A new word to describe permaculture sewing

(Another random musing of my idle mind) it combined the word "permaculture" and "couture" to make:

PERMACOUTURE!

It cracked me up, so I thought we might have a discussion (serious, or preferably not so serious) about what it could entail, definitions, other variations or entirely different words of a similar ilk, pictures, whatever. Aaaand...GO!

Sewing using all-natural fibers.

Raising your own fibers, to process yourself, to turn into fabric, in one way or another, to make garments of your own design... Datsa lotsa WURKS!!

Maybe, at its most simplistic and basic level, permacouture could mean salvaging any garment from the landfill through creative repair with whatever means are available to the "designer."

I love the idea of always all natural, but my real life wardrobe doesn't always work that way. I'm guessing the same is true for a lot of people.

It should include fiber-project upcycling generally and events like swap-o-rama-rama.

I think the Wheaton Eco Scale could apply. Demanding everyone be at a 10 would be kinda snobby and could put off a lot of people, but people at that level definitely deserve some recognition for their tremendous effort and dedication. I imagine there's enough synthetic fabric out there to clothe humanity for at least another century or two if all production were to hypothetically stop right now. It could also make good practice for people to learn on without worrying about wasting their more expensive or more difficult to make all-natural fabrics. The time and money saved could also be used toward other permaculture projects.

Couture is generally applied to high end fashion. I imagine permacouture would likely not apply so much to the latest trends and fashions determined by some random snobby people somewhere, but rather have more of a "form follows function" fashion, where the most practical and ingenious designs get the highest praise.

Jordan Holland wrote:Couture is generally applied to high end fashion. I imagine permacouture would likely not apply so much to the latest trends and fashions determined by some random snobby people somewhere, but rather have more of a "form follows function" fashion, where the most practical and ingenious designs get the highest praise.

Yes, fashion is always subject to personal taste. And I agree with function in all things. That said, some really fun and style-setting designs and repairs can be made with boro, sashiko, and visible mending.


Source: https://www.checkerdist.com/


Source: https://www.samuraipants.com/products/patchwork-boro-indigo-sashiko-jacket


Source: http://www.didyoumakeityourself.com/2015/11/harris-tweed-visible-mending.html

There's "fast fashion" and now I believe "slow fashion".  Maybe a play on those words would work?

Jordan Holland wrote: but rather have more of a "form follows function" fashion, where the most practical and ingenious designs get the highest praise.

I've been upcycling a pair of holey  jeans into a jeans skirt for my son's girlfriend ( just waiting for her to try it on so I know that I've got the hem right before stitching it). I'd turned the right "fake pocket" into a "real, useful, practical" pocket before she did the first trial fit. Her immediate response was, "Can you fix the other pocket too?? Pleaeaeaeaease!" So now I can tell her she's got a Permacouture skirt! One of the first with that esteemed label!

My "sewing based on rectangles" thread is an attempt at the same concept. It doesn't have to be "purist", but the goal is to have less waste fabric, and at least to have left-over fabric in fairly functional shapes rather than a ton of squiggly bits that wind up in the garbage or wood stove. The tricky part is that the item needs to be comfortable and practical as well as fabric efficient. Ideally, it needs to look nice enough that if I need to leave the property, it won't freak out regular people, although at least one lady thought pants I was wearing in the grocery store were pj pants - and they were my "going to friends" pants - not even my work pants - so it will take some time to convince the locals to look at "fashion" through a different lens!

Mike Haasl wrote:There's "fast fashion" and now I believe "slow fashion".  Maybe a play on those words would work?

Fast permacouture = upcycling whatcha got; Slow permacouture = buying locally produced materials to make your own; Snail-paced permacouture = growing & processing your own materials to make your own. 🤣

Another item on the agenda: how to pronounce it. Being in Kentucky I naturally hear it in my head as hillbilly talk. PER-muh-COO-chur. Or it could be pronounced by saying the "perma" and then pronouncing the "couture" like a fancy rich person. Maybe the first could be for the gritty, down to business styles, and the latter for the finer, fancier styles that are more permies, but look more like "regular fashion."

Another thought...what's better: permacouture, or permiecouture? I'm thinking permiecouture might have a bit more ring to it...

Jordan Holland wrote:Another item on the agenda: how to pronounce it. Being in Kentucky I naturally hear it in my head as hillbilly talk. PER-muh-COO-chur. Or it could be pronounced by saying the "perma" and then pronouncing the "couture" like a fancy rich person. Maybe the first could be for the gritty, down to business styles, and the latter for the finer, fancier styles that are more permies, but look more like "regular fashion."

I totally prefer the "perm-muh- cou-TURE" said with French overtones myself, and I'd happily use the term for my ratty work pants that do the job as well as some fancy threads I'd wear to the opera (if my friend ever has a spare ticket again and invites me...) Let's give our work-clothes the celebration they deserve - they're what puts food on our tables!

Jay Angler wrote:I totally prefer the "perm-muh- cou-TURE" said with French overtones myself,

That's how I pronounce it in my head too.

Let's give out work-clothes the celebration they deserve - they're what puts food on our tables!

I love this idea! We need a permacouture thread to share our work!

The only random thing that comes to mind is "Frankenstein's Trousers" -- but I have no idea how to morph that into a fashionable catchphrase.

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:The only random thing that comes to mind is "Frankenstein's Trousers" -- but I have no idea how to morph that into a fashionable catchphrase.

Franken-Fashion?

FrankFashion? No, I think there's a supermarket chain that uses "Frank" as their brand.

How about Frankies? A morph of Frankenstein, being frank (honest, direct), and permies?

There's also F-Fashion, which resonates with my attitude to fashion generally. Though I play the game well with my thrift store attire, mixed with a good haircut and the right swagger.

PERMACOUTURE (pronounced in the French way), I think it includes all textiles crafts for making clothing and it can even include growing/harvesting fiber materials (growing in a permaculture way, harvesting in nature too).

I am not sure how I feel about upcycling, if that is 'permacouture' too ... Anyway: only natural materials.

Mike Haasl wrote:There's "fast fashion" and now I believe "slow fashion".  Maybe a play on those words would work?

Another possibility:

Slow fashion could be when you have time to sit back, relax, and actually  enjoy making some permacouture.

Fast fashion could be when you have a list of about twenty time-sensitive things that really need to be done yesterday, but you also have to repair or make something you need at a feverish pitch. In other words, about 99% of permacouture for most people, lol.