From What and Where is a Garment Made?
Owner Kate with
100% recyclable thermoplastic shoe from Brazil
So many factors contribute to the decisions we make about our clothing
purchases: is a skirt length office appropriate? Is the neckline too sexy
or not sexy enough? Is the color flattering or does it wash me out? The
list goes on and on. To make things even more challenging, about six years
ago, I added another category of questions to this list, asking how, from
what, and where is a garment made. And, what impact, if any, does this
have on my community, health and environment. The answer is a lot. For
instance, almost a pound of pesticides are required to make the most basic
cotton t-shirt!
 Sustainable ClothesFortunately, fabrics that have less impact on the environment do exist.
Cotton can be grown organically (without pesticides) and advances in
technology have transformed the textile industry. For instance, the
Brazilian-based Melissa Plastic Dreams uses advanced technology to
manufacture their playful, durable, eco friendly shoes. The base material
for all their shoes is a 100% recyclable thermoplastic. They contain no
heavy metals and the shoes can be recycled and reused. Not to mention the
fact that they are uber-chic; designers for Melissa include Vivianne
Westwood, Zaha Hadid, Jean Paul Gaultier, Alexandre Herchcovitch and, most
recently Gaetano Pesce.
Fabrics including tencel, bamboo, ahimsa silk and hemp blends are
wonderful alternatives, not to mention completely resilient, beautiful and
wonderful to touch. These fabrics and more comprise the collections housed
at Kaight, a NYC-based boutique, where ethics and environmental concerns
are as important as aesthetics. Sourcing is based on where it was made
(locally is best), how it was made (fair-trade) and from what (sustainable
materials). Next time you consider how something looks, consider how it
was made; locally made garments tend to be better constructed, lasting
longer and being a better value over the long-term.
Visit www.kaightshop.com for more information.
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83 Orchard Street
New York, NY 10002
"NYC-based boutique, where ethics and environmental concerns
are as important as aesthetics."
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