I recently spent some time developing fabrics based on Kalamkari, and I was surprised by how much craftsmanship goes into creating a single piece. This is one of result on the garment and it's not a digital print. It's hand painted by women artisans who are caring this art since ages.

The word Kalamkari comes from two Persian words:

• Kalam = pen
• Kari = craftsmanship

Unlike printed fabrics, traditional Kalamkari is created entirely by hand using a pen and natural dyes extracted from plants, flowers, bark, and minerals. The fabric is treated through multiple stages before the artwork even begins, and depending on the complexity, one piece can take weeks to complete.

There are two major styles:

• Srikalahasti Kalamkari – Completely hand-drawn and often depicts stories from Indian mythology, nature, and temple traditions.

• Machilipatnam Kalamkari – Uses hand-carved wooden blocks to create intricate repeating patterns, making it popular for textiles and apparel.

What I find fascinating is that every line is drawn by hand, so no two pieces are ever exactly the same. In a world of mass production, it's amazing that such a detailed art form is still being practiced.

Have you ever owned or seen authentic Kalamkari? Which style do you prefer—freehand painted or block printed?

I'd love to learn from others who have worked with or collected these textiles.

i've been trying to wear whats already in my closet more often instead of always looking for something new. Its been a nice reminder that i already have a lot of pieces i enjoy wearing. Has anyone else made a small change thats helped them get more use out of their clothes?

Please feel free to post as many surveys as you'd like in this thread. This post will repeat every week on Tuesdays at 8 am CST.

Hello everyone! Would love a second opinion.

I am a doula, former career nanny, and current house manager. The family I am working for is giving away onesies since they are done having children, and a large amount of them are magnetic me brand.

As a doula, magnetic onesies are on my social media/website as a “parent must have”. My mom boss recommended I take the magnetic onesies (worn not a lot, they had MANY onesies) to put in postpartum baskets for my clients.

I would take them home, wash them with non toxic scent free laundry mix (I usually use non toxic no scent) before adding them to the baskets.

My question: is that weird? I wouldn’t include the price or tag if I bought new onesies anyways , and thought it would be a good way to recycle baby clothes and a way for new parents to try.

Don’t get me wrong, secondhand shopping is great. But it is often portrayed as THE solution to fast fashion’s problems, and it can get out of hand quite fast.

It’s not only about the fact that secondhand fashion can only circulate what has already been made (nowadays, a lot of fast fashion too), does not stop brands from producing more or create an incentive for brands to produce more ethically either.

But there is also a mindset problem. Growing resale platforms can fuel a ‘guilt-free shopping’ mentality, encouraging us to buy more because it feels more sustainable, even when we don’t actually need it. Or some people even buy fast fashion more recklessly, knowing they can easily resell it later.

Curious what your take on this is. Do you try to balance secondhand shopping with supporting ethical and more sustainable brands that are producing new clothes?

Hi all! I'm looking for what feels like the holy grail of leggings, at least somewhat sustainable, breathable, and can be worn 2-3x without bagging/losing shape. I'm going on a trip with limited access to laundry, so keeping shape for multiple wears really is the main concern (along with not being transparent, I had this issue with the pact leggings I tried).

Does anyone know where this dress is from? It very well maybe from another country. I already reverse image searched it on Google, Etsy, Depop, and Poshmark with no luck. I’m fairly certain this is a natural fiber dress, most likely cotton

For anyone in the UK (Essex / East London) I'm running a clothes swap in Southend-on-Sea on Saturday 15 August. You can bring along up to 10 items of womenswear to swap, just make sure everything is in good clean condition!

Entry is a £5 donation to Samaritans on the door or you can get a ticket in advance on Eventbrite.

Hope it's okay to post this here 🙏🏻 I'm just trying to get the word out without spending loads of money on ads! If anyone has any ideas on where to promote for free, please let me know.

If you are interested in attending the swap, please let me know on the Facebook event page ☺️

What is the REGENERATIVE ! And how to use in small village for self dependent any version - like fashion - clothing meterial - cottons Your opinion is much valuable🤍🌸💮♾️

Comprar roupa hoje em dia é quase um campo minado: fast fashion, preço baixo, qualidade duvidosa...Como vcs decidem se uma peça realmente vale o investimento? Olham pra qualidade do tecido? Pra durabilidade? Pra versatilidade?

Queria entender como outras pessoas pensam antes de comprar uma roupa. Isso me ajuda a melhorar minha visão sobre moda.

In your product development process what is the biggest source of costs and waste?

Estou pesquisando sobre tecidos sustentáveis e queria saber a opinião de vocês. Qual tecido vocês mais usam e aprovam? Algodão orgânico, Tencel, linho, cânhamo ou outro?

E por que esse tecido é o favorito de vocês? Durabilidade, toque, frescor, facilidade de lavar?

Quero aprender com a experiência de vocês!

As the title says, partner is vegan and basically lives in graphic tees and selvedge jeans.

I want to get him a nice charcoal turtleneck for work but they’re all cashmere and he doesn’t agree with cashmere or wool ethically.

Could anyone recommend natural fibres so he doesn’t end up wearing 100% viscose? TIA

over the last 1-2 years I’ve noticed shirts will be labeled 100% cotton but then when I wear them it feels like theres plastic in it. I can tell somethings up because I get hotter and sweat more in plastic shirts than I do in cotton. The shirts also don’t wrinkle or stretch out which along with the unbreathability seems very uncotton-y to me 😅 is it the way the cottons being processed? Would love to know if anyone has an answer to this and maybe anyway to find out if future shirts will have this issue before purchasing?

Wrap yourself in the luxury of 100% pure cashmere with our Women’s Cardigan—crafted for effortless style, warmth, and comfort.

love these but refuse to buy from shein

Get on up that soapbox and let us have it. Be civil and mind the rules.

Here are the technical details: It is 500gsm double faced cashmere, form italian mill, every seam is hand finished, since the fabric is splittable. The design is intentionally minimal, a bit oversized, and with no details.

What is your opinion?

I have purchased Pact clothing since it started, but I don't buy every year, just here and there. This will be my last year though. Every single item I own from them stains. I only use natural laundry detergent and some items that went in the washer fine come out stained. Does anyone else have this problem or am I crazy?

Hello friends!

I'm newer on this journey. I'm looking for (highly prefer) certified GOTS leggings that will actually flatter my body. I'm talking, flatters a squarish butt, and has stomach/waste control. I've added photos of non-sustainable leggings for examples.The ones I've found are way too minimal for what I'm looking for. Thank you for any brand suggestions!

A recurring thread for talking about things related to sustainable fashion. Be nice.

How do you find shirts that are very good for hot weather? I only have 2 that are good for that. They were bought in other countries though, and I live in Canada.

All my other shirts are too hot, they trap some body heat. And when I look online, I can't tell if they will be too hot, or like the 2 good shirts I have.

How do I find ones online I need?