Rob Greenfield Instagram – I’m breaking free from industrial clothing!
For nearly a decade it has been my dream to break free from all synthetic clothing, all fast-fashion, all clothing made in factories. It’s been my dream to feel truly connect to my clothes – to know not just where the fiber comes from but to know even the threads, the buttons, the dye to create the colors and every single ingredient of my clothes. It’s been my dream to know the people involved in the clothes and have mutually beneficial relationships with them rather than exploitative relationships.
This year I am many steps closer to accomplishing my dream. In May I celebrated getting rid of my last synthetic fiber/plastic clothing. It has been about four months now of owning only natural fibers.
This summer I worked with an apprentice, Abbey Waterworth, and she helped me to create my first items of clothing with linen and cotton that we sourced. She made ten items of clothing and we really enjoyed the apprenticeship together. Thank you Abbey!
Now I am naturally dying the clothes that she made. I’m in my homeland of Northern Wisconsin and in this photo I am standing with my mom in her yard. Behind us is a black walnut tree and in this bucket are 128 walnuts that I will make a dye bath from to dye my pants, shorts, socks and bag brown. I am so elated to be a part of this process. I already loved black walnut trees and have been enjoying eating the nuts for the last year. My relationship is deepening with this plant relative through working with it as a dye. As I wear these clothes for the years ahead I will feel a strong relationship to these trees. Wherever I go I will carry the joy of the walnut tree that grows at my moms house in Ashland.
There are few things that have brought me more joy than to be building this new Earth skill.
I feel myself growing closer to Earth and further away from industry and corporations through this process.
One step at a time I am breaking free. Soon everything I wear will be a representation of this liberation.
I will share a photo soon of my black walnut dyed clothing.
Love,
Robin
PS. Say hello to my mom, Marsha! | Posted on 14/Oct/2023 18:33:44
