A tie: COURTESY OF PNGIMG.COM

LEFT: Display mannequins at a thrift store. When selecting what to wear to an interview it is important to consider the
culture of the workplace; choosing to dress too formal is just as bad as choosing to dress too casual.

ABOVE: Frameworg founder, Irina Mckenzie (left), instructing a woman (right) attending the Stitch Up event. Mckenzie
said knowing how to make basic alterations and repair clothing is a life skill that saves people money.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Rows of clothes for sale in a thrift store. When shopping for professional attire one of the most
important aspects to consider is the clothing's fit. If an article of clothing is loose, alterations can easily be made.

Fabrics that aren't green

A look at three popular materials harmful to the environment

efore throwing away your
B old clothes you may want to
consider the type of materi-
als used in these clothes. Certain
materials can have a negative envi-
ronmental impact both in their
production and the pollution they
create when they end up in the
landfill.
Cotton
Cotton is one of the oldest fabrics
and while many people may think
cotton clothing is environmentally
friendly, Jun Yin, a regional hydro-
geologist working for the Minis-

try of Forests, Lands & Natural
Resource Operations, said other-
wise.

“To produce cotton, a large
amount of water is needed, adding
stress to those water scarcity areas,”
Yin said.

Polyester

Polyester is harmful to the envi-
ronment because the production of
polyester uses fossil fuels. When
thrown away, microfibers from poly-
ester become problematic. “Because
[microfibers] are not biodegrad-

able, they will be discharged to the

Stories
and photos
by Anita Zhu

”

ocean through hydrological cycle,
Yin said.
Leather

While leather may be natural,
growing cattle livestock gener-
ates excessive amounts of methane.
“Methane is a strong greenhouse
gas, and its global warming poten-
tial is 100 times greater than normal
greenhouse gases such as CO2.”

Yin concluded, “as long as it is a
product, it will go through processes
and each step generates waste and
produces a carbon footprint — more
or less.”