#New year Clothing sale 2023

[pureli123]

Thoughtfully curated selection of modern and top-quality products made with safe and natural materials for the little ones.

[theamericanoutfit1]

Sons of Anarchy Vest

Fuel your fashionable personality with the help of a classic Sons of Anarchy Vest Enhance your captivating looks for your personality.

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[richiehugs]

Chris

An old friend of a friend.

Chris is your average 5'11 / 180cm Middle European guy with a remarried mom and a rich father. He used to spend his summers with friends and family in exotic places, or at some local beach.

He was a skinny boy in the early 2010's when he had just turned 18. He was a sporty guy, playing football and doing karate, and of course, he liked to party.

After his graduation, he got a job at an airfield as a security guard, and let's say, it wasn't as active as he might have expected.

Because he started piling on the kilos. He was exercising less, but still going out with his friends and traveling with his family and his girlfriend. He was enjoying life, but life had some unexpected turns for him. He was becoming less and less active on social media, he wouldn't post anything shirtless anymore. He wouldn't take his shirt off anymore even around friends. He knew he got chubby, and he was feeling embarrassed (though it wouldn't stop his beer-bellied friends to mock him - what are friends for, right?).

But then, in 2017, he met a girl at his workplace. The circumstances of the end of his previous relationship are unknown to me. But he was starting to look happier. And rounder.

He must have passed 100 kilos around 2018 - and 110 around 2019. His girlfriend was obviously pampering him, living at his parents house, they didn't have to worry about the slightest thing. Only his weight and his figure. His clothes were dangerously tight, showing every curve of his swollen body.

So he married her. He became a father. And then the pandemic happened.

For anyone he knew from before, he got unrecognizable. From 2020 to 2023, he must have been bounced further up to 120, or even 125 kilo / 280 pounds. His double chin was covering his entire neck. His moobs were resting on his belly, which formed a round ball under his shirt. Sucking it in wouldn't help anymore.

Due to the pandemic, he had to leave his job as airports for closed. He started a job at IKEA as a sales manager. Must have been the stress and the IKEA food that turned even him to a meatball.

But sadly, before turning into Nikocado, another turning point - his wife left him. The reason is again, unknown, but my bet would be his ex gf.

His ex was starting to spend more time with him, and boom, they made up. The girl had become a fitness coach - some sort of freak running marathons and such. Well, Chris has never run a marathon - but he has tried running before.

He started off 2023 with 120+ kilos, beautiful, obese, an aspiring superchub, growing uncontrollably 20 pounds a year - by the end he must have dropped around 20 kilos. So at around 100 kg / 220 lbs, he remains thick, he still has a dadbod, but sadly his best days have faded away. His ex, the old-new gf changed him, his lifestyle, his perfect shape, but he is happy.

This was the story of Chris, a friend of a friend. From 75 kilos to 125 kilos - and then back to 100. The pictures are from 2011 (18yo) to 2023 (30yo).

Not an influencer. Not sharing any names or socials. Please, don't reuse any of the pictures.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Washington State's capital gains tax proves we can have nice things

Today (June 3) at 1:30PM, I’m in Edinburgh for the Cymera Festival on a panel with Nina Allen and Ian McDonald.

Monday (June 5) at 7:15PM, I’m in London at the British Library with my novel Red Team Blues, hosted by Baroness Martha Lane Fox.

Washington State enacted a 7% capital gains tax levied on annual profits in excess of $250,000, and made a fortune, $600m more than projected in the first year, despite a 25% drop in the stock market and blistering interest rate hikes:

https://www.theurbanist.org/2023/06/01/lessons-from-washington-states-new-capital-gains-tax/

Capital gains taxes are levied on “passive income” — money you get for owning stuff. The capital gains rate is much lower than the income tax rate — the rate you pay for doing stuff. This is naked class warfare: it punishes the people who make things and do things, and rewards the people who own the means of production.

The thing is, a factory or a store can still operate if the owner goes missing — but without workers, it shuts down immediately. Everything you depend on — the clothes on your back, the food in your fridge, the car you drive and the coffee you drink — exists because someone did something to produce it. Those producers are punished by our tax system, while the people who derive a “passive income” from their labor are given preferential treatment.

The Washington State tax is levied exclusively on annual gains in excess of a quarter million dollars — meaning this tax affects an infinitesimal minority of Washingtonians, who are vastly better off than the people whose work they profit from. Most working Americans own little or no stock, and the vast majority of those who do own that stock in a retirement fund that is sheltered from these taxes.

(Sidebar here to say that market-based pensions are a scam, a way to force workers to gamble in a rigged casino for the chance to enjoy a dignified retirement; the defined benefits pension, combined with adequate Social Security, is the only way to ensure secure retirement for all of us)

https://pluralistic.net/2020/07/25/derechos-humanos/#are-there-no-poorhouses

Washington’s tax was anticipated to bring in $248m. Instead, it’s projected to bring in $849m in the first year. Those funds will go to public school operations and construction and infrastructure spending:

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/was-new-capital-gains-tax-brings-in-849-million-so-far-much-more-than-expected/

That is to say, the money will go to ensuring that Washingtonians are educated and will have the amenities they need to turn that education into productive work.

Washington State is noteworthy for not having any state personal or corporate income tax, making it a haven for low-tax brain-worm victims who would rather have a dead gopher running their states than pay an extra nickel in taxes. But places that don’t have taxes can’t fund services, which leads to grotesque, rapid deterioration.

Washington State plutes moved because they relished living in well-kept, cosmopolitan places with efficient transportation, an educated workforce, good restaurants and culture — none of which they would have to pay for. They forgot Karl Marx’s famous saying: “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”

The idea that Washington could make up for the shortfalls that come from taxing its wealthiest residents by levying regressive sales taxes and other measures is mathematically illiterate wishful thinking. When the one percent owns nearly everything, you can tax the shit out of the other 99% and still not make up the shortfall.

Meanwhile: homelessness, crumbling roads, and crisis after crisis. Political deterioration. Cute shopping neighborhoods turn into dollar store hellscapes because no one can afford to shop for nice things because all their income is going to plug the gaps in health, education, transport and other services that the low-tax state can’t afford.

Washington State’s soak-the-rich tax is ironic, given the propensity of California’s plutes to threaten to leave for Washington if California finally passes its own extreme wealth tax.

There’s a reason all these wealthy people want to live in California, Washington, New York and other states where there’s broad public support for taxing the American aristocracy: states with rock-bottom taxes are failed states. All but two of America’s “red states” are dependent on transfers from the federal government to stay in operation. The two exceptions are Texas, whose “free market” grid is one nanometer away from total collapse, and Florida, which is about to slip beneath the rising seas it denies.

Rich people claim they’d be happy to live in low-tax states, and even tout the benefits of a desperate workforce that will turn up to serve drinks at their country clubs even as a pandemic kills them at record rates. But when the chips are down, they don’t want to depend on a private generator to keep the lights on. They don’t want to have to repeatedly replace their luxury cars’ suspension after it’s wrecked by gaping potholes. They don’t want to have to charter a jet to fly their kids out of state to get an abortion.

This is true globally, too. As Thomas Piketty pointed out in Capital in the 21st Century, if the EU and OECD created a wealth tax, the rich could withdraw to Dubai, the Caymans and Rwanda, but they’d eventually get sick of shopping for the same luxury goods in the same malls guarded by the same mercenaries and want to go somewhere, you know, fun:

https://memex.craphound.com/2014/06/24/thomas-pikettys-capital-in-the-21st-century/

We’re told that Americans would never stand for taxing the ultra-rich because they see themselves as “temporarily embarrassed millionaires.” It’s just not true: soak-the-rich policies are wildly popular:

https://balanceourtaxcode.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/WA-State-Wealth-Tax-Poll-Results-3.pdf

The Washington tax windfall is fascinating in part because it reveals just how rich the ultra-rich actually are. Warren Buffett says that “when the tide goes out, you learn who’s been swimming naked.” But Washington’s new tax is a tide that reveals who’s been swimming with a gold bar stuck up their ass.

It’s not surprising, then, that Washingtonians are so happy to tax their one percenters. After all, this is the state that gave us modern robber barons like Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos. And then there’s clowns like Steve Ballmer, star of Propublica’s IRS Files, the man whose creative accounting let him claim $700m in paper losses on his basketball team, allowing him to pay a mere 12% tax on $656m in income, while the workers who made his fortune on the court paid 30–40% on their earnings.

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/08/tuyul-apps/#economic-substance-doctrine Ballmer’s also a master of “tax loss harvesting,” who has created paper losses of over $100m, letting him evade $138m in federal taxes:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/24/tax-loss-harvesting/#mego

These guys aren’t rich because they work harder than the rest of us. They’re rich because they profit from our work — and then, to add insult to injury, pay little or no taxes on those profits.

Washington’s lowest income earners pay six times the rate of tax as the state’s richest people. When the wealthy squeal that these taxes are class warfare, they’re right — it is class war, and they started it.

Catch me on tour with Red Team Blues in Edinburgh, London, and Berlin!

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/03/when-the-tide-goes-out/#passive-income

[Image ID: The Washington State flag; the circular device featuring George Washington has been altered so that it is now the head of a naked man clothed in a barrel with two wide leather shoulder straps.]

[mayakern]

As someone who works in clothing manufacturing + packing in the states, I wanted to reach out and send my condolences for everything going on. It's hella stressful, to put it lightly, but y'all are doing a fucking amazing job at keeping it all together, and I'm continuously so impressed by everything y'all do. Super happy that y'alls sale went so well, and I'm so excited for all the things coming this year! Wishing you and the whole team all the best <3

thank you, i really appreciate this message 🧡

honestly, most of december was a huge clusterfuck and almost everything that could go wrong, did. we also spend much of the end of 2023 working on back end business management stuff that was hugely tedious and time consuming, but that is all basically done now. and i’m just so glad and relieved that with our new systems in place and the changes we’re making that 2024 is looking so much better already.

especially on the office landlord front. i haven’t really talked about this publicly bc there’s just been so much going on, but he’s been ignoring our requests to have things fixed for MONTHS and we finally got him into the building yesterday to see the damage caused by his negligence and let me tell you, he changed his tune real fast once he saw how much product we lost because of him. it was very vindicating, to say the least, and he will be paying for all of it.

[omnidoll]

Punk Skunk Girl and Punk Cat Boy doll set finished Sat. Nov. 16 2024 with pictures—took forever, finally done

I was really pleased with how these anthropomorphic cat boy and skunk girl dolls turned out. The heads (with original hairstyles) came from the 2020s MGA LOL OMG Hair Hair Hair pets line, which were all music-themed. The bodies came from Tomy(?) posable artist figures from AliExpress. I made most of their clothes (with contributions from toy companies MGA, Zuru, and Mattel), and I made all of their rock and rock accessories.

The tiny, male and female, black vinyl hinged and ball socket artist figure bodies caused many delays in finishing these this year, as the joints would break when they were moved. I had to use a combination of superglue with water putty powder, and sometimes black felt and super glue to stabilize and repair breaks. (Then I’d seal, paint black, seal, and repeat the steps when the joints inevitably broke again.) But there was nothing else available for doll bodies in black in this scale.

I made his black jeans, his black mesh top, her red sweater, her stretchy black tights, and her skirt from scratch from old jeans, an unused Forever 21 clearance cocktail dress, black scraps, and a new holiday-themed sock. His gold tone belt buckle is a tiny piece broken off of some bit of doll accessory or doll jewelry (likely Mattel Barbie). The printed top layer of her skirt was made by gathering the long printed satin care instructions in multiple languages from the dress tag.

His clear neon green “studded” vest came in a handful of MGA LOL OMG doll clothes and accessories bought at this spring’s Port Costa town-wide yard sale (studs had to be reglued, as they shed off the vinyl). His black cotton jacket and her black, red, and silver sleeveless top came from a new set of MGA Little Bratz clothes bought years ago. (The top came with “punk” printed in red on the fabric and the faux silver zipper trim.) Her boots were bought this year with a Barbie Extra Mini doll (which I bought primarily for parts) and painted black and sealed with Testor’s sealant.

His black Doc Marten-style boots (with real laces and tongue) and her black polka dotted bow came from this year’s Zuru Mini Fashion series 3 surprise ball pack. (A high quality detailed series of miniatures—I bought only the 2023-2024 series that came with fashion doll shoes.)

I made his neon green “studded” wrist bands from cheap plastic tube beads from Michael’s and painted the studs on with textured silver fabric paint (sealed with Testor’s Dullcote before and after), which is how I made the “studded” red band in her hair.

The parts of the outfits I was most pleased with are their 1980s rock band buttons and emblems. I printed out images from the original band merchandise online on our injet printer, then affixed them to either white thumb tacks, white card paper, or off-white felt with Mod Podge, then I sealed them with Mod Podge 3D “dimensional” clear coating.

His Oingo Boingo square green album button (with cat and Christmas graphic) is from “Nothing to Fear.” (I bent a wire into a square to be a “pin back” attachment glued to the card backing in this button.) His jacket patch (attached to his jacket with a rougher punk DIY style of stitching) is from the first EP “Oingo Boingo,” featuring the Louis Wain cat. Her yellow, pink, and orange Oingo Boingo Louis Wain cat button is supposedly the first button from the first EP.

I used the same method to create her Dead Milkman cow logo button, but I used a rubbery earring packaging plug (which comes on the ends of new earring wires) to affix it to the lapel, instead bending the thumb tack stem back with needle nose pliers, as I did with the other buttons. On her blouse collar’s lapel is a Siouxie and the Banshees band button with a portrait of the lead singer. Some of the ink came off in the glueing, so I carefully filled in the missing bits with a black felt tip pen before sealing.

Saturday morning, I photographed the pair posing together and dancing (including tgeir doing the Pogo) on our white brick mantel in the living room, with the natural light supplemented by a clip-on halo light (attached to my iPhone 13) and my flexible bedroom lamp twisted up from under my arm.

I enjoyed putting these together. It was a similar creative process as when, a few years ago, I repaired and made over some damaged old Sunshine Family dolls into 1980s teens and 1990s Seattle grunge skater kids. I think the pink and black mohawk on the MGA cat head gave me the impetus for this pair.

[sakurapika]

Reviewing New Year Sale Outfits in Twisted Wonderland

In Japan, New Year's Day (お正月, or "Oshogatsu") is the biggest holiday of the year, and it is also my favorite. That being said, the TWST artists never disappoint when it comes to the art for this event, so let's review all of the cards!

Spoiler warning for upcoming ENG and JP sever event cards, including some Groovy art!

Round 1: 2021-2022

Kalim Al-Asim (SSR)

Look at him, he's so festive and cheerful

This Kalim, as well as Deuce's SR, have a special place in my heart. I started playing TWST the summer it came out, but I wasn't a "serious" player until around New Year. Kalim and Deuce were my first "duo magic" pair, and I love their interactions in the story as well.

I love his headband ribbon and how it matches his obi. The sparkly hakama also suits him. I'm excited to see Jamil's version of this outfit as well, but we all know it'll be a very long time until Jamil volunteers to work retail during the peak season.

12/10 he's so cute

Deuce Spade (SR)

I was surprised that this was just an SR, and that you could get him by finishing the event story. His outfit is so detailed!

I chose his Groovy art so you could see that he's wearing sneakers with his outfit, which I found funny. Cater is wearing similar shoes in his own SR, so it must be part of the Heartslabyul New Year attire. It still feels very in-character for Deuce.

The silhouette of his outfit is interesting. His jacket is short like a suit jacket, but has the sleeves of a haori. There are lots of elements of his dorm uniform, like the pins and sash around his waist.

Not only does he look awesome, but he chose to work during the New Year's Sale to buy a present for his mother.

12/10 very cool and wholesome

Round 2: 2022-2023

Ruggie Bucchi (SSR)

HIS HAIR!!!

Aside from Vargas Camp and his birthday cards, Ruggie doesn't have a lot of SSRs, so I'm happy for him. I look forward to getting him in the English server soon.

I love how Ruggie seems to have picked up a lot of merchandise from around the store. Aside from a fan, which all the boys are using as their "weapons" for battles, he has a little koi bag, which I love so much (I have a similar one). The little toy he's holding is called a den-den daiko (でんでん太鼓), which is popular for young children.

11/10 congrats on getting the job, Ruggie!

Cater Diamond (SR)

I chose to show his un-Groovy art, because it's easier to see his outfit.

His clothes are similar to Deuce's, except that his "vest" is red, and he is wearing a button-down shirt underneath. The mix of Japanese and Western influences reminds me of Taisho-era clothing. He looks like Kazushi Tatsuishi in the anime version of My Happy Marriage, which also happens to be set in the Taisho Era.

It's hard to see in this picture, but he has a hairpin in his hair!

10/10 he slays

Sebek Zigvolt (SSR)

He looks so dramatic with his gloves and fur collar, but are we surprised? He's a Diasomnia student, after all. I wish they had given him a different hat, though, because it looks almost identical to his dorm uniform.

This one makes me laugh, because he poses like my dad. Not seen in this image is Sebby's neon-green geta, which I think my dad would love (he likes having shoes in unusual colors).

10/10 who needs fireworks on New Year's Eve when you have Sebby?

Vil Schoenheit (SR)

He stole the show.

At first glance, his outfit may bear too heavy a resemblance to the regular Pomefiore uniforms, since they're already inspired by kimono.

With his fascinator hat, netted gloves, and black nail polish, though, Vil adds a sense of mystery and intrigue to his outfit. He looks like he is playing the role of a Taisho-era socialite who poisoned their lover and is now actively avoiding the police.

Either that, or he got divorced from Rook. After all, it looks like he is wearing a furisode (a type of kimono meant for single women) rather than a tomesode (worn by married women), like in his dorm uniform.

11/10. The storytelling potential is limitless.

Round 3: 2023-2024

Trey Clover (SSR)

I love his scarf and hat. His coat looks longer than Deuce's and Cater's, and more like a haori. Overall, it looks like a cozy combination.

Like Cater, he is also wearing a button-down shirt under his kimono, and his vest is green. Heartslabyul is the only dorm that gets a character in this event every year, so it's nice to see that the outfits are personalized for each character.

He looks like he could be someone's uncle, but you know for sure that he'd spoil his nieces and nephews.

10/10 very classy, if he was working at the store and I came to visit, I'd trust him.

Ortho Shroud (SR)

ADORABLE.

Something I've always found interesting about Ignihyde clothing is their use of sharp shapes and geometric patterns, especially in Ortho's case. I wonder how Idia's version of this outfit would look.

Ortho and Idia must've had so much fun creating this outfit together!

Infinity/10 if Ortho were trying to sell me anything, I'd buy it, regardless of whether I actually need it.

Rook Hunt (SSR)

He's wearing RED EYELINER!

His outfit is quite different from Vil's. While Vil is wearing a furisode, which is traditionally worn by women, Rook's outfit seems to have a more traditionally masculine silhouette (of course, this is just my interpretation). This probably means that Epel will get to wear an outfit similar to Rook's next time as well.

The peacock feathers on his red hat is also a nice touch.

His pose and expression remind me of Wen Kexing from the C-drama Word of Honor. They also have similar personalities.

10/10, he looks like he just stepped out of a period drama. I look forward to seeing the fanarts of him with Vil.

Jade Leech (SR)

Jade's card has to be my favorite from this year's lineup. I just love how they translated Octavinelle's suits into kimono, while keeping details such as the purple bow tie.

I'm obsessed with his haori--it looks fluffy. I'd like to buy five.

His pose is so...

Like Trey, he looks like someone's uncle (it must be the fedora). However, unlike Trey, he looks like someone's uncle who may or may not be part of the Yakuza. Instead of giving you money on New Year, you owe HIM.

He also looks like he goes door to door selling products, and is about to sell me what he guarantees is a genuine Toshiba toaster oven and absolutely not an overpriced knockoff that will short-circuit and cause my entire neighborhood to lose electricity.

11/10 I will buy that toaster oven anyway.

Which cards are you most excited for? Let me know!

[mariacallous]

In 2023, the fast-fashion giant Shein was everywhere. Crisscrossing the globe, airplanes ferried small packages of its ultra-cheap clothing from thousands of suppliers to tens of millions of customer mailboxes in 150 countries. Influencers’ “#sheinhaul” videos advertised the company’s trendy styles on social media, garnering billions of views.

At every step, data was created, collected, and analyzed. To manage all this information, the fast fashion industry has begun embracing emerging AI technologies. Shein uses proprietary machine-learning applications — essentially, pattern-identification algorithms — to measure customer preferences in real time and predict demand, which it then services with an ultra-fast supply chain.

As AI makes the business of churning out affordable, on-trend clothing faster than ever, Shein is among the brands under increasing pressure to become more sustainable, too. The company has pledged to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2050.

But climate advocates and researchers say the company’s lightning-fast manufacturing practices and online-only business model are inherently emissions-heavy — and that the use of AI software to catalyze these operations could be cranking up its emissions. Those concerns were amplified by Shein’s third annual sustainability report, released late last month, which showed the company nearly doubled its carbon dioxide emissions between 2022 and 2023.

“AI enables fast fashion to become the ultra-fast fashion industry, Shein and Temu being the fore-leaders of this,” said Sage Lenier, the executive director of Sustainable and Just Future, a climate nonprofit. “They quite literally could not exist without AI.” (Temu is a rapidly rising ecommerce titan, with a marketplace of goods that rival Shein’s in variety, price, and sales.)

In the 12 years since Shein was founded, it has become known for its uniquely prolific manufacturing, which reportedly generated over $30 billion of revenue for the company in 2023. Although estimates vary, a new Shein design may take as little as 10 days to become a garment, and up to 10,000 items are added to the site each day. The company reportedly offers as many as 600,000 items for sale at any given time with an average price tag of roughly $10. (Shein declined to confirm or deny these reported numbers.) One market analysis found that 44 percent of Gen Zers in the United States buy at least one item from Shein every month.

That scale translates into massive environmental impacts. According to the company’s sustainability report, Shein emitted 16.7 million total metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2023 — more than what four coal power plants spew out in a year. The company has also come under fire for textile waste, high levels of microplastic pollution, and exploitative labor practices. According to the report, polyester — a synthetic textile known for shedding microplastics into the environment — makes up 76 percent of its total fabrics, and only 6 percent of that polyester is recycled.

And a recent investigation found that factory workers at Shein suppliers regularly work 75-hour weeks, over a year after the company pledged to improve working conditions within its supply chain. Although Shein’s sustainability report indicates that labor conditions are improving, it also shows that in third-party audits of over 3,000 suppliers and subcontractors, 71 percent received a score of C or lower on the company’s grade scale of A to E — mediocre at best.

Machine learning plays an important role in Shein’s business model. Although Peter Pernot-Day, Shein’s head of global strategy and corporate affairs, told Business Insider last August that AI was not central to its operations, he indicated otherwise during a presentation at a retail conference at the beginning of this year.

“We are using machine-learning technologies to accurately predict demand in a way that we think is cutting edge,” he said. Pernot-Day told the audience that all of Shein’s 5,400 suppliers have access to an AI software platform that gives them updates on customer preferences, and they change what they’re producing to match it in real time.

“This means we can produce very few copies of each garment,” he said. “It means we waste very little and have very little inventory waste.” On average, the company says it stocks between 100 to 200 copies of each item — a stark contrast with more conventional fast-fashion brands, which typically produce thousands of each item per season, and try to anticipate trends months in advance. Shein calls its model “on-demand,” while a technology analyst who spoke to Vox in 2021 called it “real-time” retail.

At the conference, Pernot-Day also indicated that the technology helps the company pick up on “micro trends” that customers want to wear. “We can detect that, and we can act on that in a way that I think we’ve really pioneered,” he said. A designer who filed a recent class action lawsuit in a New York District Court alleges that the company’s AI market analysis tools are used in an “industrial-scale scheme of systematic, digital copyright infringement of the work of small designers and artists,” that scrapes designs off the internet and sends them directly to factories for production.

In an emailed statement to Grist, a Shein spokesperson reiterated Peter Pernot-Day’s assertion that technology allows the company to reduce waste and increase efficiency and suggested that the company’s increased emissions in 2023 were attributable to booming business. “We do not see growth as antithetical to sustainability,” the spokesperson said.

An analysis of Shein’s sustainability report by the Business of Fashion, a trade publication, found that last year, the company’s emissions rose at almost double the rate of its revenue — making Shein the highest-emitting company in the fashion industry. By comparison, Zara’s emissions rose half as much as its revenue. For other industry titans, such as H&M and Nike, sales grew while emissions fell from the year before.

Shein’s emissions are especially high because of its reliance on air shipping, said Sheng Lu, a professor of fashion and apparel studies at the University of Delaware. “AI has wide applications in the fashion industry. It’s not necessarily that AI is bad,” Lu said. “The problem is the essence of Shein’s particular business model.”

Other major brands ship items overseas in bulk, prefer ocean shipping for its lower cost, and have suppliers and warehouses in a large number of countries, which cuts down on the distances that items need to travel to consumers.

According to the company’s sustainability report, 38 percent of Shein’s climate footprint comes from transportation between its facilities and to customers, and another 61 percent come from other parts of its supply chain. Although the company is based in Singapore and has suppliers in a handful of countries, the majority of its garments are produced in China and are mailed out by air in individually addressed packages to customers. In July, the company sent about 900,000 of these to the US every day.

Shein’s spokesperson told Grist that the company is developing a decarbonization road map to address the footprint of its supply chain. Recently, the company has increased the amount of inventory it stores in US warehouses, allowing it to offer American customers quicker delivery times, and increased its use of cargo ships, which are more carbon-efficient than cargo planes.

“Controlling the carbon emissions in the fashion industry is a really complex process,” Lu said, adding that many brands use AI to make their operations more efficient. “It really depends on how you use AI.”

There is research that indicates using certain AI technologies could help companies become more sustainable. “It’s the missing piece,” said Shahriar Akter, an associate dean of business and law at the University of Wollongong in Australia. In May, Akter and his colleagues published a study finding that when fast-fashion suppliers used AI data management software to comply with big brands’ sustainability goals, those companies were more profitable and emitted less. A key use of this technology, Atker says, is to closely monitor environmental impacts, such as pollution and emissions. “This kind of tracking was not available before AI-based tools,” he said.

Shein told Grist it does not use machine-learning data management software to track emissions, which is one of the uses of AI included in Akter’s study. But the company’s much-touted usage of machine-learning software to predict demand and reduce waste is another of the uses of AI included in the research.

Regardless, the company has a long way to go before meeting its goals. Grist calculated that the emissions Shein reportedly saved in 2023 — with measures such as providing its suppliers with solar panels and opting for ocean shipping — amounted to about 3 percent of the company’s total carbon emissions for the year.

Lenier, from Sustainable and Just Future, believes there is no ethical use of AI in the fast-fashion industry. She said that the largely unregulated technology allows brands to intensify their harmful impacts on workers and the environment. “The folks who work in fast-fashion factories are now under an incredible amount of pressure to turn out even more, even faster,” she said.

Lenier and Lu both believe that the key to a more sustainable fashion industry is convincing customers to buy less. Lu said if companies use AI to boost their sales without changing their unsustainable practices, their climate footprints will also grow accordingly. “It’s the overall effect of being able to offer more market-popular items and encourage consumers to purchase more than in the past,” he said. “Of course, the overall carbon impact will be higher.”

[desertdollranch]

Doll brands I never thought I'd own, part 6(?): WeGirls

WeGirls of the World is another rare and obscure brand of 18 inch dolls that I finally managed to track down. This was a European brand that only made dolls for (at most) four years, so I hadn't counted on actually, miraculously, randomly, stumbling across one of them for sale. But I did, and here she is!

This is Lidia Kozikowska. She recently immigrated here from Poland, which is where WeGirls is based. Check out the Polish text on her original box, which translates to "Girls like you! Have fun and change yourself and the world for the better! Beauty is within you!"

The dolls themselves were manufactured in Germany by Schildkröt, a renowned doll company. Because of that, I'm not surprised at the high quality. This doll is sturdy, her joints move smoothly, and she has eyes that open and close. Her hair is rooted, but it's dense and definitely not the cheap kind.

Overall I'm super impressed.

Lidia has an all-vinyl body. She can fit in American Girl (left) and Maplelea (right) clothes and shoes, although she is slightly slimmer than dolls of those brands. I'd say she's closer to the size of a Journey Girls doll. Her feet, though, are ever so slightly larger than most American Girl feet.

Her vinyl is very soft and squishy with a peachy tone.

It's so soft that her fingers bend easily, so they can hold this adorable pose.

Her face mold reminds me of some Maplelea dolls.

The two brands aren't affiliated, so it's just a fun little coincidence.

I took Lidia out to my favorite doll photography spot in the mountains and let her have a closer look at her new homeland.

I also let her test her equestrian skills, since she'll need them around here. She handled Horsefina very well!

She didn't come with a name, so the name I gave her was one I chose. I was looking at the most popular names given to babies in Poland last year, and was surprised at how many of them were also equally popular in North America. Lidia was #68 on Poland's most used names for babies born in 2023.

[wormthing]

Taking commissions for some Animal Jam items:

I've been playing Animal Jam Classic lately, and drawing in their Art Studio, and I cobbled together a wish list of random items I want. I'll draw a piece of art for you for some of those items; it doesn't specifically have to be for an in-game Masterpiece item. Check below the Read More for the list of items I'm looking for.

(And of course my commissions for $ USD are always open still!)

Please trade me at least one item off the list below in exchange for a piece of art.

Please message me about your proposed commission and what items you'd like to trade! Let me know if you want this drawn as a Masterpiece item, or if you just want a regular image file in exchange, probably done in MS Paint in a similar style above.

Give me a few days to get the drawing done!

If you want me to draw your avatar, I am not going to draw culturally insensitive items. I'll let you know if I have an issue with your proposition.

I can take payment when the art done/approved and we can trade, but I can also do half-payment up front.

If you want a Masterpiece item:

A Masterpiece Token included in the trade is appreciated, but not required.

Give the art time to be approved. If it isn't, I'll see if we can work something out.

Please keep complexity down, especially in regards to colour schemes.

Click below for my wish list! I'll cross things off as I get them (or add to it if I see stuff I really want).

Check out the Animal Jam Wiki (link) to look up these items (or other related pages). (I also said what event they were from if applicable.)

Den items:

Painter's Palette ("Let creativity fly" collection) [Got it!]

Fancy Pottery Wheel (same) [Got it!]

Cosmo plushie (2023 scavenger hunt) [Got it!]

Peck plushie (same) [Got it!]

Rare Wavy Bookshelf (2013 rare item monday) [Got it!]

Rare Giant Panda Plushie (promotional) [Got it!]

Rare Giant Tiger plushie (Lunar new year prize)

Art Camp Bead Station (2021 Art Camp collection) [Got it!]

Mira Tapestry (2017 Mira v Zios event)

Mira Banner (2017 MvZ event, not to be confused with the Beta mira banner)

Glowing Spiked Phantom (2019 box prize)

Clothing:

Phantom Beanie (2017 Fall box prize)

Slime Green skullies (2022 trick-or-treat event)

Cursed Hypno glasses (2021 spooky sale)

(I'll also take the Rare Hypno Glasses with the similar colour scheme instead!) [Got these ::-)]

Classic Werewolf mask (2022 spooky sale)

Classic Creature mask (same) [I got a bunch of spooky masks from someone!!! ::-D]

Huntress hat (this is the only members item here)

Low priority:

Any other* promotional plushies (for non-members)! I love them ::-) [*Note: I now have: Rare giant panda, Rare giant raccoon, Rare monkey]

Any Slime Green clothes (for non-members)

Non-member Halloween masks from 2022 (Classic Vampire Mask, Wicked Witch Mask)

A green spiked collar for non-members [Got it!]

My Den has other art I've done, some of which is from 2024 but some is from 2017! My username is 113457.

[coqxettee]

Why I love being a girl ♡

- January 8th 2023 -

Written by Kellen-Pippa Beckett (@coqxette)

I adore being a girl. 💋

Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been literally living my mornings, afternoons and evenings on Pinterest, and as I’ve been scrolling, I’ve come across so many pretty pictures, of simple girly things that just make me so happy. Bottles of perfume, lipgloss, other pretty girls, pink clothes, bags, shoes, outfit combinations, pretty bedrooms, skincare, makeup. All kind of things I didn’t ever used to particularly romanticise and see the true beauty of up until this year. Since January I’ve not taken anything for granted, in terms of enjoying my life on this planet as a girl. There’s so many things I love to do, that I just don’t often think about. But since the beginning of 2023, I’ve been doing so many little girly tasks and activities, and I thought I’d share them with you 🎀

Girly habits to have: (@coqxette)

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ | ✧˖°. | ʚɞ ⁺˖

🎀 Take a shower every morning, using the sweetest, sugary, and most divine shower products you can

🎀 Invest in cotton candy scented soaps, scrubs, shower gel, body lotion, hand cream

🎀 Have pretty makeup products. This will motivate you to want to do your makeup on days your not feeling it

🎀 Lipgloss & Mascara are essentials. Keep them in your purse for quick top up’s throughout the day

🎀 In your purse keep genuine essentials. A tiny mirror, hairbrush, lipgloss & mascara, headphones, emergency money and tissues/hand sanitiser

🎀 Save up your money. You know that one thing you’ve wanted for ages? (Dior bag for me ) Put some money aside each month to eventually pay out for it

🎀 Devote every Sunday to a pamper day. (Or one day a week) Wash your hair, manicure, pedicure, exfoliate, moisturiser, do a face mask, hair mask The lot ✨

🎀 Get an early night for an early morning, and do one girly thing before bed. Read a beautiful story, listen to soft music or your favourite song, watch a comfort episode of your favourite show. But try not to go on a screen 45 minutes before you actually sleep

🎀 Take time out of your day to do things YOU enjoy, playing a video game, reading a book, whatever you enjoy doing. Self care is important too

🎀 If the weather is appropriate, go on daily walks. I live in the countryside in the UK, so the weather isn’t always on my side but for people that live in hot climates, don’t take your beautiful weather for granted!

🎀 Even on windy days, a compact brush goes a long way. Keep your hair healthy, maintained. Have a hair care routine, and go to the hairdressers every 1-2 months (if you can) if you want that extra pampering feeling

🎀 Thrift to find the best stuff! Designer clothes are heavenly, but nearly ALL of my clothes are thrifted! (Some thrifted things are cuter than designer) and you can find so many vintage sales! Check TK/J MAX for Juicy Couture)

🎀 Maintain a healthy diet, but never fear to compensate when it’s that time of the month 🤒 One of my favourite, (but healthy in moderation) sweet treats are dark chocolates and it can help with cramps, so it’s a win win!

🎀 Paint your nails pink. Baby pink, hot pink, dusty pink. Just… pink

🎀 Invest in some new girly stationary. Pink notepads, pink pens. Girly stationary = girly notes & girly planning

🎀 If it’s pink and girly, buy it :)

🎀 Collect pretty jewellery! Silver or gold, or pink :))

🎀 If exercise is your thing, invest in some pink gym wear

🎀 Always keep a pair of earphones/headphones/AirPods with you to listen to girly music wherever you go. The world can seem so boring without pink, bubblegum music

🎀 Bored? Go shopping. Day off? Go shopping. No friends? Go shopping. Loads of friends? Go shopping

🎀 Have a signature scent, so people always know it’s you.

🎀 Have a box in your room dedicated to hair accessories.

🎀 Make your room girly! Pink floral bedsheets, a vanity, and fairy lights are all staples

🎀 Boys are cute but don’t obsess over them. Obsess over pink instead <3

🎀 Watch girly cartoons! It’s not childish and if it makes you happy, then it’s worth it. I love ANYTHING Barbie, I watch all of her content religiously :)

🎀 Start watching Barbie life in the dream house. This sounds niche but it’s SO cute and watching Barbie being effortlessly girly will imprint in your brain, trust meeeee

🎀 Lastly, and the most important of them all. Don’t force any of this. If your a girly girl, your a girly girl and there is nothing you can do about it! But these are just habits I tend to keep up, because I enjoy doing all of them. Don’t take being girly for granted, even when your just putting your perfume or body spray on before you go out, that’s such a lovely girly act, and remember that. Orrrrr maybe I’m just queen of over romanticising everything. Either way just implant these habits day by day and you will start to see girly changes <3

All my love… your homework is to try and do ONE of these girly things today, love you always. Stay girly, stay beautiful. - Kellen 🎀🛼

[tajlibracreations]

Divine 9 Beautiful Diva v1 Sorority Varsity Jacket by TajLibra Creations

Brand new one of a kind Varsity Jackets for the Divine 9 Sororities. These jackets feature a Beautiful African American Woman with a large Afro. Across her afro are words promoting Sisterhood.

These jackets are available for the Sims 4 and Simmers.

THE SIMS 4 CLOTHING DOWNLOAD

For the Divine 9 Sororities:

Alpha Kappa Alpha

Delta Sigma Theta

Zeta Phi Beta

Sigma Gamma Rho

CAS DOWNLOAD -  Sorority Beautiful Diva Varsity Jacket v1

TajLibra_D9_BeautifuDivav1_SororityVarsityJacket_AF

Outfit Type: Clothing - Top

Sub part Type: Sweatshirt, Sweater, Jacket

Fashion Choice: Feminine

Age: Teen to Elder

All Occults (except Werewolf)

Custom Swatch

Occasions: Athletic, Everyday, Party, Sleep, Cold Weather

Swatches: 4 - AKA (pink/green), DST (red/white), ZPB (blue/white), and SGR (blue/gold)

Designs: 1 per Organization - Beautiful Diva on the front and NINETEEN plus the year on the back

Designed by TajLibra Creations, Art Designed by TajLibra Designs

Mesh: Base Game Compatible, Included

Model Credits: Photography by @tajlibra

Purchase the Real Version from the Artfully Accented Premium Products Shop

DOWNLOAD INFORMATION:

File Name(s): TajLibra_D9_BeautifuDivav1_SororityVarsityJacket_AF

Download Available on Patreon

Uploaded on 12/07/2023

CC by @tajlibracreations @tajlibra @tajlibradesigns

Art by @tajlibradesigns and available on @tajlibradesigns (Etsy)

Purchase the real version from the Artfully Accented Premium Product Shop

DISCLAIMER: These creations are for The Sims 4 as custom content. This is content is purely for fun. Many simmers love having a piece of reality in their games. Some images were obtained from various online sources and their credit remains on the image. Please do not share disrespectful images or videos using these Divine 9 creations.  Organizations mean a lot to their members.

TajLibra Creations Terms of Use (TOU):

Do not sell or place MY custom content behind paywalls or on paysites. My content is not for sale. Link directly to my Patreon, tumblr, or simfileshare link.

Do not re-upload, re-edit, and/or then claim as your own! Please credit designs to me.

Do not include my content in pay to download lots, rooms, and/or households. Separate my content and provide it as a free download or link to my page.

I credit mesh creators and link to required meshes whenever possible, you should as well. My goal is to never use a mesh that requires payment to download.

Feel free to tag me when you use my creations. @tajlibracreations @tajlibra

Please let me know if links do not work or if you have problems with my content working in your game.

Social Media:

The Sims 4 Gallery: TajLibra (cc free builds & sims),TajLibraCreation & TajLibraCreates

Twitter: @TajLibraCreates

Facebook Page: @TajLibraCreations

Instagram: @Tajlibra

Patreon: patreon.com/TajLibra

LuniverSims: TajLibra

Tumblr: tajlibracreations.tumblr.com & tajlibra.tumblr.com

Discord - TajLibra Creations: Click to Join

Trello Board - TajLibra Creations: Click to Visit

Itch.io: Click Here to view Unreleased Commission Items

YouTube - TajLibra Creations: Click to Visit

Pinterest - TajLibra Creations: Click to Visit

Website - TajLibra Creations

Etsy Store for Digital Art - TajLibra Designs

Kofi - TajLibra: Click to Visit (accepting donations)

Buy Me A Coffee (Smoothie) - TajLibra: Click to Visit (accepting donations)

[unconventionalmakes]

The path I've decided to take is to do a marathon through all my patterns, knit them up, take new pictures for them, fix up and adjust the patterns and then release them as I intend them to be on Ravelry! There are going to be a lot of hiccups along the way but it's what I'm willing to do to recover my job after I took that hit from Etsy.

I started with this set of dishcloths right here. They are made only using knit and purl stitches to make these pictures I've designed so they're very easy and not very big. I made these back in 2017 and made them a set on etsy in 2023 and now the set is an ebook on my Ravelry store! They're also available for sale individually for $2. There haven't been many takers for these over the years even though I enjoy the dynamics of each of them so maybe they just haven't found their crowd yet

I can see these being good for friend groups of creative people or as a gift to arts teachers or a gift to yourself as a dishcloth or face cloth

And I swore that I wouldn't put too much work into my patterns as I'm doing this marathon buuuut I had a vision for a matching bonus cloth that would work as an accent to the other busier patterns if someone were to make them as a set so I went ahead and made it and added it as an exclusive to the ebook

Pattern Credits: The Actor's Cloth, The Artist's Cloth, The Crafter's Cloth, The Dancer's Cloth, and The Musician's Cloth available on their own but also as a set sold as an ebook

[lantur]

I had a pretty bad Friday thanks to having to staff a table at a professional conference that day - which is something I've always hated doing. I came home from work feeling unwell, and Westin lay on me for hours and purred to help me feel better. <3

It's been a great weekend, though. I got a massage yesterday and played board games with Derek. We got pizza for dinner and continued our journey through the Scream stories by watching Scream 6 together. This one is one of my favorites yet :)

I also ordered myself a new purse last night. I've been carrying the same everyday bag that I bought from Walmart like ~7 years ago, and it's not looking so good anymore. I treated myself to a leather crossbody bag I got on a good sale, and I'm excited for it to arrive. I rarely shop for new clothes or accessories, and I would like to polish up my look a little. I'm hoping to go thrifting again next weekend, and I'm thinking about getting a new wig as well.

Starting the new month off with a run is one of my favorite traditions, and I got to do that today :) I also took myself out to see a play (Arsenic and Old Lace) at a local theatre, and that was so much fun. Local theatre is one of my favorite things.

Derek and I went out for an evening ice cream date with delicious s'mores flavored ice cream, and we finished the live action of One Piece tonight. I think it's safe to say that One Piece is, so far, my show of 2023. I love it so much. The friendship, the adventure and whimsy, the characters, the world - it has everything.

It's October 1 and my favorite month of the year is officially here. September was rough and often awful, so I'm excited to pack this month as full as I can with the things and people I enjoy.

[f4unlette]

𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𓍯𓂃

꒰ 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑜: i go by nana and use they/them pronouns. i’m bisexual but am more inclined towards homosexuality. in terms of gender identity, i identify as genderqueer.

aquarius sun, capricorn moon and leo rising.

i’m an intp-t, atheist, feminist (trans inclusive) and leftist.

i have a cherub tattoo on my forearm :)

this is a wl account! if you are currently recovering from an e4ting d1sorder, i’d advise you to not interact with my account, as i post content that might be triggering to people who are sensitive to the topic. if unconfortable or triggered, please, block this account instead of reporting.

ever since i was around 9 years old, i've been struggling with body weight and image. i've always been a bit of an outcast for being overweight most of my life, being subjected to endless comparisons and being picked on. i have also been stuck in constant cycles of st4rv4tion and binge eating for as long as i can remember. i began my actual weight loss journey around summer 2023 and it has since become an addiction.

꒰ 𝑡𝘩𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑖 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒: super sonico figurines, vanilla, peach, cinnamon or strawberry scented candles, big dogs, stuffed animals (need a djungelskog bear, a pompompurin plushie and a pusheen cinnamon roll), hair accessories, pyjamas, antiques, queer media (especially girl’s love manga/anime), pink hair, hydrangeas, sparkly nails, car rides, hand holding, pastel colors (my faves are #c3d4e7 and most shades of light pink), late autumn and winter, dove products, fragrances/perfume, lip balm.

i’m a long time fan of sanrio and my favorite character is pompompurin ૮ - ﻌ - ა⁩ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

꒰ 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑠: gaming, music, psychology, sociology and history (art, political, fashion, morbid), photography, crafting (clay), baking, writing, organizing things, beauty/self care and fashion (rococo and victorian, vintage, othic, lolita, jojifuku, coquette/dollette, mori kei, winter clothing), shopping (mostly looking at whatever’s on sale and debating whether i should buy it or not. rarely ever give in).

my absolute favorite youtube channel is kubz scouts (been a fan of jay for years :D). i mostly watch commentary videos on internet phenomenons, crime documentaries, gameplays, mukbangs and cooking videos.

꒰ 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑠𝑎𝑓𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑠: my homemade tomato and tuna cream pasta, protein and cereal bars, anything strawberry or pistachio flavored, tangerines, hot chocolate, s’mores, mochi, fruit, warm milk with honey, pain au chocolat, donuts, homemade chocolate chip cookies, chocolate (especially hershey’s cookies n creme flat white and lindt dark chocolate with salted caramel), milka milk choco wafer, werther’s originals caramel, kfc’s strawberry milkshake and o’cheddar burger, cinnamon rolls, chai latte with salted caramel syrup, mc donald’s cheeseburger natura and nuggets.

i’m also a fan of portuguese, italian and chinese cuisine.

꒰ 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑐: mostly radiohead, lana del rey, dazey and the scouts, she wants revenge, nicole dollanganger, hole, fiona apple, jack off jill, the cure, jeff buckley, lalleshwari, kali uchis, mars argo, sleep token and gothic, nu and heavy metal (type o negative, soad, slipknot, korn), 50s and 60s, 90s indie, goth/new wave, classical, japanese rock, pop and v-kei

꒰ 𝑔𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑠: mouthwashing, schoolgirl supervisor, genshin impact (tartaglia + arlecchino main, ar59), class of ‘09, ddlc, fnaf sl, dead plate and cold front, re7 and village, outlast. anything horror, survival, choice.

꒰ 𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑠: girl interrupted, brokeback mountain, but i’m a cheerleader, donnie darko, stay (2005), hannibal (series).

꒰ 𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑎: banana fish, bloom into you, mob psycho 100, devilman crybaby, moriarty the patriot, bungou stray dogs, tokyo revengers, junji ito manga, classmates/doukyusei, brutal satsujin, boy meets maria, the summer hikaru died.

꒰ 𝑑𝑛𝑖: p3dophiles and zooph1les, right wing propaganda, (especially n4zis/fascists and monarchists), which includes homophobia, transphobia, racism, misogyny. i do enjoy dark humor, but do not toletate it when it’s used to disguise bigotry. conservative religious fanatics who push traditional gender roles onto everybody are also not allowed (especially incels).

𝑡𝘩𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔

[iamacolor]

2023 sewing projects - part 2 details at the end of the post (click here for part 1)

Note: I work for a fabric shop so I get most of my fabrics fabric for free as well as some patterns as I have to be wearing our products at work (I definitely consider it a perk). Without this job I would not be sewing as much and I'd probably be buying most of my fabric second hand or on sale as I used to do before. I also sometimes sew during work hours so keep that in mind if you're also a sewist, go at your own rythm 💜 Although I have basic training in pattern drafting I prefer to sew from pre-existing patterns to save on time (as i have to regularly make myself some new clothes for work) and discover new techniques and styles - but I often change stuffs to adapt the designs to my style.

1 - same pants as in part 1 but this time in a double wool crepe from italy (i found it in a charity shop and the border says so in italian - it's absolutely gorgeous, i found 3 pieces of it at once for like 10 € each. I made a dress in the first piece, then these pants in the second)

2 - dream dress in a coton double gauze - the gingham is sized differently on each side of the fabric so i had fun deciding where to put which but i had less fun gathering all of that fabric (the nice thing is it's super light and i get a lot of compliments on it) - the pattern has a short sleeves version that i'd like to make for this summer

3 - a simple tee made in ribbing fabric (usually used for the collar and wrist pieces on sweater) - the pants were made last year but they're the same pattern as the pink ones in part 1, just the slim leg version!

4 - another super quick make in a modal fabric (it's so soft and nice to work with), the last one i made in june before my tendinitis stopped me from touching my machine for a couple of months (and tbh i maybe shouldn't have made this one lol)

5 - first project back on the sewing machine during the summer holidays, very quick one in the remnants of the linen-viscose blend i used to make the matching set in part 1 (can you tell i love this fabric and this colour?)

6 - a mini retro skirt in coton gabardine - the skirt was made to be short and as i'm taller than the average height used in patterns i lengthened it but almost not enough as i ended up having to do a single fold of 1cm to hem the bottom instead of the usual 1 + 2/3 lol

7 - ok so this one...i went in with no pattern and not much thoughts tbh i took this striped fabric and decided to turn thop of the piece into a plain colour by folding it repeatedly so that the folds would reveal the secondary colour by opening - it was super long to make especially because i just cut straight on the side instead of taking into account the fact that I am very much not straight from the waist down to the hips so i had to do a little fixing on the side seams once all the folding and assembling was done before i could put in the zipper. I was very proud of this skirt when I finished it but I've only worn it twice since then (september lol) because it's absolutely awful to iron it (and although i stitched every single fold on one side i still have to press them all one by one)

8 - these curtains are made in a wax fabric given to me by my grandmother who got it from a church friend who brought it from her homecountry in Africa (can't remember where that is, sorry) - they're lined in a dark navy coton so they can be more occulting (the same used at the bottom for the ruffles as the piece of fabric was too small for my curtains to go all the way down). I did this project in an evening so the inside finishes are very rough and i didn't even iron them but i was hellbent on finishing them on the day I started (after months of just having the fabric draped over the window as a makeshift curtain) - it doesn't show too well on the pictures but the darker yellow is actually gold!