Jeans

To hundreds of thousands of workers manufacturing denim, the term “killer jeans” has quite a different meaning than a great-fitting pair of pants. Sandblasting is a denim production technique commonly used to give the “worn-out-look” to jeans. It is deadly.

Sandblasting is known to cause serious lung diseases such as silicosis, a potentially fatal pulmonary disease caused by the inhalation of silica dust. Sandblasting-induced silicosis has now resulted in more than 100 documented fatalities amongst denim workers. Yet there is no reason for the production of denim fashion to come at the cost of human lives.

This week, Deadly Denim, a new report by the Clean Clothes Campaign investigating seven factories in Bangladesh, revealed that jeans brands including Levi’s, Lee, Diesel, Esprit and Zara, all of whom claim to have banned sandblasting, are still using factories which employ this deadly technique. The investigation finds that manual sandblasting still takes place - often at night, allegedly to avoid detection.

Continue reading "Those blasted jeans makers make a killing out of denim" »

Today’s dilemma is unusually sombre, but here goes. What’s the right thing to wear to a funeral these days?

We ask this question following a recent discussion in The Punch office about the wearing of jeans. People wear jeans everywhere these days. Job interviews, weddings, work. So does that mean, it’s now okay to wear them to a funeral?

And what about the all-black thing. Is that getting a bit out-dated now?  Does it remain the only way to show respect for the person who passed away?

Continue reading "Friday dilemma: Can I wear jeans to a funeral?" »

Damn that Claudia Schiffer. There I was, happily shimmying along in my J Brand “Houlihan” skinny cargos (which must be the most comfortable pants on the planet) and out she steps in a pair of flares.It’s not the first time.

She’s been doing the German-glamazon-meets-’70s-knitting-pattern for a few months now, but you know she’s nailed it when she makes even Elle Macpherson look dated.

There they were, at the school drop-off – which is the ultimate sartorial contest for British mothers (thank goodness it hasn’t hit our Havaiana-clad shores) – and sorry, Elle, but Claudia’s kick-flare and plaited leather belt combo had your skinny jeans looking so 2009.

Continue reading "Doing the school drop-off with flare" »