I have started making my own clothes but some things are beyond me. Tee shirts, underwear and Jeans / trousers are all way too difficult as yet. Socks, tights and leggings also fall into this category. Though I am learning to knit socks!!!
So some stuff I have to buy.I have strict rules ( surprise) applied to buying of clothes. I mostly buy natural fibres Read about how I buy and why I prefer natural fabrics over synthetics here.
Buying Plastic Free
You might be buying woolen trousers but you still get some plastic. The cotton to sew them will be plastic, as will the buttons and other fixings. Even the labels. and those beastly coat hangers. Its a minefield I tell you. Read more about plastic Involved when buying ready made clothes
I only feel comfortable buying sustainable clothes. I mean clothes made from cloth woven from fair-trade, ideally organically-grown, natural fibres, by people paid a proper wage. The articles then need to be sewn up in safe and healthy environments by adults who can live off what they earn. Problem is I can’t afford those kinds of clothes on what I earn.
So I shop at M&S. one of the more sustainable high street stores and pretty good value. They also do reasonably good quality cotton basics. They sell a lot of stuff unhung and they actually reuse their plastic hangers. But….. much as I like M&S I have to admit that they can be a little… erm…. stodgy? And some of the above plastic related issues still apply,
Making Your Own Plasticfree Sustainable Clothes
Seems to me the only way to get completely compostable clothes that are, sustainable, affordable and plastic-free as possible is to make them yourself. So I dragged out my sewing machine and started stitching my own sustainable duds in sustainable amounts.
Every other hair tie in the world is made from a plastic-based material so rather than buy I have been reduced to harvesting fallen hair bands from the road side. Not only to I end up with some very peculiar, age-unsuitable ties, many have no twang left. So I am very pleased to have found these made from 100% biodegradable materials.
They do a range of colours but I bought 5 shades-of-blond/grey
There are 5 hair ties per pack.
Made fairly & ethically in California
MATERIAL: 75% GOTS certified Organic Cotton, 25% Natural Rubber
DYE: Hand dyed* using low impact dye
CARE: Wash cold with like colors; lay flat to dry
I bought mine from anything but plastic.. Not only do they sell plastic free products but they post out plastic free too! Hooray.
Lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x
And before you go…
If you have found the #plasticfree information useful, please consider supporting us. It all goes to financing the project (read more here) or
Talking of stunning, look at these cycling outfits. Made not from synthetics but lovely merino wool. They do tops and cycling shorts.
As cyclists, we know that when it comes to clothing comfort is king. Jura Cycle Clothing jerseys are British designed and made of 100% fine Italian merino wool. They are both lightweight and durable, allowing maximum performance in comfort.
Did you know merino wool has fantastic wicking properties? And it’s itch free, breathable and anti-bacterial – meaning you can ride for days without washing your jersey!
Our unisex jerseys are popular for their great retro design so, whether you are out for a casual ride to the pub or powering up the Col du Galibier, you will not only be comfortable, you’ll look stylish too!
Sadly they ar a little out of my price range I haven’t actually tried one but I love the designs and of course that they are made from wool. They have some great reviews.
NB They are actually made in Turkey. You can buy from HERE
Hats
Research has shown that broad-brimmed hats provide protection equivalent to an SPF (sun protection factor) of approximately 5 for the nose, ears and neck. [For a discussion of the shade provided by hats, see “If You Can See the Sunlight, Seek the Best Shade”] click here
Although nothing can guarantee 100 percent protection, the hat is an important weapon in the skin protection arsenal.
So I am currently hat hunting!
Also Sun related….
Ever Seen A Sheep With Sunburn?
So tell me buddies – is this true? I don’t want to cast nasturtiums on any ones credibility but you do hear and awful lot of nonsense out there in google land. Can anyone confirm? Does woolen fabric absorb U.V.?
“Merino wool has the property of absorbing UV radiation and thus keeping away from your skin. Merino wool fabrics have a sun protection factor of 40+. The time you can stay in the blazing sun with a Prosa merino shirt without getting a sunburn will be 40 times longer. Synthetic fibres and other natural fibres cannot offer comparable protection without having to rely on the use of questionable ingredients.
Merino wool has a UPF of 40 and more. UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor. Just like a sunscreen with the abbreviation SPF, the Sun Protection Factor. These terms indicate how much of the UV radiation is retained. Conventional cotton T-shirts have a UPF of about 10, which means that approximately 10% of UV radiation can penetrate your skin. A UPF value of 40 means that more than 97.5% of the radiation is retained. So you are well protected with your prose shirt.”
How Shady Is Your Shirt
You can buy sun resistant clothing. UPF, the ultraviolet protection factor, measures protection from UV radiation in fabrics. A shirt with a UPF of 30 indicates that just 1/30th of the sun’s UV radiation can reach the skin. However a lot of it is made from synthetic fibres as they are better at blocking out UV. In a controlled laboratory study polyester provided more protection than cotton, linen, acetate, and rayon fabrics of similar construction (Davis, 1997). Sigh. another way to achieve a high UPF is to chemically treat the fabric. If synthetic fibre, chemically treated clothes don’t appeal to you, you will have choose your natural fabric carefully.
A quick and very rough test for UPF-factor is to fabric up to the light source. The more light shines through the more UV hits your skin. Loose weaves of fabric allow more transmission of rays thorugh than more closely woven fabrics. So lightweight closely woven fabrics may provide higher UV protection than heavy weight but coarsely woven fabrics Color–darker-colored fabrics transmit less UV rays, thus they block more radiation than the lighter-colored ones.
Laundry–washing fabrics increases their protectiveness because shrinkage and the loosening of fiber ends creates a tighter weave. Further, the UV protectiveness of a fabric during use depends on overall quality of fabric, stretch, and wet versus dry condition (Curiskis, 1996). Interesting read here https://msu.edu/~aslocum/sun/protectclothing.htm
Lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x
And before you go…
If you have found the #plasticfree information useful, please consider supporting us. It all goes to financing the project (read more here) or
DISCLAIMER
Absolutely no animal testing
The information in this blog is for guidance only. None of the recipes or tips in this blog have not been tested on anyone other than me and some fearless chums. I strongly advise you do your own research and proceed very carefully. Be aware of the risks of listening to someone who
Time to buy new panties, knickers, bloomers, draws, step-ins – call them what you will.
I am a simple woman with few needs – I want full coverage, cotton and no silly plastic packaging.
But as you know buying such is not easy!
Where to go? Well Marks and Spencers is the traditional choice for pants. Veer away from the five packs in plastic bags and look at the knickers on hangers.
The hanger is of course plastic. However the boy behind the counter assured me the hanger was REUSED – not recycled – REUSED. So on purchaseleave your hanger behind, pack your panties in your own bag and off you trot!
You might be able to find some cotton ones though last time I was there they were all synthetic fibres.
More Info
Ready Hung Clothes
I used to think that when the clothes arrived at the shop they came in boxes? and were unpacked. Then they were hung on hangers that would, if I refused them, be re-used to hang more clothes. This is not the case. Many clothes now come by which I mean packed in a plastic bag and already hung on its own hanger. I’ll just say that again. Every piece comes with its own hanger! If I refuse a hanger chances are it will not be reused but thrown away.
Recycled Or Not
Though the bags and hangers can be recycled I have no way of knowing if they will be. Even if they are, recycling is only a more responsible form of waste disposal. It still comes with an environmental cost. Just because plastic can be recycled is no reason to use it to create everlasting trash and in such ludicrous amounts.
There are other styles to choose from including a stylish fair trade hipster style knicker are made from turquoise bamboo jersey.
N.B. The organza bags, lace and elastic are all synthetic but the production team are fantastic! And they don’t come ready hung on plastic hangers or in plastic packs. I think it is a good trade off.
Malbar Mamesahib is organised by Kerala Crafts, a charitable body established in 2001, registered as a charity in October 2010.
“Its objects are to help provide an alternative to a life of poverty by supporting 5 projects in Kerala, Southern India:
Valsalya Bhavan – an home for rescued girls aged between 5 & 16 years
Adelaide Bhavan – independent living for older orphaned girls
Vimala Welfare Centre – meeting the needs of marginalised women
Malabar Memsahib – a women’s stitching co-operative in mid-Kerala
Fair Cotton Cooperative Alliance – a range of fair trade cotton products”
I made these Palazzo Pants (super-wide leg pants) in grey linen They hang in gentle and flattering folds. I feel rather like an elegant elephant. Indeed is there any other kind of elephant?
To say I am pleased with my efforts is an understatement. They are easy to wear so much so they have become my summer staple.
Fabric & Purchase Details
I dont know where the linen was originally from and it boasts no organic or fair trade credentials but it was bought locally from the Button Box in Huddersfield Market.
The trousers in the pattern are worn 2.5 centimeters below the waist line and have a zip. I adapted it so the waist line is on the waiste line i.e round my middle. This allows me to ditch the zip and have a plastic free drawstring fixing. At least I thought it was. I bought what looked like cotton tape but on closer inspection found it included some synthetic fibres. Boo.
Pattern allows for plastic free fixings though I boobed on this one.
Weighs In At
Weight414g.
Why the weighing? Well this item of clothing is counted as part of my fair share fabrics project. This is a self imposed rationing system. I use no more than my global share of fibres and they have to be sustainably sourced. Whats a global share? 11.74 kg per person of which 3.8 kg is natural fibres. As I don’t like synthetics I try to stick to 3.8 kg of natural fibres.
I made a simple wrap around skirt a lovely linen cotton mix printed with delightful carp delineated in a typically Japanese style. I don’t know where the fabric was originally from and doubt it boasts any organic or fair trade credentials but it was bought locally from Leeds Kirkgate Market.
I used the huge Synthetic Circular Skirt as a base pattern. Not all of it as it is HUGE! I removed a section and there was still plenty of wrap. Some how I managed to cut it wrong so the hem swoops up. I pretend the waterfall effect was intended….. it wasn’t…shhhhh
Fixtures & Fittings
Being a wrap skirt it needed no zip but rather than a tie I went for fixings which are are all metal. The trouser hooks and eyes can be bought loose on Leeds market. The huge press studs come on cardboard backing. This is a truly plastic free skirt!
Why the weighing? Well this item of clothing is counted as part of my fair share fabrics project. This is a self imposed rationing system. I use no more than my global share of fibres and they have to be sustainably sourced. Whats a global share? Share out all the fibres made by all the people on the planet and it works out, (very roughly), 11.74 kg per person of which 3.8 kg is natural fibres. As I don’t like synthetics I try to stick to 3.8 kg of natural fibres. Here are the figures in full.
Plastic coat hangers? I hate them. They are rubbish, break easily and are bad for your clothes.
They are usually given away with a purchase of clothing..
Even if you refuse the hanger don’t fondly think it is automatically going to be reused. Many clothes now are bought, ready- hung from the manufacturer. They are not hung in store.
Some of the larger coat hangers may be reused at home but there is a limit to how many coat hangers you need.
And if you are talking knickers vests and the like, those hangers are little more than one-use disposables. Unless you have a strange fetish for them, you don’t keep them and the stores certainly don’t reuse them.
The amount of waste created by these disposable hangers in phenomenal. It is claimed the USA alone they get through 8 billion plastic /wire hangers a year . – enough to fill the empire states building 4 times over. You can find a lot more statistics on hanger abuse here.
And no recycling is not the answer!
Saying NO to plastic coat hangers
Refuse – I try to buy un-hung clothes when ever possible. That means clothes that are not displayed on hangers.
What To Do With Plastic Hangers
Reuse – but if you do end up with unwanted hangers you can try giving them away.Charity shops sometimes need more coat hangers and you can often get rid of them them via free cycle.
Return I don’t have many clothes that need dry cleaning, but when I do get that done, I return the hanger.
Plastic Free Alternatives
At Home
Wooden Hangers At home I hang my clothes on wooden hangers. I buy mine from wherever I see them (including Ikea).
In Shops
If you are a shop owner or dry cleaner and you really need a disposable hanger – here’s are some addresses for cardboard hangers you can recycle.
If you are questioning your use of plastic or wire coat hangers, due to the environmentally devastating effect their disposal has on landfill each year, you will be delighted to know that an alternative exists.
DEFENDA Green Hangers Are Environmentally Friendly Corrugated Cardboard Clothes Hangers / Coat Hangers.
UK Manufactured For Reduced Import Miles
These Strong ECO-FRIENDLY Corrugated Alternatives To Plastic & Metal Wire Coat Hangers Are Produced From Recycled Corrugated Board & Are 100% Recyclable. They Are Ideal For Commercial Or Domestic Use i.e. Dry Cleaning Companies, Laundrettes, Clothes Shops / Retailers etc
They Are Also A Safer Option For Organisations Where Safety Is a Concern Such As: HM Prison Services, Mental Health Facilities, Care & Nursing Homes & Many Other Institutions Where Metal Or Plastic Hangers Can Be Used As Weapons Or Allow For Self-Harming Among Patients.
SUPPLIED TO UK & EUROPEAN COUNTRIES – CALL COVENTRY 02476 422000 FOR INFORMATION
The Solid Board that the hangers are made from is 100% recycled. The hangers too are 100% recyclable after you are done using them. So when its time for fresh ones, you can just pop the old ones into the paper recycling and they’ll re-surface perhaps as a paper cup, stationary or maybe even into a new, cool sustainable hanger. PLUS our hangers are printed with vegetable-based inks – they do absolutely no harm to nature.
Sustainability in manufacturing
All our hangers are produced by our exclusive partner Smurfit Kappa. They are one of the world’s largest integrated manufacturers of paper-based packaging products. They have also won several sustainability awards. We continuously work closely with Smurfit Kappa to research and develop new models of perfectly crafted, sustainable hangers.
This company are promoting a solution; a fibre board biodegradable hanger and a campaign against the plastic hanger . Here is their promotional material
Plastic hanger facts
Approximately 85% of plastic retail hangers no reused or recycled
90% of America’s clothes now imported
30-40 billion clothes come into the United States on plastic hangers
85% of 30-40 billion is 25. > 34 billion hangers into landfills every year.
34 billion landfilled hangers would fill almost 20 Empire State Buildings
40 billion hangers end to end would stretch 8 million miles, far beyond the orbit of the moon—every year.
Polystyrene hangers off-gas benzene in clothing and leaches benzene into the ground water.
Polycarbonate hangers leach bisphenol-a into ground water.
Plastic hangers take over 1,000 years to break down in an anerobic landfill. All for a one-time use.
Why so many hangers?
Growing industry trend of one-use plastic hangers
Garments on Hangers (GOH) – hangers are put on clothing overseas by clothing manufacturer and shipped to store already on hanger
Each hanger is one-use and garment replacing sold product has it’s own hanger.
Hanger is now outsourced to clothing manufacturer who includes the price of the hanger into their Cost of Goods (COG)
Its cheaper for the clothing retailer to use one-use hangers but plastic is a poor material to make any product that is one-use, especially one with so much plastic in it.
Companies who use Garment on Hangers are Wal-Mart, Old Navy, C&A, Target, Kmart, Coles and most department stores.
Aren’t plastic hangers recyclable?
Cheaper to landfill than to recycle
Cheaper to make new plastic hangers than recycle
Multiple materials (metal hook and clips, rubber or vinyl no-slip pads, 7 different types of plastic) make recycling impractical if not impossible.
Where do plastic hangers go if I don’t take them after I buy clothing? Answer: in a box under the counter then out to the back.
How much waste per store?
One clothing company’s flagship store in San Francisco that uses the GOH system said
They throw away approximately 95% of their plastic hangers every day.
They replace from 8,000 to 28,000 garments everyday
That means they throw away from 7,600 to 26,600 hangers every day.
Why do companies that say they are green use such a wasteful system where up to 19.5 Empire State Buildings of plastic hangers landfilled?
Because hangers are invisible to the consumer
The wire hanger was patented in 1890
The plastic retail hanger was invented in the 60’s
There’s been no innovation, so the hangers have become invisible
They are so prevalent that no one sees them anymore
Hanger companies and retail clothing companies are very quiet about this extreme waste stream
Hanger companies stay in business
Retailers save by using one-use GOH plastic hangers
What’s the solution?
Tell your local retailer that you do not like plastic hangers in stores that you buy at.
that up to 34 billion of those plastic retail hangers go into your municipal landfill.
that they are not green if they use plastic hangers – even recycled plastic hangers.
Tell them that 85% of all plastic hangers end up in landfills.
Tell them to use a sustainable material such as paper fiberboard hangers that can be recycled at the store or at consumer curbside pickups
Join the Anti Plastic Hanger Movement and stop the 36 billion plastic hangers that get thrown into local landfills everyyear to save retail companies money!
Here are the patterns I use to make my wardrobe. This post will continue to be updated.
Useful Tunics From A Dress Pattern
M6102 1 Hour Dress has been the base for numerous tunics and tops. Has set in sleeves which can be stressful!
Pattern
Long sleeves
Long wool tunic
Choir Boy
New Look 6133 was the base for my Choir Boy shirt.
Steampunk Pattern
And then of course there is this one! Mc Calls M6770 Misses’ Jacket, Bustle/Capelet, Skirt and Pants. I know what you are thinking but the pattern was in the sale and really cheap. Possibly there’s a reason for that but I can’t resist a bargain. I never intended to add the ruffles or the lace.
