Dyes, Colours and Spring!

It's been awhile since my last post but those of you who know me know that I have not abandoned green endevours.

I recently came across this video posted by a high school friend of mine on Facebook (Thank you @Kali Carys for posting!) and I thought it would be a great way to ease back into blogging. Click here for the video: DIY dyes from your kitchen & garden: magic of living colo(u)r.




It doesn't have all the details you might need for actually dying your own fabrics but it's a great source of inspiration to get you thinking about dyes and natural colours in a different way.

This peaked my interest because I took part in organizing and chairing a panel discussion about Corporate Social Responsibility in the textile industry back in December 2011. We invited panelists from the industry, from the academic community, from the consumer association of Finland, etc. After turning over all the metaphorical rocks there were to be turned on the issue, paniking about all the environmental and human rights issues, as well as other externalities, I wonder if any of the class' participants felt that the panel had really answered their questions or calmed their fears. I, for one, felt more overwhelmed than ever, albeit grateful for the chance to learn more about the indutry and perhaps conduct some of my own research.




One of the most memorable questions I remember asking the panelists, and which was answered by the representative of the textile and fashion industry went a little something like this:
"Generally speaking, the textile industry is chemically intensive. The chemicals are used in the process of dyeing fabrics, printing and finishing the clothes, which pollutes bodies of water around the factories. The latest Greenpeace report states that as much as 70% of the rivers, lakes and reservoirs in China are affected by water pollution and hormone disrupting chemicals were found, discharged from factories and which can be hazardous at low levels. One devastating effect of these chemicals can be that they accumulate up in the food chain.



This may sound like a naïve question but is there a possibility to remove all the hazardous chemicals from the production?
Can you comment on how H&M plans to remove 80% or all of chemicals by 2020?"

Funny enough, I don't recall an answer to the question but just the beginning of the answer: "Practically speaking, the clothing industry is a chemical industry..."

Granted, I was standing on a stage trying to listen and plan how the next question would go but for me to remember exactly what was said, I would have to watch the video. Overall, and as you can probably tell by my memory, the answer was disheartening and not necessarily what I had wished to hear. That being said, and if you've already watched the video above, you might be smiling because I did eventually get an answer to the question. Yes it is possible and yes, some companies are doing it! Not just in less damaging way, by not dumping the waste straight into rivers and dying light colours first then adding darker colours to the same water but instead by just using plants and natural dyes.



In any case, I was exciting to have found such an informative and inspiring video. Not necessarily because I'm going to start dying my own clothes in the 4m2 bathroom of my apartment building (well why not!?) but because it gives you an appreciation for people who are doing it and who are sharing their passion through their own businesses. If anything, I get the feeling that if we all play a small role in conserving the world's natural resources and helping one another do it, we'd start to feel more interconnected than ever before.

For more about the label mentioned in the video, check out Adie+George.

2 easy tips for buying less clothes (while still keeping things interesting.)

This weekend has been pretty eventful, due in large part to the fact that I got to attend my first wedding as an adult! (The other 3 occurred while I was between the ages of 2 and 13 so my memories escape me a little.)

I had a dress all picked out and I'd aimlessly left it lying on the bed. When Juha walked into the bedroom, he asked "What's this?" to which I replied that that's what I'd be wearing to his cousin's wedding on Saturday. "But the invitation says 'smart casual.'"

"Oh."

I didn't end up buying anything new though, so here's how I did it.

Tip 1: When dressing up for an occasion, invite a few friends over (1 or 2 days ahead of time) and ask them to rummage through your closet and dress you.
Maybe this is more of a tip for women, but regardless, it would work for men too. (Ask your girlfriend, sister, mom, friend, etc.)

Because seriously, when are you ever gonna wear this again? Credit here.

What ended up happening is that Juha's mom and sister were also wondering what to wear. They invited me over and since I had been with my friends that afternoon, we stopped by to give a trifecta of opinions! When a belt or scarf would have completed the outfit, one of us was likely to own it if the other didn't.

After this exercise, we headed to my place where I proceeded to empty out my closet, gather all my shoes and open up my jewelry box! Not only did I end up with a great outfit that I would've struggled to put together on my own, but I wore a few items which had been sitting in my closet with the tags still on, and the whole thing lasted about 10 minutes. Best of all, the total cost of the entire operation was $0.

This brings me to tip 2: Give your clothes away, swap them when they don't fit and borrow when you need something for an occasion.

A friend of mine did this a few months ago. She invited people over for an evening, and it just so happened she had emptied out her closet that day. She had a big pile of clothes on her bed and they were all up for grabs. Whatever we didn't want, she'd try to sell or give away.

This doesn't only apply to clothes but also shoes that never quite fit you but you love (you'll still see them around but on your friend instead) or other pieces which you've tried to incorporate into your wardrobe but it just hasn't worked (after trying out Tip 1). Whatever is left that none of your friends want, you can give away to second hand stores or recycling pickups. Of course there are still some things you'll need to buy new (underwear, socks, comfortable shoes, etc.) but try this method before heading to the store.


Isla Fisher in the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic, photo credit here.

What's in it for you?
- It's fun.
- You save a lot of money.
- You reuse and enjoy clothes (as they pass from hand to hand) instead of throwing them away.
- You discover different combinations, freshen up your style and keep boredom at bay.
- Your friends can do the same when they want to get rid of something and you'll be on the receiving end.

Related posts:

Easy adjustment: Only buy things you really like.

Easy adjustment: Only buy things you really like.

Okay shopaholics, this one is for you, but hear me out first.

An easy life adjustment that would save you space, be good for your bank account and good for the planet is:
Only buy what you really like love.

I myself am still trying hard to put this into practice but I think I'm getting better at it. This is usually how it works:
- I realize I need something (cheese grater, candle, table, etc.)
- I go to the store and buy the first one I see.
- I bring it home and I don't really like it.
- I keep an eye out for a better one.
- I find one and feel guilty having two. (I may or may not keep them both or give one away or even worse, throw the one I don't like out.)
The end.

Alternatively, it could work this way:
- I'm already at the store and see something I like.
- I think for a few minutes how it would look at home or in my closet (or not even.)
- I buy it.
- I bring it home.
- It never gets any use... and even worse, I feel guilty.
The end.

So here's my proposal on how this should work:
- I see or think of something I need.
- I do some research about prices, analyse your closet or kitchen or where ever this thing would go. Check out my favourite websites/stores, like www.etsy.com (They're not paying me to promote them, I just stumbled across it a few weeks ago and think it's a great idea. There are lots of cool things on there.)
- I find something I really love.
- I buy it. I use it. I love it.

I realize I may be coming off as slightly idealistic but I haven't given up on window shopping. I use it as a way of brainstorming for things that I would really love to own and then I keep a look out for them. If you wanna go a step further, step into a second-hand or vintage store every once in awhile and see if someone is selling something you really want to own. This includes waiting and saving up for something that's high quality and will last you longer. Once I started being aware that objects can actually make me happy if I've really, really found something I love, I started being more careful about what I choose to buy.

For example...


...I've been wanting a new strainer for a long time. We own an ugly plastic one, which I really don't like. I don't remember where it came from but I'm guessing we've had it for awhile. My friend showed me her beautiful strainer one day while we were cooking in her kitchen and I've been dreaming of one ever since. I went to Bonus Kirppis on Itsenäisyydenkatu in Tampere and found the perfect one! I actually found two: a red one and a green one, but settled on the green one because it was randomly 2 euros cheaper. I still love it though, and I get a certain pride out of using it. Those are the kinds of objects I want in my life, not the ones that give off guilt for being mistreated or left to gather dust.