Traces of Toxic Chemicals Found on Popular Brands of Apparel

Do you know that because of the different technological innovations, many of the products and services today are bringing harm to the environment? Global warming or climate change is still among the hottest issues when mother earth is concerned.  According to various environmental studies, the rate of warming continues to increase because of the malpractices of the people who are supposedly the prime caretaker of nature.

Just recently, a number of popular US clothing manufacturers were named after their products were traced positive for the toxic chemicals called nonylphenol ethoxylates. The said chemical, which is according to research is used as detergents in industries including the production of natural and synthetic garment, has hormone-disrupting properties that mimic female hormones, alter sexual development, and affects reproductive system of both human and animals. Natural and synthetic textile are among the essential items needed by embroidery digitizers.

Greenpeace International, the group that led the research, identified some of the clothing brands that have great contribution in the discharge of hazardous chemicals into the waterways in China and across the world. Below are some of the some of apparel brands found to be tainted with toxic chemicals.

Adidas - The second-biggest sportwear manufacturer in the world. The company products include sports footwear, bags, shirts, watches, eyewear, and other sports- and clothing-related goods.

Abercrombie & Fitch - an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers not just in America but around the globe. Abercrombie & Fitch product collection promises creativity, innovation, and quality.

Polo Ralph Lauren - Founded by Ralph Lauren. The company specializes in luxury casual/semi-formal clothing for men and women as well as accessories, fragrances, home (bedding, towels) and housewares.

Converse - an American shoe company that become famous for its all-time great "Chuck Taylor All Star" style that has served as a symbol of uniqueness and rebellion. The company, which now a subsidiary of Nike, has also a collection of  kids, men and women's wear, bags, and accessories.

Lacoste - Founded by French designer René Lacoste, the company is known for its high-end collections of clothing, footwear, perfume, leather goods, watches, eyewear, and most famously tennis shirts. Home line of sheeting and towels are also now included in their products.

Calvin Klein - One of the world's well-known brands when it comes to classic, American style of apparel for men and women. The company likewise produces elegantly chic handbags and footwear as well as high quality perfume, watch and jewelries.

Uniqlo - A Japanese fashion brand that tells uniqueness in clothing. The company produces high quality unisex  casual apparel for men, women, and kids but are offered at low-cost. The clothing designs are mostly simple but non-committal.

Meanwhile, clothing brands like Puma and Nike pledged to eliminate all toxic chemicals from their manufacturing processes by 2020.

The research team purchased 78 brands of clothing from 18 countries around the world and the samples of branded clothing subjected for analysis were mostly made in China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Philippines.

How Digitizing Software Simplifies Today's Embroidery

Image Source:Venturelli/WireImage

In fashion industry, embroidery is among the common techniques used to design clothing. The use of embroidery to aesthetically improve the appearance of a garment has been around even before computers were invented. By that time, the designs for embroidery were created by hand.

But now, along with new advances in technology, designing for embroidery is made a lot easier and faster. In fact, anyone can create the design they want to be stitched on the base material in just a couple of hours. And how are they able to do that? Well, through the aid of a custom digitizing software.

a sample of design program used in embroidery digitizing

So what is this embroidery software? It is just the same as the other design programs you installed in your computer. It is equipped with multiple lettering, stitch editing and digitizing features that are essential in creating embroidery designs. Through the tools provided in embroidery digitizing software, the user will be able to generate stitch files of logos or texts that will be used for custom embroidery.

Embroidery digitizing software are now widely available in the market and often come in variety of brands. So if you wish to have this graphical interface, make sure you conduct a thorough research first on which type of digitizing software works best for your computer and embroidery machine. It is essential to consider the compatibility of the software program to your embroidery equipment because it can significantly affect the overall quality of the custom embroidered product.

But for those who don’t have enough skills in embroidery digitizing, there are lots of online sites that provide professional and affordable custom digitizing service for all types of embroidery designs. All you have to do is use your internet and explore these online resources.

How to Look Fashionable even when Dressed in Conservative Business Attire

Have you ever experienced working in corporate offices? If yes, for sure you also experienced wearing a specific type of uniform for work. Owners of many elite corporations do require their employees to report in the office wearing a conservative type of business attire instead of their own clothing. For what reason? Well, these elite companies do believe that if the employees are dressed in nice work uniform like formal business attire, it leaves a good first impression from the customers. And because of that established good image or branding, more and more customers will believe on the products and services the company offers.

If requiring the employees to wear a certain work uniform brings a number of advantages to the company, for the employees it has both pros and cons. For some employees who agree to have a work uniform, it let them save money as they don’t need to frequently replace their wardrobe just to be in the latest trend. They too don’t need to spend hours in the morning just to decide which outfits are best for work. But for employees especially the fashionista ones who feel uncomfortable wearing formal business attire as work uniform, they see this as one way of hindering self-expression.  

So if you happened to work in a company whose work uniform is shaped plain and themed one color, here are the two top secrets on how you can make a fashionable appearance. Add add accent to your plain-looking work uniform and choose the right footwear. 

There are so plenty of accessories you can use to make your uniform look even more attractive and fashionable.

Common accessories use by most women are jewelries and bag.

But you can also pair your blazer with scarf in great hues. Wearing of scarf is now also a fashion hit not just for women but also for men. Although wearing of a tie and putting a hankie on the the blazer's upper pocket (for men) is still in.

A belt in solid color can also be a good accent for one color themed work uniform.

Last but not the least, finding the best type of footwear can also make a big impact in your fashion style. Just make sure the footwear you choose goes well with your outfit.

*Note: Images are taken using Google Image search engine