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about me
photo credit: Parker Long
My name is Shelby Negosian. I am a senior attending Saugus High School. Being born on Earth Day, April 22nd, I have always felt a connection to the environment. For that reason, I try to do what I can to make strides towards a healthier way of life. Part of that goal of mine is being a sustainable shopper. About one year ago, I started thrifting most of my clothes. I have felt the struggle firsthand of thrifting, whether it comes to finding the right size or style for you. As a result, I began reworking my thrifted clothes in a way that suited me. I wanted to extend my services to other people participating or wanting to participate in a more sustainable lifestyle.
about the project
Double Stitch is an online thrift store website for those who want to help the Earth while finding unique clothing pieces that will not break the bank. Sustainability is the main purpose of Double Stitch and it is promoted in two ways: I have personally reworked these clothes for your purchase and the proceeds from the purchases go to Sunrise Movement.
The name Double Stitch has a special meaning. Not only is the double stitch a stitch used in sewing, but it also emphasizes the fact that the clothes being sold have two sets of stitching, the original designer and myself. The colors also have a special meaning. Double Stitch revolves around the Earth and I wanted my website to reflect that. The hex values are shades of blue to represent the water on our planet.
purpose
Planetaid.org states that clothing is the second largest pollutant in the world. Cotton averages about 25% of global fiber use when it comes to clothing. Most cotton is conventionally farmed, meaning it uses pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Along with that, one kilogram of cotton requires 20,000 liters of water to grow according to the World Wildlife Organization. Polyester is another popular material for clothing. In a publication from the UK Parliament, it is stated that one polyester shirt emits 5.5 kg of CO2. In the same report, it’s concluded that “...across the full lifecycle of clothing globally, the industry has an annual carbon footprint of 3.3 billion tonnes CO2e.” According to the EPA, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, in 2017, 11.2 million tons of textiles ended up in landfills accounting for 8% of all US municipal solid waste. Furthermore, disposed textiles in landfills emit greenhouses gases and toxins that are absorbed into the ground, groundwater, and air. Because Double Stitch sells second-hand clothing, manufacturing waste from new products is by-passed as well as the pollutants that would have been emitted from a landfill.