Frequently asked questions

I am happy to customize any items in my catalog (longer, shorter, etc...) but I do not offer one-off custom clothing making services.

I do not carry "plus size" inventory, however I am happy to make larger/different sizes on a bespoke basis. A visit to my studio is required for this so proper fit can be achieved.

Here is the truth, with no marketing BS: Unlike a verifiable certifiation such as "Organic", the word "sustainable" does not have a clear set of requirements to meet the definition. *ANY* fabric made from renewable materials can legitimately be described as "sustainable". Pretty much every fabric available today makes some kind of claim about being "sustainable", just go to the websites of my suppliers and you'll see (Kendor, Gordon Fabrics, Telio, Zinman Textiles, Verhees, Nooteboom). In my opinion, this is all marketing BS. I am extremely skeptical about whether these suppliers really know where the fibres came from, how they were processed, what may or may not have been dumped in the local water supply, or how many/which pesticides were used. Almost all fabrics are manufactured in countries with little or no environmental oversight and where bribery is a normal part of life. Moreover, whether something is "sustainble" is primarily determined by the end user - true sustainability only happens when a garment is well cared for and worn for years before being replaced (thus reducing consumption). Thus very little of the "sustainability" equation is truly related to how fibres are sourced/processed, and why my focus in choosing fabrics for the HCC is on performance, not the who-what-when-where-why of the fibre (which someone like me has no wherewithall to discover anyway). This is my opinion after 16 years on the inside (when I was working for other brands). Outside the industry, you're accustomed to seeing the face fashion wants to present to the world: "you should buy LOTS of this cause it's so sustainable!" "Buy lots!" marketing is the easiest way to spot greenwashing BS. If we are truly concerned about the ability of humans to continue to live on this planet, our number one priority must be to reduce. In my situation where I'm basically a gnat on the nose of the industry and have no power to change how fabrics are made, my main concern vis-a-vis reducing is with how many times a garment can be worn before it needs to be replaced. Using that definition, yes I source my fabrics sustainably. I always prioritize natural fibres made from renewable resources (plants), but my primary motivation here is not "sustainability" - I just find these fabrics more comfortable and aesthetically appealing. I do use some fabrics with a polyester component: this can help make a fabric more durable and colourfast, meaning it will outlive its 100% cotton counterpart by a lot, usually double+ . I also use polyester if it is a "dead stock" fabric, meaning it was left over from a larger company's production and it's being saved from landfill . Most of my fabrics include a small amount of spandex beacuse it's just so much more comfortable - spandex is not "sustainable" (it's made from oil). But iuf we aim to reduce our clothing consumption, our clothes must fit well and feel good so we want to keep wearing them. The genie is out of the bottle on this one - no one is going back to our non-stretchy-clothing days. Spandex also helps fabric keep its shape - after being stretched, the spandex that brings it back. I will continue to look for well-performing eco-friendlier fabrics. I have tried and tried to love Tencel but every time I sample it it looks terrible by the third wash. I recently tried Lenzing's new ultra-sustainable fabric Eco Vero and after the sixth wash there were holes in five different places in the seams! I recently got a swatch of 100% recycled cotton/poly/wool fleece that was supposedly intended for sweatshirts and it felt like a felt hat, not something you'd want your hoodie made of. Fortunately Organic cotton is widely available and performs excellently so I use a lot of that whenever its available. I'm doing the best I can with what is available. I sample twice as many fabrics as I end up using, but the fabrics coming out using these new more environmentally-friendly processes just aren't on par with the "conventionally" processed goods. And quality is #1! If you have further questions or have discovered something in your own research which contradicts what I've written here I'd love to hear from you! I'm always learning :)

Unfortunately sewing white is a whole hullabaloo. Firstly, it has to be cut separately because the fuzz from layers in other colours gets all over it. Second, my machines would have to be entirely disassembled and cleaned before it can be sewn without the same fuzz problems - in a normal factory setting (with more than one worker, ha!) there is a separate assembly line just for white/ivory. Plus then I would have to bag the finished goods in plastic to keep it clean. I just don't have the time or patience for white. (And I never wear white myself because I'm a very sloppy person!)