Off With Their Legs!

There are somhttp://blog.denimtherapy.com/denimnews/score-the-perfect-pair-of-cut-off-shorts-for-august-from-coal-n-terry-vintage/ttp://blog.denimtherapy.com/denimnews/score-the-perfect-pair-of-cut-off-shorts-for-august-from-coal-n-terry-vintage/ trends that should never be embraced by anyone other than drunk college students--they get a pass because they can look back and say "I was drunk".  One such trend is cut off shorts.  No, not the ones most of us had when we were kids and got a hole in the knee and mom cut them into shorts reasonable to wear in public.  No, I am talking about the mom jeans cut into booty shorts and then everything in the Hobby Lobby discount bin affixed to them as "embellishment".  These, folks, are not suitable clothes for adults or persons in general.

Yes, it is winter in places.  However, there is a large area of the country experiencing a season called "not summer" where such garments can be gotten away with without dying so I feel that such a post is still relevant.  Sure, it is nice that people are reusing discarded garments to make these but sometimes we need to ask ourselves "maybe they need to be discarded for a reason" and "where can I donate this that recycles textiles?"  Industrial rags would be a better use for them.  Just because you "decorated it yourself" does not mean you did a great job or that you should wear your art.  Slathering t-shirt paint on your shorts does not make you a creative genius.

There are several logical reasons to dislike this trend.  The pants themselves that are being used--high waisted pants and mom jeans--are not a good look, period.  Shorts so short I don't have to wonder what cheek your tattoo is on are not in keeping with our social contract where we have agreed that such things are to be seen only at private parties.  It is hard to take someone seriously when their crotch is coated in glitter, puff paint and metal spikes.

Sure, you can wear these shorts.  Just do so in private since the rest of us don't want to have to see your privates when we're just trying to buy dinner at the grocery store.


Photo is from http://blog.denimtherapy.com/denimnews/score-the-perfect-pair-of-cut-off-shorts-for-august-from-coal-n-terry-vintage/

Grandma's Jar of Buttons

One thing about sewing or craft projects is it seems you always need to go out and buy stuff and create more trash and waste more gas.  Sure, you know that the factory worker (you!) was not in unsafe conditions when the garment was made but just look at all of the waste!  Well, there are some clever, easy and cost effective ways to reduce your waste--one is to reuse old buttons. 

I swear, new buttons now cost over $1 a piece!  And for what?  A small piece of plastic.  Turns out there is no need to rush out and constantly go buy them.  You can reuse old ones.  Buttons far outlive whatever garment they're attached to--it isn't like the buttons have gone bad on something with a hole or stain.  Your grandmother used to have a jar of buttons she collected, did you ever wonder why?  Because if she reused the buttons, she didn't need to buy new ones!  Saves money and reduces waste. 

No, I don't have a jar of buttons I've pulled off my old clothes.  I tend to donate them instead of completely destroy them.  What I do instead is to buy bags of old buttons on ebay.  It usually costs about 1 penny (99% savings!!!) a piece and I wind up with all kinds of interesting ones that otherwise I'd never find.   My favorite was a big bag of buttons from men's pants that were stamped with the names of bespoke tailors all over America.  You would be surprised what is out there--antique inlaid buttons, ones of hand-carved bones, buttons from firms long-defunct. 

Below is a sweater I knitted for a relative, I finished it with vintage tailor buttons.  The variety of buttons available for reuse in the world is impressive--why waste your money on new ones when you can give ones we already have a new life?

In support of http://myplasticfreelife.com/ which kindly brings me much traffic

Have A Green Day With Terra Plana

I think the whole green movement thing is kind of cool.  I don't think it should matter what you think of global warming, instead the concept of living with less trash should be important.  Lots of trash seems like a real bother because, lets face it, trash sucks and no one wants to live in a pile of it.  One of the ways to have less trash is to buy things from recycled materials.  That's easy enough with recycled paper and such, but for fashion its a bit more difficult.

Okay, so it is a lot more difficult, especially if you don't want to wear some stranger's old clothes.  Trying to find cool reworked clothing is nearly impossible.  There's Libertine.  And, well, I can't think of anyone else.  But, for shoes there is Terra Plana.  They make footwear from recycled materials that doesn't look like a cut out from an old tire--imagine that!!!!  Their shoes actually look...fashionable.  One of my favorites is the Dionysia in grey.  It looks like an actual fashion item.  Not only does it not scream "OMG, look at me, I'm such a hippie!" but it is made of vegetable-dyed leather, eco-friendly memory foam, and a sole made out of recycled materials.  That's cool.  You could actually wear these out of the house and feel super stylin' while knowing that your shoes are not making the world more full of trash.  Awesome.

Another one of my favorite pairs is the Melito.  I actively want this shoe.  It has a covered front platform, stitching details, a stacked heel and a really cool print.  Turns out the print fabric portion is made out of old quilts from Pakistan.  Yes, really.  Traditional Pakistani quilts.  That's awesome.  Its pretty, fits with current tribal-inspired trends and is so unique looking but in an awesome way.  The kind of way where strangers stop you in the street and ask about your shoes because they want some too.  Plus, they have memory-foam insoles, so I suspect they're comfortable.  Not bad.

The only problem I see with these shoes is that for some reason they don't carry alternate-width shoes.  Someday, when sustainable shoes become more popular my wish is that they carry "narrow."  Until then I get to live vicariously through pictures.

Pictures from Terra Plana

You may also be interested in my post about another green designer, Deborah Lindquist