Baby It's Cold Outside
by Bonnie Alter, London on 12. 4.07
It's getting cold out there and some of us have turned on the heat and are looking for something warm and woolly to wear. It's a tricky topic, the sourcing of wool, because with the growing world demand, animals are being raised on a vaster scale, in poorer conditions and their grazing is adding to the desertification of once-fertile plains. It's best to look for home grown wool or at least wool that has a known source. Some designers grow their own but these are serious luxury items.
Chunky is big this year. Ruth Cross makes exquisite hand-knit sweaters and accessories from Scottish wool using British knitters and local studios. Nicky Dupont has a beautiful cable knit cardigan (pictured) with wooden buttons, hand-knit in grey--a perfect (ethical) autumn fashion statement. Buying from a good ethical company can yield some glam stuff too. Favourite treehugger brands such as Traidcraft have belted charcoal cable knit cardigans hand-knit in Peru. People tree has a chunky basket-knit cardigan from Nepal and Karen Cole has a cable cardigan of New Zealand Merino wool. :: new consumer
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Stuff Happens: The Attic
- What the World Needs Now Is Square Trees
- 8 Ways to Make Your Clothing Last
- Button Up with this Hand-Knitted Scarf
Not to mention how the sheep are treated! I am not a giant PETA fan but this does the info-job: http://www.savethesheep.com/
Winter is always a struggle and I usually end up with vintage cotton or acrylic or new of the same.
While I can get away with an all-nylon Alpha parka (warmest I've been, including wool coats) for casual, dress coats are tricker although I've found one acrylic version that I've had for years.
It would be great if we can find a way to move away from wool with something more sustainable.
A few years back, a friend's mother went on a bit of a knitting binge, and knitted him about 6 pairs of insanely comfortable slippers. Which he promptly donated to his friends (he already had a bunch). It's a great idea, and worth a couple of degrees off the old thermostat. I'm no stranger to wearing a sweater at home in the winter, but I often neglect my feet in that thinking. You can also get away with lower-grade wool, when it's worn on your feet.
While not without it's problems, wool can be sustainable(especially if you are getting wool grown in the US, naturally colored or naturally dyed). It can be recycled in rag factories which rip up the wool and re spin it fir more yarn or to use as batting or insulation, is fire retardant, natural, compostable, etc.
I love wool. I despise acrylic. My answer is to shop at used-clothing and consignment shops. There are many orphan sweaters out there waiting to be worn again! I just bought a classic fisherman's cardigan- all wool- for $12.
i appreciate the fact we are thinking about solutions and trying to be sustainable. i'm not sure what's so sustainable about NYLON or ACRYLLIC however. Synthethic, petrol-based vs natural fibers? We just need to insist on humane and sustainable methods of obtaining the wool. Also, second-hand is the way to go. Still good, still keeps you warm.