practicerecuni

[practicerecuni]

what is rayon?

Rayon is a manufactured fabric made of wood pulp, or cellulose. There are many types of manufactured fibres using cellulose and wood pulp, the most popular being viscose.

Variations have been made since 1664, but it was first marketed as “artificial silk” in 1924 as Rayon. The term viscose comes from due to the process of making it: “a viscous organic liquid used to make both rayon and cellophane.”

According to Good on You there is no difference between rayon and viscose but on further investigation, rayon and viscose are made using the same process but different materials: rayon can be made with cellulose from a variety of plants, viscose is made from wood pulp or cotton linter (fuzzy stuff around the seeds, different from lint, which is the main cotton candy stuff).

is rayon sustainable?

Barnhardt cotton reasoned why there’s a problem with viscose here, saying:

“While cotton and rayon fibres are both made from cellulose, cotton’s cellulose is grown in five to six months by plants, while rayon comes from trees—which require years to grow.

“The trees are chemically processed to remove everything (bark, lignin, etc.) but the cellulose, and then the remaining cellulose is regenerated into man-made fibres.”

The chemicals used to make cellulose into a fabric can be harsh and the process can have nasty by-products. There are manufacturers making efforts to make it better for the environment, such as the Lyocell process using N-Methlymorpholine N-oxide as a solvent.

how do I care for rayon?

Rayon in its pure form can be washed at 40C and washed with similar colours.

Due to the fact that it can take on colour really well, it can bleed.

As always, washing from cold to 30C is best for the environment.

should I buy rayon?

I wouldn’t buy new viscose or rayon clothing because the process of making it is not sustainable, and the usual mystery surrounding who is making it where and with what.

Perks of viscose are that it’s breathable, holds colour well, it’s smooth, absorbent, but it can wrinkle easily and shrink when washed.

I personally like the feel of viscose on my skin and find it quite airy, so my recommendation is to jump on products in op shops.

[practicerecuni]

what is linen and why is it so expensive?

Linen is a fabric made from the stalk of the linseed/flax seed plant, and is some of the oldest known man-made fabric.

Linen can last 20-30 years with proper care, it becomes softer with every wash and doesn’t break down as fast, because the rate of moisture absorbance is higher in linen fibres.

Linen naturally hypoallergenic which means sweat is less likely to break down the linen fibres, as it would in cotton.

While linen is a natural insulator, but due to its breathability, it must be paired with other fabrics or layers to retain heat in the winter.

a quick history of linen

Use of flax seeds for fabric can be found as far back as 36,000 years ago and was produced in many parts of the world, mostly around the Mediterranean Sea  (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece etc)

The name linen comes from some of the first written evidence of linen on the Linear B tablets of Pylos, Greece, where linen was written as "li-no" in Greek (fun fact: we get the English word “line” from linen)

Linen was the pretty much the major fabric used throughout Europe because it’s easier to grow in colder climates (cotton was very much around, but could only really be grown in warmer climates).

According to reddit user Cl0cktower, who wrote a 10,000 word essay on the subject, cotton moved to Europe in the 1600s due to lucrative trading in Asia, mainly by the Dutch, French and English, thus making cotton fashionable and exotic.

In the 1700s, England banned imports of cotton products, but not raw cotton, so imported cotton was in high demand. But you can’t grow cotton in England guys…

Across the Atlantic, an established slave trade and slave labour were in operation, mainly for tobacco. Tobacco was dropping in value, so plantation owners changed tack and moved into cotton because of the aforementioned British sanctions.

Free slave labour and the invention of the cotton gin made cotton easier and cheaper to produce, so bye bye ages-to-even-separate-the-fibres-front-the-actual-plant linen

how is linen made?

Linen is expensive, partly, because it takes ages to make an actual thread.

To harvest linen from the flax plants, the plants have to be pulled from the ground rather than being cut in order to keep the full length of the fibre.

After being harvested the plants are left in the field to soften to the point where bacteria and fungi become present.

There’s some more decomposing, then the fibre is collected from the plants, rolled and stored for 2-3 months...for more softening.

I’m guessing you’re understanding more about why linen is so spenny now...

If you actually care how the linen moves from crop to crop top, LinenMe has a neat infographic here.

how do I take care of linen?

Linen can be washed at 40C and ironed at up to 110C (the three dots on your iron). 

I always suggest washing with similar colours and 30C to cold water is best for the environment.

In terms of colour bleed, linen doesn’t take colour super well, meaning if you try to dye linen, it will come out much lighter than anticipated. This means you’re probably ok to wash with different colours and it will most likely not turn the colour of the wayward sock (we’ve all been there).

should I buy linen?

As outlined by Dennis Green at Business Insider, the breathability of linen is a double-edged sword.

“Sure, they work while you're outside. But you better hope you brought a jacket once you enter any place with air conditioning, as you will quickly start shivering.”

Green then complains that you always look unkempt, it’s impossible to iron, and his three linen shirts (bought new, I presume) have not gotten softer.

Fair enough, mate, but what better excuse to buy second hand? As I said earlier, linen can last up to 30 years, meaning if someone else has worn it for a bit, it is unlikely to be compromised.

Linen also has a high resale value, so if you think the £7 for a linen shirt at the charity shop is a bit steep, keep in mind you could easily sell it on eBay for £10 if you ever want to get rid of it.

I personally love the “unkempt” look of linen and it’s breathability, especially on humid London days, so I always buy linen that looks good on me at op shops.

P.S. 

“a brief history of linen” mentions slave labour, but I want to be clear I’m not “skimming” over the harrowing history of the use of slaves to effectively create the world we live in today.

Part of my mission with practice recuni is to be more aware of who is making the stuff you buy, and, let’s be real, there are still people being used as slaves today.

I do not mean to trivialise slavery by adding a line about using humans for free labour in a larger context. The history of slavery, particularly in America, is a larger issue which I could not do justice here.

If you want to know more about slavery and the ascension of cotton, there’s a great piece about it by Henry Louis Gates Jr. at The Root here.

Header image: Luca Laurence

[practicerecuni]

the life-changing art of walking into a charity shop (read: why I can't be normal)

I will admit, I'm a bit obsessed, but I find charity shops very relaxing.

It's gotten to the point where I don't want to go int regular retail stores because I find them so stressful.

First of all, it's the music, which is usually too loud and a feedback loop of the most over-marketed artists.

Then it's the greeters, and the can-I-help-you-with-anything-ers, who I know are just trying to do their job, but I'm honestly so annoyed when someone comes up to me in a shop. (The karma of this is that I can never find someone when I ACTUALLY need them)

Then, it's the way everything is set out, like at H&M, for example, you've got the hottest trends upfront, then items are sectioned by binary gender, then what "mood", then by colour or outfit, and that's the first level.

Then there are other levels of seasons, and sales, then high-end stuff and L.O.G.G. But all that noise is unnecessary when I just want a bloody white singlet and there are three bloody sections with three bloody different types.

How do I know this top is the cheapest? Or best fabric? Or will it last?

Guys, I can't even, so I leave with nothing I need and ALL the heart palpitations.

I can't be the "normal" consumer for my demographic anymore, because all the mechanisms to make me buy just turn me off completely.

I am this way because I've acclimatised to op shops, and I am so content to rifle through the discarded pieces to find my treasures...or a pastry brush.

First of all, it's the music, which is weirdly and consistently 80s, or other throwback hits, which I live for, or there's absolutely no music at all. *Ahhh silence*

Then it's the volunteers or shop managers, who, after one "Hello, welcome", you never have to talk to again. *Introverted personality traits sing*

Further, it's how everything is set out, If you want tops, there's a tops section (if you're lucky they're in colour, or size, or BOTH), then there's a shoe section, then there's homewares and haberdashery, then there are records, and books and weird art, then there's an entire set of Die Hard VHSes which you know where given to charity from a newly freed divorcee who always wanted to be rid of going-bald-so-he-shaves-his-head-in-the-next-movie Bruce Willis. This gives you vicarious catharsis (GET IT GURL) *Good vibes ahoy*

Further, it's that I can literally find the things I need for a much cheaper price if I'm willing to put in some time.

Seriously, everything, there is a small list of the things I have found (FOR CHEAP) at an op shop.

A Bombilla (tea straw)

An overlocker (yeah, like for sewing)

Pyrex crockery

Leather jacket ($10!)

Silk shirts

New bamboo skewers

Le Creuset ramekins

New Bras

Essential oils

High-end cosmetics

Half-burned-but-still-delicious-smelling candles

Bed linen

Fondue Set

New Ikea furniture

Pastry brush

I know right, the sort of things people chuck blows my tiny mind. And Finally, it's price; as you'll find out, I am extremely frugal (read: cheap).

For the delicate and squeamish

Tamara DiMattina, when talking to The Pineapple Project, had the best way to think about it

"Everytime you go to a restaurant, do you think you're the first person to eat off that fork?""Some people think it would be gross to buy clothing from an op shop or wear a t-shirt that someone else has worn, or jeans; but they'll happily go to a hotel and use a towel that someone else has used."

“...do you think you're the first person to eat off that fork?“

It's usually best practice of second-hand vendors to give their items a wash before they sell them because they're humans and they're nice.

So if you're so terrified of touching someone else's stuff, don your Marigolds and put it in the damn wash.

You know a second-hand dress from a charity store is not the worst thing to have gone in that washing machine (I'm talking about that those messy nights of nondescript stains you would rather not think about).

Is anyone else overwhelmed the shopping culture of the now? Message me with your stressful shopping anecdotes!

N.B: A note on Marie Kondo.

The title of this piece was adapted from the title of Marie Kondo's book

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

I bet it's way shorter and nicer sounding in Japanese.

Anyway, I began my love of opshops before I knew of Kondo, but some of her values as a minimalist align with the ethical and sustainable reasons to buy second-hand.

I'll talk more about Kondo later, but I had to give props where it's due...and raise a sister up when I can.

Image: Wandsworth Oasis in Streatham

[practicerecuni]

what's all this business business?

I've been wanting to track my sustainability efforts for a while, so when I launched my Etsy side hustle, it seemed like a good time to begin writing about the process.

You, dear reader, may be wondering what an upcycled fashion brand has to do sustainability, zero waste and other save-the-planet bandwagons, so this piece will hopefully answer that.

I blame Pinterest

I was living in a two-bed house in Marrickville, getting paid quite well, but not quite enough to sustain a bedroom in a HOUSE in Marrickville, the INNER WEST of SYDNEY *twitch*

I'm scrolling my Pinterest feed, looking for decor ideas to fill my house with STUFF on the cheap, when DIY and Make Your Own pins begin popping up. After a rabbit hole involving cosmetics that do not test on animals, and that are good for your skin, I'm now making my own cosmetics, bath bombs, candles, coffee scrubs and washing powder.

Cut to now, I'm living in LONDON, about to move to a STUDIO flat in the STICKS (it's outside the south circular, feel my pain) with a much more evolved sense of the state of the world and my place in it. and it's waaaaaay cheaper out in the sticks.

Again, Pinterest is to blame for my zero waste (ZW) switch, but I feel it's something I was always moving towards anyway.

Photo by Shanna Camilleri

What has zero waste have to do with fashion?

Everything.

If you want a good documentary to watch, I'd heavily recommend The True Cost.

The True Cost doco (TTCD) outlines the chain of events that create a fast fashion garment, which is anything from H&M, to Zara, Forever 21 and Cotton On.

And, gurl, it's a doozy. It was TTCD that told me that the fashion industry is the SECOND largest polluter in the world behind OIL. FFS.

“The fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world behind oil”

Funnily enough, I was watching this doco while sewing garments from op shops, and that's pretty much when I exclusively bought clothes from Second Hand (SH) sources.

You can read more about the waste and pollution associated with fast fashion from a great piece by The Independent, and then come back (PLEASE) and hear how my little project helps.

Zero waste and recuni

recuni's supply chain is pretty easy to track: I buy my stock from charity and secondhand stores or get material for free, then jazz it up a little and send it to you.

It's that simple. Money goes to me, the producer, and the charity stores, the supplier, and you don't have to worry about the waste associated with it (a lot of thread around my apartment).

That Independent article states that when polyester fabrics are washing, tiny plastic fibres (polyester is essentially plastic) get into the water supply, and I don't need to tell you eating and drinking plastic ain't no good.

Therefore, recuni aims to deal with fabric with no less than 85% cotton or viscose (made from wood pulp) and other natural fibres, to prevent my little garment store from perpetuating the problem.

Also, polyester doesn't feel nice on your skin (Is it just me or is it always too hot or too cold?)

Be the change yadda yadda yadda

While I'm not making my own EVERYTHING as much anymore, I am putting my scheckles towards people and organisations that can fight the fight for me.

What started as a bid to save money moved into making a more concerted effort to be better for the environment in everything I do.

And who knew doing it yourself turned out to be cheaper? (Everyone, Ali)

Shop recuni here.

Header image: JESHOOTS.COM

[practicerecuni]

hello world

I launched my upcycled clothing shop, recuni, last week.

It all came about because I was out of a job and was going absolutely insane applying for jobs and hearing nothing back, getting messed around by recruiters and having to create yet another account for an employers careers page.

Oh, did I mention I was also moving out of my tiny room in South London into my boyfriend's house in West London while we waited for our studio flat in Further South London to become available?

Yup.

So Ali's unemployed and trying to do everything on the cheap, she's going into countless charity stores to find all sorts of all sorts, seeing some pretty good basic shirts and some jazzy vintage prints and thinking, "Man, I could make a whole new store from these basic tees and those jazzy prints."

Thinking I had nothing to lose, I bought a circa 1970s (I think?) Viking Husqvarna sewing machine on eBay (£31!), then mocked up my logo on Pixlr (not an affiliate) on my partner's iMac (also not an affiliate).

While I'm waiting for my sewing machine, I blow £70 on stock on the five Walworth Rd charity shops (not the best idea) and begin making my pockets.

Two weeks later, I paid paradise to put up an Etsy Shop (not sorry about the word play!).

While I'm desperate and broke with a sewing machine on hand, this launch is out of necessity as well as ideological, it's my practical and proactive way of staving off the debilitating feeling that I experience when thinking about this little Earth of ours (thanks to my militantly socially conscious aunt, but more on that later).

Everybody has to make money, but I don't believe we need to disparage others in order to do it.

I'm making and selling clothes, and I'm not too proud to admit I'm part of the capitalist consumerist cycle, but it's the supply chain and where that money goes that is the most important to me and my recuni enterprise (spoiler alert: most of the money comes to me, the small business owner).

What is recuni?

We make upcycled items from secondhand goods, starting with creating quality apparel to prolong the life-cycle of garments.

Where do recuni clothes come from?

All recuni materials (excluding thread) is 100% secondhand goods. They are mostly bought at charity shops (all franchises) but some I have sourced for free.

What are they made of?

recuni aims to source second-hand materials with no less than 85% cotton. Some material is sourced without its material make up disclosed (scraps, old curtains, clothes without tags, etc) but all goods are made and sold with quality at the forefront.

Who makes them?

I do!

Are they clean?

Yes. Charity shops clean their clothes before selling them, and I get rid of noticeable stains where possible.

But rest assured, they have been through at least one machine cycle before they're sent to you.

Where can I buy?

I have a handmade and vintage store on Etsy. You can get free shipping when you buy two or more items with code THEDOUBLA

etsy.com/uk/shop/recuni