Garment Care

A closer look into Gap Inc.’s new Clean Water Program

September 3, 2009
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A closer look into Gap Inc.’s new Clean Water Program

Gap Inc.’s Clean Water Program, established in 2004 to monitor water contamination, has now grown into a system that advertises zero waste from the factory. Inside the pocket of each pair of 1969 jeans you will find this statement: “The water used in the process of washing & dying these jeans has been specially treated to ensure it is safe & clean when it leaves the factory.” Here’s a closer look at how Gap Inc. breaks down its environmental footprint: “The first phase of our environmental footprint assessment focuses on regions and facilities where we control operations and can make...

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Social Alterations is now on Ning!

September 1, 2009
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Social Alterations is now on Ning!

  You can use this space to share and upload curricula ideas, lesson plans, visual aids, research and projects, or to just discuss the current happenings in the industry with respect to social issues and environmental concerns, as well as the latest trends in socially responsible design.     “See” you in the Forum! Oh…and don’t forget to pick up your Social Alterations Badge!   Visit Social Alterations

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Social Alterations: Forum

August 20, 2009
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Social Alterations: Forum

How can education foster sustainable change toward socially responsible fashion and apparel design and manufacturing practices? Social Alterations hopes to foster socially responsible fashion design education through aggregating relevant material that will inspire fashion/textile and apparel instructors, researchers, designers and design enthusiasts to get on board with thinking about consequence in the industry. Sign up to the Social Alterations Forum if you’re interested in sharing and contributing ideas on curriculum, research, projects, materials, design, etc. with this community.

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FEI Staff Training and Student Workshops

August 13, 2009
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FEI Staff Training and Student Workshops

Ethics have a high profile in the fashion industry today. Are you equipped, as a tutor or student, with the knowledge and skills to engage with these issues? Fashioning an Ethical Industry (FEI) runs staff training and student workshops at schools, colleges and universities on themes related to working conditions in garment manufacture. Through our training events we encourage staff and students to critically examine different perspectives on workers’ rights and initiatives to improve conditions. FEI training combines our extensive knowledge with a participatory educational approach, building on participants’ existing knowledge and experience and using a range of activities and...

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The nature of your garment is to fall apart?

January 26, 2009
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    Another interesting article taken from The Independent today, discussed some frustrations in dealing with products that not only fall apart, but are designed to fall apart.   Thought it might be time for another poll. So, if your garment has a meltdown, what do you do? (polls)

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feeling fashionably overweight?

December 17, 2008
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The “Household Textile Environmental Impact Calculator” wants your closet to think about going on a diet. The calculator asseses you based on annual water usage, energy usage, use of non-renewable resources, and pollution. Unfortunately the calculator doesn’t account for non conventional fabrics, such as hemp. What is impressive however, is the fact that the calculator takes you through the lifecycle of your garments: purchasing, care, and disposal. The year is almost up, so Dec. marks a perfect time to start calculating and re-calculating to think about consumption practices for the year ahead. It doesn’t take long to calculate your annual...

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