How One Hand-Knitted Hoodie Taught Me About Humanity
In the three months since I added my name to the Anthropologie mailing list, I’ve received four catalogs (Stitch Book, November 2007, Giving Book, and December 2007) in my mailbox. From a sustainable standpoint, one could see these happenings as an eco-nightmare, but I think of it more like visual heaven.
Though the latter three catalogs left me drooling and dizzy with ideas, the Stitch Book caught the bulk of my attention due to it being filled with … stitched stuff! OK, let me be a bit more specific - the Stitch Book is full of sweaters of all shapes and sizes, all featuring impeccable knitted and crocheted designs.
Out of all the available goods in the Stitch Book, the Joona Handknit Hoodie (on the cover and in the image to the left) had me the most entranced: a Little Prince & Piggy original, handmade over the course of 100 hours using several skeins of lush mushroom yarn. Designed with irreverently gathered sleeves and an oversized hood.
Can Anthropologie’s goods really be considered sustainable? That’s a good question and it’s one that I don’t have the answer to. I recently found out that they previously carried a few goods by one of my all-time favorite eco-brands Stewart+Brown (four of which are on-sale on the website). But carrying four tops made of organic cotton doesn’t change the lack of sustainability of the rest of the goods. Seeing how much wool and leather is featured in the catalogs makes me squirm (including the aforementioned hoodie).
On a different token, many of the brands that are featured in Anthropologie have sustainable and fair trade programs. Also, nearly all of the items in their catalogs can be considered “luxury goods”, meaning items that should be invested in and worn/used for many years to come.
Eco-issues aside, I learned a little bit more about who I really am, simply from these catalogs. By looking at the Joona hoodie, you can see that it is meant to be layered with at least a t-shirt. Though this is true, it also intentionally features an open stitch pattern, which is meant to show off the beauty of the yarn being used and the item(s) worn underneath the sweater.
What does all this have to do with a person? For those who are into psychology, you have probably started to catch the drift, but I take pleasure in explaining these kinds of “intelligent” things as well. As simple as I try to make my life, I am still full of layers - we all are. No one can be truly two-dimensional as this is not the kind of life humans are meant to live. While we all need a place to sleep, food to eat, water to drink … etc., there are still many uniquely detailed, yet open, parts about ourselves that shape our situations and experiences.
By being drawn to this particular item of clothing, I have gained new insight into my own issues of social anxiety as well, knowing that laying high-quality clothing that is simple yet striking in its details make me feel as comfortable and confident as I possibly could be. On another note, I happen to be very comfortable being completely naked, but somewhere between nudity and wearing a potato sack, I am wracked with self-consciousness. That’s not to say that my anxiety stems from only my looks - there are a number of psychological factors at work as well; this is just one element worth exploring.
The foods, friends, hobbies, colors, clothing, cars and all other elements of our lives are chosen based on previous experiences, which have established our own “personal tastes.” My lonely childhood, social issues, history of depression, career as a model, and compassion for planet Earth all give me my own desires and passions.
What is this all leading to? Nothing. I am no guru, no magician, no certified professional that can help you solve all your problems, but I can offer you this “word to the wise”: explore yourself. Explore all of the decisions and dislikes you collect in the course of your day, including the impacts they have on those around you. Only by being conscious and in-the-moment can we ever expect to understand the many qualities that make up our true selves.
December 13th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
I read this post at the begining of the afternoon and I thought about it all the afternoon while tearing down the 10000 layers of wallpaper on the bathroom walls…
I really like the way you wrote that post. I like the kind of free style. What got me thinking the most is the point about layers (wall paper or not…)
At first, I thought you would be speaking about how you see through the sweater so you need something under and you can buy it on the store while you’re at it. Could be a marketing approach like any other.
But this layer point you developp about life: the more layers and the more you can track back, see how old something is, layers of the trees trunks, layer of the wrinkles…layers can speak but also hide at the same time. For me it is really what life is.
Your point of view was really a different one for me though. And speaking about clothing “only”, I like the look of layers, but I cannot stand them. I need freedom in my movement and I care less and less about the look of others.
Anyhow, thank you for this post.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:57 am
Hyena, I had to sleep on this comment to know what to say. This is exactly the kind of response I was hoping to get. I don’t open myself up this much in my posts here on my professional blog, so it means the world to me to know that my thoughts touch others.
VE
December 14th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
I was thinking again about all that, and tried to “introspect” about my designs and my way to create, which is extremely important for me, even more than my marketing and sales apparently! haha
And I discovered that my natural way was to add layers and layers and decorations and so on. In everything I create, I try to keep in mind that I have to stay simple. Because this is a difficult path but this is also the one of nature. Even though we are unatural animals. Does that make sense? ahem
I am glad of this exchange.
On a totally different note, I am trying to grab a banner to link your site on my website but cannot find the source of your top banner. Could you please give me a link to one?
December 17th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
When it comes to being creative, especially when you sell your work (like both you and me), you have to be conscious of sales and market, but there is no point in all that if you don’t sell a quality product!
The human species is a very natural part of the ecosystem, but we have taken over and tried to be far too dominate than we need to be. We are just one of the many layers that make up the beautiful diversity of our planet, so it makes sense that we project and embrace the layering concept in other parts of our lives.
If you want to resize the header I use for a banner, sure, go for it.
You can save the header from this url: http://victoria-e.com/wp-content/themes/wow-swiggle-10/images/headernew02.gif
December 25th, 2007 at 9:07 am
I don’t mean to detract from Victoria’s deeper analysis by referring back to the catalogues and clothing — but I think it is extremely important to know our muses.
One of the decisions we need to explore deeper, is the decision on where to shop and who to invest in.
These days, we are surrounded by companies and brands that are quick to respond to the “trend” of being socially and environmentally conscious, all in the effort to make us feel better about purchasing their products.
But these small smoke screens can’t hide the truth. For example, under the layers of beautiful material and design Victoria enjoyed in the Anthropologie catalogue, lay the foundations of the Urban Outfitters corporation. Under that layer we find the president and co-founder, Richard Hayne, who’s contributions to Congressman Rick Santorum and various other Republican political machine pieces reveal his true feelings about the environment, social well being, cooperative rationalism, etc. (see opensecrets.org). For a refresher, here was Senator Santorum’s environmental policy: * Voted NO on including oil & gas smokestacks in mercury regulations. (Sep 2005) * Voted YES on confirming Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior. (Jan 2001) * Voted YES on more funding for forest roads and fish habitat. (Sep 1999) * Voted NO on transportation demo projects. (Mar 1998) * Voted NO on reducing funds for road-building in National Forests. (Sep 1997) * Rated 0% by the League of Conservation Voters, indicating anti-environment votes. (Dec 2003) (see issues2000.org).
So yes, by all means, peel back the layers. Know what is enticing you, what its real background and purpose is, and who may be trying to fool you.
December 27th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
wow, excellent post Michael. I knew weird things about Antropologie, especially the sweatshop aspect, one of the biggest reason why I boycott 90% of the brands!
This “thread” is amazing, and once again, I want to thank Victoria!
It always makes me sad and mad at the same time when I see how people generally stop at the first layer, never goes see further. I know it is because most of the time we are lazy, we don’t want to work and search. But the world is not plain, not made of one layer, so what would everything else be?
I am going to check opensecrets.
Michael feel free to contact me. Here is my blog recycledbyhyena.blogspot.com
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:25 am
Hello Michael,
I couldn’t agree with you more! With so many companies (both fashion and non-fashion related) being purchased or affiliated with businesses that don’t give two shits about helping the planet, it is key for us, as consumers, to make a commitment to seek out that kind of information.
VE