In case you missed them, two recent stories about recycling clothing. Keep up the good work, Chicago!  Your thrift shop racks seem to be overflowing.  I wonder how other cities’ efforts compare to New York’s in this first report.

New Yorkers Won’t Travel More Than Ten Minutes to Donate Clothes

This September, New York City plans to launch one of the largest clothing-recycling initiatives in the country. Officials will install 50 clothing-collection bins throughout the boroughs; the aim is to make it as easy for New Yorkers to donate clothing as it is to throw it away — a lofty goal, considering a recent Goodwill Industries survey found that more than half of all adults who donate clothing won’t travel more than ten minutes to make said donation. If the initiative succeeds, it could greatly reduce the estimated 190,000 pounds of textiles New Yorkers toss yearly. Which seems excessive, until you think of all the still-wearable garments people cram into garbage bags whenever they move to an apartment with less closet space. Goodwill spokesman Alfred Vanderbilt says “There has not been another program like this that we know of. We think they are being very creative and we hope this sets a new standard.” (nymag.com)

The Queen Makes Do

From  Daily Mail Reporter

She has described it as ‘a very useful dress’ – and The Queen proved the versatility of her favourite gown last night at a lavish banquet in Toronto.The gown, which was originally worn to a state dinner in Trinidad and Tobago last autumn, had been ‘recycled’ by the Queen’s dresser and personal assistant Angela Kelly.

The dress, which had been decorated with the Caribbean country’s national birds – the scarlet ibis and cocrico, was transformed with Swarovski crystals for last night’s event.

The seamstresses removed the appliqué birds from the tulle lace, which is embroidered with sea pearls and sequins, and stitched dozens of crystals on to it instead.

As a tribute to Canada – one of the Queen’s realms – the crystals formed maple leafs both large and small running up the dress’s right sleeve and shoulder.

The interlocking leaves caught the light and were designed to be a bold statement at last night’s dinner hosted by the Canadian government in honour of its Queen.

The dress was complemented by the sovereign wearing Queen Mary’s dazzling tiara.

The ‘recycling’ of a previously worn gown by the Queen is something she has done before, and last night’s spectacular ‘maple gown’ follows in a long tradition of themed diplomatic embroidery going right back to the 1953 coronation when the Queen had emblems of all her realms sewn into her dress.

The monarch has worn other gowns featuring significant symbols, colours or motifs but usually when on overseas tours and in honour of the country she is visiting. The monarch wowed Australians with her ‘wattle dress’ – featuring the national flower – which the Queen first wore on her 1954 tour to the country.

The Daily Mail also has a story about a green silk coat bought at a rummage sale for 10 pounds and believed to have once been Queen Elizabeth’s.  The fun read is here.