FoundClothing

Men's Dress Shoes

Early November 2009, evening
N. Michigan Ave. and Lake St., Loop, Chicago, IL

These are nice shoes.

White Shoes

Joe M500 says he found these shoes in the early morning hours of November 5 in the 1100 block of S. Des Plaines, Chicago, IL.

TRAIDremade Teams up with Timberland

TRAID — Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development — is a UK-based organization with a three-pronged mission: To divert clothing and shoes from landfills; to reduce world poverty by fund-raising for development projects; and to educate UK citizens on environmental and global poverty issues. TRAID has its own fashion label, TRAIDremade, that features clothing made from second-hand textiles. Recently the company designed a limited edition of recycled denim and leather bags exclusively for Timberland — using reconditioned Timberland jackets and shirts. This bag is an example. It's pretty nice, don't you think?

Green Shorts

Late October 2009
Around E. Washington and Halsted, West Loop, Chicago, IL

Did not take.

America Recycles Day is November 15

Now in its 12th year, America Recycles Day is an initiative by Keep America Beautiful and the National Recycling Coalition to encourage Americans to reuse, reduce and recycle. Check the site for information to take the pledge to be a better recycler, to learn about recycling and to find about recycling events in your area. Remember that for clothing resale shops, every day is America Recycles Day, so please take your clothes there instead of to the dumpster.

Found-o-ween

Yesterday I posted some photos to Chicagoist of various items I found on the morning after Halloween — from a fake mustache to a bag of spaghetti to this hat, encountered on N. Broadway in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. (I didn't take it; looked too small.)

Building Houses of Style, Literally

Begun in 2006, Cotton. From Blue to Green.org is an initiative by Cotton Incorporated to inform higher-ed students about cotton denim's potential as a renewable resource. This year, students at the University of Memphis, the University of Kentucky and six other U.S. schools are hosting campaigns to donate their unwanted jeans for reuse. The jeans will be converted into UltraTouch: a natural cotton, environmentally safe fiber insulation that is 85% recycled cotton. The campaign has collected almost 100,000 pieces of denim since 2006 — enough to insulate 150 homes.

This year's campaign runs through early November, so if you live anywhere near the eight participating college campuses, contact the student rep and handover your unwanted denim. ALSO: Until Nov. 3, you can take your unwanted jeans to your nearest Vanity store to get 25% off.

Levi's Encourages Recycling

Levi Strauss — the jeans company, not the French philosopher — is going to start attaching tags to its clothes encouraging people to recycle their clothing instead of throw it away, reports Advertising Age. They're teaming up with Goodwill on this project. Big ups for the intention of this campaign, but (some questions):

— Do you think putting tags in people's jeans will be effective in reducing "jean waste"?

— Isn't manufacturing and installing tags just extra material-making?

— Why not put the "hey pal, maybe you should donate your useful unwanted clothing instead of throw it away, huh?" message on the outside of the jeans, thereby creating a new and fashionable type of PSA/billboard jean? Jeans often come bedazzled or with sequins, so this could be a bold new step for Levi S, once they and the public get over the complete 1990s-ness of it all.

Taking Trashion to a Whole New Level

The other day a fellow told me about his friend Hanh Pham, who finds objects in the trash and turns them into clothes. "Pretty Dirty is an art performance, where artists create a dress from trash collected along the street to bring beauty to what most throw away," she writes. Watch:

Pretty Dirty - trailer from hanh pham on Vimeo.

Shoes on a Window Ledge

October 2009
Somewhere in Pilsen, Chicago, IL

I suppose these aren't technically "found," because they are on someone's window ledge/property. But that's a strange place to store your shoes.

Brown Pants

October 2009
W. 18th St., Pilsen, Chicago, IL

Did not take.

Blue Corduroy Jacket

Late September 2009
An alley just off W. Diversey, Lakeview, Chicago, IL

This was sitting by a dumpster, along with some never-opened bottles and tubes of personal care products. It has no brand but was made in China.

Black T-shirt

Late September 2009
N. Ashland and Blackhawk, Wicker Park, Chicago, IL

This was just lying by the curb. It had a brand but the name wore off the tag.

The Clogs of Gary, Indiana

8/23/09, afternoon
Somewhere in downtown Gary, Indiana

Proving that abandoning one's shoes is not just a Chicago thing are these clogs, which Kevin found while we were on a photo excursion in Gary.

Eyeglasses

8/22/09, 10ish
N. Damen and Division area, Wicker Park, Chicago, IL

Friend D pointed these out to me as we were walking by. Losing your glasses would suck.

Checkered Shirt

8/22/09, late afternoon
N. Milwaukee, just south of Division, Wicker Park, Chicago, IL

This was some sort of vintage number. I didn't take it, though.

The Socks to Nowhere

8/22/09, mid-afternoon
N. Clark, Old Town, Chicago, IL

Found these just before finding the shoes, posted immediately below. Any ideas on what this might be all about?

Men's Shoes

8/22/09, mid-afternoon
N. Clark, Old Town, Chicago, IL

Just sitting by the curbside, they were.

Mystery Items

8/8/09, around 4pm
3200 Block of W. Armitage, Chicago, IL

Found these with a few friends while on the way to get pizza. Not sure what they are -- I didn't inspect them too closely. But I'm pretty sure that the thing on the bench is a blanket, and that the brown thing on the sidewalk is a shirt.

Found Blagojevich

During the Run, Blago, Run art show that my art participated in a few weeks ago, someone brought the show organizer this statue that looks an awful lot like Blago himself. Apparently, the person had found the statue in the trash.

Peach-Colored Bra

Late July 2009
Around Sheffield and Armitage, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL

A sidewalk fence is kind of an odd place to hang your laundry, no?