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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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Fickle spring weather’s made for layering
Layered looks make sense when you don’t know which way the wind may blow. Up here in the Northwest, when we saunter out on a spring day, we dress for three seasons. That’s why versatility is a key ingredient in my design objectives: many Sympatico styles are created to dress up or down, and maybe more [...]
Pack light & look great on your next travel adventure
Don't pack too much!It slows you down, tires you out and leaves no room for purchases. What's essential: passport or ID, money, good shoes, medications. What's smart: a coordinated wardrobe that looks stylish, feels comfortable and is culturally appropriate. Check the weather for your destination: what's the norm and what's currently happening? Look at photos on the internet to see how the [...]
Finding the sweet spot between style & comfort
Cleaning out some files recently, I stumbled upon some amusing old photos. The walk down memory lane was fun, but also instructive about how fashion, body shape and comfort have influenced my perception of fit over the years.This snapshot of my uncle and me taken in 1972 at a cousin's wedding depicts a dress length [...]
Down the drain: Microfiber pollution hidden threat
Today an astounding 60% of all clothing is made with synthetic materials. Housewares that include textiles are produced with an even higher percentage of plastics. From bedding (remember when we used to call them ”linens”?) to microfiber fleece and undies, fabrics derived from petrochemicals and inorganic chemicals have changed the textile landscape. Unfortunately, they’re also [...]
When “new” matters
Anastacia in a Paprika Princess Top and Grey Fog Flip Skirt.How do you feel about new? If you follow the fashion world, you'll notice that newness is a critical part of headlines like: What styles are in? or What's new for spring? I think part of the attraction of new is that it wakes us up and reminds us that we're alive and experiencing something [...]
Conventional dying’s dirty secrets
The ways in which clothes get dyed run the gamut from heavy-duty industrial processes using synthetic chemicals to more “crafty” artisanal approaches using natural dyestuffs. It’s easy to make the leap from that information to the assumption: Synthetic dyes bad, natural dyes good. Were it only that simple! As with so many environmental issues, [...]
Got special fit needs? I may be able to help.
When customer Emily Estes shared the details of a recent trip she made to the Texas capitol, it prodded me to mention Sympatico’s custom cuts and alteration services. Emily wanted me to make a modification to her Swallowtail Top sleeves, which I was happy to do in time for her Texas trip where she met [...]
One top, two looks
From casual to dressy, the Tuxedo Top transforms into your look. Create your own look on any given day with our wearable, durable hemp/Tencel clothing.Anna’s Tuxedo Top in Twilight worn with Stovepipe Pants in Black (left) creates a tidy profile; (right) pairing the Tuxedo with a Tank Top and a Flip Skirt in Black and boots produces a different look.
Travel Tales: Our Tank Tops take a hike
Cindy Kimball, the winner of this edition of Travel Tales, loves her Sympatico clothes because "they are comfortable, wear well even on trips after having been packed away in luggage, are light and look nice."But she's a true devotee of the Sympatico Tank Top. She put a trio of them to work as part of [...]
Does modest dressing oppress or liberate women?
There's a controversy about modest fashion between those who think it is for oppressed women who are often seen as backward religious adherents and others who consider it aspirational and reflective of independent women who dress for themselves rather than for men.According to The New York Times’s chief fashion critic, Vanessa Friedman, modest dressing is a defining [...]
