Sundressed: Natural Fabrics and the Future of Clothing by Lucianne Tonti
For conscious consumers, buying clothes has never been more complicated. Even as fashion brands tout their sustainability, the industry is plagued by pollution, waste, and poor working conditions. In fact, fashion may account for as much as 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions. If our clothes reflect our values, is it possible to be truly well-dressed?
Sustainable fashion consultant Lucianne Tonti answers with a resounding yes. Beautiful clothes made from natural fabrics including cotton, wool, flax, and cashmere can support rural communities and regenerate landscapes. They can also reduce waste—but only if we invest in garments that stand the test of time rather than chasing fast fashion trends.
In Sundressed, Tonti travels the world to showcase producers who are reforming the industry. Fiber farmers are taking a page from the regenerative agriculture movement, giving back to the land as they tend it. Top designers are working with Indigenous communities to relearn the artistry of sewing—and reward them financially. And global brands, including Levi’s, are working to produce a pair of jeans that can withstand dozens of washes without any sign of wear. Tonti also shows readers how accessible sustainable fashion can be. Not everyone can afford a designer shirt that was lovingly hand-sewn. But most of us can buy less, choose natural fabrics over polyester, thrift shop, and wear our clothes longer.
When We Were Strangers by Pamela Schoenewaldt
A moving, powerful, and evocative debut novel, When We Were Strangers by Pamela Schoenewaldt heralds the arrival of superb new voice in American fiction. A tale rich in color, character, and vivid historical detail, it chronicles the tumultuous life journey of a young immigrant seamstress, as she travels from her isolated Italian mountain village through the dark corners of late nineteenth century America. A historical novel that readers of Geraldine Brooks, Nancy Turner, Frances de Pontes Peebles, and Debra Dean will most certainly cherish, When We Were Strangers will live in the mind and the heart long after its last page is turned.
Thanks for the recommendations. I’ll put these on my reading list.
I’m excited. They’re going on my list.
Debbie, I would like to reccommend the “Pattern Artist Series” by Nancy Moser to be put on the ASG reading list. I think there are 3 books in the series. I really wish there were more like them for us sewist to read. TIA Mary Anderson
I am looking into these and will post them soon. Thanks for the suggestion! Debbie Reid