The Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) was founded in 2005 by Prof. Dr. Michael Otto, an entrepreneur from Hamburg, Germany. Originally the foundation was named “Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry in Developing Countries” (FSAF). In 2007, the foundation changed its name to “Aid by Trade Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry”. The aim of the foundation, which operates independently ever since, is to help people to help themselves through trade, thereby promoting environmental protection and securing the livelihoods of future generations. With the support of various partners from industry, government, research, and NGOs, the foundation focuses on aid by trade. Beyond supporting sustainable cultivation of agricultural and forestry products, the long-term aim is to further develop the value chains in those countries where the raw materials are produced in order to generate maximum added value.
In drafting The Good Cashmere Standard, the Aid by Trade Foundation has defined a new benchmark for the production of sustainable cashmere. The Standard incorporates the Five Freedoms as defined by the Farm Animal Welfare Council. The Good Cashmere Standard follows three main principles: promote animal welfare in cashmere production, support cashmere farmers to secure a sustainable source of income and protect the environment.
Once a luxury product that was combed out by hand by nomadic herders when the goats changed their coats in May, now cashmere has become a mass market product that is no longer obtained naturally but by brutally pulling out the goats’ hair on special farms. This is how it is possible to buy a cashmere sweater at a discount store for 49.99 euros or 42 pounds instead of more than 300 euros or 250 pounds at a luxury boutique.
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The Good Cashmere Standard wants to stop this practice and joins the current discussion about the welfare of the cashmere goats and the increasing demand for transparency and corporate responsibility that this natural product demands. “The Good Cashmere Standard improves the cashmere production on many levels. It covers both the welfare of animals, the protection of nature and the working conditions of farmers and farm workers. It has been developed in close collaboration with animal-rights specialists and independent cashmere-production experts,” says the Foundation in a press release.New cashmere standard campaigns for animal welfare, social change and sustainability
For now, the standard’s focus is on Inner Mongolia where it has started off with 2,000 farmers. The cashmere goats here are kept by settled farmers rather than roaming broad pastures with nomadic herders. The farmers are certified only if proven to be in compliance with the standard’s criteria.
“The Good Cashmere Standard provides a standard for the important resource cashmere. It meets increased consumer demand for sustainability, quality and transparency. Many consumers want to be certain that the textiles they purchase were produced in accordance with social and environmental standards and that no animals were harmed in the process,” confirms Tina Stridde, managing director of AbTF.
The way it works is that the cashmere farmers initially complete a comprehensive series of questions about their livestock-keeping practices. Based on the results, independent third parties then visit the farms to verify the claims. They also check on the proper implementation of the standard.
Brands and retailers join in
A key stakeholder for The Good Cashmere Standard is the Erdos Cashmere Group, one of the largest producers of cashmere, based in Inner Mongolia. “Erdos has been an important partner and supporter for the new standard from the beginning and they will offer and process certified cashmere wool already this year – in addition to four other producers,” says AbTF.
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When it comes to brands and retailers, one of Germany’s leading cashmere retailers, Peter Hahn, has brought in their expertise and is the first retail partner of The Good Cashmere Standard. “We are thrilled to be partnering with this new standard from the beginning. It meets our high standards of animal welfare and environmental protection and creates greater security for our customers and even more confidence in our company. With The Good Cashmere Standard, we can offer them products made of cashmere wool that meets the strict criteria of the standard for animal welfare and environmental protection,” comments Patrizia Strupp, head of sustainability at Peter Hahn.
The new standard now offers businesses their first opportunity to sell products made from certified, sustainable cashmere wool from Inner Mongolia. “The demand for The Good Cashmere Standard is correspondingly great. This sends an important signal to the entire textile and fashion sector,” adds Stridde. Apart from Peter Hahn, additional fashion brands including Bestseller, H&M Group, Hugo Boss, J.Crew, Madewell and Lacoste have already joined.
Source: FASHIONUNITED
In the purchase of their apparel most women
seek primarily for “look rightness and serviceability”. For outer apparel look
– rightness is probably the first consideration. In the purchase of
underclothing and children’s wear, serviceability is commonly the first
consideration, although look – rightness is nearly always a factor, too.
Serviceability is a combination of the suitability of fabric and the quality of
garments construction. Some basic categories are hosiery, sleepwear,
undergarments, blouses.
Apparel fabrics for Women and Children
Differences in weight automatically limit
some fabrics to particular seasons and use. In summer thin fabrics, such as
voile, eyelet, batiste, sheer, creeps, and chiffons, in winter, for heavier
materials such as wood tweeds, homespuns, velvet, corduroy, and fur like
fabric.
Some stiff fabrics look better when a crisp
appearance is required; soft and clinging fabrics are appropriate when slinky,
draped effect is desired; rich and luxurious fabrics look best in the evening;
washable fabrics appear to advantage when worn in the house, in the garden, and
for sports.
Women’s Skirts
Women’s skirts are cut on straight, the bias,
or circularly from the same fabrics that are used for dresses and suits. The
fit or, more particularly the hang of skirt is important. A skirt should not
wrinkle below the waistband and should be even at hem. The principles for
selection of appropriate outer garments for adults are essentially the same for
girls. Coats and dresses must be style – right for the occasion. All girls,
especially up to 10 years, need a roomy garment with large armholes and curved
underarms, to permit raising the hands above the head without pulling out the
seams or distorting the fabric. Tucks, pleats, and shirring are important
because they allow for chest expansion.
Women’s Sweaters
The sweater, a knitted of the garment for the
upper part of the body, has long been a staple for both casual and dressy wear.
There are two main or classic types: the pullover or slip -on and the cardigan.
Either type may have long or short sleeves, or either type may be in a classic
or contemporary style.
The classic sweater, not usually bulky, has a
round neck without a collar. Contemporary styles are usually bulky and may have
cable stitch and cowl necks. Until the development of the non – cellulosic
man-made fibers, wool was the major fiber used for sweaters, with cotton an
important fiber for children’s wear. But today the acrylics, particularly Orlon
and Acrilan, are in the first place, with blends second and wool third.
The reason for the great popularity of the
synthetic is that they can be cleaned in the home laundry machine at the
setting for fine fabrics, and they need no reshaping. Wool sweaters, unless
labelled “machine washable,” have to be hand washed, reshaped, and dried most
carefully. Also, man-made fibers are usually less expensive than comparable
wool products and are better than wool in resistance to abrasion.
The degree of softness of sweaters made from
man-made fibers depends on the fiber denier (weight and fineness) the finer the
denier the softer the fabric. The acrylics provide a wool – like bulkiness by
crimping short filaments so that they resemble wool fibers.Thus they provide
more warmth than nylon. Nylon, which is crimped also but is less bulky, has a
smooth texture and a slightly shiny surface.
It is more readily distinguishable from wool
that is acrylic fiber. Acrylic fiber pills more than nylon laundering and more
particularly in rubbing against other garments or furniture. On other hands,
nylon is more easily snagged by sharp objects and fingernails. Sweaters are
also made of 100% polyester.
Blouses
The degree of softness of sweaters made from
man-made fibers depends on the fiber denier (weight and fineness) the finer the
denier the softer the fabric. The acrylics provide a wool – like bulkiness by
crimping short filaments so that they resemble wool fibers. Thus they provide
more warmth than nylon.
Nylon, which is crimped also but is less
bulky, has a smooth texture and a slightly shiny surface. It is more readily
distinguishable from wool that is acrylic fiber.
Acrylic fiber pills more than nylon
laundering and more particularly in rubbing against other garments or
furniture. On other hands, nylon is more easily snagged by sharp objects and
fingernails. Sweaters are also made of 100% polyester.
Coats and Suits
When women buy coats they look for style,
color, fabric, fit, comfort, and price. To one woman, color and style may be
most important; to another, comfort and price are paramount. And to still
another, fabric, color, and fit may be the major considerations.
The weight of outer garments is governed by
the season. Spring coats are lighter in weight than fall coats, and winter
coats, of course, are of the heaviest fabrics.
Coats of cashmere or cashmere and wool and
wool blends, camel’s hair, single and bonded cloths, poplin, faille, worsted
sharkskin, wool Shetland (single or bonded) are used in spring and fall. Suits
and pantsuits of gabardine, whipcord, tweed faille, covert, serge, corduroy,
knitted fabrics are also used in spring and fall seasons.
Coats made of fur like fabrics, wool tweed
(single and bonded), cashmere ottoman (wool/nylon bonded to cotton and other
blends), covert (wool/nylon bonded to acetate tricot), cashmere, Melton, wool
broadcloth are used in winter season. Suits and pantsuits of knitted fabric
(wool and blends), flannel, tweed boucle.
For more news , please pay attention to knitting
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Source: Textile School
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