Pure class with the Komodo Brown Wool Cocoon Coat, $149.25…

…or pure Americana* with the Komodo Chunky Zip Top Knit, $144.54. Both on sale at the UK’s Fashion-Conscience.com.

Komodo is a British eco line that has been around for a whopping 20+ years. It was originally founded on a combination of good design and creating employment in developing countries. The brand’s website reads, “Our raison d’etre is style, and so Komodo has always been fashion first, and then the organic, hempy, hand made benefits are the bonus ball!”

*Just kidding, because Komodo is in London… but don’t those animals on that sweater look like buffalo?

Yes, I’ve posted about the company a fair amount here, and yes, I own a fair amount of the brand’s pieces. But no longer can I defend Dov Charney and the brand’s antics to my naysaying friends, defending the company for its fair labor policies, because my naysaying friends all make very good points. The brand has gone too far too many times. Like these two antics that pushed me over the edge:

1. The soft porn

This illustration from lunchbreath at Core77 almost says it all, but if you needed any more convincing, how about an innocent Google image search of “american apparel”? Feel free to take my word for it, but its results show about as many crotches and boobs as tees. (Oh, and Woody Allen.)

I will say, I think American Apparel has done a fantastic job with their brand positioning, bringing their basic garments into a much higher echelon of both real and perceived taste than a single one of their competitors. But please, leave a little more to a 12-year-old boy’s imagination.

2. Retail store hiring policies

Here’s the real kicker. Earlier this summer when AA retail sales weren’t so hot, an anonymous tipster reported that Charney took it out on his not-so-hot salespeople:

One week, he went on a huge tirade and made stores that weren’t doing well send in group photos. Why, you ask? He made store managers across the country take group photos of their employees so that he could personally judge people based on looks. He is tightening the AA ‘aesthetic,’ and anyone that he deems not good-looking enough to work there, is encouraged to be fired. … Dov personally judged each person … The comments that he made were raging from childish ones to insulting ones.

(Dov denied that claim, but who do you believe?) And that’s when you already worked there. To apply in the first place, online applications include uploading three images of yourself (“To show us your personal style and how you present yourself,” the application reads) that are reportedly reviewed by corporate before store managers even get their hands on them. If that’s not considered discrimination based on looks, I don’t know what is.

***

I can’t say that I’m going to stop buying American Apparel altogether. (I spend half of my week in the T-shirt printing business, and American Apparel is the Cadillac of tees, a position they’ve earned on quality alone. I can’t take this bias out on apparel company owners, who stand to profit much more than AA when one of their custom-printed shirts is purchased.)

But when it comes to making purchases from brands and businesses that are as respectful as possible to the world around them, this simply doesn’t cut it. Which means I’ll be rethinking all future purchases directly from the American Apparel name.

When I got my first pair at Pivot, they came in this same hand-spray-painted box, but with a small feather thrown in for good measure.

This time was even better.

The surprise necklace!

This new pair of earrings is a bit lighter than my first, but the more neutral shade is perfect for this fall.

So here’s the best part. Only now that I have the necklace do I realize how versatile it really is. I’d blogged it, but I don’t think I would have bought it. Now, I’ve worn it about five times since receiving it! (That’s pretty much every day since then.) I really love it, and I think you would, too.

It also arrived several days before my birthday, which was Monday, which made it feel extra-extra special. Thank you, Kristen! xxx

Two last notes: First, my order came with a $12 shipping fee that seemed accidentally high… though I didn’t mind paying extra to a brand like this. FYI. Second, the title of this post refers to nothing more than Manimal’s domain name: save-the-manimals.com, which is so adorable.

Top pics by me and bottom pic by the lovely Sara

Skirt by Gypsy 05: Jewel Silk Mini
100% silk dyed with eco-friendly dye processes
Ethically made in the U.S.
$143

Shoes by Payless’ zoe&zac: Daisy Frayed Skimmer
Organic cotton upper and shoelaces
Recycled rubber sole
$16.99 on sale

Tote by A Healthy Green Home: Rice Sack Wine Carrier
Made from random cuttings of recycled rice bags
Made by unemployed workers in the Philippines
A portion of proceeds from the sale of these bags go to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
$10

Earrings by Smart Glass Recycled Jewelry: Cascade Earrings
Made from recycled salad dressing bottles
Handmade by designer Kathleen Plate
$122

Shirt by Stewart+Brown: Tea Blouse, at Envi
Organic cotton
Ethically made in the U.S.
$130.20 on sale

kb

Thank you for your new fall designs. For these amazing new woven moccasins ($240),

for not one but two gorgeous necklace designs using the suede scraps left over from the mocs (both $40),

for hot pink suede (as on this clutch, also made from scraps, $160),

and especially for the little fringe details on this suede purse ($80).

Love,

Fashion Loves People

Dress by Angelrox: The Wrap Dress
Can be wrapped in an infinite number of styles — knee-length dress or drapey top
100% bamboo jersey (“natural, sustainable, antibacterial”)
Made in Brooklyn, NY
$158

Earrings by Prismera Design: Mimosa Earring
Sustainable stainless steel with sterling silver ear wires (also available in gold)
$70

Scarf by Alena Hennessy: East Poppy Scarf
100% organic cotton
Printed with earth-friendly inks
$34

Shoes by Tia’s: Vintage Silk Sandal Straps
Another chameleon piece… buy the base and style the top anyway you like
$54 for the base
$12 for the vintage sari scarves

kb

I actually like to pay full price for things, because then I know everyone making money on the item got paid what they’d planned to get paid. (Which was, ideally, a fair wage at every step of the way.) In theory, when stores make all the profit they want off an item, they’ll be less likely to pressure buyers to get costs down on the next order, which can put less pressure on manufacturers and suppliers to get costs down, which can result in more fairly paid workers. In theory, anyway.

But of course, sales make us all happy, and stores do want to clean out their inventory at the end of a season. And summer sale season is in full effect right now!

I stopped by the Crestwood Sidewalk Sale yesterday to check out Frankly Basic. They’re not an eco store, but they’ve always carried a nice selection of Alternative, LA Made and American Apparel basics, and I noticed yesterday that their Kensie options include some pieces made of bamboo fabrics. And of course, they’re local! (I asked once if they were intentional about carrying socially responsible brands, and the owner outright said “no.” Odd, but I guess that’s OK.)

I picked up a pair of Rainbow flip flops for a steal of $20, an LA Made tank (made of a cotton/bamboo blend) for $10 and those sweet thunderbird earrings above for half-price.

I hadn’t realized Rainbows had such a cool story, but check out the hangtag. This totally sold me! “Environmentally sound, because they last so L – O – N – G.”

If you’re in KC, check it out. They had plenty of good stuff left. Happy hunting!

jc

Commerce with a Conscience wrote a smart and hilarious review of Simple‘s similarly poorly designed “green shoes,” which can be directly applied to this line. I’ll cut straight to the serious part, where he wrote,

“One of the greatest obstacles facing the widespread acceptance of socially responsible spending is convincing others that buying according to their ethics doesn’t automatically mean dressing terribly. I ask you, please, help us overcome this hurdle. Use your principles for good.”

Amen.

Each pair of shoes in the zoe & zac line are under $30. If you must, at least go for the wedge!

Top image via A History of Architecture via Le Bouton Studio.

Bottom image via ellybeth on Flickr.

]]> http://fashionlovespeople.com/2009/03/08/masking-tape/feed/ 1 http://fashionlovespeople.com/2008/11/13/organic-and-recycled-materials-for-hm-spring-2009/ http://fashionlovespeople.com/2008/11/13/organic-and-recycled-materials-for-hm-spring-2009/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:25:24 +0000 Janette http://fashionlovespeople.com/2008/11/13/organic-and-recycled-materials-for-hm-spring-2009/ men’s

On this blog, I have been an advocate of H&M‘s, in support of the transparency they show on labor rights and environmental efforts. In this world, genuineness and transparency are everything. However, H&M will never be anything but “fast fashion” — low-priced garments that will last anywhere from one wash to a few seasons before becoming unwearable and discarded. For that reason, I have opted NOT to shop there the past few opportunities I’ve had. (Seriously, I’m in Kansas City — I only get the option when I’m traveling — but I have been turning it down!)

For that reason, I’ve been a bit torn about featuring them here lately, but I just came across some exciting spring 2009 items — made of organic cotton and recycled materials! For some history…

H&M became a member of the Organic Exchange back in 2003 (check it — they were ahead of the game), and expanded organics across all markets in March 2007. The multinational-corporation-with-a-soul that it is, it did so in order to increase the demand for organic cotton, thus providing incentive for cotton growers to convert to organic (a process that takes at least three years). Its use of organic cotton has increased significantly each year.

Even MORE exciting, the spring line also includes materials made from recycled pre-consumer fabric waste! Recycled polyester (made also from recycled PET bottles), recycled wool and recycled cotton. Well done, H&M.

Of course, Rule #1 of Conscientious Shopping is to not buy anything you don’t LOVE. Which means… I may opt for something from the men’s side (above), but probably not from the women’s. Didn’t hit it out of the park for me this time.

women’s

Via nitro:licious, with info from Inhabitat.