There’s Nothing Like a 🧼 Clean Pair or Sneakers 👟

I discovered Skechers a few years ago while at an outlet mall in Connecticut.

I had never been much of a sneakers wearer. I wore running shoes when running, or cute flats if I was not running. It wasn’t until I moved to New York City, got a bit older and realized two things:

1- There is nothing I love more than a long walk in an interesting place

2- I want my clothing to empower me to live my life to my fullest, not hold me back

Once I came to these conclusions I went through my wardrobe and began reassessing everything I owned- “Can I walk five miles in these shoes?” “Can I dance for hours in these heels?” I began swapping out my 3” heels for 1 1/2” heels and my cute, but uncomfortable flats for cute, but comfortable sneakers.

Anyone who knows me knows that I wear a lot of TOMS

But also Skechers.

There are a lot of Skechers styles out there so I’ll give you a tip- my faves are the “Lite Weight” styles. They seriously feel like walking on marshmallows.

I love these white, Skechers sneakers, but I have now worn them on too many hikes in the California, sandy trails. I wanted them to be white again but struggled. I tried my usual methods- simply washing with a toothbrush and soap then laying in the very hot, California sun, but they only turned yellow.

I happened to be scrubbing my bath tub with Comet (although I have since switched to a more eco friendly scrub) and decided, what the heck, let me try this on these shoes. I scrubbed the shoes, left them out in the sun for a few days, rinsed them then put them back out in the sun for another few days, and VOILA! They aren’t quite “like new” but they are a vast improvement and when I look down at them I feel that elating joy again of walking on squishy marshmallows.

Hemp: the Next Big Thing in Sustainable Apparel?

If you’re into “sustainable” clothing (I use the word “sustainable” in quotations because it can mean so many different things to different people!) you may have noticed a recent upswing in hemp clothing; the happy coming together of legislation allowing more hemp production in addition to a cultural awareness of “sustainable” fibers in the fashion industry.

If you google “hemp clothing,” you’ll initially get what you imagine when you think of hemp clothing: small off-beat brands selling funky, fair-trade clothes (brands I love, by the way!). But you’ll also find some larger players start to emerge.

No surprise that Patagonia has a whole page of hemp clothing and a page dedicated to why it’s important to support hemp production now more than ever.

Toad & Co, a brand that had its beginning using scrap fabric to make cozy, multicolored fleece hats, also has its (multicolored) hat in the hemp ring. They even proclaim that the first American flag was made from hemp fibers!

So, why is hemp the next big thing?

Hemp, unlike cotton, is significantly easier to grow. It needs no synthetic pesticides (aka, it’s all organic) to keep it going, it needs significantly less water than cotton , AND it yields a bigger amount of usable fiber per acre as compared to cotton.

If hemp is so great, why are we just getting into it now?

The plain truth is that cotton is softer. Hemp is scratchy and stiff and not at all what consumers in the age of athleisure are looking for.

Hemp also has it’s challenges as a fiber. When it comes to manufacturing it, it can be very inconsistent in quality, resulting in more “artisanal” looking product that isn’t always what large manufacturers (or the consumers shopping those bigger brands) want.

The question is, how do we take a great fiber like hemp and turn it into something people want to wear? The conclusion seems to be, blend it into other fabrics like Tencel or recycled poly to get a softer handfeel with more applications.

For Levi’s, this means using the hemp yarn for the weft of the denim (the horizontal yarn, generally undyed and visible on the inside of your jeans), then using Tencel or Cotton as the warp yarn (the exterior yarn that’s dyed blue) to create that soft hand feel we’ve come to expect from our jeans. Levi’s is calling their hemp-blend denim “cottonized denim.” “Cottonized Denim” is a blend of (approximately) 70% hemp and 30% cotton plus some proprietary finishing treatments (involving lasers! How high tech!) to get a handfeel comparable to cotton.

Want to start shopping? Here are a few fav websites I came across (in addition to Patagonia & Toad & Co)

TenTree, a Canadian apparel company. You can filter the clothes by what sustainable fiber you’d like to shop for! https://www.tentree.com/collections/hemp-clothing

Poetry a British brand focused on sustainable fibers and close, long existing relationships with their manufacturers https://www.poetryfashion.com/


Photo by Matteo Paganelli on Unsplash

Photo by Matteo Paganelli on Unsplash


Please let me know if you have any favorite places to buy hemp clothing!


Sources:

Understanding Raw Denim, Warp, Weft & Twill https://www.heddels.com/2011/08/understanding-raw-denim-warp-weft-and-twill/

the Hemp Blue website: https://www.hempblue.com/

The Sourcing Journal, Here Are the Pros, Cons and Cost Concerns With Hemp for Denim https://sourcingjournal.com/denim/denim-mills/hemp-denim-needs-technology-farming-investments-levis-195509/

High Snobiety, Levi’s “Cottonized” Hemp Is Ready to End Cotton’s Reign https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/levis-hemp-sustainable-fabric/

When in Sweater Weather

It may be 80 degrees and sunny today, but we are fast approaching the hustle and bustle of fall, when a dip into the 50s at night might cause you to go digging into your basement for that box of sweaters you filed away when they were no longer needed.

As someone who works in the fashion industry, I’m hyper aware of this very technical term that happens to sweaters (although it can be present on all types of fabrics- sweaters, knits or wovens, sweaters just happen to exhibit it at a greater rate): pilling.

“Pilling” : Yes, the act of your sweater rubbing off and creating tiny “pills” of sweater fluff that get stuck to the sweater. Sometimes they occur in places of most friction, such as under the arm or where your bag rubs against your sweater. And sometimes, if the sweater is too soft and fluffy, it just pills all over.

Why do pills occur, you ask? Well, any yarn is created by spinning together tiny fibers. Those fibers might be the fibers of, say, a merino sheep which would be longer fibers, resulting in a smoother and subtly shiny appearance when spun. Longer fibers do not pill as much. Shorter fibers, those of a cheaper cotton, wool or synthetic, will pill more. The ends of these tiny fibers stick out of the yarn, and when the yarn is knitted into a sweater, these short fibers are more likely to rub off and create little pills.

Moral of the story? Cheaper sweaters will probably pill more. But even long-fiber sweaters will pill, hopefully just a bit less. So any sweater, after it has been loved, may need a little “de-pilling.”

Never fear! The sweater shaver is here!

If you want to preserve your sweaters for years to come, this is a must have. I shave my sweaters throughout the season as I wear them. Sometimes they just need a little touch up. I mean, don’t we all?

Sweater defuzzing can come in two varieties: electronic and manual.

I own both.

In my experiences, the manual "DeFuzz It” comb (available here from Joann Fabrics) is very gentle and easy to use, but also takes a bit more time and effort.

I also have an electronic sweater shaver similar to this one sold at Bed Bath and Beyond. It’s very quick to use and a bit more friendly to someone who isn’t looking to put too much time and effort into their sweater care. The only possible issue with an electronic sweater shaver is there is a chance you could snag your sweater if it’s very delicate or loosely knit, so please use caution! Overall, the reviews look very positive for this brand, and the price is right on.




Get Rid of Pit Stains

Yes, you CAN save that favorite t-shirt!

For white or light colored tops with yellowing pit stains here is what you’ll need:

  • A rectangular plastic tub

  • Baking Soda

  • Dish Soap

  • Hydrogen Peroxide

  • A small dish or yogurt container for mixing

  • A spoon for mixing

  • An old tooth brush

soap!.jpg



Directions:

  1. Get out those tees and tops with yellowing pit stains!

  2. Mix together equal parts hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and dish soap in the yogurt dish until it’s an easy-to-stir, bubbly paste.

  3. Use the spoon to apply the paste to the interior and exterior of the pit stain.

  4. Use the tooth brush to scrub it in and loosen the buildup of deodorant residue.

  5. Let sit overnight in your plastic tub (or for a day or so).

  6. Wash on warm as normal. I suggest washing these treated tees separately or with other whites so you don’t accidentally bleach your other clothing

  7. Don’t wash on “hot”- this can break down and erode your clothing, warm is plenty to get that soap activated.

  8. Dry for about 10-15 minutes, then hang. This will allow all the wrinkles to release but save the fabric from the beating of the dryer.