With an eye for style and a heart for the environment, 18-year-old Alexis Giger launched a do-it-yourself blog aimed at “reducing your environmental impact fashionably”.
The idea was sparked (激发) by the ecology unit in her biology class at Charlotte Latin School last year, she said, which taught her about issues like deforestation and habitat destruction. “I started thinking about what I could do to stop the wastefulness in my immediate community,” the fashion lover said.
The blog, ecouturieracg.wordpress.com, aims to make reusing thrift store (旧货店) finds or last season’s pieces easy and fashionable while cutting down on the resources consumed by garment production, Alexis said. Through online research, she discovered that a simple cotton T-shirt takes more than 700 gallons of water to make.
“It made me realize that the fashion industry consumes huge amounts of natural resources as it relies on producing garments quickly and in large supply – many of the garments are only intended to be worn three or four times,” she said.
Alexis had a number of tools to help her get started. Her mom, Kimberly, taught her to sew when she was 5. Her grandmother taught her to crochet (钩边) around the same time. Alexis said she also gained technical knowledge and inspiration from her part-time job at a clothing company that creates theater wardrobes for schools and drama productions.
Prior to the blog launch, she spent several months illustrating “recycling” projects by creating photo tutorials. Though Ecouturier hasn’t been online long, she’s been getting positive feedback. “I’ve had people come up to me in the hall and say, ‘Hey, I saw your blog. I’m working on one of the projects right now,’” Alexis said.
She said she hasn’t bought a brand-new piece of clothing since last July, and her thrift store shopping has paid off with finds such as a $5 (31 yuan) dress she wore to homecoming.
“Taking an hour from Saturday afternoon to make something for yourself can really have an impact on the environment. A little change every day can really add up,” Alexis said.
【小题1】What inspired Alexis to launch a do-it-yourself blog?| A．Her talent at making handicrafts. |
| B．Her fascination with the fashion industry. |
| C．Her part-time work experiences. |
| D．Her growing concern for the environment after taking a biology class. |
| A．It sells items made from thrift store finds. |
| B．It teaches people how to choose thrift store goods. |
| C．It encourages people to remake their clothing in a cool way. |
| D．It informs people of the bad effects of deforestation and habitat destruction. |
| A．In order to promote her blog, Alexis is spending a lot of time online every day. |
| B．The projects on Alexis’ blog have convinced some people to try recycling clothes themselves. |
| C．Alexis has been dreaming of working in the fashion industry since she was a child. |
| D．To start the blog, Alexis learned from her mother and grandmother how to sew and crochet. |
| A．attitude |
| B．advice |
| C．response |
| D．approach |
| A．Creative and responsible. |
| B．Smart and cooperative. |
| C．Independent and humorous. |
| D．Fashionable and amusing. |
