MATERIALS + CARE
The most sustainable way to shop is to buy high quality clothes and maintain them. We're lucky to have local resources that can help you care for your garments now and for years to come. For mending and alterations, we recommend Abby Huston, Gadue's Dry Cleaning, Pam's Moda (College Street), Nina Alterations (Williston), and The Sandbox. For fabrics, sewing notions, and classes, check out Stash and The Makery. For belt alterations and leather care, stop by Champlain Leather. For jewelry repair, resizing, and restoration, visit Global Pathways, Designers' Circle, and Faeber Studio. Please send us your favorite recs if we have missed any!
GLOSSARY
Cotton
Natural fabric made from a soft white fibrous substance that surrounds the seeds of a tropical and subtropical plant. Fabric is soft against the skin.
Jersey
Soft, fine knitted fabric. Can be made from various materials but is most familiar as t-shirt fabric.
Lace
Fine open fabric, typically one of cotton or silk, made by looping, twisting, or knitting thread in patterns and used especially for trimming garments.
Leather
Material made from the skin of an animal by tanning or a similar process. Color can vary widely as can the surface texture.
Linen
Natural cloth woven from the flax plant. Lightweight linen is a popular fabric for hot weather.
Ramie
Natural fiber made from a flowering plant in the nettle family.
Rayon
aka Viscose (Lyocell and Tencel are brand names of variants). Semi-natural fabric made from wood pulp that has been dissolved in a chemical solution and then spun into thread.
Shearling
A fuzzy, furry material comprised of the wool and pelt of a recently shorn animal.
Silk
Natural fabric made from the fiber produced by a silkworm. Fine, strong, soft, and lustrous.
Sterling Silver
A metal alloy created by combining 92.5% pure silver with 7.5% other metals, typically copper (pure silver is incredibly soft). Sterling silver is known for its resilience, luster, and utility. It is also hypoallergenic for those with sensitive skin. Oxidization is a natural process that forms a patina on your jewelry over time. To buff your sterling, we recommend polishing cloths or rubbing a dab of toothpaste between your fingers and the jewelry. After rubbing with toothpaste, simply rinse your pieces with water and enjoy their renewed shine.
Velvet
Closely woven fabric of silk, cotton, or nylon, that has a thick short pile on one side.
Wool
Natural fabric made from the fine, soft, and curly or wavy hair forming the coat of a sheep, goat, or similar animal. Shorn and prepared for use in making cloth or yarn.
A burn test can be used to identify whether a yarn or fabric without a tag is indeed wool:
1. Pull a few fibers from an inner hem and hold over flame.
2. If the material beads up into a hard ball, it contains a synthetic such as polyester or acrylic (plastic).
3. If it turns to ash and smells like burning hair, then it is a natural protein-based fiber (wool).