Shows how far we have come from ancestors who let nothing go to waste that making clothes out of leftover fabric is a novelty. But it’s a good idea nevertheless.
Katherine Martinko at TreeHugger writes that Beru Kids is a children’s clothing company in downtown Los Angeles that makes use of textiles that would otherwise be landfilled.
“The garment workers are mostly female,” she says, “and are paid higher than minimum wage (not per-garment, as is usual in the fashion industry).
“What’s really interesting about Beru is that it repurposes deadstock fabrics to make its clothes. ‘Deadstock’ refers to surplus fabric that has not been used by other factories. In LA, it is sent to a warehouse, where Beru’s founder Sofia Melograno goes on a regular basis to purchase whatever textiles catch her eye. Beru has also begun recently incorporating organic, traceable cotton into its garments.”
Traceability means the cotton can be traced back to its original source so it’s possible to assess whether all steps in the supply chain are environmentally and ethically sound.
Martinko adds that because the fashion industry is a huge polluter, finding a use for fabric that would otherwise get thrown away is good for the planet.
More here.
Photo: Beru Kids (via Facebook)
Suzanne's Mom's Blog 
I just read a blog post from a woman who buys used t-shirts at thrift shops, very cheap, and remakes them to wear herself–they turn out nicely! And the women in my sewing group buy old wool garments and felt the wool for embroidery. It’s kind of shocking how disposable fabric has become for most people!
It seems to take imagination, environmental consciousness or hardship to bring out this side of people, who were always meant to be ingenious.