by MIKE CHAIKEN
CTFashionMag.com
Tapping into the spirit of sustainability and social justice that has been trending in the fashion industry, Woodbury, Conn. business Filly Rose is holding a used bra event this Saturday.
The intent of the collection is to provide the bras to Bra Recyclers, a nonprofit organization based in Arizona, said Libby Basile of Filly Rose. Filly Rose is an online and pop-up-based boutique for intimate apparel and loungewear.
Initially, Filly Rose launched its Bra Recycling Challenge in April to tie into Earth Month. It has now been extended into May in an effort to donate 500 bras to Bra Recyclers.
The collection had been held online. But an in-person collection will be held on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rustic Charm, 107 Main Street N., Woodbury.
The Bra Recyclers will distribute bras to organizations that support women and girls escaping domestic violence, human trafficking or just need a bra to go to school or play sports.
Basille said the collection aids the cause of sustainability by removing the still usable bras out of the waste stream. The collection also advances the cause of social responsibility that helps drive the sustainable movement.
“Sustainability is a huge issue in the fashion industry at the moment,” explained Basile. “Consumer behavior — buying more clothing and keeping it for less time — in addition to the harmful treatments and dyes used in textile production are contributing to it being one of the most polluting industries.”
According to a report titled “The State of Fashion 2021” in the publication The Business of Fashion, “With garment production volumes growing by 2.7 percent annually and less than 1 percent of products recycled into new garments, action on circularity is an imperative …”
The report also says, “In 2021, we see circularity (reusing garments to create new garments) moving from the fashion fringes towards center stage. … More than three in five consumers in a recent … survey said environmental impact is an important factor in making purchasing decisions.”
The State of Fashion also notes, “Social justice and human rights issues are gaining a higher share of voice in the conversation.”
“Part of the purpose of my business,” Basile said, “is to help people make more intentional intimate apparel purchases, and partnering with a textile recycling company felt like a great way to support the movement towards making fashion more sustainable.”
“The fact that women in need benefit from the pre-loved bras that are collected makes the efforts all the more worthwhile. Knowing that the un-worn bras just sitting around in your drawer will be given to women who are fleeing a violent home life or a young girl in foster care in need of her first bra makes the act of donating feel all the more important and urgent.”
The bra recycling effort dovetails into Basile’s mission for Filly Rose.
“My intention … is to build an awareness around how empowering the right undergarments can be,” Basile said. “This bra drive creates an opportunity to help women in difficult situations achieve that same feeling.”
Filly Rose will accept all categories of bras that are new, preloved/gently used and worn bras. The collection also will take post-surgery breast cancer supplies and accessories, such as mastectomy bras, prosthetics, camisoles and sleeves to benefit another partner of The Bra Recyclers, the One Breast Cancer Foundation. The collection also will take donations of underwear, but new garments only.
An online form for bra recycling can be found at http://bit.ly/3bfWpJG.