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I blog about sustainable fashion, earth-friendly fibers like hemp and Tencel, capsule wardrobes, travel wear, and related subjects.
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Why hemp and Tencel can hold a candle to organic clothing
Made of an earth-friendly hemp and Tencel blend, the Princess Top minimizes your environmental footprint.Textile production and apparel dyeing turn up on worldwide top-10 lists of the most polluting industries. For that reason, I applaud consumers who go out of their way and spend more to purchase organic clothes. Doing so helps protect our environment and improve [...]
Seven gift-worthy creations that celebrate sustainable clothing & ethical business
As an entrepreneur focused on sustainability, I find it encouraging when I come across ethical clothing brands who share my commitment. That’s why I am highlighting a collection of companies, including ethical fashion brands and artisans, who share Sympatico’s values. Here are some those folks and their very gift-worthy creations:The GoLightly Scarf in Pretty PurpleHand-knit in [...]
Scarves that celebrate South Korea’s organic dyeing tradition
The impression many westerners have of South Korea is of a bustling, tech-focused economic powerhouse. Exploring the island of Jeju earlier this year helped me get past that stereotype, especially when I stumbled upon Hee Jin’s workshop in Jeju City.Eucalyptus imparts subtle earth and sky tones, beautifully rendered in this organically dyed silk scarf.It turns [...]
The upsides of running a tiny ethical-clothing company (and the challenges)
In a world where market share is the holy grail, running a tiny ethical clothing company can sometimes feel quixotic. The economies of scale and efficiencies that accompany a business growing bigger are a focus of many business plans. That’s especially true for goods such as apparel that the global market sees as a commodity. [...]
Vintage Rose is my newest shade and it gets along famously with a wide swathe of other Sympatico colors.
As with all styles, the Tuxedo Top and Stovepipe Pants use low-impact, fiber-reactive dyes.The slightly muted quality of Vintage Rose makes it easy to wear and coordinate with a broad range of shades. The somewhat dusty tone is enhanced by hemp/Tencel’s linen-like texture that drapes prettily thanks to the Tencel content. As with all Sympatico shades, Vintage Rose is [...]
How to see the real beauty within
Guest post by Jennifer Scott of Beautifully AliveLadies, let’s get something straight today: we all know it’s a tough and judgmental world out there. As far back in history as we learn about from the textbooks in school, women have been taught to decorate their bodies and faces with clothing, makeup, and jewelry. It has been instilled in us as a [...]
I designed these women's hemp and Tencel pants to fit your life
Wide legs. Skinny legs. High rise. Low rise. Straight hems. Flared hems. Most of us have lived long enough to see these ripples in pants fashions come and go several times over. In designing Sympatico's Stovepipe and Cropped Pants I aimed for classic shapes that are both flattering and comfy. Looks that will outlive all those fleeting [...]
Our Hemp and Tencel tops prove the real-world virtues of Sympatico’s unique blended fabric
Seeking a sustainably grown and produced natural fiber fabric that would work with the whole Sympatico line led me to the hemp and Tencel blend I’ve used ever since. While both hemp and Tencel tops have lots to recommend them, weaving those two fibers together results in a blend that enhances the virtues of each.The [...]
Natural, in all its shades
I’ve spent a good bit of time over the past decade looking intently at Sympatico’s undyed fabric. As it comes from the mill, in its undyed state, the 55% hemp and 45% Tencel content impact the fabric’s final look and feel. The color of Natural can vary a fair bit between bolts of fabric. Which makes [...]
How to care for hemp clothing
The hemp content in the Trapeze Tunic and Flip Skirt is easy care and very durable.Actually, most of us already know pretty much what to do with easy-care natural fibers like Sympatico's blend of hemp and Tencel. The classic wisdom applies:Wash cold unless stained. Hemp is durable and does not require hand washing.For stains, use detergent directly or presoak, [...]
