Don’t blame it on Beijing

&$ &$ METRO reporter Lara Farrar reveals how the relocation affects expats' health "For a while I thought China was killing me. But that was unfair." That is how James Fallows, former Beijing correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly magazine, begins a recent article on whether foreigners living in China are shaving years off their lives by, well, living in China. "How long could outsiders live in ...

Don’t blame it on Beijing

"For a while I thought China was killing me. But that was unfair." That is how James Fallows, former Beijing correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly magazine, begins a recent article on whether foreigners living in China are shaving years off their lives by, well, living in China.

Wearing Plastic

Eco-fashion is branching out to include all manner of things.  A recent article in The Daily Mail mentioned a new trouser suit for women, made in Vietnam from discarded and recycled plastic bottles.  Who would have thought?

This outfit can be found in Debenhams, and their spokesperson mentioned how proud they were of this latest venture into recycling.  Elena Antoniou stated, “We are proud of our
creation as it’s right on trend in terms of fashion, and kind to the environment, without
costing the earth. If it proves popular amongst our customers then there’s no reason why we
couldn’t extend it to menswear.”

At £35 for the jacket and £20 for the trousers, it will attract some attention.  Apparently,
it looks and feels like polyester.  For those that prefer a more luxurious material next to
their skin, they might want to wear something from the line created by Live Life Organics.
Using quality organic cotton, each shirt has a positive message created to enhance the
design of the garment.  They can be found at www.livelifeorganics.com.

Eco-chic: Debenhams unveil recycled women’s suit made from 50 plastic bottles
By Beth Hale

It is sometimes said that beautiful women can look good dressed in any old rubbish.

Well now they can test that theory. Designers from Debenhams have come up with a £55 trouser suit that is made entirely from recycled plastic bottles.   It took 12 months to create the suit.

The bottles, which would otherwise have been destined for landfill sites, are cleaned and have their labels removed before being ground down into chips which are melted at a plant in Taiwan.

The special process to make the material involves melting down the unwanted bottles, refining the mixture and weaving it into a soft, but hard-wearing type of polyester.  Around 50 are used in each suit.

A spokesman for Debenhams claims that the single-button jacket and the bootcut trousers will tempt the ‘ fashion conscious’ shopper and ‘would not look out of place in the boardroom’.

With its polyester feel the suit, made in Vietnam, may not be luxurious enough for everyone.  But its green credentials - and the credit-crunch price of £35 for the jacket and £20 for the trousers - will attract some.

Elena Antoniou, a spokesman for the store, said: ‘We are proud of our creation as it’s right on trend in terms of fashion, and kind to the environment, without costing the earth.

‘If it proves popular amongst our customers then there’s no reason why we couldn’t extend it to menswear, so watch this space.’