Friday, April 8, 2016

Fast Fashion is filling our landfills

Numbers don’t lie.  In 1999, Americans produced 18.2 billion pounds of textile waste, and that number is predicted to reach over 35.4 billion pounds by 2019. Only 15%, or 4 billion pound, of unwanted textiles are donated and reused; 5.2% of all of American trash is made up of textiles. Many articles can be found on the web about this issue - I've linked three interesting ones for anyone who wants to learn more: two on Huffington Post 1, Huffington Post 2 and the other on the CBS News website http://www.cbsnews.com/news/is-the-fast-fashion-industry-ready-to-change-its-wasteful-ways/

Being mindful of these statistics, at Sweet Spot ®Skirts we work hard to bring you highest quality, functional products in a variety of colors and sizes. Each product has undergone rigorous testing for both functionality and wearability. We started as, and remain, Made in the USA. This enables us to retain complete control over our products. Our four products are made so well, we hope they last a decade... or more! 

We love happy customers!
Our Classic Sweet Spot® Skirt is made of only the best 100% breathable cottons. We special order and create our own colors and patterns for a majority of our skirts. Because of the reversibility of the skirt, we choose a "solid" color/tone on one side and a bright, noticeable pattern on the other. This gives the wearer flexibility over the years to blend this skirt with fashions and colors as they change. Our colors will fade slightly over time, but for the most part remain quite vivid and crisp with proper washing (wash cold, hang dry).  Cotton is the oldest fabric that is completely breathable, - "good ol' cotton”.  The Classic skirt fits over your favorite pair of tights, shorts or leggings which should wick the moisture away from your skin. Then the cotton will breathe away the moisture. In the picture above you can see three of our customers enjoying their skirts and demonstrating how cute they are on everyone.  #noprofessionalphotographerneeded

Our company has been in business for 6 years and the skirts we have from the start are still beautiful and colorful. And, let’s face it, very few women stay one size their entire life.  Because of our multi-size design, each skirt fits an array of sizes, our skirts continue to ‘cover’ for many years through size fluctuations sizes.

Our Sweet Spot® Panties are thigh-length performance exercise shorts that are guaranteed to stay put! Our shorts won't ride up! No more pulling at your leg like some poorly designed styles as they creep up and up. Our fabric is made from breathable wicking material, and are basically bomb proof. I have slid down rocks on them with barely a scratch. This fabric was also chosen because of it’s compression attribute. We call it cellulite management. :-)

Our line of Calf and Ankle-length Tights are of the same fabric as the Panties. Our goal has been to make a super soft and comfy pair of tights that will stand the test of time when it comes to fit and function. Plus, our unique cell phone pocket on the left thigh is great for phones and for golfers extra tees and balls. Bonus: Our diabetic customers love the pocket for their insulin pumps.  

The Fast N Flirty™ ultra lightweight technical running skirt was created to make a 5’ 9” 180 pound woman feel flirty and fast. Ok, that woman is me. Every lycra skirt I put on in the past to hide my lycra tights made me look matronly. Just because I'm a size 14 doesn’t mean a skirt has to come to my knees.  I also didn’t like the “stuff sausage” look or feel. (Does anyone?!) If you choose to wear something over your workout pants, it should accentuate your features not make them look worse.  

Stephanie, owner and creator of Sweet Spot skirts.
180 pounds - Size 12/14 - Looking flirty & fab on her 
50th birthday hike.  #flattereveryfigure
With all that in mind we created the Fast N Flirty skirt.  The scalloped bottom, combined with an elastic gather in the back of the waistband, allows the skirt to cascade over your bum and float gracefully with every step. And fact that each skirt fits a range of sizes allows this skirt to be worn through any weight fluctuations (up or down). The colors of these skirts are bright and cheery to keep you safe and seen out on the roads and trails. We did come out with a black version of this skirt…. well, everyone needs that “little black athletic skirt” in their collection - let’s just hope you wear it with a really bright top to keep you safe and seen.  

Every company should have a set of Core Values. We put a lot of thought into the Core Values we set for Sweet Spot® Skirts. We refer to these key points with every decision we make as we grow our company. You can find out more about our company story and Core Values on our website. We are happy and proud to post it where all can see. 

Core Purpost of Sweet Spot® Skirts
To provide high quality and practical apparel that enables women to look and feel their best while being active and healthy. We strive to inspire women in their goals and activities, and to help increase every woman's self confidence.

One of our "Sweet Shenna" Cancer Quilts
Core Values for Sweet Spot® Skirts  
  1. Supporting women in their active pursuits through providing functional and flattering clothing that fit all sizes.
  2. Locally made in the USA.
  3. Have fun!
  4. Making a difference in our community through our employment structure and by giving back.
  5. Providing well made, practical products with superior customer service.
Our Core Values haven't and won't change over time. They are strongly held beliefs that remain at the forefront of our business. We will never be "fast fashion" and we will continue to add highly tested products in a variety of colors and sizes to our apparel lines. This year we hope to finalize the testing of a fabulous tank top and a style of cycling panties/performance shorts. When these products are ready to be put on the market, you can be confident that they will be functional, flirty and extremely practical.  

Sharon, one of our favorite quilt recipients, is
living a cancer-free, beautiful life. 
Another thing we do to help reduce the amount of wasted textile is through repurposing.  The scraps from every cut we've made in the bulk fabrics to make our skirts are kept and then given to a special friend and quilter in Deaver, WY.  From the beginning, these scraps have been used to make "cancer quilts", quilts for charities and quilts for our staff as a 1 year anniversary momento. You will find more information about the quilts and the personal reasons behind them in the Quilts for Charity section of our website.

As you look for active wear and other clothing, please support companies like ours that take great care in designing for quality over quantity. You will help to reduce the amount of wasted textiles by investing in pieces that will stand the test of time, while helping you live the best, active, healthy life possible.

Stay strong and be happy, 

Stephanie 

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