News — style and substance

Written by Beth Noble, originally published on Good On You

Ever thought about how much water it took to make your cotton t-shirt? How about three years worth of drinking water for one t-shirt! That’s a lot of water; 2,700 litres to be exact. 

Pretty shocking right?

In recognition of World Water Day, we want to reflect on the fact that not everyone around the world can just turn on a tap in their house to drink clean, fresh water, let alone flush a toilet with the push of a button. Only 2.5% of the Earth’s water is freshwater and only 0.3% is accessible to humans. So while we may be a ‘blue planet’, usable water is incredibly scarce in comparison.

The fashion industry is a massive consumer and polluter of our fresh water. And one of the biggest culprits is cotton. Despite only occupying 2.4% of the world’s cropland, cotton accounts for 24% of the world’s insecticide use and 11% of pesticides. Toxic chemicals washing into waterways and entering the ecosystems, is becoming a major source of pollution, especially in developing countries.

Unsustainable cotton farming has resulted in the loss of the Aral Sea in central Asia. In the 1970s, the Aral Sea was the fourth-largest lake in the world. It was an important source of life for the surrounding communities and home to millions of fish. It now covers a mere 10% of its former area. The local Uzbek communities have suffered the loss of livelihoods and food sources while gaining new health impacts. The dust from the lake is carcinogenic and now covers their villages.

Manufacturing in the apparel industry also contributes to the water footprint of fashion. It’s estimated that around 20% of industrial water pollution in the world comes from the treatment and dyeing of textiles, and about 8,000 synthetic chemicals are used to turn raw materials into textiles. Each year, textile companies discharge millions of gallons of chemically infected water into our waterways. It’s estimated that a single mill can use 200 tons of fresh water per ton of dyed fabric. So not only does this consume water, but the chemicals pollute the water causing both environmental damage and diseases throughout developing communities.

In the developing world, where the majority of our manufacturing takes place, factories and textile mills are located directly along or close by waterways such as rivers and canals. These factories use 1.5 billion cubic metres of freshwater each year. In places like Dhaka, Bangladesh, the water is so polluted at times, it isn’t even safe for livestock. Many industries and households that rely on fishing and farming to make a living are now suffering as a result of the lack of freshwater.

Polyester is one of the world’s most common fibres and it uses the same material found in plastic bottles. But when we wash our polyester clothes, thousands of microplastic fibres are washed into the waterways. In fact, it’s estimated that a single polyester garment releases 1,9000 individual plastic microfibers. And guess where these microfibers end up? In our oceans where they threaten ecosystems and end up in our food chain.

But there is something we can do

Did you know that if we extend the lifecycle of our garments (especially our cotton garments) by nine months, we can reduce the water footprint of our clothing by about 5-10%? It’s not a huge amount, but it is a case for buying less, buying well and making it last!

Another great way to reduce your water impact is to buy only certified organic cotton. It’s grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers, which means you won’t be contributing to water pollution. However, it does still use a vast amount of water to grow the crop, so you’ll want to make it last as long as possible.

Alternative fibre sources are another great alternative to the thirsty cotton crop. Brands using raw, natural, renewable or recycled materials are on the rise. These materials include flax, monocel (a form of bamboo material that uses less water and toxic chemicals), linen and recycled polyester. Seek out brands that use waterless dyeing and low-impact dyes if you can, as they help reduce the pollution of waterways.

Making clothes last

It’s not too hard! While you wouldn’t expect even the best-made t-shirt to last forever – you simply wear items like these to death – stretching its life out by nine months is doable. We have nine simple ways to help keep your wardrobe from absorbing too much of the precious resource and keep your garments around longer.

1. Wash Less Often

Washing our clothes frequently is wasteful and bad for your clothes. Wash them less frequently to keep them longer, while saving time and natural resources. Washing detergents are harmful to the environment and damaging to your clothes. Many clothes, especially sturdier items, like jeans, only need a good airing out before your next wear. Martha Stewart has an elaborate guide for spot treating to avoid the machine wash.

2. Read Care Instructions

It’s not always fun reading instructions, but four lines ain’t so bad, right? The guidelines are there by law and provide you with useful information. Like where a garment was made, how to wash it and what not to do with it (like tumble drying).

3. Removing Stains Before Washing

Got some red wine on your white shirt? No problem. Before you put the garment into the wash, spot-clean the stain. Cold water and a bit of Wonder Soap or laundry detergent will do the trick. Cold water will reduce the chances of the stain setting, especially if it’s those tricky ones like coffee.

4. Be Careful of Machine Washing

If you absolutely must machine wash your clothes, make sure you colour match and save up your clothes to wash as many at once. The settings are important, as spinning on the highest setting will fatigue your clothes quickly. Cold washes are usually best. Some machines even have an eco setting, so make sure you switch over to that to save water as well.

5. Drying in the Sun or Shade

Know whether to dry your clothes in the sun or the shade. The sun is quick to fade clothing, so avoid leaving colours in the sun for too long. However, whites love the sun and get an extra sparkle from the rays.

6. Losing Shape

Some clothes will lose shape when hung on a line. Opt for a clothes horse to lay a special garment flat when you need to take extra care not to disfigure.

7. Be Careful of the Dryer

Read the care instructions! Some clothes are fine in the dryer, but keep in mind that high temperatures can affect the fit. (And it’s also not great for our environmental footprint!).

8. Ironing

Ironing might take a bit of time, but it will keep your garments looking fresh and sharp. But remember, heat can stress the material and fade the colour. To protect your garment, iron on the reverse on a cooler setting. If it’s thicker cotton or linen, you will need more heat. But be careful you don’t burn thinner cotton. If you’re using organic cotton, use a much lower setting, as the chemicals in conventional cotton won’t be there to protect the garment.

9. Hung or Folded

The way you store your clothes will affect their fit and shape. If you’re hanging a heavy knit it will lose its shape and fit. However, a crisp shirt will hate being folded in a draw. Hang it alongside your silk dresses and freshly ironed tees. Despite being a little more expensive, wooden hangers will last longer and take better care of your garments.

Today is International Women’s Day, so it made sense that the only female Director of Thread Harvest should be the one to write a blog post today!

So here I sit, glass of red nestled beside me, favourite candle burning for inspiration and all I can think about is the four men who I run Thread Harvest with. These men wouldn’t necessarily stand out to you if you passed them in the street. They laugh at inappropriate jokes about bodily functions. They are as boisterous as they come. Their high fives to each other are always a contest as to who can make the loudest clap. To the naked eye they really are just typical guys.

But these four men do something few men would. They fight, everyday, to change the social situation globally for women. These four men are the ones who empower me to be all that I am and all that I bring to the Thread Harvest team. They respect me. Listen to me. Lift me up when I am struggling. And on a day where we are raising awareness for the empowerment of women everywhere, they are the ones sending me messages of praise and encouragement. These four men know the value women bring to the work place, they embrace it and support it wholeheartedly.

You might be wondering “well why then is there only one female Director?” which is a valid question. The answer is quite simple (and it’s not for lack of trying to bring more women on the team!), it’s because I chose to step up. I chose to be counted among the men. I chose to not shrink back. I chose to fight for women who cannot fight for themselves and I did this by acknowledging that I have been given an opportunity. So often we can leave the fight to someone else. We might throw a sentence or two behind these kinds of initiative but what are we really doing on a daily basis to change the situation for our sisters globally? Are we raising each other up in our own workplace? Are we singing the praises of our colleagues when praise is due? Are we encouraging and empowering each other?

Empowering women is our collective responsibility. We need each other to fight this fight. Both men and women. We need each other to speak up. We need each other to step up and take action against the injustice and inequality in our world. I would not be who I am today without these four men, in the same way these four men would not be who they are without me. We might not be able to change the world within a day, “but it’s precisely at those moments that knowing at least we’re doing it together gives us the strength to carry on.” (ref.)

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030”

“The idea of this theme is to consider how to accelerate the 2030 Agenda, building momentum for the effective implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals, especially goal number 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls; and number 4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning. The theme will also focus on new commitments under UN Women’s Step It Up initiative, and other existing commitments on gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s human rights.” (ref.)

How can we say we hope for such things to be a reality if in our day to day we do not support, encourage and fight for those women in our immediate world? This target for gender equality won’t happen unless we are all in this fight together. At Thread Harvest we are empowering women within our organisation, through our products and through the brands we partner with. We’re so passionate about the empowerment of women we made it an impact badge – it’s that important.

So on a day such as this I encourage you, dear sisters, to step into action within your own sphere of influence. Create change where you are today. And if you’re lucky enough to find four guys who stand for you and your tribe, I guarantee you’re bound to change the world.

Woman of influence Livia Firth, along with her Mr Darcy love, Colin Firth, hosted their annual intimate dinner to celebrate the Green Carpet Challenge before the Oscars this past weekend.

The Green Carpet Challenge is essentially an award given by the global consultancy firm Eco Age. Headed up by the ever lovely Livia Firth, Eco Age “powerfully aggregates global thought leaders and influencers to address the compelling issues and opportunities of our day by delivering solutions, through ethical and sustainable values.” (ref.)

The Green Carpet Challenge was designed to catapult sustainable and ethical fashion into the spot light, using the already existing platforms of influence from famous brand such as Gucci and Stella McCartney. Partnering with high profile celebrities such as Emma Stone, Meryl Streep and Mick Jagger, all who were present at the intimate gathering, to raise awareness and create change in the fashion industry.

Here are some highlights from the dinner:

(Image Source: @ecoage )

We could talk all day about our love for all things Emma Watson and the change she is championing through her influence for ethical and sustainable fashion. So it should come as no surprise that when she started a new Instagram account to cover her press tour for her latest film Beauty and The Beast, we were going to talk about it!

“So what!?” I hear you say, “people start Instagram accounts everyday” Correct! But it’s not everyday a high profile celebrity creates one in order to leverage the incredible amount of media coverage they will encounter to bring awareness to ethical fashion. And this is why we love Emma Watson.

It should come as no surprise that Emma Watson would use the media attention for good, given she is a United Nations Woman Goodwill Ambassador and using her huge social media presence to speak up against exploitation in the supply chain. Within hours of launching the Instagram account @the_press_tour the following had grown to over 200K with Emma posting only 3 images so far.

The first image has Watson casually dressed for the first leg of her Beauty and The Beast tour which takes her to the movies home country of Paris for it’s first public screening. Outlining piece by piece, Emma shows that to be ethical these days is all about style and substance, outlining the ethical practices each designer has used to create the product.

Like this outfit below of Emma wearing an Oscar de la Renta piece. Describing the outfit in detail, Emma says:

“Tonight was the first ever public screening of @beautyandthebeast! We were so happy to surprise the audience in Paris and say “bonjour” in person, especially as this is the country where it was created and Belle’s place of birth ??? Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, the new Co-Creative Directors of @oscardelarenta, created this Jacobian flower-embroidered duchesse satin bustier with an organic silk faille sash and organic wool trousers as part of their first collection. The entire look was made in-house at Oscar de la Renta’s NYC atelier ❤ @burberry pumps handmade in Italy with organic silk. Fashion info verified by @ecoage  #ecoloves “

The perfect outfit for the perfect evening – we’re a little jealous!

We are big fans of people like Emma Watson who use their platform to speak up, educate and create change. Check out her new account, you won’t be disappointed!

Hello Harvesters!

Firstly, welcome to our blog and our first post! If you haven’t heard of Thread Harvest before, we’re glad you found us!

Thread Harvest is the collaboration of four people who have high hopes for the fashion industry. High hopes of seeing this gargantuan industry be at the forefront of driving social change, and transformed into a thing of beauty. We believe that what you wear should not only look great and feel great, but also do good for our world.

We invite you to join us as we explore this topic. As you follow this blog you’ll get updates on things like new labels we’ve discovered and love, news and thoughts on the fashion industry (in particular issues to do with social impact & sustainability), as well as tips and tricks on how you can take small steps to transform your wardrobe into one that combines style with substance.

Much love from the Thread Harvest team.