Eczema and bodily irritants from fabric

When you wear a fabric very close to your skin for long periods of time, there can be negative effects. Some of the fabrics that are most closely tied to eczema outbreaks are the following.

• Wool. Many people who suffer from allergies must avoid wool clothing. The same holds true for some people who suffer from eczema. The woolen fibers can cause itching, rashes, and eczema occurrences. Other wool-like substances, which produce similar reactions, are cashmere, Merino, and mohair.
• Polyester. Though it may appear smooth, polyester actually contains tiny fibers that can penetrate the surface of the skin and cause intense irritation. Although most polyester and nylon fabric is lightweight, it is rarely very breathable, and the sweat and heat buildup on the skin contributes to eczema.
• Synthetic fibers. Other man-made materials such as acrylic, nylon, and various blends may produce eczema.
• Other clothing. Like food and chemicals, nearly every type of clothing has been blamed for eczema outbreak. Some have found that eczema increases when they wear denim and leather, possibly because of the buildup of heat. Obviously, rough material also causes skin irritation.

To avoid eczema-causing clothing, try wearing loose-fitting 100% cotton clothing. The lightweight, non-clinging, and breathable features of cotton will help keep your skin breathable and healthy

Quote:  I make fashion work for me

Little about Jimmy Choo

Ever since its founding by Francis Light in 1786, Georgetown played an important role as the place for foreigners to conduct their businesses and the shoe industry was developed since then.

According to the old cobblers, shoe-makers in Penang have mastered talents prior to the 1960s whereby luxurious shoes British wore were of leather shoes with hidden thread. It was time-consuming to make leather shoes and required excellent skills.  Some of the apprentices were still unable to produce a pair of good leather shoes even after learning for four years. A skilled shoe-maker could normally make only a pair of shoes of hidden thread in one day, and some might need a couple of days!

During the early days, majority of leather shoes were made of leather or sheepskin and the shoe-makers were required to sew the thread through the skin of these shoes. Such thread-hidden shoes were out of trend 30 years ago and are considered as precious antique shoes by modern shoe-makers.

World renowned Jimmy Choo used to be an apprentice at Hong Kong Shoe Store in Georgetown, Penang.  Jimmy Choo was born in 1961 in Malaysia to a family of shoemaker and it is believed that this was where his outstanding shoe-making skill was picked up from. After moving to London and training at Cordwainers Technical College - now part of the London College of Fashion -- Choo began to sell his handmade couture footwear in the late 1980s. Before long, his client list included famous names like Princess Diana, but his one-of-a-kind, handcrafted creations were out of reach for most women. The painstaking methods Choo used to create the shoes meant their availability was extremely limited. 

That changed when Tamara Mellon approached Choo in 1996 with the idea of mass-marketing fashionable, high-quality footwear for women. In 1997, the two opened the first Jimmy Choo Boutique in London and began selling ready-to-wear women's shoes that were designed by Choo and produced at factories in Italy. It didn't take long for the company to find success: Celebrities, already familiar with Choo's handmade creations, snapped up the new line and quickly made the shoes a fixture on the red carpet and pop culture.  

Jimmy Choo today offers a fresh selection of innovative, trendy shoes each season without abandoning the classic silhouettes that never go out of fashion. The company also makes handbags and clutch purses, which are frequently seen in the hands of celebrities.

Choo himself, who sold his stake in the company in 2001, continues to handcraft shoes in London under the Jimmy Choo Couture label. In 2003, Queen Elizabeth II made him an officer of the Order of the British Empire. Mellon and creative director Sandra Choi, who worked with Choo before the company's launch and is the niece of his wife, oversee the ready-to-wear collection. As of 2007, Jimmy Choo has more than 60 retail stores worldwide. The shoes are also available online and in department stores such as Neiman Marcus in the U.S. and Harrods in Great Britain, though certain styles are exclusive to Jimmy Choo boutiques.

From a personal side, you’d be surprise that Choo potters around at home in airline slippers!   He designs his own shoes and his cousin makes them for him in London.   He does wear high heels he made, especially when he goes to a club.  This is because English are much taller than him and he has to use a three inch heel with a half inch platform at the front.  

Quote from Jimmy Choo – shoe-designing is an art form, it comes from everyday life, but it must be architecturally sound and aesthetically pleasing.

Pray for Japan

As the rest of the world waits to see if Japan can avert a nuclear catastrophe, a small band of experts is putting their lives at risk to prevent the disaster.  Thousands of people living near the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have been evacuated from their homes because of the risk of radiation leaks from reactors damaged by last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami.

But while most hurry in the opposite direction, about 180 plant workers are staying put -- despite the fact that doing so could result in serious illness or even death -- to battle the meltdown threat. These workers at the site are involved in a heroic endeavor despite the fragmentary evidence that in some places on the site there were life-threatening doses of radiation. They are doing enormously heroic work.  Bravo.

Pray for those in Japan.

Sustainability in performance apparel

Has performance apparel meet the demands of an eco-conscious marketplace?

The performance apparel industry has often been singled out for the damage its operations cause to the environment, and for the poor working conditions in some of the factories it uses. However, many of the leading brand companies and their suppliers have responded positively to such criticism in a bid to satisfy the demands of an increasingly eco-conscious marketplace. Some firms have gone even further and have shown a genuine commitment to protecting the planet by reducing their carbon footprint and pursuing socially responsible policies in every aspect of their businesses.

Many companies have sought to minimize the impact of their operations on the environment by using recycled materials and offering recyclable products. Some are trying out new materials, processes and technologies which hold the promise of reducing pollution, increasing energy efficiency and minimizing waste. A growing number are incorporating less conventional eco-friendly fibers such as bamboo and organic cotton—as well as materials made from bio-polymers rather than polymers derived from petrochemicals. Greater attention is being paid to the safety of dyestuffs used in coloration, while emerging technologies such as nanotechnology and plasma technology are providing opportunities for the industry to use more sustainable methods of manufacture.

Consumers are playing their part in reducing the carbon footprint of performance apparel by buying increasing quantities organic clothing, using more eco-friendly clothing care methods, and recycling unwanted garments. Governments, too, are playing an active role in steering the performance apparel industry away from unsustainable practices, while environmental groups and lobbyists are working to ensure that such practices are highly publicized and condemned.

Companies are acknowledging that sustainability has become a necessity rather than an option, given the threat of climate change. Also, they are recognizing that they can gain a competitive edge by showing that they are committed to environmentally and socially responsible practices. However, a major challenge is to ensure that such commitment is echoed throughout the industry’s long and highly complex supply chains. Good progress has been made in cleaning up the industry, and the future is bright for those companies which put sustainability high on their agendas. But greater efforts are needed to increase awareness among consumers about the green credentials of the products they buy. Better and more comprehensive labeling could play a greater role in providing such information. 

Quote : Great minds think in style

Phthalates and Bisphenol A

In the wake of news today linking baby powder, lotion and shampoo to higher levels of phthalates in babies' bodies, many parents are looking for answers about avoiding products that contain them.

Phthalates are known as "endocrine disruptors" because they mimic the body's hormones and have, in laboratory animal tests, been shown to cause reproductive and neurological damage. Unfortunately, it's not particularly easy to avoid phthalates. You'll rarely find the word "phthalates" on a label (except for the occasional "phthalate-free," which is helpful).

Here are three tips for identifying products that have, or are likely to have, phthalates or another compound that has raised similar concerns and is found in similar products, Bisphenol A.

1. Read the ingredients. You can identify phthalates in some products by their chemical names, or abbreviations:
• DBP (di-n-butyl phthalate) and DEP (diethyl phthalate) are often found in personal care products, including nail polishes, deodorants, perfumes and cologne, aftershave lotions, shampoos, hair gels and hand lotions. (BzBP, see below, is also in some personal care products.)
• DEHP (di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) is used in PVC plastics, including some medical devices.
• BzBP (benzylbutyl phthalate) is used in some flooring, car products and personal care products.
• DMP (dimethyl phthalate) is used in insect repellent and some plastics (as well as rocket propellant).
2. Be wary of the term "fragrance," which is used to denote a combination of compounds, possibly including phthatates, which are a subject of recent concern because of studies showing they can mimic certain hormones.
3. Choose plastics with the recycling code 1, 2 or 5. Recycling codes 3 and 7 are more likely to contain bisphenol A or phthalates.

 

Guide to Recycling Codes on plastics

Number 1 Plastics
PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate)
Found in: Soft drink, water and beer bottles; mouthwash bottles; peanut butter containers; salad dressing and vegetable oil containers; oven-able food trays.
Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs.
Recycled into: Polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, straps, (occasionally) new containers
PET plastic is the most common for single-use bottled beverages, because it is inexpensive, lightweight and easy to recycle. It poses low risk of leaching breakdown products. Recycling rates remain relatively low (around 20%), though the material is in high demand by re-manufacturers.

Number 2 Plastics
HDPE (high density polyethylene)
Found in: Milk jugs, juice bottles; bleach, detergent and household cleaner bottles; shampoo bottles; some trash and shopping bags; motor oil bottles; butter and yogurt tubs; cereal box liners
Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs, although some allow only those containers with necks.
Recycled into: Laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, pens, recycling containers, floor tile, drainage pipe, lumber, benches, doghouses, picnic tables, fencing
HDPE is a versatile plastic with many uses, especially for packaging. It carries low risk of leaching and is readily recyclable into many goods.

Number 3 Plastics
V (Vinyl) or PVC
Found in: Window cleaner and detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging, medical equipment, siding, windows, piping
Recycling: Rarely recycled; accepted by some plastic lumber makers.
Recycled into: Decks, paneling, mudflaps, roadway gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats
PVC is tough and weathers well, so it is commonly used for piping, siding and similar applications. PVC contains chlorine, so its manufacture can release highly dangerous dioxins. If you must cook with PVC, don't let the plastic touch food. Also never burn PVC, because it releases toxins.

Number 4 Plastics
LDPE (low density polyethylene)
Found in: Squeezable bottles; frozen food, dry cleaning and shopping bags; tote bags; clothing; furniture; carpet
Recycling: LDPE is not often recycled through curbside programs, but some communities will accept it. Plastic shopping bags can be returned to many stores for recycling.
Recycled into: Trash can liners and cans, compost bins, shipping envelopes, paneling, lumber, landscaping ties, floor tile
LDPE is a flexible plastic with many applications. Historically it has not been accepted but more and more communities are starting to accept it.

Number 5 Plastics
PP (polypropylene)
Found in: Some yogurt containers, syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, caps, straws, medicine bottles
Recycling: Number 5 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs.
Recycled into: Signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, trays
Polypropylene has a high melting point, and so is often chosen for containers that must accept hot liquid. It is gradually becoming more accepted by recyclers.

Number 6 Plastics
PS (polystyrene)
Found in: Disposable plates and cups, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers, aspirin bottles, compact disc cases
Recycling: Number 6 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs.
Recycled into: Insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers
Polystyrene can be made into rigid or foam products -- in the latter case it is popularly known as the trademark Styrofoam. Evidence suggests polystyrene can leach potential toxins into foods. The material was long on environmentalists' hit lists for dispersing widely across the landscape, and for being notoriously difficult to recycle. Most places still don't accept it, though it is gradually gaining traction.

Number 7 Plastics

Miscellaneous

Found in: Three- and five-gallon water bottles, 'bullet-proof' materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod and computer cases, signs and displays, certain food containers, nylon

Recycling: Number 7 plastics have traditionally not been recycled, though some curbside programs now take them.

Recycled into: Plastic lumber, custom-made products

A wide variety of plastic resins that don't fit into the previous categories are lumped into number 7. A few are even made from plants (polyactide) and are compostable. Polycarbonate is number 7, and is the hard plastic that has parents worried these days, after studies have shown it can leach potential hormone disruptors.

Is Recycled Polyester a sustainable textile?

Synthetic fibers are the most popular fibers in the world – it’s estimated that synthetics account for about 65% of world production versus 35% for natural fibers. Most synthetic fibers (approximately 70%) are made from polyester, and the polyester most often used in textiles is polyethylene terephthalate (PET).   Used in a fabric, it is most often referred to as “polyester” or “poly”.

The majority of the world’s PET production – about 60% – is used to make fibers for textiles; about 30% is used to make bottles.   It’s estimated that it takes about 104 million barrels of oil for PET production each year – that’s 70 million barrels just to produce the virgin polyester used in fabrics. That means most polyester – 70 million barrels worth – is manufactured specifically to be made into fibers, NOT bottles, as many people think.  Of the 30% of PET which is used to make bottles, only a tiny fraction is recycled into fibers.  But the idea of using recycled bottles – “diverting waste from landfills” – and turning it into fibers has caught the public’s imagination.

The reason recycled polyester (often written rPET) is considered a green option in textiles today is twofold, and the argument goes like this:

1.  Energy needed to make the rPET is less than what was needed to make the virgin polyester in the first place, so we save energy.

2.  And we’re keeping bottles and other plastics out of the landfills.

But the game gets a bit more complicated here because rPET is divided into “post consumer” PET and “post industrial” rPET:  post consumer means it comes from bottles; post industrial might be the unused packaging in a manufacturing plant, or other byproducts of manufacturing.  The “greenest” option has been touted to be the post consumer PET, and that has driven up demand for used bottles. Indeed, the demand for used bottles, from which recycled polyester fibre is made, is now outstripping supply in some areas and certain cynical suppliers are now buying NEW, unused bottles directly from bottle producing companies to make polyester textile fiber that can be called recycled.

The real problem with making recycled PET a staple of the fiber industry is this:  Recycling, as most people think of it, is a myth.  Most people believe that plastics can be infinitely recycled  – creating new products of a value to equal the old bottles or other plastics which they dutifully put into recycling containers to be collected. The cold hard fact is that there is no such thing as recycling plastic, because it is not a closed loop.  None of the soda and milk bottles which are collected from your curbside are used to make new soda or milk bottles, because each time the plastic is heated it degenerates, so the subsequent iteration of the polymer is degraded and can’t meet food quality standards for soda and milk bottles.  The plastic must be used to make lower quality products.  The cycle goes something like this:

    * virgin PET can be made into soda or milk bottles,

    * which are collected and recycled into resins

* which are appropriate to make into toys, carpet, filler for pillows, CD cases, plastic lumber products,  fibers or a million other products, but not new soda or milk bottles.

 * These second generation plastics can then be recycled a second time into park benches, carpet, speed bumps or other products with very low value.

    * The cycle is completed when the plastic is no longer stable enough to be used for any product, so it is sent to the landfill

    *  where it is incinerated (sometimes for energy generation, which a good LCA will offset)  -

     * or where it will hold space for many years or maybe become part of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch!

And there is another consideration in recycling PET:  antimony, which is present in 80 – 85% of all virgin PET, is converted to antimony trioxide at high temperatures – such as are necessary during recycling, releasing this carcinogen from the polymer and making it available for intake into living systems.

Using recycled PET for fibers also creates some problems specific to the textile industry:

    * The base color of the recycled polyester chips vary from white to creamy yellow, making color consistency difficult to achieve, particularly for the pale shades.  Some dyers find it hard to get a white, so they’re using chlorine-based bleaches to whiten the base.

    * Inconsistency of dye uptake makes it difficult to get good batch-to-batch color consistency and this can lead to high levels of re-dyeing, another very high energy process.  Re-dyeing contributes to high levels of water, energy and chemical use.

    * Unsubstantiated reports claim that some recycled yarns take almost 30% more dye to achieve the same depth of shade as equivalent virgin polyesters.[11]

    * Another consideration is the introduction of PVC into the polymer from bottle labels and wrappers.

    * Many rPET fibers are used in forgiving constructions such as polar fleece, where the construction of the fabric hides slight yarn variations.  For fabrics such as satins, there are concerns over streaks and stripes.

Once the fibers are woven into fabrics, most fabrics are rendered non-recyclable because:

    * the fabrics almost always have a chemical backing, lamination or other finish,

    * or they are blends of different synthetics (polyester and nylon, for example).

Either of these renders the fabric unsuitable for the mechanical method of recycling, which cannot separate out the various chemicals in order to produce the recycled yarn; the chemical method could -  if we had the money and factories to do it.

One of the biggest obstacles to achieving McDonough’s Cradle-to-Cradle vision lies outside the designers’ ordinary scope of interest – in the recycling system itself. Although bottles, tins and newspapers are now routinely recycled, furniture and carpets still usually end up in landfill or incinerators, even if they have been designed to be  recycled because project managers don’t take the time to separate out the various components of a demolition job, nor is collection of these components an easy thing to access.

Currently, the vision that most marketers has led us to believe, that of a closed loop, or cycle, in which the yarns never lose their value and recycle indefinitely is simply that – just a vision.  Few manufacturers, such as Designtex (with their line of EL fabrics designed to be used without backings) and Victor Innovatex (who has pioneered EcoIntelligent™ polyester made without antimony), have taken the time, effort and money needed to accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices in the industry so we can one day have synthetic fabrics that are not only recycled, but recyclable.

Read more from http://oecotextiles.wordpress.com
Quote: dont hold something in your arms that you can never hold in your heart