Comments on: Ethical wedding gowns

By: Ninjarina

Ninjarina — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:18:11 +0000

I’d like to add onto what La BellaDonna has said about ethical cotton. In Uzbekistan, cotton-picking is done exclusively by women and children. It may be in part due to idealised Soviet visions of happy rural proletariats toiling in the fields but even after the collapse of the USSR, this sort of backbreaking chore remains reserved solely to women and children.

The compound ethical dilemma comes from the fact that cotton is being promoted in places like Afghanistan as an alternative crop to the more lucrative heroin poppy. I don’t know if the harvesting of cotton is gendered as it is in Uzbekistan but if it is, it’s very much being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

By: Wedding Watch » Eco-Friendly and Budget-friendly Wedding Ideas

Wedding Watch » Eco-Friendly and Budget-friendly Wedding Ideas — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 17:49:41 +0000

[...] to be really eco-friendly, why not invest in a wedding gown made from all-natural fabrics, such as these lovelies. You could also purchase a used gown from either Once Wed or Pre Owned Wedding Dresses. Of course, [...]

By: Never teh Bride

Never teh Bride — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:13:04 +0000

It’s never simple, is it, La BellaDonna? But I do try to learn a bit every day. I’m fascinated by the thought of cotton growing in colors! I found a very interesting article about the history of colored cotton here: http://www.perunaturtex.com/scientif.htm

By: La BellaDonna

La BellaDonna — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:23:26 +0000

Another thing to ponder, NtB, is using ethical cotton. Cotton is one of the most damaging-to-soil crops that can be grown, partly due to the way it sucks the nutrients out of the soil, but a great deal more having to do with the amount of pesticide that’s needed to keep it weevil-free. The runoff goes into the local water, and it’s bad for animals, people, and the land. And once the cotton goes to be processed and bleached, there’s another whole layer of chemicals which are called into play … and wind up in the water. And if the cotton grows up to be blue-jean-denim fabric, as the vast majority of it does – more chemicals, with the dye runoff going, once again, into the water. There are ethical and organic cottons out there – some of the cottons grow in colours – and I believe Kathleen Fasanella at fashion-incubator.com mentions some of the sources. In many ways, silk may be a more ethical choice than cotton – even at the cost of Bombyx Mori in a pot.

By: Never teh Bride

Never teh Bride — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 02:47:56 +0000

La BellaDonna: Oh boy, new fabrics to research…and sheepishly admit later to buying on the sly. I’m surprised at how inexpensive it is — the prices I’ve found so far are less expensive than most of the cottons I buy! I’ve honestly never even considered using any kind of silk in my own sewing because I just assumed it would have to be very expensive, no matter what sort it was. Silly me!

By: La BellaDonna

La BellaDonna — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:04:47 +0000

NtB, while you are pondering and wavering, I can recommend to you spun silk, as opposed to reeled silk. Reeled silk comes off those boiled/steamed/moth-intact cocoons, in those long long long long lengths, but spun silk is spun like any other fiber – it’s short lengths that have been put together in the same way that short bits of cotton, short bits of wool, short bits of linen are put together to make a yarn that can be woven or knitted. Spun silk is made up of waste bits of fiber, but also from the broken threads that result when the moth hatches and escapes (and mates. and dies). There are other silk moths that do just that, regularly, including certain wild silks. Silk noil, which is often called “raw silk” (but really isn’t), is a spun silk. It’s not flat and shiny, it’s rather nubbly, but it offers a lot of the comfort of reeled silks – holds color beautifully, takes dyes superbly, washes easily, is great to sleep in or lounge around in, and is great to pack or travel in. It’s comfy in the summer and insulates in the winter. You might pick up a few yards at Dharmatrading.com to sew with – it’s available in ivory and black, and the most expensive version is the black/cut yard, at $5.25 a yard, 45 inches wide – cheaper than denim! Just preshrink it, press it, and make it up in drawstring trousers, blouses, nighties, maternity outfits, and you’ll have safe silk to ponder in!

My own personal feeling is that everything pays a price for living; I try to make sure it’s a fair price, in my dealings. Regarding domestic animals – yes, they work for us, and some of them end up on the table, but it’s part of the domestic contract – they get food and shelter and other care that they need during their lifetimes, and this is their payment for that care. I don’t consider it unfair, or wasteful; everything dies, including us – and then we can feed the worms, the grass, and the flowers ourselves. My concern is that these creatures with whom we have the domestic contract be treated properly while they are alive, with wholesome food and decent treatment.

By: Never teh Bride

Never teh Bride — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:05:45 +0000

Fascinating stuff, La BellaDonna — I just relayed that to The Beard who said, “Now I don’t feel so bad about silk.” We’re weenie ethical vegetarians (going so far as to trap spiders and such, so our usual dealings with domestic creatures usually involve carefully sources eggs and milk) but I certainly don’t begrudge anyone else their silks, and I won’t say no to vintage second-hand silk!

But now that I know that Bombyx Mori is set to croak anyway, my silk aversion is wavering…

By: La BellaDonna

La BellaDonna — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:18:20 +0000

I’m mixed about the fate of Bombyx Mori, meeting an end in a pot of boiling water to provide reeled silk. HOWEVER … the adult form of Bombyx Mori has no mouth! It can’t eat in its adult form, nor fly – it only breeds, and then dies. However, it eats like a crazed thing in its larval form, and it’s generally hand-fed by humans, at that – protected from loud noises and unpleasant odors (perspiration, fish, meat, etc.), and it has been this way for millennia. I reckon that, in the end, Bombyx Mori is paying the check for its dinner. It’s as domesticated a creature as one can get. If you’re not above dealing with other domesticated creatures, then domestic silk shouldn’t be a problem, either, as it is a renewable resource.

By: Never teh Bride

Never teh Bride — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:55:31 +0000

You’re not alone by any means, De. One low-end Cotton Bride gown costs as much as both of my and The Beard’s wedding bands…and we wear those every day!

By: De

De — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:38:22 +0000

Oh MY. The Cotton Bride dresses are so gorgeous! :O

Alas, I don’t think I will ever be able to justify much less afford a gown that STARTS at $1800. Boo.