clothing

Fight Global Women's Organic T-Shirt

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:00:00 +0000

If you’re going to be a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl, you’ve got to go out of your way to make sure your tees have something interesting to say. If you’re going to be a t-shirt and jeans girl who lives in New York City, that message should make a statement about art or politics. The Fight Global Women’s Organic T-shirt from Autonomie Project does both.

Specifically made for a female body, this soft-cotton tee lightly clings to my curves while still providing room to breathe. I'm an XL wearin' gal, so this seemingly small detail is important. I love my body and all, but I'm not trying to show my goodies to the globe, ya know?

The cap sleeves and scooped neck design breathe a smidge of femininity into this traditionally genderless top. The deep charcoal color flirts with a kind of rock 'n roll sex appeal that is enhanced by the stencils-and-spraypaint DIY-esque design. The additional length of the shirt suits my above average height; instead of creeping above my belt like other tees, the bottom seam of this one remained at my hips.

True to its own message, the Fight Global Tee is made with eco-friendly dyes through a Fair Trade and sweatshop-free business practice. The message is also an apt fit for this particular time in my life. After living in India for two years, I’ve decided to shift my grassroots organizing work toward one with a focus on international needs. Perhaps wearing this tee when I interview will give me a bit of an edge; at the very least, I’d make an impression.

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, March 8th 2010

Truth Belt: The Westie

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:00:00 +0000

By Truth

As more companies are becoming earth and animal-friendly, and the DIY movement has seen resurgence in the past few years, I have been on the lookout for a good selection of quality vegan belts. I’ve encountered a lot of hemp and vinyl belts, and even some belts made out of bicycle inner tubes, but I still haven’t found one company that offers a wide variety of both classy and funky vegan belts. Enter: Truth Belts.

Truth is an animal-friendly accessory company based in Canada. Started by Renia Pruchinicki in 2001, who originally started making belts from non-leather material, Truth began as a side project in making long-lasting belts from vegan material grew into a full-time business. Her business website also hosts an informative links page in which readers can find businesses, groups, journals, magazines, and other vegan and vegetarian-friendly information.

The belt that I was sent to review is from the hemp-woven line of belts. This particular design is called The Westie. The belt is constructed of polyurethane with a navy blue and khaki colored woven hemp outer layer. The buckle is an antique nickel color, and the whole thing looks wonderful with a pair of jeans. I’ve been wearing the belt around for the past month, and nothing about it has started to fall apart. It’s a very well designed vegan belt, and I’m excited to have another vegan clothing accessory in my life to prove to my friends that you can look good without having to wear parts of animals.

Aside from the casual woven belts, Truth also makes fake-leather looking classy belts, as well as funky elastic belts with argyle, stripes, and plaid designs. Truth also hosts a line of fashionable wrist cuffs and belts for kids.

Overall, I’m very satisfied with my vegan belt, and will probably buy some of Truth’s other belts for friends and relatives. Aside from supporting a company that promotes veganism, I’m also happy to be supporting a business started and run by one hard-working woman.

Written by: Chelsey Clammer, January 20th 2010

Hamsa Clothing Yoga Pants

admin — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 08:41:00 +0000

By Hamsa Clothing

Hamsa is a Sanskrit word for a meditation we all do daily without intention; it is our first, and inherent, pranayama: inhale (ham) and exhale (sa). Breathing is a natural way to steady the mind and calm the body. It provides a method to refocus one's physical and mental rhythm, and channel it in a more positive, stress-free way. Because of this, pranayama is an integral part of yoga.

As one might expect given the name, Hamsa Clothing is a woman-run company that facilitates yogic comfort through the sale of cotton pants and tees made to stretch (thanks lycra!) with the body—particularly the female body—during one's yoga practice. Its sister company, Moonseats, sells meditation cushions. Run by Sangeeta from Cape Town, South Africa, Hamsa Clothing is an alternative to the corporatism and competition that has infected the world of yoga.

Sangeeta provided me with three sample pair of pants for this review, each a different design and color. The first were rather small for my size 12 lower half, and when worn resemble a pair of calf-length leggings. (It's possible these would be ankle length on someone who isn't six feet tall, like I am.) In fact, I can easily see these having a dual use if paired with a cute top instead of a tee. The deep red material is spiced up a bit by a multi-colored floral design that I simply adore: a sort of modern, fashionable take on Hawaiian print. I also love the soft stretchiness of the fabric, and its breathability while hugging the body.

Pairs two and three appear to be made of a different material than the first, a heavier and thicker cotton—though no less soft and stretchy—that would work well for winter sessions. The medium size fit me just fine, though to be honest, a large may well have fit better. Both pair have a reinforced roll top waist, which allows you to adjust the waistline in order to achieve a more snug fit and create the most flattering and stylish look for your particular body type. The roll top also makes these pants suitable for ladies with a bun in the oven (or on a badly bloated period day) since they will expand as your belly expands.

What makes the second and third pair distinct from each other is both the color (one is periwinkle blue while the other is steel gray, both of which are very pleasing and calming) and the shape of the leg. The blue pair is a standard pant style: semi-loose yet fitted at the thigh and slightly flared (more like boot cut) at the ankle. The gray pair, however, is a bit more adventurous and reminds me of something I see the hippie tourists wearing around Kolkata: a harem-style cut that is baggy throughout the length of the leg with a tightly bunched cuff at the ankle. My recent readings of the Indian editions of both Marie Claire and Vogue have confirmed that this style is coming back into popular fashion, so perhaps this means I am now ahead of the curve. The construction on all three pair of pants is impeccable.

Hamsa does have another Sanskrit meaning, one that is no doubt the actual root of this clothing company's name. Hamsa is typically translated as swan, a term that is a slight misnomer since swans aren't indigenous to India and the creature called hamsa was probably actually a goose. Somewhere along the way the linguistic swap was made when hamsa became associated (through repetition) with the inverse of the word, soaham, meaning "that which I am." Because when asked to self-define, we'd probably all rather be swans than geese, no?

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, January 6th 2010

Pheasant Skirt

admin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 09:00:00 +0000

By Mata Traders

Before I moved to India, a friend of mine joked that I should send her a full wardrobe at the start of every season. She was more than a little jealous of the items I'd picked up on a trip before—particularly the scarves with sparse silver threading that are difficult to find in the States—where I made my way East to West across the subcontinent from Kolkata to Varanasi to Delhi. My sister made me promise to buy her a few stylish hippie-cum-hipster skirts while my boss hinted at her desire for intricately designed jewelry. I was all too pleased to have my holiday shopping list laid out so neatly.

A reflection of the global economy, a great many women's empowerment NGOs in India have added employment and job training programs to their organizational structure that consists of textile making and exporting. In Kolkata, ex-prostitutes (Sari Bari and Freeset), women living in slums (Connexions), girls and women who have escaped sex trafficking (Made By Survivors), and rural women (Jeevika Development Society) are all carving out a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities by creating clothing, bags, plush toys, and other items that are desirable to those in the West. But in order for these items to make their way from the hands of their creators on one side of the globe to the person who uses the goods on other, there must be an entity facilitating that transaction. Enter Mata Traders.

Although I can't say for certain from which India-based NGOs Mata Traders receives their wares, it is clear this is their system of operation. They pay women workers a livable wage to make handmade clothing, jewelry, bags, and accessories that are then bought in a retail location in Illinois, through their online store, or purchased at the Women Thrive Worldwide World of Good shop. Alternatively, any individual or group can also sell their items as a fundraiser or a home show... kind of like an eco-friendly, fashion-forward, global economy consciousness raising Tupperware party, if you replace the passé pastel plastic with eclectic yet practical attire.

I was quite taken with the bold colors of the Pheasant Skirt, which is made entirely of a comfortable fair trade certified cotton. On most women this skirt would no doubt hit just below the knee, but at 6'1", I'm not most women, so my legs a tad more exposed. No matter, though. The hand-stitched, block-printed bird and swirly designs on the thigh are what attracts the eye. I can already hear the envy in my friends' voices. Luckily, this time, I can tell them how they can get one of their own without shelling out the cash for a plane ticket across the world.

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, December 23rd 2009

Winter Dreidle Dress

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:23:00 +0000

Mata Traders

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, a number of Western counter-cultural icons traveled to India in order to broaden their knowledge of art, music, literature, and philosophy by speaking with some the country's intellectual and religious figures. Among those world travelers were musicians (The Beatles), writers (Allen Ginsberg), and academics (Joseph Campbell), who incorporated what they learned into their respective fields of influence. One area that was indirectly affected by these now-famed travels was fashion. From the Nehru Jacket to tie die to sandals, utilitarian staples of Indian attire were brought back to the United States by pop culture heroes and quickly became en vogue.

Today, Mata Traders continues this practice of global fashion exchange. Since 2003, Michelle King and Maureen Dunn have run their women's clothing and accessories business from Chicago, IL. Instead of simply co-opting the bright, offbeat colors and floral patterns seen across the Indian landscape, this woman-owned company moves past an aesthetic focus toward one of social consciousness by employing groups of Indian women worker in a well-worn model of transcontinental economic exchange. Mata Traders is an import/export business whose foundational desire is to facilitate women's financial empowerment.

Working with fair trade women's cooperatives and artisan groups that employ individual women who work either from home or in collective spaces to create handmade clothing in safe conditions while earning a living wage, Mata Traders contributes to a growing consumer trend of fighting the worldwide feminization of poverty by "giving women economic power and viable working skills [in order to] transform a community (and so the world)." According to the Nike Foundation's "The Girl Effect," women earners reinvest 90% of their income back into their families while men earners reinvest just 35%. The idea behind Mata Traders is that bringing women into the workforce will be a catalyst for positive global change.

And that is just the groundwork. Beyond the excellent crafts(wo)manship of the hand-embroidered floral appliqué on the three-quarter length sleeves and hemline of the elastic empire waist Winter Dreidle Dress is the knowledge that the garment is made of 100% fair trade certified cotton that is "grown on small family farms that...follow environmental standards that restrict the use of agrochemicals and encourage sustainability." And the beautiful color (mauve in my case, though the dress is also available in black) is gained through the use of eco-friendly vegetable dyes. All of this enviro-feminism contributes to my feeling very good about myself while wearing this trés cute dress. How many birds can you hit with just one stone?

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, December 16th 2009

Ladies Certified Organic White T-Shirt

admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:32:00 +0000

By Truth

Green is the new black, and no, we’re not talking about that vintage Chanel dinner party dress. From cosmetics to clothing, the determination to be more earth friendly is not just a celebrity fad, but a way of honoring Mother Nature. Many may not understand or care about what going green means, but if we research what really went in our daily couture, perhaps we would think twice before spending our green.

A recent _Seattle Times_ report claims that common fabrics, such as cotton, nylon, and polyester are either grown with a strong dose of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or are even petroleum-based. Consequently, how can our Sunday sweats, a fall sundress, or silky lingerie made with insect poison make us look or feel good? Going green does seem like a pain, or is it? What if there’s an all-natural thread made from the fastest growing plant in the world that can sooth problematic skin, is breathable in even the hottest temperatures, and can please nearly any budget-conscious shopper? Pandas thrive on it and one Canadian designer believes it’s the key to discovering the Truth.

“When I started this company, I was not a vegetarian and was not even thinking of pursuing anything along those lines in terms of a market,” explains Reina Pruchnicki, owner of clothing company, Truth. “But the path that I took opened my eyes to many things and over the years my diet slowly became mostly vegetarian. I have become more aware of making healthy and sensible choices when it comes to food and I love how much better I feel!"

Truth, which began in 2001 in Toronto, first started as a line of leather-looking belts, which became popular among the Canadian vegan community. However, it’s her t-shirts that are gaining attention for being made with bamboo. According to the Truth website, this biodegradable fibre has “natural antibacterial properties and prevents allergies and skin irritation.” In addition, these t-shirts can reportedly absorb and evaporate up to four times quicker than other alternatives without losing its silky smooth feel. Unfortunately, these claims aren’t enough to make Truth t-shirts a must-have.

While Truth t-shirts are famous for being made with bamboo, it isn’t fully accurate. They’re actually produced with “Bamtex,” making them 66% bamboo, 28% cotton, and 6% spandex. Yes, Truth t-shirts are so velvety that you just want to wrap yourself in them, but it seems that only pencil thin girls can truly appreciate this irresistible benefit. More voluptuous women must suffer the wrath of spandex, creating a tight, snug feel that accentuates every undesirable curve, making even the most confident female self-conscious about being exposed. While Truth t-shirts seem perfect for hitting the gym or bearing sizzling hot temperatures, sweat can actually cause them to ride up. The thickness of a Truth t-shirt feels as if it’s retaining more heat even though it’s not. The top’s too-tight collar can easily smudge makeup and anyone who can’t leave the house without applying foundation for a flawless face understands how annoying this can be.

Most importantly, why is it that Pruchnicki’s latest line isn’t 100% bamboo when a few clicks of a mouse can lead shoppers to a vast world of designers providing this feature for a similar or more affordable price? If clothes make the man, then what of women? Should they suffer in the name of beauty and their environment? With so many independent online vegan shops to choose from, the troubles one must face with Truth t-shirts are unnecessary and may even discourage others in thinking that bamboo clothing is uncomfortable when it’s supreme compared to standard cotton.

Pruchnicki’s Truth t-shirts may leave eco-friendly fashionistas disappointed, but her new invention shouldn’t be tossed aside like dirty socks. Her willingness to provide healthy choices for women are admirable and hopefully she’ll offer shoppers a more improved version of her line in the upcoming future. For now, it’s certain that the truth indeed hurts.

Written by: Stephanie Nolasco, December 1st 2009

Red Bamboo Tank

admin — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:36:00 +0000

By Dear Lil Devas

Cotton is a quandary. To me, no fabric is more comfortable, but its environmental impact is vast. Cotton is sprayed with reservoirs of pesticides, dumping tanks of volatile organic compounds onto the soil. The wide spacing necessary to cultivate cottons also diminishes soil fertility. Also, if you use cotton, odds are that you are exploiting a child in Uzbekistan. Is there anyway to avoid culpability?

Synthetics make me feel like I'm wrapped in plastic. Bamboo, on the other hand, takes in five times the volume of greenhouse gasses as an equivalent stand of timber trees and releases thirty-five percent more oxygen. Bamboo does not require replanting or fertilization, and its roots provide an infrastructure that help prevent erosion.

Fortunately, bamboo-material clothing is becoming more available. The labor conditions of the workers who produce it may be compromised, but at least it's creating less damage at the ground level. Dear Lil Devas purchases material from factories from who meet Oeko-Tex and ISO 14001 standards, the highest international standards for protection of workers and the environment. They offer splendid high-coverage tanks in a full spectrum of shades—white, natural, baby pink, light blue, red, cobalt, green, brown, and black—made from lightweight bamboo fabric. The fabric is reported to have hypoallergenic and antibacterial and antifungal properties, and the top is designed with a lined bust and a length that keeps the belly covered when executing the Tree, Triangle, or Cobra. Their pants and bags are manufactured locally. Pants are available in two styles and five colors. Now, if I can achieve something more than the lotus position. Tadakasana, I can also handle. Time to go practice.

Photo depicts Dear Lil Devas bamboo tank in brown.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, September 8th 2009

Long-sleeved Black Red Star T-shirt

admin — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:11:00 +0000

By Ban T-shirts

You can wear your heart on your sleeve, or your politics on your chest. Ban T-shirts—“redress your world”—provides political t-shirts on themes including the political, environmental, organic, anti-war, Native American, and anti-religious. They break it down from the EZLN to GMOs, and have the sense of humor to send up some traditional idols by combining Manson's face with the iconographic image of Che Guevara. A sign of fanaticism: no sense of humor. I once had a date with a Marxist, and told him the following joke:

“How many Marxists does it take to change a light bulb? (Anticipatory pause.) You can't just change the bulb, you have to change the system.”

“I don't like that joke,” he said. We did not meet again.

I selected the red star shirt due to its potential ambiguity as well as its graphic simplicity. The cotton is lightweight and the fit is comfortable. However, with current levels of cultural literacy, there's a risk that it could be mistaken for the Macy's logo. This spring, a young Republicans organization publicized its event with a stencil-like design featuring raised red fists in front of a blue capitol dome. For those who prefer a strict visual over a slogan, there's Flowerguns, Kill Your Television, BikeFish, Petrolcide, Salish Break Dancer, War is Peace, and The Addiction. Ordering shirts made by Royal Apparel instead of American Apparel is an option for bulk requests.

One question: there's a page of Bush jokes, some of them classic, but if dissent is the duty of the citizenry in an ostensibly democratic society, isn’t it time for Obama criticism? But if you are not so inclined, perhaps I shouldn't ask and I shouldn't tell. Want to tell the world how you feel about your preferred cause? Check out Ban T-shirts.

Photo depicts short-sleeved version of the same t-shirt.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, August 24th 2009

Pamela Blouse

admin — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:20:00 +0000

By Diane Reafsnyder

I'm not sure I understand why companies give clothing items actual human names. No doubt it is because the article unearths a memory from the depths of the designer's mind of some random babysitter long since forgotten or perhaps a high school classmate with whom they have fallen out of touch. Not knowing any Pamelas myself, I logged onto Google Images in an attempt to view an array of faces that may have prompted the naming of this lovely handmade shirt.

This is where the game show buzzer obnoxiously indicates having made a mistake, as I gape at numerous pictures of Pamela-freaking-Anderson. Sooooo not what I was expecting from this experiment. Okay, back to the drawing board. While my spontaneous research may not have yielded the result I was seeking, the Pamela Blouse gave me better than I'd anticipated. And if I didn't know any different, I'd think this shirt was sculpted just for me. Bigger in the bust, the belly, and the booty, the Pamela Blouse accentuates what I want to show off while covering what my patriarchy-induced self-consciousness seeks to obscure. Working on body image issues is a process, so in the meantime I can get down with the modicum of confidence gained from the tricks of well designed fashion.

Aside from the favorable shape, the blouse is made entirely from an airy cotton double gauze. The lightness of the fabric makes it perfect for summertime, and the durability of the cotton means the shirt can stand up to repeat washing and drying. I chose to wear it with skinny trousers or a pair of dark, hiphugger jeans rolled up to mid-calf, but the lace detail in front combined with the pink and ivory stripes gives off a cutesy vibe that would totally work with a solid color skirt.

Perhaps that's what I love so much about what Diane Reafsnyder has to offer; nothing beats versatility for the utilitarian fashionista. And the fact that she built her company little-by-little from the ground up makes me smile with feminist pride. (Or maybe that smile was because Diane throws in a free gift with every purchase.) The kind of patience and thoughtfulness of a tenacious businesswoman comes through in her creations, whose blend of modern and classic elements can be found on Etsy. While you probably won't see the web's most popular Pam wearing this blouse anytime soon, I can only imagine that, for you and me, that's an incentive to don the shirt ourselves.

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, August 18th 2009

Slate T-shirt

admin — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:32:00 +0000

By Recycle A Tee

George Carlin once observed that a house is where you keep all your stuff, until you have too much stuff, and then you get a bigger house so that you have enough space for your stuff. I appreciated the Annie Leonard digital video The Story of Stuff. The site details the social and environmental impact of consumption, and the fact that in a consumerist milieu, the entire sense of self-worth appears to be predicated on what you buy, what you wear, and having new and more “stuff.” Getting new stuff becomes a duty: wearing things to the point of disintegration is unAmerican. Whether terrorist attack or fiscal meltdown, the admonition is to “buy more.” Regardless of impetus, it is good to know that people are attempting to provide conscious alternatives.

Recycle a Tee makes organic cotton clothing with the environment in mind. The lifecycle of the shirt—from cotton field to landfill, from root to chute—is considered. They watch their waste at point of manufacturing, and give the shopper options if the top becomes too threadbare for further wear. Shirts can be sent back, shipping gratis, for a twenty-five percent store credit, or donated locally. Just log your donation at the site, and your account will be credited.

The jersey is light and resilient, and items include plain tanks and tee styles with v-necks for men. The t-shirts are printed with water-based inks with your choice of either a three-bent-arrows recycling logo or a tree design. Low-impact dyes color them white, red, yellow, pink, pomegranate, slate, and sky. Considering the earth and the sky? Consider Recycle a Tee.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, August 17th 2009

WonderToast Onesies

admin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:12:00 +0000

By WonderToast

I originally noticed Ann Woltz's charming illustrations when looking for a birthday gift for a surrogate niece. Odetta is flourishing on the other side of the planet, but no matter where she's planted, I have no doubt she will bloom. And what better food for a flower than knowledge of global cuisine? Even though one may be mashing bananas through its fists, it's never too early to expand an infant's palette. The items available at the WonderToast site provide assistance. Short- and long-sleeved one-hundred percent cotton onesies are available in bright cerulean, pale yellow, tangerine orange, aqua, and avocado green. Cartoon foodstuffs declaim “D is for Dim Sum,” “N is for Nigiri,” “T is for Tandoori,” “G is for Guacamole” and “F is for Falafel.” A coloring book and cocktail napkins are also available. Tots can wear the healthy reminder “V is for Vegetables” from the sale section. And who could resist chatty ebi? This is the place to pick up one-hundred percent of the daily recommended whimsicality value.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, July 13th 2009

Hot Boy Shorts

admin — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 22:47:00 +0000

By Girlie Pants

GirliePants is a fun company that creates cute and ironic designs for underwear and tank tops. The pair of underwear that I was sent were a royal blue color with a wickedly cute drawing of a flame on the butt that simply said “Hot” underneath. The design of the image is wonderfully playful, and I think I would wear the underwear all the time if they were actually comfortable. Maybe mine were a size too big, but I experienced the underwear riding up my ass all day long. The cut on the boy shorts is simply awkward. The short part is too short to be considered shorts, but they’re longer than plain-cut underwear.

In spite of the cut, the actual feel of the underwear was great. GirliePantss uses American Apparel for all of their designs so you know the cloth is going to have that soft feeling that is totally addictive. I wear American Apparel’s boy brief underwear as though it’s my uniform. If GirliePants decided to put their designs on a more comfortable cut of underwear, I would buy all of my underwear through them. The boy shorts from GirliePants are $14, compared to the $10 that American Apparel charges you for the same pair sans-cute design. I think an extra four bucks for some spunk is well worth it.

A final note: I’m curious about companies that use American Apparel for their clothing items. While American Apparel does create incredibly comfortable clothing in a socially responsible way, their advertisements are horribly sexist at best. Regardless of their labor practice ethics, why would a feminist (or at least female-friendly) company use products of a corporation that is known for its blatant objectifying advertising and an owner who has multiple sexual harassment charges filed against him? And yet, we still use their clothing for our feminist designs and I’m addicted to their underwear, socks, and thermal shirts.

While I love GirliePants’s funky designs and their desire to do something different, I challenge them to use a more comfortable cut for their underwear and to find a company for their clothing items that does not objectify women. And maybe my challenge for GirliePants is one that I need to make for myself as well.

Written by: Chelsey Clammer, April 5th 2009

Super Beaver Panties

admin — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:41:00 +0000

By Girlie Pants

I'm the kind of person who cannot tolerate uncomfortable clothing. That's not to say I'm perpetually sweatsuit clad, but I'm certainly not the type to hobble around in six-inch heels just because they're hot. I love fashion, but at the end of the day, I'm not willing to maim myself in order to look good.

Of course, my stringent standards of comfort apply 100% to my undergarments. A lady walks a fine line in this arena. A girl like me needs her undies to walk the walk (be practical) and talk the talk (be fun). The Super Beaver bikini panty from Girlie Pants does just that.

They're cute, that's for sure. The bikini is lemon yellow, one of my favorite colors. Wearing a sunny pair of panties makes your day better, doesn't it? A screen printed beaver sits right up front, wearing a cape, mask, and sweater labeled “SB” for Super Beaver. I tend to bristle at colloquialisms that liken my vagina to a rodent that lives in a marsh, but this design made me smile. It's not so much about the beaver. This time it's about the super, and I can get down with that.

The undies themselves were comfortable and well-cut, so they've earned themselves a permanent spot in my underwear rotation. The size (medium) fit me well, and I can wear them all day without ever thinking twice about them. Girlie Pants knows enough about what women want to make their products out of cotton (you gotta let it breathe, girls!), but with enough stretch so that they're neither baggy nor constricting. I wore this pair four times to test them out, and not once did they ride up or twist themselves into anyplace they weren't invited.

Girlie Pants makes undies that are cute, fun, irreverent, and comfortable, with a side dish of girl power. What's not to like?

Written by: Jess Brock, March 30th 2009

What the Nips?: Tune in Tokyo Tank top

admin — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:20:00 +0000

By Girlie Pants

Okay, the last thing that I want to be called is a humorless feminist, so I'll tell a joke: “How many men does it take to wall paper a bathroom?” “One, if you slice him thinly enough.” No, that's not funny. And it also illuminates the fact that female mutilation and battery are much more common in 'humor' than the reverse, or maybe women put a lid on their bitterness as a survival strategy.

I once pointed out to a professor that our language had the term 'misogynist' but lacked the inverse, and suggested 'mishomonist.' Bless Ernst Bernhard-Kabisch, he wrinkled his brow and replied, “That mixes Greek and Latin. That offends me. How about 'misandric' instead?” Perhaps tastelessness is equal opportunity, but I have to admit that the Tune in Tokyo tank top gave me pause, and not only because I couldn't fit into it. (This fall, an employer re-announced the 'no tank top' policy after I committed a violation, distributing conventional tees with the institution's logo at the morning 'pep' meeting. No-one complained about the twenty year-old B-cups wearing them beneath our baggy work jackets. Apparently double the volume and vintage is not acceptable. I suspect a double standard.)

I only recognized the phrase, upon receipt, by recalling a pal's complaint about her boyfriend's standard approach when soliciting a less-preferred practice. “...like he's trying to tune in Tokyo...” Ella Lou had drawled, rolling her eyes. When I'm feeling inspired, I'll try to concoct more metaphors for male ineptitude, God knows I've experienced enough of it. A painter friend described a bad kiss like having a “cat's penis” stuck in her mouth. But I digress...

Victoria Wilkins' line of comic underthings originally appeared as visual art at a gallery in Cleveland, Ohio. The site offers cute visual pun tanks (e.g., two little owls over the ta-tas for 'Hooters'—I liked it when the group Sister Serpents defaced a 'Hooters' billboard by the expressway by gluing a big sausage on the front of the lounging waitress's orange hotpants, and spray painting the ad so that it read 'SHooters'; traffic slowed to a crawl), boy shorts, bikinis, and a thong. Silly me, I originally thought that the boy shorts were for boys, and that the ones with the strategically located cupcakes were rather cute.

There are the ever-popular 'Capitalist Tool' boxers out on the market, but not at this site. Prices range from ten to twenty-five bucks, and the white “itty-bitty titty committee” tank with pink band-aids is sold out. Maybe my discomfort is standard second-versus-third-wave feminism, although I'm somewhere between punk and riot girl in cultural chronology. Sometimes I just can't buy the 'lipstick is empowering' argument, as its logical extension seems to advocate liposuction as a means of social change. Does claiming your commodification put you in control? Or are you perpetuating reification that harms us all? Or should I lighten up because it's just a shirt?

It's an American Apparel t-shirt, and all the ambivalence I could vent there would fill a separate review. I tried to give the tank top away at a recent reading as a prize for anyone who could recite “Crazy Jane Talks to the Bishop,” but no one knew the Yeats. Note: to any graphic designer reading this who would like to collaborate, please contact me, I have a tasteless tee idea, but favor a spare, international-logo design style...

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, March 7th 2009

The Clothes on Their Backs: A Novel

admin — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 11:48:00 +0000

By Linda Grant

Scribner

To be particularly honest, I am partial to any and all texts set in Britain, and The Clothes On Their Backs is set in London. So I was already loving the book before I started reading. My love only grew as I went on.

The story is of Vivien Kovacs, daughter of Jewish Hungarian immigrants. Vivien grew up in Benson Court, with parents who much preferred staying home than going out. Her quiet and sheltered childhood is spent reading and imagining, interrupted by a brief visit by her uncle Sándor Kovacs. Her parents slam the door in Sándor’s face—for he is a notorious slumlord, vilified in the media.

Sándor becomes an integral figure in the book. Niece and uncle meet in a park after Vivien has gone to university, married, become a widow, and moved back in with her parents. He hires her to help him write his memoirs. The two pretend to not know they are related, though each really knows the truth. Vivien digs for information about her past and her family, trying to come to an understanding of why her parents are the way they are. She is also looking for information about why she is the way she is.

The theme of clothing runs throughout the book in subtle ways. The most obvious connection is that Vivien’s family fled Hungary with just the clothes on their backs. The idea moves from there. As a teen and young adult, Vivien wears vintage clothing as a way to define herself: someone slightly alternative, bohemian yet educated. She briefly dates a young man who dresses in a roughed-up leather jacket, showing that he is not from the same class background as she is. Her most vivid memory of the first meeting with her uncle is clothing. Her uncle wore an “electric-blue mohair suit, black hand-stitched suede shoes... And the black girl on his arm, in a nylon leopardskin coat with matching pillbox hat, carrying a plastic crocodile handbag with a gilt clasp.” Much can be inferred from one’s clothing.

There are some moments that feel unresolved or unnecessary; Vivien’s abortion and her brief marriage to Alex don’t really seem to move the book forward. Other than that, the book reads quite well. Linda Grant writes artfully, and was deservedly on the shortlist for the Man Booker Prize.

The book evokes feelings of melancholy and raises questions. In telling the history of Hungary before World War II, and the history of London during the post-war era, questions of immorality and goodness are raised. Vivien’s question of knowing how to live is also left up to the reader to answer for oneself.

Written by: Kristin Conard, February 27th 2009