. Without my spiritual practices I don’t think I would create the way I do now.

My drawings express and celebrate nature, our connection with everything in the Universe and lessons that we’re here to learn in the school of life.

When I create, I am not Loveleen – the artist anymore, I become a vehicle to let the Divine wisdom and creativity flow through.

Bold spirals art modal scarf
Loveleen enjoys a cuppa wearing the “Bold Spirals” artwork scarf

FD: Are there particular artists or art styles that influence your creations?

LS: There are few artists and illustrators that really inspire me. One of them is Lisa Congdon, another self-taught artist who began her creative journey in her 40’s. It’s her stories and her journey to become a successful artist that inspire me to continue on my own journey. Then there is Lizze Snow. Her pen and ink work is amazing and I learn so much from seeing her work.

FD: All of the designs we currently see are line drawings, is this your preferred method of creation or is this just what calls to you at the moment? 

LS: It’s been my preferred method for the past 6 years. Although I am not fixed upon using it only. I dabble with acrylics and even mixed media. I love pen and ink because I feel more in the flow with this medium. Plus this medium gives me the freedom and simplicity to create wherever I am. That’s how I started, making doodles in my bus ride. My favorite pens to use are Sakura microns.

FD: Does your color inspiration come after the work is finished or do you have colors in mind as your creating?

LS: Both. In my bigger original pieces I start with color and then draw over it. And in smaller pieces, I typically finish the drawing and then play with colors.

FD: Do you have a personal favorite art piece of yours?

LS: Oh I love every piece that flows through me. They might not be perfect in a traditional sense, but I love them because with each piece I grow a bit more.

There are a few which are extra special because I clearly remember when I created them. One of them is called “Journey of Life”. I created it on my birthday, a few years back. I love it because it captures my inner growth throughout the years. And I feel it’s the growth we are all going through, no matter how unique our journeys may be.

FD: Do you have a personal favorite art piece from any other artist?

LS: It keeps changing as I change 😀

“Inner Beauty” art by Loveleen

FD: Have you ever considered printing any of your artwork on other clothing pieces?  I personally would love to see your “Inner Beauty” on a skirt!

LS: Yes I have! It’s my vision to collaborate with brands and designers and have my art on their beautiful and sustainable clothes, such as dresses and skirts.

Right now I’m working with a small startup for the art printing, and I use the options that are offered by them, which are limited.

FD: On your blog you wrote “I barely shopped from 2015-2018 because I wanted to invest in pieces that match my values (sustainable, ethical, fair trade).” How do you shop differently now to ensure your values are reflected in your choices? 

LS: Oh it’s completely different how I shop now! Before shopping was a therapy for me. Now it’s only when I need something that I shop. Many years back going to the mall was an adventure. But I don’t do impulse shopping anymore. In fact, I don’t feel the desire to do so anymore.

And since it’s more challenging to find sustainable options in the shopping malls, I mostly shop online. 

I research brands, read their mission statement and their practices. I follow them on social media. I read blogs and reviews to get a feel for their brand. I have a few favorite brands now, and I am on their email so if I come across something that I love, I invest in it. I have added Faeries Dance to my list too!

I only shop a few times a year, even less. And when I do I invest more in sustainable pieces.

FD: Sustainable, ethical clothing does cost a little more (and it should since workers are being paid fairly for their labor and environmental impacts are priced into the garments rather than being something for governments to deal with later).  Do you have a strategy to afford new items like saving up to buy pieces or filling in gaps with thrift finds or budgeting for clothing?

LS: My shopping style and strategy has shifted tremendously in the past few years. I use what I have in my wardrobe to it’s maximum life. And I shop only when I intuitively feel the need of certain things. When I get that feeling I start looking for sustainable options. I buy versatile pieces – colors that complement each other and pieces that I can wear on different occasions. So I do invest more in each piece because I know their true value. I do always have a certain budget in mind so I stick to that, unless I find something that really makes my soul dance! 

modal art scarf into her eyes
Photographer Nasim Hoomanrad gets creative depicting Loveleen’s “Into Here Eyes” Scarf

FD: What is your favorite wardrobe piece and why.  What calls to you in fashion?

LS: While my go-to wardrobe pieces include jeans and tee, my favorite are scarves. And lately my modal scarves.

I have loved scarves for a long time because they’re the most functional pieces in my wardrobe. I can dress up by adding a scarf, I can cuddle in them when I’m cold. Scarves are something I wear no matter what season.

Fashion for me is what can bring out my inner beauty. Comfort, ease, versatility and sustainability are the few things that I go for. I go for things that light me up. Pieces that can bring out my true essence. Pieces that feel right when I wear them. Lately the sustainable pieces I have invested in do that for me. Because I know their true value plus they resonate with what I stand for – living in harmony with our own selves and with the environment.

FD: Is there anything else I haven’t covered that you would like to add?

LS: If you want to learn more about my work or my creative journey check out my website www.loveleensaxena.com

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Eco-Fashion Textile Quick Facts

When we started blogging way back in 2009, we did a series of short “Quick Fact” posts about different textile inputs in the eco-fashion landscape. Looking over those quick facts 10 years later, and a lot of the information has changed and many of the resources linked are no longer available. So here’s a round up of some of those old posts, just as interesting, but now also up-to-date.

fabric rolls

Organic Cotton Statistics

Organic cotton plant

For years Turkey held the record for growing the largest amount of certified organic cotton in the world.  But in 2008 alone, India increased its production of organically grown cotton by 292% to become the number one grower.  Since then, India has continued to expand their production of organically grown cotton acreage and according to the Organic Cotton Market Report of 2017, India grows 56% of all organic cotton worldwide. China is second with 14%, and Turkey now represents only 7% of worldwide organic cotton production. The good news is, that’s not because Turkey is growing less cotton organically, but that the rest of the world has massively increased organic production.

Fun Facts:

  • 18 countries grow some organic cotton.
  • The top 7 countries (India, China, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Tajikistan, US and Tanzania) grow 97% of all organic cotton. 
  • The USA grows just 4% of the world’s organic cotton.
  • The demand for organic cotton in the USA far exceeds production, forcing most fashion producers to import organic cotton.
  • It takes 3 years to convert conventional farmland to certified organic.

Hemp Status in the USA

hemp plant

Hemp has had a rocky past in the USA. In 1619 at Jamestown Colony in Virginia it was mandatory for farmers to grow hemp because there was such a shortage. But the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 made the cultivation of industrial hemp impractical, though not strictly illegal. That’s because hemp was categorized as a drug along with it’s cousin marijuana even though industrial hemp contains less than 1 percent of  tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical in marijuana which produces psychoactive effects.

However, the 2018 Farm Bill removed the restrictions on growing hemp, and industrial hemp is no longer classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. It’s too early to say exactly how much hemp growth will expand in the USA, but the West Virginia Department of Agriculture alone reports
there is 15 fold increase in hemp cultivation in 2019 over 2018.

Fun Facts:

  • The first USA flag was made from hemp.
  • Both President George Washington and President Thomas Jefferson were cultivators of hemp.
  • In addition to apparel and textiles, hemp can be found in food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
  • Hemp “milk” can now be found in your grocery store.
  • Hemp may well be the single most eco-friendly fabric.

Latex and Spandex Allergies

latex allergy gloves

Natural rubber latex is derived from the rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis.  There is a specific protein in latex that acts as a sensitizer and causes allergies.  Many individuals are not initially allergic to latex, but can develop sensitivity to it after prolonged exposure.

Latex allergies are particularly tricky because latex can sometimes be found in elastic, but not always.  Manufacturers are not required to specify if a product contains a small amount of elastic as trim.  Even when they do note that elastic is present, the underlying source of the elastic is almost never listed.  So it is rare to find a garment hang tag that will say with any certainty whether latex is present.

One of the biggest misconceptions about latex allergies is that spandex (also lycra or elastane) is the same as latex and can cause the same allergic reaction. Spandex is actually a man-made, petroleum-based fabric made from polymer polyurethane and does not contain the rubber tree protein that causes latex sensitivities. While some people do have allergic reactions to spandex, it is much less common than latex allergies.

Unfortunately, since spandex allergies are less common, it’s even harder to find apparel that is spandex free than finding apparel that’s latex free. Even the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) allows for a small amount of spandex to be added to an organic textile and still be certifiable. In general, though the presence of spandex in a garment is usually easier to determine since it’s often in the fabric itself, not just the elastic trim.

Resources:

  • The American Latex Allergy Association posts relevant information for allergy sufferers.
  • Cottonique brand clothing is completely free of both spandex and latex.
  • Indigenous Designs uses no spandex in their main fabrics, and covers all their elastics so they don’t touch the skin at any point.
  • Green Tree Organic, our in-house brand, uses guaranteed latex free elastics in all of the panties except the printed ones. (Note that there is 5% spandex in our fabric.)
  • At FaeriesDance.com, check the “Details” section for the phrase “latex free.” If that isn’t listed, we can’t confirm if the elastics contain latex. Also check the “Fabric & Care” tab for the fabric contents and the presence of spandex.

Need Other “Quick Facts”?

Take a look around our blog for other eco-fashion facts and tips. Here are some of our most popular posts from the last 10 years. If you still have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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flax plant

Which Fabrics are the Most Eco-Friendly?

You want to be eco-friendly, but you’ve read bad things about bamboo, you’ve never heard of Modal® and you have no idea where linen fits into all of this.  No worries, FaeriesDance.com has you covered.

There are 3 factors considered when determining the most eco-friendly fabrics:

  • The sustainability of the input materials,
  • The harshness/toxicity of any chemicals required for processing,
  • Production waste.

With that in mind, here’s our well-reasoned and researched (but not scientifically tested), Most Eco-Friendly Fabrics list.

1. Hemp
Marijuana’s non-psychotropic cousin leads the list in eco-friendly fabrics.  It is indeed a weed, growing prolifically without the need for pesticides, herbicides or extensive amounts of fertilizer.  It uses very little water compared to other fabric crops.  Hemp stalks can be directly spun into yarn without any chemical inputs and there is essentially no production waste from yarn to fabric.  Hemp was used extensively in the USA up until 1937 when it was included in the Marijuana Tax Act. Since industrial hemp cannot be used as a stimulant, there is some speculation that it was included in the Act as a way to minimize competition for timber-based paper and nylon fabrics. The first USA flag was made from hemp.

2. Organic Linen

flax plant

The Flax plant is moderately easy to grow, and when grown organically without chemical pesticides or herbicides, is very eco-friendly.  The outer layers must be retted to get to the inner core which can be directly spun into yarn.  Retting of organically grown flax can be done with water alone; no chemicals are required.  Only natural, biodegradable waste products are produced.

3. Organic Cotton
Cotton is a very water-intensive crop.  So even organically grown cotton, which can be spun directly into yarn, falls lower on the eco-scale than hemp or linen; while conventionally grown cotton is off the eco-chart completely.  Organic cotton is the most commonly used eco-fabric as it’s softer than hemp and doesn’t wrinkle like linen does.  It’s readily available, reasonably priced, and one of the most versatile fabrics on the list.

4. Tencel® / Modal®
There’s a tie at the number 4 spot between two Lenzing developed fabrics, Tencel and Modal®.  Both fabrics are man-made from tree cellulose using Lenzing’s eco-award winning processes which include low-toxicity chemicals along with closed-loop, very low waste, production systems.  The resulting fabrics drape beautifully.  Tencel® has been shown to have moisture management and bacterial resistance properties, while Modal® has unparalleled softness.  Seriously, even cotton seems rough next to Modal’s liquid silk feel.

5. Bamboo / Soy

soy plant

Spot 5 results in another tie, this time between Bamboo and Soy fabrics.  Both of these have fantastic input materials.  Bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant on the planet. (It’s actually a member of the grass family.)  Soy is created using the discarded, inedible outer casing of soybeans, essentially reclaiming a waste product.  While 89% of USA grown soy is now GMO, most soy fabric is made in China using non-GMO soy.  Unfortunately, in 2013, China approved the import of GMO soy seeds.  So this will be something to watch in the future.  The reason these two near-perfect input materials are way down at number 5 is that both require a fair amount of chemicals to process into fabric.  So they fall lower in the chemical and production waste categories.

6. Recycled PET
This video is the best one we’ve seen on the details of how to turn plastic bottles into polyester fleece clothing.  In truth, putting this at number 6 versus number 5 is fairly arbitrary.  This is a very energy-intensive process, but requires fewer chemicals than in bamboo or soy fabric production.  So it’s a little hard to judge which is better.  Polyester is very beneficial in some applications like swimwear, and keeping all that non-biodegradable plastic out of our oceans and landfills is a very good thing.

Caveats
Choosing any of these fabrics over conventional cotton, polyester, nylon or rayon is a big step in the eco direction.  However, fabric is only one piece of the eco-friendly puzzle.  The very cleanest hemp fabric that is conventionally dyed and doused with chemical finishes will fall lower on the sustainability scale than a low-impact dyed bamboo with no finishing agents.  If you choose something certified under Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS) or OEKO-TEX 100 standards, you can be certain the dyes and finishes are non-toxic and free of harsh chemicals.

Workers rights and Fair Trade practices should figure into your evaluation of eco-friendly.  One can argue whether a fair-trade, conventional cotton shirt is better or worse than an organically-grown cotton shirt made under unsustainable working conditions such as those in the recent Bangladesh incident.  Happily, GOTS certification also includes some reasonable working condition requirements for employees.

Intentionally missing from this list are controversial animal-derived fabrics such as wool and silk.  Hand-sheared, free range wool can be very high on the eco-scale (perhaps second or third), providing a synergistic (and often caring) relationship between the sheep and the farmer.  However, mass-produced wool using mulesing and factory-farming techniques has no business in eco-fashion.

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fabric

What are “Natural Fabrics”?

fabric

Some companies use the term “natural fabric” for apparel or linens as a means of green-washing products that may be laden with pesticides, chemicals or other yucky stuff that is by no means sustainable or eco-friendly.  There’s no legal definition of a natural fabric, the way there is of a certified organic fabric, so it’s important to understand what the term implies.  People also toss out phrases such as “man-made fabrics” or “synthetic fabrics.”  Does that make them bad?  And what’s the difference?

Since there’s no legal definition, the following are the most common interpretations of the terms.  More importantly, though, understanding what goes into each fabric will help you make a more informed decision about what you choose to put on your body regardless of what it’s called.

Natural Fabrics

cotton plant
Cotton plant

There is a set of input materials found in nature that can be directly woven, knit or cured into fabric with no or at most minimal processing.  That is, the final fabric looks and feels very similar to the original source material.  By that definition, cotton, hemp, flax (linen), jute, ramie, wool, silk and even leather are considered natural fabrics.

It is important to note here that “natural” doesn’t necessarily mean eco-friendly; nor does it imply vegan or even chemical-free.  It’s simply that the input material is found in nature (as a plant or animal) and can be directly turned into fabric.

Man-made Fabrics

bamboo plant

Man-made is a particularly odd term since really all fabric is made by humans.  Cotton doesn’t go weaving itself while we aren’t looking.  But ok, we can move past the misnomer.  There are a set of fabrics that start with natural inputs, but require so much processing that the final fabric doesn’t look or feel anything like the original material.  These fabrics are derived from natural materials. Bamboo is an excellent example.  Most bamboo textiles are created using a viscose process similar to rayon production.  Since the fabric is derived from bamboo versus being directly woven or knit from the bamboo plant itself, it’s considered man-made, not natural.

Man-made fabrics derived from natural materials include rayon, tencel, modal and pine tree fabrics, all of which are derived from various wood pulps, as well as bamboo, biophyl (derived from corn) and rubber (derived from the Hevea brasiliensis tree).

Synthetic Fabrics

polyester fabric

There is another class of man-made fabrics that are derived from manufactured materials.  So the input material has itself already been processed or manufactured from something else. One way to think of it is that fabrics derived from natural materials are “once removed” and fabrics derived from manufactured materials are “twice removed” from their natural source material.  Those terms have no real meaning, but they can be helpful in keeping track.  These are the fabrics most commonly referred to as synthetic fabrics, and include nylon, polyester, acrylic, Spandex, elastane, Lycra and polypropylene.

One caveat is that there are a few cross-over materials.  Unprocessed hemp makes a somewhat coarse fabric that stands up extremely well to washing and wear.  That makes it fantastic for khakis and jeans.  However, it’s a little rough when it comes to shirts.  While hemp blended with other materials like cotton or tencel mostly resolves the softness issue, there is also a class of hemp textiles that are processed as a viscose to provide a truly silky finished fabric.  Therefore, while natural hemp fabric is more common, there is a hemp viscose fabric which is actually man-made.

There’s also a bamboo linen, which is a linen-like material woven from the leaves of the bamboo tree, which is a natural fabric.  It’s much less common than man-made bamboo viscose, though.

An initial reaction might be that natural fabrics are more sustainable than man-made fabrics which are more sustainable than synthetic fabrics.  Alas, that is simply not the case.

Conventional cotton requires enormous amounts of water to grow and accounts for more than 16% of total insecticide use worldwide and nearly 7% of herbicides worldwide.

There are some completely synthetic fabrics that are eco-friendly.  For example, recycled PET is a polyester fleece made from recycled plastic bottles which minimizes land-fill waste and avoids the use of virgin petroleum.

This leads to the next logical question; “Which fabrics are the most eco-friendly?”  This is our next topic in the series.

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no wire padded bra

The Elusive Organic No Wire Padded Bra – Why They’re So Hard To Find

no wire padded bra

Our most frequently asked for item is an organic or natural fiber bra without underwire that has padding.  We’ve had a few close designs, but that perfect bra has eluded us.  So what exactly is the issue with getting this holy grail of bras?

We have been lucky thus far to carry the most eco-friendly padded bras in the world.  Love Nature, (the Italian company that recently went on [possibly permanent] hiatus), has been making organic cotton padded bras with an interior cotton batt for the padding.  Conventional bras use either polyester or nylon for the interior padding, both of which are petroleum-based fabrics.  The biggest difference in performance is that polyester can be molded to keep its shape and can be made in a variety of thicknesses.  The cotton batting is designed similar to a quilt and can only keep its shape under certain thicknesses (on the lighter side of padding) and with the help of the underwire to support it.  Love Nature only made underwire padded bras because their eco-padding required the firmness of the underwire to essentially hold it in place.

The lesson is that you can have eco-padding and underwire or conventional padding and no wire. At this point, it doesn’t seem you can have both.

blue canoe adjustable soft bra

In 2011, Blue Canoe came out with their Adjustable Soft Bra and Soft Cup Bra.  Both of these bras have removable nylon pads that sit in organic cotton “pockets” and don’t touch the skin.  These are both pull-on style bras, and in truth, we didn’t think they would do that well.  But Blue Canoe is a trusted brand, so we tried them out… and they are flying out the door.  There are just so many women who want an organic no wire, padded bra that they’re finding conventional padding and no wire the better option.

That said, allow us to introduce two fantastic no wire, padded bras with fully adjustable straps and 3-position back closures.  At the top of this page, you’ll see the Body No Wire Padded Bra and here to the right is the Calais Lace No Wire Padded Bra.  Both are made from a unique eco-fabric of white pine tree trimmings and dyed with OEKO-TEX 100 certified dyes.  They do unfortunately have polyester padding, though it does not touch the skin.

bra

On a side note, we’ve quietly had a no wire, padded bra with adjustable straps and 3-position back close all along.  The Pine Tree Padded Bra has been around since 2009.  However, the $80 price tag put it on a very slow sales track.  Another issue with this particular bra is that the criss-cross straps in the back make it a bit awkward to put on.  It has to first be pulled on over the head before you can secure the back hooks.

The Pine Tree Padded Bra was originally made end-to-end in France.  As the company grew, they realized that despite having an awesome fabric their pricing was holding them back.  A few years ago they re-branded as Do You Green and started having the garments sewn in Tunisia while keeping their unique fabric production local to where the pine tree trimmings are collected in France.

We took a look at them then, but were holding out hope that they would get a Fair Trade certification.  We’ve just touched based again, and are happy to report they’ve gone one step further.  Do You Green now has a dedicated factory in Tunisia that allows them to set their own high standards for employees, working conditions and the quality of their garments.  It also allows them to offer their unique Pine Tree fabric garments at much more reasonable prices.

Getting back on topic, we’re unaware of any company in the world who has developed an eco-padded, no wire bra. We’re still looking, though.  And if you ever see one, please let us know.

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