Yes, that’s fine, but where do I find an elegant (sustainable) red dress now?

I have two or three of them in my wardrobe, not for evening wear. In the group of friends, some are already looking in the windows of the city, others have flocked to Amazon… I obviously decide to proceed in a different way. Not only. I said to myself: “What if I tried to arrive with a ‘Wow’ effect dress by telling that I have chosen the path of sustainable fashion? It could entice other people by showing how not so difficult it is to dress green and ethically (which is the slogan of Dress ECOde)”.

Taking advantage of the passion for research on the net, I put myself into action by browsing the second-hand shops.

If one day I get bored or find myself leaving it parked in the closet, I can always sell the dress by putting it back into circulation. Vinted seems to me to offer ample choice for a limited budget. After having scanned dozens and dozens of ads, I realized I have a list of about fifteen options between 7 and 40 euros. In the end I chose a dress with an Italian brand label, Elisa Landri. I looked and looked at the photo: it seems to me that it can fit more body shapes, in order to go more or less without fail. The transaction is fast, the seller is precise and the dress arrives as it is in the photo, practically new.

A vintage clutch bag by Furla, inherited from my grandmother. A pair of shoes that I have carefully kept for about ten years. A second-hand shrug. Here we are! I show you the result in the photos.

On the evening of the dinner I repeated to each “What a beautiful dress!” the choice of second-hand (“It’s used, would you ever say that?”) and vintage. I had already told of this way to solve the need for the dress code in the chat of the group of friends. And right in the chat my decision is intertwined with that of Antonella. A different path, always with a view to sustainability, which she tells us about here.

(You can listen to Antonella’s interview also on Spreaker)

Hi Antonella, thank you for agreeing to share your experience with regards to this occasion in which we participated together. The first question I want to ask you is: what did you think when you read about the dress code?

“When I received the email with the directions for the evening and I discovered that the dress code required red, specifically Christmas red, I was anxious for a moment as I knew for sure that there weren’t totally red clothes in my wardrobe”.

So you didn’t have a ready-made red dress in your closet? Why did you never have them or did you have them and got tired of them? Is it a color you don’t wear?

“Actually in the past I had made the mistake of buying a totally red dress that I fell in love with when I saw it in the shop window. It also valued me as a dress model. I tried it, I fell in love with it, I bought it (among other things, it also cost a lot of money). I wore it for that night, it was a New Year’s Eve, and I haven’t worn it since. For a long time I wondered why I didn’t wear it, being a model that enhanced my shapes. But I didn’t understand why in the end the choice always fell on something else. I had paid a lot for it and therefore I couldn’t throw it away or at least take it out of my closet. Then when I discovered the color analysis I realized that in my color palette, the ones that highlight my complexion colors, the undertones of my eyes and hair, there was no red, specifically Christmas red. At that moment, therefore, I became aware of this thing. I knew I would never wear it again or anything except modifying it, taking it to a seamstress, trying to make some appliques or whatever. But this would have required an expenditure of energy, time, the purchase of other fabrics, applications, etc. So I chose to donate it, eliminating it from my closet”.

Antonella, did it only happen with the red dress or are you reviewing your way of managing your wardrobe and the clothes that are inside, so are you really changing your approach to clothing as well?

“Let’s say I’ve been doing this over the last year, the last couple of years. Because I understood how much marketing and advertising focus on our emotional factor and lead us to buy things that seem fundamental, essential to us. It seems that we can’t do without them, but then once they are placed in our homes they become a burden. So I really started doing some very thoughtful and thorough decluttering, trying to figure out what specifically in the closet, actually throughout the house, was stuck there. Only because there was an emotional hook and not because it was functional to make me feel good, make me feel at ease. So I’ve been making decluttering choices for some time, donating these clothes to people I know can give new life, because they value them more, or just to Caritas, to people who need it. Furthermore, being very sensitive to eco-friendly issues, to nature, to animals, I am really reflecting a lot on every purchase, that is, when I do it I reflect on whether I really need it”.

When you read about the dress code what did you decide to do? Because we saw I decided to go on one way, what did you think instead? And in the end what was your choice?

“I chose not to buy a new dress because I knew it would go the way of that gorgeous red New Year’s dress, it would hang there in the closet. So I had to find a solution using what was there. I opened my closet and looking through my party dresses, let’s say a little longer, a little more formal, I found this dress, well hidden in cellophane. In the top it is black with transparent veil. In the part of the top, from the bust to the waist, it is shiny with sequins. In the lower part, however, it has a long skirt, very wide in tulle, a little transparent, with very large red flower applications and with a red and black belt at the waist. So this could have been the solution, even if looking at it I had the feeling that there was little red. Nevertheless it hadn’t been specified that the evening should be total red, in any case the visual impact would have been on the black of the bodice and then later on the part red. I thought I’d find a solution to increase the red of my dress. At that point I wrote a message on the Whatsapp group of a personal growth course I’m doing to look for a brainstorming asking my friends for help. Arianna promptly intervened giving me advice on how to enhance and how to increase the red in the upper part of the dress. She kindly lent me her red clutch bag”.

Yes, Antonella, it’s a vintage red bag, with the initial A too, which stands for both Arianna and Antonella.

“It was in the hand, and therefore increased the red on the body, on the upper part. She had also offered me a shawl, not being sure of the point of red I tried it on but in reality it didn’t fit very well. So thinking and looking for images on the internet, I came up with the idea of gloves. Among other things, I had a pair of red gloves because I had used them at a dance I think. However, they were gloves only on hand, so let’s say that they were a little more red anyway, but not enough, being that the arms were still totally uncovered. So the idea fell on red long gloves. Unfortunately we were reduced to the last minute, so it was truly almost magical: that evening Arianna arrived with long red satin gloves!”

Yes, Anto, the chat where we helped each other worked for this, in the sense that we brought some more accessories, something more red and I saw these red gloves emerge from Eleonora. I immediately thought: “These are perfect for Antonella’s dress!”

“Which I wore, totally increasing the red in the upper part. I tied my hair up, so as not to let the dark of the hair prevail together with the bodice which remained black. Overall the dress has increased red over the black. It also had a really beautiful effect, as well as giving an extra note of elegance to the dress which, despite being long, I had tried to make a little more sporty by putting boot underneath”.

How do you think this experience went, Antonella? What was the result in the end?

“The result was absolutely fantastic”.

Would you do it again? So would you recommend it instead of buying a new dress for a special occasion, as in this case?

“Precisely because I realized that this beautiful result came out of an idea launched in a group, after a few days I repeated the experience. When a friend of mine called me in a panic because they had given directions to a wedding she was invited to. Women should have kept to colors that oscillated between wisteria and pink. Having nothing and putting herself at the last minute to look for a dress (even for winter) for the wedding and having found nothing, I advised her to send messages in different kind of Whatsapp groups. Friends, colleagues, middle school classmates, in short, all those groups that swarm on our cell phones, asking for advice and support for this situation that had arisen”.

How did it go?

“She managed to find a pair of gloves too, a clutch bag, a hairstyle, a very light veil scarf and a shrug. All this, which precisely matched the shades that she had requested, added to the very light powder-colored dress that was what she had thought of, in the end the result was fantastic. She was delighted. I too, equally happy to have been able to replicate a fantastic experience that had brought me a beautiful result, and that also had given her this equally beautiful result”.

How nice, Antonella, it makes me really so happy! Because then there are possibilities other than just picking up and going to buy a dress, an accessory, something new just for a specific occasion! So, summing up, what do you feel like saying about this experience?

“I am happy that I was able to find this solution in my difficult situation, let’s call it that. And happy that I have understood that there are many possibilities in addition to the simpler one of buying, going looking for into the new. I’m glad I’ve already replicated. Because precisely for the reason that  it gave a positive emotion, experience, it will in turn be replicated by my friend as well”.

Thanks Antonella for taking the opportunity to try a different way of dressing even when these requests and needs arise. Thank you for repeating the example with your friends as well. It’s very nice to imagine a positive chain of this type, and who knows maybe someone listening to this podcast have the same idea and continue this positive chain, in order to stop sometimes compulsive, sometimes even a little useless purchases. And then, let’s say it, it was also a lot of fun exchanging accessories and exchanging tips! Thanks again Antonella for your experience.

Antonella Minardi, whom I met during a personal growth journey, is a nature lover, likes cats, lives and works in Salerno in Cilento area.

Update May 2023

Why can’t you find the audio article? Because we can’t publish episodes of the podcast. After the European Office has recently confirmed the opposition, and therefore effectively inhibiting the use of “à-porter” in trademarks, the brand, not satisfied with the result, informs us through lawyers that Audio-à-porter has been used again for a podcast released on April 13 (https://www.spreaker.com/show/audio-a-porter). We need technical times for the transition, which we would like to live with necessity and not threatened by the launch of subsequent actions. Instead, we know that you, the reader, will be patient and you will soon find the episode uploaded. We are sorry and cannot understand the appropriation of “à-porter”.

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It was not easy to make this communication.
We don’t give up, but… A sense of powerlessness in the face of the arrogance of the bigger companies.
Is it right to appropriate commonly used terms? Why deal with so many small brands, when there is no remote risk of a real threat? Appropriating common words scares me.
We would like to make this story known. Thanks for your help.

Too Good To Go – Let’s save the food and the wallet!

I have been using this app for some time, together with another competitor wide known abroad, to help reduce food waste. The idea is to connect users with businesses that offer unsold products, in order to prevent food from being wasted. On the one hand, customers receive food from favorite bars and shops at a lower price, on the other hand shopkeepers engage new customers and avoid disposal costs, contributing to the reduction of food waste.

You download the app, sign up for free and start scrolling through the availability of food by selecting the neighborhood, type of product (ready meals, food, baked goods), time slot of availability (lunch / dinner) and other criteria such as the immediate availability or the imminent closure of the time window for collection.

I had excellent experiences (in Milan in an oven and in an ice cream parlor in Rome) and a little less luck with some exercises in Roman territory where the participating shops have recently reached 1,000, with disappointment for the quality and quantity of food to be withdrawn. The app works great, it’s simple, immediate.

However, in some cases I had the feeling of a possible misunderstanding on the part of some restaurateurs: the purpose of Too Good To Go is to save the surplus from waste, everything that is close to expiry at the closing of the restaurant and cannot be sold soon. It is not only a tool to promote your business or to apply discounts to new customers… In one case, unfortunately, I also found food that, for reasons I overlook, was just to be thrown away. In others, the disappointment of finding few things and at a price almost equal to the price list and the doubt of not having really helped to save something about to be thrown away. On this we hope that the Too Good To Go team can find a way to better orient the businesses that join.

A part from that, I think it is a valid tool of great use in the fight against waste! In the case, for example, of the oven in Milan, the quantity of delicious food was truly incredible and it was clearly understood that they were sandwiches, scones, pizzas, stuffed cottages that the next day could not be put back in the window. The ice cream tasted recently was also very good, with a competitive price compared to the product normally sold.

It costs nothing to try, I invite you to download it! Let me know how you find yourself so I can share it with other readers.

(Photos: Too Good To Go)

Veggly – Digital dating for vegetarians and vegans (but not only)

A few months ago I read an article announcing the arrival in Italy of a new dating app, dedicated to vegans and vegetarians. “Will it work to get to know people with similar intentions, more attention to the environment and animals and a greater sensitivity towards sustainable issues?”, I asked myself. It would have been nice to write about one more tool to create new social relationships in times of distancing and physical distance.

I’d like to preface that I have never used a dating app. I therefore have no possibility to make a direct comparison with similar tools, but I was able to collect feedback from those who use them regularly.

Veggly works like this: you sign up, upload your photos, enter your description indicating whether you are vegan, vegetarian or if you are “trying” (in the sense of trying to become veg!) And the work you do. You can choose the free or paid version. By scrolling through the photos, if you like someone send a like. If he/she likes back, the match starts and you can begin chatting. No photos, no vocals. Messages only.

I’ve never given  a like first, but maybe for the article I should have tried. There are those who send you a like, reciprocate and then don’t write anything to you. I didn’t understand them. Even if it can happen to press “like” by mistake (it happened to me with one not at all similar!).

In recent months I have come across the strangest human cases. In the profile I indicated the work profession, age and interests converging on nature, the environment, travel and, after a first period of total inexperience, I clearly specified that I was not “a person from Tinder” and I would have answered to meet people with similar interests, with a real name and a personal photo (note for Veggly managers: but… why age? Why not a range of years for example? Does it really need to appear next to the name??… please…).

Trusting in a sort of natural selection given the name and target of the app thanks to what is written in the bio, I found myself being contacted by:

• Two oil industry engineers
• Dozens of people with no photos other than a kitten, sunset, vegan dish, etc.
• A boy who for the first time has heard of professions related to sustainability
• Several men disappointed with the answer to the question “What are you looking for here on Veggly?” (“I would like to meet people with similar interests”)
• Mostly young boys (between 25 and 30 years old)
• A misogynist

And then a series of cases that could be almost pathological.

I asked myself and I wonder: do they randomly click on “like” stopping at the photo, without reading the bio? Not even what is written in the top highlighted field “Work”? Following this criterion to skim, I did not respond to those who changed their name every day or to those who chose to call themselves “Rome” in order not to reveal their identity (in addition to avoiding those with a profile picture with their girlfriend).

I could write rivers of words only on the incipits of the conversations, on the first approaches. “What a beautiful lady, however in my particular view it is women & capitalism who are destroying the planet.” Already with “lady” you put yourself brutally, as if it were not enough you then destroy the professional and private mission that I revealed to you in the bio, showing a slight male chauvinist resentment! At least you read the bio. But why then did you contact me??

Few have patience. In a world of fast fashion and fast food, dating is fast too. At the first message they already rush to meet, get the phone number (the insistence from one of them at the first contact was exhausting), video call, get engaged, move in with you and someone already separate, doing everything alone because maybe you  having not activated the notifications, that day you did not really have time to enter the app.

I found myself telling a 20-year-old about that emotion that I lived as a teenager waiting to find a letter in the mailbox. A long-awaited answer, for which sometimes the words imprinted on the paper received a feedback even after months, if the correspondent was a bit lazy and the Post Office didn’t give you setbacks. I still remember the moments when I turned the small key to the box and found lying there, after miles of travel, a rectangle of paper sometimes smudged, sometimes perfumed, sometimes crumpled. There were times when I tore the envelope instantly, others when I waited to be silent in the middle of the field close to my house walking the dog or to curl myself  up on the bed in solitude.

Those emotions, I still remember them.

So opening an app and finding a series of consecutive pressing, or in some cases even delirious, messages because you didn’t respond promptly is a little shock. I was blocked by a couple of people:

• from one because I didn’t want to share the phone number and chat on Whatsapp on first contact. The advice is to protect yourself and exchange a telephone number only after having met. Better to interact on Instagram first.
• from a guy from Bucharest, because when he was insisting on the first contact for a video dating (but what is it?) I showed some perplexity, by proposing to write us at least a few messages first. After two words he was already talking about massages. When I asked what video dating was: “Why to spoil the fun before it?”. The perplexities at this point have only increased! And his unsolicited reassurances were useless: “I don’t even go for the back touch. So no need to get worried”. Continuing with an annoying and inappropriate flirting so cold in a message bombing.
• from another guy, because I didn’t answer immediately. Then after a while he reappeared apologizing for the drama. And stopped any conversation shortly thereafter because you have explained that you prefer to start from a friendship. “Honestly, I’m sorry to break this off but talking about this app once a week I find it a bit sad (ed: we’re talking about not even a month of acquaintance). If, on the other hand, you think that something more intimate could be born from this friendship, tell me. For how I am made I try to live sexuality in a more open and free way, in fact I wanted to make things clear for correctness”. If it weren’t for all the name changes, which in the end I didn’t understand who I was talking to, and for the little aggressive drama enough for a belated response, I would almost have appreciated the frankness. Better than another, who kindly wrote messages consistently and then unexpectedly stopped writing after answering the question “But what are you looking for exactly on this chat?” (yet in the bio I wrote it!).

Actually another guy also blocked me. One of the few with whom written conversations were pleasant. Most of the messages are missing dialogues that languish. More than “Where are you from?”, “What are you doing?”, “Hey!”, “Can you move from Rome?”, “Have you ever visited a dog shelter?”. Difficult to read something engaging and original. He moved me instead. Until he asked me to follow each other on Instagram. I went to see his profile and suddenly I asked: “How come you have hundreds of followers and you don’t even follow one person?”. He did not like anyone, he did not consider anyone worthy of being followed, this is the summary of an answer given with a certain arrogance. Just enough time to show amazement and write that probably not even my profile is a great artistic product, then he blocked me.

The app itself works. I can’t catch the difference with similar alternatives, also because it is not required to be vegan or vegetarian. By definition, dating apps in Italy are for quick and slightly light encounters. I wanted to experiment, to tell it here if a common focus such as love for animals and the environment would open a window to a different target.

I find Veggly’s goal beautiful and the opportunity to reach people all over the world. I managed to meet a guy outside Italy with many points in common discovered in pleasant conversations and with an interesting experience in the fashion sector, maybe a professional collaboration will be born (I keep my conversations with him confidential). There remains the sadness of scrolling with a finger photos of strangers, “this yes, this no”, excluding – perhaps – statistically a little too much and the disappointment of not having expanded the circle of friends with similar interests. Will something innovative come from Veggly? In the meantime, I still don’t know for how long, maybe I keep investigating.

If you are interested in apps, we wrote with Giulia about a digital tool to organize our closet.

Ps I thank Serena Tringali, because in a Club House room I entered, creating confusion to gather information on dating apps, she turned the topic of the group to give me interesting ideas.

(Photos: Veggly; Pratik Gupta)

With a soft 100% organic cotton fabric from Maeko tessuti I had the desire to replicate the challenge. Not only because making something yourself is relaxing and satisfying, but also because of the opportunity to have a garment in your wardrobe just as you have in mind. Do you know the feeling when you have a precise idea of how you want a dress, a pair of trousers or an intimate suit?

On the internet there are all kinds of paper patterns. Here I show you a collection of free and non-free resources:

• Cartamodello pantaloncini culotte a vita alta
• Basic underwear pdf sewing pattern
• Underwear Sewing
• Panties pdf instant download
• Retrò style (in italiano)
• Lingerie Culotte
• Maxime High Waist Panties
• Celestie panties Free pdf pattern in questo sito ci sono diversi cartamodelli interessanti
• Lingerie panties Ohhh Lulu
• Coudre-une-culotte-surprise
• https://madalynne.com/product/noelle-diy-underwear-sewing-patter/
• Free Noelle DIY Underwear Sewing Pattern
• Patron de base – Culotte
• Rosy ladyshorts
• Bonnie, la petite culotte
• Per uomo? Uomo 1 e  Uomo 2

While I’m looking for these links for you, I want to create more!

Sometimes it all comes from the desire to do it with your own hands, while at other times making it yourself begins with a need. As in the case of the young businesswoman Megan Grassell. Not finding bras suitable for his 13-year-old sister in stores, without padding and underwire and with a jaunty air, he decided to create them by founding his own company at 17. Yellowberry is the brand with which it offers comfortable and colorful workout bras with names like Junebug and Sugar Cookie.

During the lockdown I chose to proceed by copying a slip model that I already have and that I really like. I drew the shape I wanted on a sheet of tissue paper, following the contours of the briefs taken as a reference. Do you have a pair of culottes or another type of underwear to throw away but that you really like? You can use them to create your own pattern, unraveling the pieces and reproducing the shape on tissue or newspaper.

I copied the paper parts onto Maeko’s fabric. With a remnant of lace I finished the front of the briefs. I added the elastic and here is the final result:

I am now sewing two more patterns. I enjoyed it so much that… maybe I’ll make a collection!

It’s November. We are temporarily in the city where I was born (Modena), for family reasons going back and forth from the hospital. I wear a bag bought many years ago, unfortunately in a fast fashion chain. I really like the model and I try to make it last for a long time, having now made a senseless purchase, before embracing sustainable fashion. It’s faux leather, so it’s okay about respect for animals but… often synthetic materials are used to avoid leather but have nothing respectful of animals and the environment. But who knew then? So I try to make it lasts as long as possible.

The damage

I’m in Modena and looking at the bag I exclaim: “I really like this model! It’s really cute!”. The next day, I don’t know how, a peeling appears on the top… To be thrown away.

I can’t do it. After collecting plastic and waste, I think and think again before throwing an item like this away. It should be a solution… If it were made of good quality leather, such as those we find in vintage and second-hand shops, it would have its charm even ruined (and in any case it wouldn’t peel like that) or it would be worth taking it to your trusted cobbler for repair. Instead this is what happens when you buy such pieces in fast fashion chains.

The solution

Time passes, the bag remains in a corner of the closet, waiting for a solution. Until one day, in fact, arranging fabrics and scraps I find a square of brown eco-leather. What if… What if I try to fix it myself, with a darker colored insert? I put the fabric close to the bag and it seems to work!

The recovery

I didn’t take any photographs of the bag before the restoration. It occurred to me during the recovery operation! In the video, however, you can see half as it was before the intervention. Originally, it was of a single color. I placed the sheet of a newspaper on the bag to take the shape of the insert to be covered. Then I placed the paper template on the back of the fabric, drawing the line to be cut with a pencil, trying to keep half a centimeter of the edge for safety. In fact, I imagined that the fabric would shrink once attached.

After sprinkling them with fabric glue, I patiently put the two shapes on the bag, mainly pressing on the edges and going over the corners.

Finally I passed the hair dryer, so that the inserts adhered better. I remembered when dad used to make me blow the hair dryer as a child to let the covers of school books adhere better…

Click here to watch the video

The outcome

And here is the result! I don’t dislike the final effect. I have to apply the glue again on the corners now that the first pass is dry. These are the points where it will otherwise tend to rise. In the meantime, however, I’ll show you in the photo.

How does it look to you? I really appreciate the idea of being able to use it for a long time to come! Even if it is no longer in a solid color, I can still wear it pleasantly.

Did you also happen to repair a “fast fashion quality level” purchase, before the conversion to sustainable fashion? If you want to tell me the story, write me by clicking on the button below! I will gladly listen to it and it will be nice to share it with those like us who are trying to reduce their environmental footprint.

First time on this site? Get started >

 Puoi ascoltare qui l’episodio: Vita da Dress ECOde – Sashiko

Scrivendo l’articolo (che puoi trovare qui) sull’antica tecnica del Sashiko adottata dalle moderne pratiche di moda sostenibile, avevo deciso di provare in prima persona ad applicarla. Improvvisamente si è infatti accesa una lampadina e mi è sembrata l’idea perfetta per quei jeans chiari accantonati nell’armadio da 10 (15?) anni, in qualche lavaggio sbiaditi vicino al ginocchio. Capita anche a te di non accettare di rinunciare a un capo a cui tieni? Il modello, il colore, il tessuto jeans leggero, mi piacevano troppo per rassegnarmi a non indossarli più. Sono rimasti lì in attesa di un’idea. Ed è arrivato il Sashiko.

Perché non provare? L’alternativa sarebbe stata mantenerli inutilmente nel guardaroba. Su quell’azzurro rilassante, le punte di bianco erano un richiamo alle onde del mare. Così nelle serate di blocco forzato per il Covid-19, pian piano ha preso forma uno scorcio di mare, affiancando punto dopo punto, filo dopo filo, tre sfumature di blu. 

Chiedo scusa agli esperti maestri presenti e passati di Sashiko per l’imperfezione, per la rozzezza dei punti e le geometrie sgangherate, abbozzate a mano con imprecisione. Il desiderio di arrivare alla fine e di recuperare finalmente quei pantaloni mi ha tenuto compagnia nelle serate casalinghe, con un po’ di suggestione immedesimandomi nelle antiche riparatrici di indumenti lisi che nelle buie sere d’inverno pazientemente muovevano il tessuto intorno all’ago da ricamo. 

Ora sono pronti per la stagione di onde, mare e pesciolini sott’acqua.

English – Dress ECOde’s lifestyle: on the wave of the article about Sashiko

By writing the article (which you can find here) on the ancient Sashiko technique adopted by modern sustainable fashion practices, I decided to try it firsthand. Suddenly it all clicked and it seemed to me the perfect idea for those light jeans set aside in the closet for 10 (15?) years, in some washing faded near the knee area. Does it also happen to you to not accept to give up on a garment you care about? The model, the color, the light denim fabric, I liked too much to resign myself to not wearing them anymore. They stood there waiting for an idea. And Sashiko has arrived.

Why not try it? The alternative would have been to keep them unnecessarily in the wardrobe. On that relaxing blue, the white points were a reference to the waves of the sea. So on the evenings of forced lockdown for Covid-19, a glimpse of the sea slowly took shape, placing side by side three shades of blue point after point, thread after thread.

I apologize to experienced current and past Sashiko masters, for the imperfection, for the roughness of the stitches and the unrefined geometries, sketched by hand with inaccuracy. The desire to arrive to the end and finally recover those trousers stayed with me in the home evenings, with a bit of suggestion identifying myself in the old repairers of threadbare clothes who on the dark winter evenings patiently moved the fabric around the embroidery needle.

Now they are ready for the season of waves, sea and underwater minnows.

English – How are you?

If you are feeling confused, afraid, lost in uncertainty right now. Also for me, writing from this page, it is like that. It’s very difficult to communicate something to you in articles or posts, because each topic seems inappropriate.
Today I was thinking just how useless clothes seem these days. Not only because we are at home, where we realize that in the end a wardrobe full of clothes is not needed, but also because the priorities are now different.
At home you can do many things. To focus on the best possible survival I read, cook, self-produce, sew, refashion clothes, watch movies, listen to podcasts, attend courses, try to mess with watercolors, I try to write despite feeling boulders on my hands and a head heavy with worries. I repair clothes and change them, put aside those that I no longer use. The things I used to do before. Without the serenity of before. But I continue to do them and I try to experiment with new ones, hoping they are a starting point for someone else’s inspiration at this moment and also an anchor for me in this shipwreck (note: I do not write all this lightly in the optimal situation of a quarantine spent in the family, in a villa with the swimming pool, with a safe work, economic certainty, a guaranteed health). If you are interested I will happily share these activities.

Many are rediscovering the beauty of making bread, pasta, cakes, self-production not only in the kitchen but also in other areas. Someone is reflecting on the lifestyle he/she had before all this. Animals return to the city (it was the post we wanted to publish today), nature seems closer to us or if we are barricaded in a city apartment nature seems more precious. We would have liked to see all this but in other conditions, for other reasons. Because to rejoice at the return of the animals to us or the clean air (which are things we strive for) or the “awakening” of someone seems to us at this moment out of place. As wonderful as it is to find nature that reduces distances or to see a greater number of people consider more responsible consumption, every joy is dampened by the pain of the loss of human lives and by the fatigue of those who are working to exhaustion, touching with their hands the cause of this destabilising period.

This is not the time for strong tones on sustainability issues, for us it never really was. I believe in the greater effectiveness of the example compared to the shouted words, this is the way of speaking that we have chosen from the beginning (losing occasionally, however, I admit, patience in front of social issues that make me angry).
This is not the time to make it easy, because it is not. When it costs other people’s lives it can’t be easy.
This is not the time to pretend nothing, offering articles as if nothing had happened, as if the world had remained the same. We can’t hide our heads in the sand.
This is not the time to be completely silent, because I don’t want to turn my back but be there at this juncture and try in some way to help, support, listen and inform.
It is not the time for us too to bomb with news and indications on what is happening, on the spread of the virus, on the measures taken. It is not because there are already many who are doing it, we are not competent and it is not the mission of this site.

And it is precisely with this mission in mind that I wish to continue (https://dress-ecode.com/perche-why-ethos/), from the teachings of my grandmother that is no longer there, an icon of modern zero waste (she is that appears in the photo of our poster). “We are committed to living with respect for people, animals and the environment, with the aim of helping to create a world in which to live better”: this is why we started this adventure in a critical moment of standstill years ago and we try to continue writing and being there with this goal.
I have chosen a lifestyle that seeks respect for people, animals and nature and respect at this moment also means for me all this that I am sharing with you.
I want to help create a world in which to live better.
If there is something you would like to read now or something you would like to know more about or something we can do in our own small way or something you want to tell us (even just how you are) please write to us.

contact_us@dressecode.it

 Potrai a breve ascoltare qui l’articolo*: Audio-à-porter!

Avevamo in mente di trattare un tema che sta suscitando interesse nel web, staycation ovvero la vacanza trascorsa a casa: budget friendly e a emissioni zero. Alla luce degli ultimi avvenimenti, per maggiore utilità è diventato più un articolo su stayme, stay + time for me, “il tempo per me trascorso a casa” spontaneamente o forzatamente, per provare a viverlo come una ‘vacanza’. Qui sul serio ci sentiamo esperti! Perché se è vero che studi e corsi sulla moda responsabile mi hanno portata su questa pagina, nel campo dell’isolamento è la vita che ha fatto scuola! Ho praticamente acquisito un dottorato nel trascorrere lunghi momenti di stop.  A volte imposto come nel caso di malattia e relativo post intervento chirurgico, a volte improvvisamente necessario come durante la fase di uscita dall’azienda, altre volte invece voluto. Ed è stato in fondo principalmente uno dei periodi di soggiorno in casa forzato a contribuire alla nascita di Dress Ecode. Penso a te che ti trovi ora a trascorrere molto tempo in casa, abituato a uscire spesso. O a te che ti trovi isolato, vivendo da solo. O a te che scegli di prendere le distanze per esempio per evitare un burnout (l’esperienza di sentirti con le pile scariche) o per dedicare del tempo a te stesso. Quando i momenti lontano dagli altri e dalle attività ordinarie si prolungano, anche se per carattere ami rifuggire la moltitudine, a lungo andare possono farti sentire giù. A qualcuno possono acuire la sensazione di vuoto e di essere soli. Ma anche se non hai problemi di solitudine, qui puoi trovare alcune idee per utilizzare al meglio il tempo da trascorrere in casa e in fondo all’articolo puoi scoprire anche una nostra iniziativa con cui concretamente cerchiamo di essere d’aiuto. Alcune idee potranno sembrarti banali, ad altre forse non avevi pensato. Spero che tante piccole cose che mi hanno aiutata nei lunghi giorni di isolamento, lontano dalla famiglia e dagli amici, possano ora sostenere anche te che stai leggendo. 

Lettura, musica e film. Sono le idee più semplici e quasi scontate ma molto efficaci. Leggere di tutto, leggere qualcosa che ti piace, leggere qualcosa su un tema completamente nuovo. Ebook, musica e film in streaming. Se hai modo di accedervi fisicamente, la biblioteca è un luogo magico in cui andare alla ricerca di letture a costo zero. Mi piace sfogliare i libri per trovare quello perfetto per il momento. Nella biblioteca in cui riesco ad andare hanno pubblicazioni datate sulla moda, d’ispirazione per il proprio stile, e alcuni saggi interessanti. Non puoi uscire di casa? Alcune librerie stanno prevedendo un servizio di consegna a domicilio: Libri a domicilio. Qui trovi inoltre libri da scaricare: scribd, ebookgratis.net, bookrepublic, Kindle-Store/, Audible, Gallucci. A supporto delle zone rosse, imprese, associazioni e privati hanno messo e metteranno a disposizione servizi gratuiti per chi si trova nella zona rossa: Solidarietà Digitale. Segnaliamo anche questa risorsa: Internet Archive e Istituto Luce Cinecittà. Se amate il legno, non perdetevi gli articoli che ogni giorno saranno disponibili gratuitamente su Legno Lab

Ascoltare radio e podcast. I programmi sono tantissimi. Consentono di ascoltare intrattenimenti divertenti e leggeri o di imparare e informarsi su una miriade di argomenti. Alla radio mi piace ascoltare opere teatrali o letture di libri. Mi piace viaggiare per il mondo con questo link: Radio Garden. Puoi invece trovare i podcast su Spreaker, Spotify, Apple podcasts e altre piattaforme. Ovviamente ti consigliamo il nostro podcast sulla moda sostenibile: Audio-à-porter!

Visitare un museo. Virtualmente ma è sempre affascinante. Visite virtuali

Seguire corsi. Per approfondire una passione. Per imparare qualcosa di nuovo. Per acquisire una nuova competenza nel proprio lavoro. Oggi grazie a internet possiamo imparare qualsiasi cosa, accedere a corsi di ogni tipo, anche a studi universitari. Corsi per imparare a cucire, ricamare, fare la cartapesta,  divertirsi con esperimenti chimici, autoprodurre, cantare, apprendere un’altra lingua, cucinare per cani e gatti, trovare l’anima gemella, avere successo, comunicare, migliorarsi: l’elenco è infinito. Basterà inserire l’argomento e i motori di ricerca presenteranno tante opzioni. Una piattaforma per i corsi? Udemy oppure Skillshare. Vuoi provare la tintura naturale dei tessuti? Ecco un corso per te: Tintura naturale

Riparare. Dedica tempo ad aggiustare oggetti in casa, quelle cose messe da parte aspettando di avere tempo per sistemarle. Puoi approfondire l’arte giapponese del Kintsugi. Vale anche per i vestiti. L’antica tecnica giapponese del Boro Sashiko si sta diffondendo per riparare indumenti: Boro stitching. Idee per i jeans: 5 minutes craft

Fare decluttering. Passa in rassegna ciò che hai in casa, uno spazio alla volta facendo caso a ciò non usi più. Per i vestiti ne abbiamo parlato qui: Un’app che ti aiuta a ottimizzare il tuo guardaroba.

Riordinare. Non le pulizie di casa di routine. Scegli un ripiano, un cassetto, un mobile. Svuotando tutto e poi riponendo con cura ciò che utilizzi. A volte sistemo calze e intimo per mettere a posto i pensieri. Piegando alla Marie Kondo (Il magico potere del riordino) ma non è necessario.

Rendere la tua casa più accogliente. Basta scegliere anche un piccolo angolo, riorganizzandolo, sistemandolo, inserendo solo ciò che ti piace molto oppure a volte la soluzione migliore è semplicemente togliere per creare più spazio.

Passeggiare o girare in bicicletta. Se puoi uscire, cerca di camminare o andare in bicicletta, in spazi aperti come un parco oppure nelle vie della città quando sono meno affollate. Prova a guardare la zona in cui vivi con occhi nuovi. Spingiti un po’ più in là ogni giorno, arrivando sempre più lontano. Proponiti una meta (un monumento, un edificio con una particolare architettura, una piazza con una storia). Se hai un posto in mezzo alla natura vicino casa, approfittane: la maggior parte dei nostri problemi deriva dalla disconnessone dalla natura!

Allenarsi a casa. Se non puoi andare in palestra, sono tanti i video e le app da scaricare per fare esercizi o seguire corsi a casa. Nike training club, Pocket yoga, La Scimmia Yoga, Runtastic results e tante altre. Sto provando Daily Yoga, ma ci sono altre app anche in italiano.

Cucinare. Rispolvera libri di ricette e riviste di cucina. Naviga in rete e scegli di provare qualcosa di nuovo, una ricetta etnica, un piatto sano, un dolce che ti ricorda momenti belli della vita. Ultimamente mi sono specializzata in pancake, pane, biscotti e dolci senza zucchero. Spadello pancake di ogni tipo sbizzarrendomi nelle decorazioni.

Far cucinare qualcun altro. Al contrario, concediti una cena speciale facendoti consegnare a casa cibo già pronto. Oltre i diversi tipi di cucina regionali o nazionali, ci sono anche siti per ricevere a casa pasti sani (come questo: NutriBees).

Journaling, ovvero tenere un diario quotidiano. Ho sempre ammirato chi ci riesce, mi manca la costanza nello scrivere un diario. Puoi mettere nero su bianco quello che ti passa per la testa ogni giorno, puoi usare disegni e colori per raffigurare lo stato d’animo, puoi scrivere come se fosse un diario di viaggio oppure tenere traccia di un’attività che quotidianamente decidi di fare in casa. Anche se ti dedichi saltuariamente, va bene lo stesso. Scrivere aiuta. Qui puoi trovare alcuni video: Journaling.

Disegnare. Funziona come la scrittura. Non importa se pensi di non essere in grado. Prova a tracciare segni e a colorare, in libertà. Oppure puoi seguire un corso on line di disegno o pittura. Ho scoperto che mi piacciono molto i tutorial di acquerello.

Fotografare. Se la scrittura e il disegno non fanno per te, prova con la fotografia. Non è importante andare in qualche posto particolare, viaggiare o uscire di casa. Ho la fortuna di poter immortalare da casa le nuvole. Si possono fotografare le piccole cose di tutti i giorni. C’è chi riesce a creare meravigliose fotografie anche con oggetti comuni (travelonart, fotocomefare). Perché non provare gli esercizi di visione proposti da Fondazione Modena Arti Visive?

Trascorrere una pausa in balcone, terrazzo o vicino alla finestra. Affacciarsi all’esterno aiuta. Non importa se non hai un balcone enorme, basta un angolino fuori o anche solo accanto alla finestra aperta dove mettersi con una seggiola o un comodo cuscino. Un libro o il tuo diario. Una tazza di tè o di caffè. La colazione o la merenda. Un picnic improvvisato se hai un terrazzo.

Fare origami. Basta un foglio di carta quadrato e in internet si trovano tutorial per creare oggetti a ogni livello di difficoltà (Pinterest, Origami, TheSpruceCraft, Per bambini). Oppure fiori di carta: Pinterest. O un puzzle.

Prendersi cura delle piante. Non ho il pollice verde ma ho scoperto di riuscire a farne sopravvivere alcune, basta trovare le piantine giuste, quelle più affini a te. Non ne hai nessuna in casa? Se in questo momento non puoi farti donare talee da amici né andare al vivaio o al mercato dei fiori, prova ad acquistarle on line da vivai nella zona (oppure da siti come Ladre di piante). Com’è una casa piena di piante? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooMiIm8RItw

Spa in casa. Quel tempo per prendersi cura di sé, tra maschere, manicure, impacchi per i capelli, scrub e tisane. Mi piace creare maschere casalinghe. Vuoi provare un taglio di capelli di fai-da-te? Su YouTube ci sono molti tutorial. Oppure puoi provare a fare ricci e boccoli senza piastra, anche per questo i video non mancano.

Meditare. Tanti i benefici. Tra questi Deepak Chopra, che spesso propone percorsi gratuiti di meditazione di 21 giorni, spiega:”Durante la meditazione, il tuo cervello va letteralmente in vacanza in quanto scarica impressioni, esperienze ed emozioni. Quindi, organizza tutti questi elementi e li archivia in modo appropriato. Mentre scivoli nella quiete del silenzio della meditazione e ti prendi una pausa dalle normali attività quotidiane, provi gioia, felicità, pace, amore e compassione. Perché limitarti a sperimentare queste sensazioni solo mentre sei in vacanza, quando puoi averle nel bel mezzo della tua vita quotidiana?”. Ho provato l’app Insight Timer. Ci sono anche Calm, Happiness, SAM, Clarity e Medita Ora.

Prendersi cura di sé. Suonerà banale ma forse è la regola numero 1 per restare in piedi nei periodi in casa. Vestiti come se uscissi, cura il trucco, sistema i capelli, apparecchia la tavola a festa. Anche se sei da solo. Sì. Magari non ne avrai voglia tutti i giorni. E allora resta pure in pigiama per una volta. Una. Gli altri giorni indossa ciò che ti piace e circondati di cose belle.

Telefonare o videochiamare. Non solo per avere compagnia noi, se siamo costretti a stare a casa lontano da tutti, ma anche per fare noi compagnia a qualcun altro. Ho una sorta di allergia alle conversazioni telefoniche (sviluppata dopo la fase adolescenziale di interminabili chiacchierate al telefono), ma soprattutto se non si può vedere nessuno mantenere relazioni a distanza aiuta. Anche pochi momenti di dialogo ma di qualità. In un momento ‘no’ una voce familiare o amica può fare molto. Chiama chi sta passando una fase di solitudine, che sia o meno da solo. Chiama per ascoltare. Chiama per raccontare una fiaba. Chiama per un saluto. In questo momento di maggior tempo trascorso in casa, qualcuno potrebbe avere bisogno di sentire la tua voce.

Ecco, pensando a quest’ultimo aspetto, vorremmo farti sapere che noi siamo qui. Se stai passando un periodo di pausa forzata e hai bisogno di consigli o idee o di supporto contattaci (contact_us@dressecode.it).

*Perché questa puntata non è ancora sul podcast? Perché raccoglieremo altre idee modificando l’articolo e successivamente registreremo. Intanto non perdetevi le altre puntate sul podcast!

English – Time spent at home: 20 things to do to avoid boredom and loneliness – Dress ECOde’s lifestyle

We had in mind to deal with a topic that is arousing interest on the web, staycation or the holiday spent at home: budget friendly and with zero emissions. In light of the latest events, for greater usefulness it has become more an article on stayme, stay + time for me, “the time spent for me at home” spontaneously or necessarily, to try to live it as a ‘holiday’. Here we seriously feel like experts! Because if it is true that studies and courses on responsible fashion have brought me to this page, in the field of isolation it is life that was a school! I practically acquired a doctorate in spending long breaks. Sometimes imposed as in the case of illness and related post surgery, sometimes suddenly necessary as during the phase of leaving the company, other times instead wanted. And it was basically one of the periods of stay at home forced to contribute to the birth of Dress Ecode. I think of you who are now spending a lot of time at home, used to going out often. Or to you who find yourself isolated, living alone. Or to you who choose to distance yourself, for example, to avoid a burnout (the experience of feeling yourself with low batteries) or to dedicate time to yourself. When the moments away from others and from ordinary activities are prolonged, even if you love to flee the multitude by nature, in the long run they can make you feel down. They can make someone feel empty and lonely. But even if you do not have problems of solitude, here you can find some ideas to make the best use of the time spent at home and at the bottom of the article you can also discover one of our initiatives with which we concretely try to help. Some ideas may seem trivial, to others you may not have thought of. I hope that many small things that have helped me during long days of isolation, away from family and friends, can now support you too, who are reading.

Reading, music and movies. These are the simplest and almost obvious ideas but very effective. Read everything, read something you like, read something on a completely new topic. Ebook, music and streaming movies. If you have access to it physically, the library is a magical place to go in search of readings at no cost. I like to browse through the books to find the perfect one for the moment. In the library where I can go, they have dated publications on fashion, inspired by their own style, and some interesting essays. Can’t you leave the house? Some bookstores are providing a home delivery service: Libri a domicilio. Here you will also find books to download: scribd, ebookgratis.net, bookrepublic, Kindle-Store/, Audible, Gallucci. In support of the red zones, businesses, associations and individuals have made and will provide free services for those in the red area: Solidarietà Digitale. We suggest also this resource: Internet Archive and Istituto Luce Cinecittà. If you love wood, don’t miss the article that will be available for free everyday at Legno Lab

Listening to radio and podcasts. The programs are many. They allow you to listen to fun and light entertainment or to learn and learn about a myriad of topics. On the radio I like listening to plays or book readings. I live travelling around the work thank you to this link: Radio Garden. You can find podcasts on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple podcasts and other platforms. Of course, we recommend our podcast on sustainable fashion: Audio-à-porter!

Visiting a museum. Virtually but is is always wonderful. Virtual visits

Taking courses. To deepen a passion. To learn something new. To acquire a new skill in your job. Nowadays thanks to the internet we can learn anything, we can access courses of all kinds, even university studies. Courses to learn to sew, embroider, to make papier-mâché, to have fun with chemical experiments, to self-produce, to sing, to learn another language, to cook for dogs and cats, to find a soul mate, to be successful, to communicate, to improve: the list is infinite. Just enter the topic and the search engines will present many options. A platform for courses? Udemy or Skillshare. Would you like to trying the natural textile dyeing? Here there is a course for you: Natural dyeing

Repairing. Take time to fix things in the house, those things set aside waiting for time to fix them. You can know more about the Japanese art of Kintsugi. It works also for clothes. The ancient Japanese technique of Boro Sashiko is spreading to repair clothing: Boro stitching. Jeans ideas: 5 minutes craft

Decluttering. Review what you have at home, one space at a time, noticing what you no longer use. We talked about clothes here: Un’app che ti aiuta a ottimizzare il tuo guardaroba.

Reordering. Not the routine house cleaning. Choose a shelf, a drawer, a piece of furniture. Emptying everything and then carefully placing what you use. Sometimes I arrange socks and underwear to put thoughts in order. Bending to Marie Kondo (The magical of tidying up) but it’s not necessary.

Making your home more welcoming. Just choose even a small corner, rearranging it, arranging it, inserting only what you really like or sometimes the best solution is simply to remove to create more space.

Walking or cycling. If you can go out, try to walk or ride a bicycle, in open spaces such as a park or in the streets of the city when they are less crowded. Try looking at the area where you live with new eyes. Go a little further every day, getting further and further away. Choose a destination (a monument, a building with a particular architecture, a square with a history). If you have a natural place close to your home, enjoy nature: the most of our problems comes from the disconnection from it!

Work out at home. If you can’t go to the gym, there are many videos and apps to download to do exercises or take courses at home. Nike training club, Pocket yoga, The Monkey Yoga, Runtastic results and many others. I’m trying Daily Yoga, but there are other apps in Italian too.

Cooking. Dust off recipe books and cooking magazines. Surf the net and choose to try something new, an ethnic recipe, a healthy dish, a dessert that reminds you of beautiful moments in life. Lately I have specialized in pancakes, bread, biscuits and sugar-free desserts. I toss pancake of all kinds being very creative with the decorations.

Let someone else cook.  On the contrary, treat yourself to a special dinner by having ready-made food delivered to your home. Besides the different types of regional or national cuisine, there are also sites for receiving healthy meals at home (like this: NutriBees).

Journaling, or keeping a daily diary. I have always admired those who do it, I lack the constancy in writing a diary. You can put what goes on your mind every day in black and white, you can use drawings and colours to represent the mood, you can write as if it were a travel diary or keep track of an activity that you decide to do every day home. Even if you dedicate yourself occasionally to it, it’s okay. Writing helps. Here you can find some videos: Journaling.

Drawing. It works like writing. It doesn’t matter if you think you’re not able. Try to draw signs and color, freely. Or you can take an online drawing or painting course. I found that I really like the watercolor tutorials.

Photographing. If writing and drawing aren’t your thing, try photography. It is not important to go to any particular place, to travel or to go out. I am fortunate to be able to capture clouds from home. Everyday little things can be photographed. There are those who manage to create wonderful photographs even with common objects (travelonart, fotocomefare). Why not trying the visual exercise proposed by Fondazione Modena Arti Visive?

Spending a break on the balcony, terrace or near the window. Poking your nose outside helps. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a huge balcony, you just need a corner outside or even just a space next to the open window where you can put on a chair or a comfortable cushion. A book or your diary. A cup of tea or coffee. Breakfast or snack. An improvised picnic if you have a terrace.

Taking care of plants. I don’t have a green thumb but I found I could make some of them survive, just find the right plants, the ones closest to you. Don’t you have any at home? If at this moment you cannot meet your friends to receive a cutting or you can’t go to the flower nursery or market, try buying them online from nurseries in the area (or from sites such as Ladre di piante). What does a house full of plants look like? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooMiIm8RItw

Making origami. Just a sheet of squared paper and on the internet you will find tutorials to create objects of all difficulty levels (Pinterest, Origami, TheSpruceCraft, For children). Or paper flowers: Pinterest. Or a puzzle.

Home Spa. That time to take care of yourself, including masks, manicures, hair packs, scrubs and herbal teas. I like making homemade masks. Do you want to try a DIY haircut? On YouTube there are many tutorials. Or you can try making curls and ringlets without a hair straightener, also for this there is a plenty of videos.

Meditating. So many benefits. Among these, Deepak Chopra, who often offers free 21-day meditation courses, explains: “During meditation, your brain literally goes on vacation as it downloads impressions, experiences and emotions. So, organize all these elements and store them appropriately. As you slide into the quiet silence of meditation and take a break from normal daily activities, you experience joy, happiness, peace, love and compassion. Why limit yourself to experiencing these sensations only while on vacation, when you can have them in the middle of your daily life?”. I tried the Insight Timer app. There are also Calm, Happiness, SAM, Clarity and Medita Ora.

Taking care of yourself. It may sound trivial but perhaps it is the number 1 rule for staying up at home. Dress as if you were going out, take care of your make-up, arrange your hair, set the table for a party. Even if you are alone. Yes. Maybe you won’t feel like it every day. So stay in your pajamas for once. A. On the other days, wear what you like and surround yourself with beautiful things.

Calling or video calling. Not only to have some company, if we are forced to stay home away from everyone, but also to keep someone else company. I have a sort of allergy to phone conversations (developed after the adolescent phase of endless chats on the phone), but above all if you cannot see anyone, keeping relationships at a distance helps. Even a few moments of dialogue but of quality. In a ‘no’ moment, a familiar or friendly voice can do a lot. Call who is going through a phase of loneliness, whether or not alone. Call to listen. Call to tell a fairy tale. Call for a greeting. At this time of most time spent at home, someone may need to hear your voice.

Thinking about this last aspect, we would like to let you know that we are here. If you are going through a period of forced break and you need advice or ideas or support contact us (contact_us@dressecode.it).

 Puoi ascoltare qui l’articolo: 20-libri-per-ragazzi

É da un po’ di tempo che desidero scrivere questo articolo, rimandando a un (breve) momento di riposo festivo, finalmente trovato!

In novembre l’Istituto di Istruzione Secondaria Superiore G. Curcio di Ispica (Ragusa), mi ha accolto calorosamente per ascoltare la storia della spedizione per ripulire le coste norvegesi dai rifiuti, proprio dove è stata ritrovata la balena del documentario di Sky24 A plastic whale. Più di 100 alunni presenti all’incontro! Aspettavamo meno classi, ma man mano che si spargeva nei corridoi la notizia del racconto di questa balena, si aggiungevano ragazzi interessati. E c’è anche chi ha voluto sapere riguardo la moda sostenibile!

Dopo la presentazione, un’insegnante mi ha chiesto aiuto nel trovare libri che sensibilizzino sui temi ambientali, di narrativa e adatti a ragazzi delle superiori. Non libri esplicitamente didattici ma romanzi, in cui il racconto inviti all’amore per la natura.

Così mi sono trovata a costruire una piccola lista di letture consigliate, pensando a diversi tipi di gusti letterari. La condivido qui perché possa essere utile anche ai lettori di Dress Ecode.

• Le mie fiabe africane – Nelson Mandela
• L’uomo che piantava gli alberi – Jean Giorno
• La ragazza sull’albero – Julia Butterfly Hill
• Tu sei il mio mondo – Timothee de Fombelle
• L’isola di Arcangelo – Mattia Luisa 
• Il mondo di Anna – Gaarder Jostein
• Margherita Dolcevita – Stefano Benni
• Storia di una gabbianella e del gatto che le insegnò a volare – Luis Sepulveda
• Anthill – Edward O. Wilson 
• Il passaggio dell’orso – Giuseppe Festa
• Walden ovvero vita nei boschi – Henry David Thoreau
• Il barone rampante – Italo Calvino
• Il richiamo della foresta – Jack London
• 25 grammi di felicità – Massimo Vacchetta, Antonella Tomaselli
• Il gabbiano Jonathan Livingstone – Richard Bach
• Il mondo senza di noi – Alan Weisman
• L’evoluzione di Calpurnia – Jaqueline Kelly
• Il cane, il lupo e Dio – Folco Terzani
• Il bacio della Dea Montagna – Marco Bosonetto
• Pensare come una montagna – A sand county almanac – Aldo Leopold

Che ne dite? Avete altri titoli di narrativa per ragazzi da suggerire?

Buona lettura!

Foto di copertina: Laura Kapfer on Unsplash

English – Dress ECOde’s lifestyle: 20 books to inspire boys and girls to love nature

It’s some time I would like to write this article, postponing to a (short) moment of holiday rest, finally found!

In November, the Higher Education Institute G. Curcio of Ispica (Ragusa) welcomed me warmly to hear the story of the expedition to clean up the Norwegian coast from waste, just where the whale of the Sky24 documentary A plastic whale was found. More than 100 students were at the meeting! We expected fewer classes, but as the news of this whale’s story spread in the corridors, interested students joined. And there were also those who wanted to know about sustainable fashion!

After the presentation, a teacher asked me for help in finding books that raise awareness on environmental issues, of narrative literature and suitable for high school students. Not explicitly didactic books but novels, in which the story invites to love nature.

So I found myself building a small list of recommended books, thinking about different types of literary tastes. I share it here because it can also be useful to readers of Dress Ecode.

• Favorite African Folktales – Nelson Mandela
• The man who planted trees – Jean Giorno
• The legacy of Luna – Julia Butterfly Hill
• Celeste, My Planet – Timothee de Fombelle
• Archangel’s Island – Mattia Luisa
• The world according to Anna – Gaarder Jostein
• Margherita Dolcevita – Stefano Benni
• The Story of A Seagull and The Cat Who Taught Her To Fly – Luis Sepulveda
• Anthill – Edward O. Wilson
• Il passaggio dell’orso – Giuseppe Festa
• Walden; or, Life in the Woods – Henry David Thoreau
• The Baron in the Trees – Italo Calvino
• The Call of the Wild – Jack London
• 25 grams of happiness – Massimo Vacchetta, Antonella Tomaselli
• Jonathan Livingston Seagull: A Story – Richard Bach
• The world without us – Alan Weisman
• The evolution of Calpurnia Tate – Jaqueline Kelly
• The dog, the wolf and God – Folco Terzani
• The kiss of the Mountain Goddess – Marco Bosonetto
• A sand county almanac – Aldo Leopold

What do you think? Do you have any other children’s fiction titles to suggest?

Enjoy the reading!

Cover photo by Laura Kapfer on Unsplash

Puoi ascoltare qui l’articolo: Audio-à-porter – Eco Swap Party

Lodovica Cattani e M. Giulia Gaudenzi, insieme a Dress Ecode, hanno organizzato l’Eco Swap Party al Caffè Letterario di Roma per sensibilizzare sull’impatto dei nostri vestiti sui cambiamenti climatici. L’evento è stato realizzato in partnership con The Climate Reality Project -Team Europe, di cui con Lodovica facciamo parte. Ci siamo lasciati subito coinvolgere dall’entusiasmo di queste due ragazze piene di desiderio di fare qualcosa di concreto (e divertente) per fermare gli effetti della fast fashion sull’ambiente!

Lo swap party funziona incontrandosi per scambiare vestiti che teniamo inutilizzati nell’armadio. Lo spirito é quello di donare ciò che è lì fermo e che rischia di essere buttato, mentre può essere proprio ciò che un altro sta cercando o che indosserà con molto piacere. Allo stesso tempo si possono prendere capi portati da altre persone rinnovando il proprio guardaroba senza spendere.

All’Eco Swap Party, a cui hanno partecipato davvero in tanti, esaurendo in poco tempo i biglietti disponibili, abbiamo visto chi era molto felice di aver trovato qualcosa di bello (c’è chi ha scovato una bellissima maglia di Fendi!), ma ancor di più lo era chi diceva soddisfatto: “Qualcuno ha preso le cose che ho portato!”, con molta gioia di essere stato utile e di non aver buttato qualcosa che appunto magari per un altro è un tesoro.

Giulia, aiutata da alcuni volontari tra cui Simone, Adelaide e un’altra Giulia, è stata molto brava a organizzare il ritiro e la disposizione dei capi nel locale, ricreando un vero e proprio punto accogliente per lo “shopping”. Dietro a uno swap party si nasconde un grande impegno, affinché tutto possa funzionare al meglio. I partecipanti sono ben entrati nello spirito dell’iniziativa, collaborando alla buona riuscita.
Insieme allo scambio di vestiti, abbiamo proposto anche interventi sull’impatto dell’industria della moda sui cambiamenti climatici (presentato da noi) e sul progetto di Adelaide Stazi, costumista e scenografa che crea cappelli e vestiti da materiali recuperati. In un corner dello swap è stato possibile farsi scattare una fotografia con i suoi cappelli esposti.
Tutto si è svolto all’insegna del divertimento, gustando piacevolmente un aperitivo. Perché essere sostenibili é anche divertente!
È stato molto bello vedere la presenza di uomini e donne di ogni età, segno che lo scambio è un tipo di evento con un risvolto positivo anche sociale: vedere insieme generazioni diverse che si incontrano, scambiano e trascorrono tempo insieme è una ricchezza.
I capi che sono rimasti sono stati donati alla Comunità di Sant’Egidio di Roma, che recupera, ricicla o rivende abbigliamento e altri oggetti.

Pensiamo di ripetere l’evento al prossimo cambio di stagione, con alcune novità, e comunicheremo la nuova data appena sarà stabilita.

Se desiderate partecipare come sponsor, anche con un vostro intervento durante l’incontro per raccontare di un progetto sostenibile di abbigliamento, scarpe o accessori o altri prodotti, potete contattarci (contact_us@dressecode.it).

Vi aspettiamo al prossimo Eco Swap Party!

Foto di Matteo Cappello (MC Photos), che ringraziamo per gli scatti

English – Eco Swap Party: the pictures and the story of the green party to save the environment and to renew our wardrobe

Lodovica Cattani and M. Giulia Gaudenzi, along with Dress Ecode, have organized the Eco Swap Party at Caffè Letterario in Rome to raise awareness of the impact of our clothes on climate changes. The event was organized in partnership with The Climate Reality Project – Team Europe, of which Lodovica and I are member. We immediately let ourselves be involved by the enthusiasm of these two girls full of desire to do something concrete (and fun) to stop the effects of fast fashion on the environment!

The swap party works by meeting to exchange clothes that we keep unused in the closet. The spirit is to give what is still there and that risks being thrown away, while it can be just what another person is looking for or what he/she will wear with great pleasure. At the same time you can take clothes brought by other people, renewing your wardrobe without spending an euro.

At the Eco Swap Party, in which so many people took part, in a short time running out the available tickets, we saw those who were very happy to have found something beautiful (some found a marvellous Fendi shirt!), but even more so were the ones satisfied exclaiming : “Someone took the things I brought!”, with great joy to have been useful and not to have thrown a possible treasure for someone else. 

Giulia, helped by some volunteers including Simone, Adelaide and another Giulia, was very good at organising the collection and the disposition of the garments in the club, recreating a real welcoming point for “shopping”. Behind a swap party a great commitment hides, in order to make everything work at its best. The participants are well entered in the spirit of the initiative, collaborating in its success.
Together with the clothes swap, we also proposed speeches on the impact of the fashion industry on climate changes (presented by us) and on Adelaide Stazi’s project, a costume and set designer who creates hats and clothes from recovered materials. In a corner of the swap it was possible to have a photograph taken with her exhibited hats.
Everything took place in the name of fun, pleasantly enjoying an aperitif. Because being sustainable is also fun!
It was very nice to see the presence of men and women of all ages, a sign that the swap party is a type of event with a positive social aspect: seeing different generations together, exchanging and spending time together is a richness.
The garments that have remained have been donated to the Community of Sant’Egidio in Rome, which recovers, recycles or resells clothing and other objects.

We plan to repeat the event at the next change of season, with some news, and we will communicate the new date as soon as it is established.

If you would like to participate as a sponsor, even with your speeches during the meeting to tell about a sustainable project of clothing, shoes or accessories or other products, you can contact us (contact_us@dressecode.it).

We look forward to seeing you at the next Eco Swap Party!

Photos by Matteo Cappello (MC Photos), whom we would like to thank for the shots