SOCKS
Tricia writes:
Most of us own socks. A wardrobe basic, socks can be a fashion statement or just lovely, cosy, comfortable items to keep our feet warm. Cast your eyes around at the socks walking around our streets and consider this poor neglected item of clothing. Socks in the same colour as shoes and trousers are discreet and give the illusion of length for the legs. Clashing socks that conflict with an outfit can be a fashion faux pas. Socks that match your top when attending a fitness class help an outfit look well co-ordinated. 
Bright and novelty socks can look great but are a risky choice unless you are a design student or young enough to get away with anything. Well loved socks bring a risk of a holey situation the minute shoes are removed.
Sorting through a sock drawer may not be your idea of fun but it doesn’t take that long and may mean avoiding that ‘holey’ situation.
1. Check through your socks for odd socks, holes, discolouration, translucent heels, loose elasticity plus marks on the underside.
2. Pair up the decent socks.
3. Have a hunt in washing bins, under beds, in gym bags, on airers, in washing baskets etc. for the partners of single socks and reunite.
4. Socks in very good condition which you simply don’t wear may be accepted by your charity shop so pop them into your charity bag. The Salvation Army may have clothing collection bins for the homeless in your local town.
5. Ensure the socks you keep are clean. It could be worth soaking them overnight, in biological washing powder if your skin permits, then laundering them.
6. Assess your sock storage system. There are drawer dividers e.g. from Lakeland, which allow you to store socks according to colour for ease of selection.
7. Check your sock colours co-ordinate with your outfits and that they serve your lifestyle e.g. do you require running socks, tennis socks, dance socks, walking socks etc.
8. Make a list of any socks you need to purchase in your beauty diary. Consider including toes socks with sections for each individual toe. These are now being recommended by some physiotherapists and pilates specialists as beneficial for foot health. They separate the toes, giving space for them to function and possibly assisting in a reduction of fungal infections.
Here are a few websites for fairtrade, organic cotton and charity socks:
http://www.naturalcollection.com
http://www.tearcraft.org/tearcraft/public/saleproduct.jsf?rowId=0
http://www.sockshop.co.uk/ Type in fair trade to the Sockshop search box and the fair trade socks appear. There is also a choice of charity socks.
http://www.spiritofnature.co.uk/index.html
Worn and Odd Socks
I believe a mysterious law of Physics exists stating that for every pair of socks in the universe two odd socks exist. There is even a theatre company called ‘Oddsocks’ after this travesty of nature. What are we to do with odd and worn socks in this increasingly eco-conscious world? Consider that if we live to eighty, purchasing six new pairs of socks a year that adds up to 480 pairs of socks or 960 socks for each person in the western world over a lifetime. Many of these socks will contain man made materials which are less than easy to dispose of.
Here are a few ideas for recycling clean socks. Consider keeping a sock bag to stuff the washed socks in until they are needed.
1. Darn that sock. Does anyone else remember learning how to do this at Brownies?
www.wikihow.com/Darn-a-Sock
http://knittingunderway.blogspot.com/2006/04/darn-it
2. Household Cleaning. Socks can go over your hand to use as a cleaning mitt. Natural fabric socks work best. Use to dust, polish or dampen as a cloth.
3. Shoe polisher.
4. Sock puppet.
http://www.daniellesplace.com/HTML/puppets.html
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=10674
5. Mothball holder.
6. Cut for stuffing for craft projects.
7. Doll’s clothes. Cut off the toe for the doll’s head to go through, cut armholes to the side, cut length of sock as appropriate and you have a free doll’s dress.
8. Fill with dry split peas or similar, knot well and you have a bean bag.
9. Stuff into shoe toes to help keep the shape of the shoe when stored.
10. Use to store Christmas decorations, Christmas tree ornaments etc. Stuff the decoration into the sock to help protect it.
Hopefully, a few of the above ideas will help reduce out carbon footprint just a little.
Give yourself the right support: Sports Bras
Pat writes:
This is not a glamour item - the purpose of a sports bra is to hold in and support your breasts to avoid discomfort and prevent damage to the ligaments that help hold your breasts up.
It is important that your sports bra fits properly, and that it is in good condition. If it looks a bit ‘washed out’ it is probably a bit worn out. The on-line specialist retailer LessBounce has recently commissioned a small pilot investigation with Dr Siobhan Strike of Roehampton University. The aim was to investigate the impact that use and washing has on the bra’s ability to reduce breast motion. A group of LessBounce customers ran in and washed their sports bra over a period of 10 weeks logging every outing and wash. The bras were then tested at the Roehampton laboratory comparing an identical new bra and the used version. This was a pilot investigation not a full research study. The key finding was that a sports bra that had been worn for 188.6 miles running, and hand washed 35 times was significantly less effective than a brand new (identical) sports bra.
Combining their study with data from manufacturers, LessBounce currently recommend sports bras are replaced every 30-40 washes. Or if you do a wide variety of sport a high impact bra is downgraded to low impact activity at this time. If you run, you will know that your trainers need replacing about every 500 miles, and assuming you average 4 miles every run – this would equate to 3 new bras for every new pair of trainers.
Tricia and I regularly shop around, and our advice is that you should expect to pay at least £25, although you may get lucky and find just what you want on special offer.
Most shops that sell underwear will have some sports bras, but you are likely to find more choice at a specialist sports shop, especially if you can find one that is specifically for women.
I have made purchases from a Sheactive shop, which meant that I could try items on and make a choice. Tricia has found the correct fit at a competitive price at Marks and Spencer.
If you don’t have time to search for the right item in the shops, there are some excellent on-line specialists.
Take a look at www.lessbounce.co.uk for a clear explanation of why active women should wear a sports bra. This site also has helpful guide to measurement to ensure a good fit. They offer a good variety of styles, and have bras available in sizes 28AA through to 52J. The photo at the top of this article is their current best seller, which retails at £26.99.
I have used www.boobydoo.co.uk and found the site is easy to navigate, with a large choice of brands, and a good size range. I particularly like the good illustrations and descriptions of the bras (including how the bra fastens – vital if you prefer back or side fastening).
Finally, I like www.sheactive.co.uk. This site sells the full range of sports clothes for women, including underwear. It works on the basis that you select your sport, and are then shown a range of suitable bras (and other clothes).
MBT: Shoes with a Difference
Pat writes:
About two years ago I saw a colleague wearing some unusual new trainers. These shoes had big, fat soles and looked like the sort of trainers Minnie Mouse would wear! They were a bit cute and a bit funny looking at the same time. I asked, and my colleague said they were Masai shoes, which surprised me because I thought the Masai went everywhere barefoot.
It transpired they were MBT shoes, the letters standing for ‘Masai Barefoot Technology.’ These shoes are designed to replicate the experience of walking barefoot on a sandy beach – comfortable to the foot, but balancing is a challenge. The intention is that every step requires more muscle activity.
The design of the shoe promotes good posture.
Shortly after that I went shopping with a friend and watched while she tried on a pair of MBT trainers. I still was not sure whether or not I liked them. When I mentioned this to Tricia, she surprised me by saying that she really wanted a pair! As a qualified Pilates instructor, Tricia is very strongly of the opinion (and I agree) that correct posture is a key to spinal health and looking lovely.
There are a few health considerations that may mean these shoes are unsuitable for particular individuals. The MBT website, www.swissmasai.co.uk, does include a reference list of contraindications. It can be found on the ‘Common Questions’ page.
Fortunately, none of these applied to me, so I resolved to at least try on some MBTs the next time I was buying trainers.
Then, I was waiting in a queue at a bus stop, and noticed that the woman in front of me was wearing some really cute ‘Mary Jane’ style shoes with a thick sole that looked as if it gave excellent cushioning against city streets. I took a closer look, and perceived that these were MBT shoes.
This particularly fetching style is called KAYA, and costs £145.
The photo has been supplied by MBT; their PR department tell me that this style will be available in the autumn/winter range in black and brown (as shown).
I tried them at a Sole Solutions shop, and found that they are very comfortable. The sole of the MBT is slightly curved from front to back. This makes you role from the heel of your foot to your toe when walking, and it is necessary to stand straight while moving. The curve also means that standing still requires some thought, as your shoe cannot be flat on the floor – a bit unsettling at first.
In my opinion, these shoes look better on your feet than in the picture!
Before making a decision to purchase, I have studied the company website for details of their Corporate Responsibility policies. The company state that they actively support the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) effort to “promote social justice and internationally recognised human and labour rights.”
They have a written Code of Conduct and report that it is being implemented in all factories. The principles of the Code are published on the website.
The website claims that the materials used in the production of MBTs are free from substances that are hazardous to human health or the environment. MBTs are delivered in cardboard boxes that are constructed with neither glue nor staples to that they can easily be recycled.
For more information about MBTs, including the physiological benefits, see their website, www.swissmasai.co.uk
If you are looking for MBT stockists, the massai-uk.co website has a postcode search facility.
For information about the ethics of other trainers, see our article on Trainers and Sports shoes on the Ethical Clothing page.
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Stumble It! ******
NYDJ Tummy Tuck Jeans
‘Jeans of any persuasion belong on young, slim bodies – not on flabby bodies over the age of 25’.
If you agree with the above quote (from someone named Brooks, of Munich), then you may as well stop reading now.
We think that there are no absolute rules about what you should wear at any particular age. Its always worth keeping an eye out for anything new that might help to improve one’s appearance.
Tummy Tuck jeans were the subject of an article by Lisa Armstrong that appeared in The Times on May 26, 2007. The description of the jeans provoked the reaction from Brooks, quoted above.
A company called Not Your Daughter’s Jeans (NYDJ) makes the jeans.
Neither NYDJ nor Tummy Tuck appears as a logo on the jeans.
Made from stretch denim, they incorporate a patented ‘criss-cross panel’ that is designed to hold in your stomach and lift up your backside. They are cut with a high waist (currently very fashionable), so that there is less risk of any flabby bits of flesh escaping.
The jeans are sold at an increasing number of stores in the UK. Prices range from approximately £110 to £135 depending on stockist. These are often offered on eBay. The jeans in the photo were purchased November 2007 at Nordstrom’s in Denver for $94, which included Colorado sales tax. (Sales tax varies from state to state.)
They looked somewhat small when I held them up against myself, but the sales assistant assured me that it was prudent to ‘go small’. She also advised not shortening the jeans until they had been washed.
Thinking the jeans might be uncomfortable, I was pleasantly surprised when I tried them on. The stretch fabric felt very flexible, and not constricting. My reflection in the mirror was also a pleasant surprise: I thought that I really looked a bit trimmer.
The jeans stretch a bit with wear, but go back into their original size when washed. This means washing them more often than one might otherwise.
The jeans are available in US sizes 2 to 18: that translates to UK size 6 to 22. I do recommend that you buy a size smaller than you would normally wear.
You can find out more about the jeans by looking at the company’s website: www.tummytuckjeans.com
There is a UK website, with an on-line store: www.ilovejeans.co.uk
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We have both recently purchased new jackets, and tried to follow this principle.
Christmas outfit. You might consider this organic cotton dress by Stewart + Brown, available from Adili.co.uk. Available in sizes XS, S, M and L, it is not cheap at £101, but it is machine washable. As the style is fairly plain, this would be a versatile garment that could be worn many times. 
at 2a The Courtyard, Horsemarket Street, Warrington. The Sandwich line is popular with independent retailers, and you will probably find a stockist with a web search.
