3 Great Etsy Sustainable Fashion Designers

I love discovering on Etsy. There are so many wonderfully talented people offering great services from business cards to blogger templates to handmade clothes and shoes. I found three wonderful fashion designers who offer quality and unique clothes. It's great to wear clothes that are different that shows your sense of style. And, of course, it's commendable supporting small fashion designers who are making clothes on their own, often with their hands.

I love the structured yet feminine look of Vespertine on Etsy.com.   This fashion line is created by Melanie who graduated from the prestigious Ryerson University's School of Fashion in Canada.  "My philosophy is that good design is created mindfully within the context of the bigger picture: how our actions as women and as consumers impact our lives, the lives of others and the planet," says Melanie on why she is a sustainable fashion designer.  "My vision is to support the transitions taking place in women's lives as they embrace change, and their shift toward making more sustainable choices."



        

  Geo Blouse

        

Statement Dress

        

Bamboo Cotton Cowl Neck Blouse

Jos. A. Banks and the Perils of Fast Fashion

In 2012 Jos. A. Banks offered an incredible sale, "Buy 1, Get 7 Free" - with the purchase of one suit, the customer would get  2 free suits, 2 dress shirts, 2 silk ties, plus an Android smartphone!  Continuously, throughout the past years, they have famously offered their "By 1, Get 3 Free" deal on suits.  The ridiculous "get 3 suits free" marketing ploy was famously parodied on "Saturday Night Live" when a skit was done exclaiming that Jos. A. Banks suits were cheaper than paper towels and the actor used the suits to clean her house.  The company still offers outrageous sales of clothing that are continuously 70% off.  

Making Old New Again

Storyboard Furniture, located in Toronto, takes old trees that are going to be or have been knocked down and brings new life to them by recycling them into beautiful furniture.  "Oftentimes we are commissioned to make furniture from ill fated trees. We coordinate with a certified arborist to safely do the tree removal," says the company.  Each tree has a story and they want to save that story for generations to come.  From sitting in a chair that was an tree stump that you played on as a child to a mantle from an old church that was torn down, each piece from this company has a story to tell. 

Toronto Spalted Sugar Maple from Cohen and Master Tree and Shrub Service

Fashion Sustainability

How Seawaorld Can Inspire Sustainable Fashion

This Sweatshirt Will Last 30 Years! Guaranteed!

There is something particularly comfy about that old sweatshirt that you have loved and have also "lived-in" on the weekends, rainy nights, and cool summer evenings.  Years ago, sweatshirts lasted a long time.  They were made of quality materials, impeccably stitched, and they felt --- oh so good against your skin. Fast forward to today, when most sweatshirts are made of synthetic blends that have a poor texture against the skin, pill and fray easily.  There is no emphasis on quality during production so the stitching falls apart and the garment does not handle well in the wash. 


U.K. designer Tom Cridland felt something needed to be done to make a better sweatshirt.  "The 30 Year Sweatshirt is our bona fide sustainable fashion campaign. The reason why we chose a sweatshirt as the garment to guarantee for three decades is because we obviously had to consider what sort of clothing people would actually want to hang onto for that long. A sweatshirt is timeless and is the cornerstone of many people’s casual wardrobe,” Kirkland told Forbes Magazine.  His sustainable fashion company started with $9,000 in 2013 and in 2015 had over $1 million of sales. 





                             
                                             
                                              Tom Cridland, Sustainable Fashion Designer

ANOTHER SUSTAINABLE VICTORY! Marriott Towels to be MADE IN USA

The Marriott Hotel Chain announced on March 10, 2016 that all towels and bathmats in its 3,000 US hotels will be Made in the USA.  This is a tremendous victory for US workers who will now be able to have these manufacturing jobs that were taken overseas.  "If you can bring 150 jobs back to the USA and we can put on all our towels and bath mats 'Made in the USA,' I think that gives a certain amount of pride to all of our associates and management," said Bill Marriott, chairman of the Board of Marriott.  The company annually produces 7.5 million towels, not including washcloths and bath mats and is committed to "creating a sustainable infrastructure."


“As a global company based in the United States, we’re proud to be the first hospitality company to commit to providing our guests with ‘Made in USA’ bathroom towels in our U.S. hotels,” said Marriott President and CEO Arne Sorenson.




             

The "Shame" of the Academy Awards

Remember...Clothes don't make the person. 

I was disappointed to see and hear the reaction that Jenny Beavan received from some audience members when she won the Costume Design award for "Mad Max: Fury Road."  Some huge celebrities appeared to choose not to clap for her based upon the fact that she was not dressed up.  There were quite a few looks of disapproval.  It was a quick and somber reminder that celebrities, despite the incredible wealth, luxurious lives and opportunities --- have flaws like all of us and can be catty, narrow, and bully others.