2013-05-21T02:41:00-04:00 Rachel MacDonald http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=rachel-macdonald Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Rachel MacDonald Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1732532 2012-08-05T19:00:00-04:00 2012-08-05T09:38:49-04:00

Rachel MacDonald http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-macdonald/ study undertaken by the Kinsey Institute showed that 52.5% of women between the ages of 18 and 60 in the United States have used a vibrator. If we're to judge by the recent spike in vibrator sales, the percentage has gone up since then. Talk of sex toys has become rampant in the media over the past few months. Naughty chat inspired by the ubiquitous 50 Shades of Grey has led to grandmothers discussing the pros and cons of ben wa balls over tea. In the meantime, a film about the history of the vibrator and its original medicinal use in the 1800's to cure female hysteria (aptly titled Hysteria), was released in May to wide acclaim.

As a result, sales figures for sex toys are currently through the roof, despite the economic downturn. A leading purveyor of the aforementioned ben-wah balls called Fun Factory recently reported a 300% increase in their sales, while the New York adult megastore Babeland has reported an uptick of 40% in bondage toys. According to the Daily Mail, the UK sex toy market is currently worth £250 million per year, with global sales of vibrators reaching £5.5 billion. A similar phenomenon occurred in the 90's when an entire episode of Sex and the City was dedicated to the Rabbit vibrator, making it a household name as common as Carrie Bradshaw. This time however, it seems like the mainstream interest in sex toys is more than a fad.

There are many indicators of this, such as the fact that vibrators are now being sold not only through vendors like Babeland and Vibrations Direct, but also in the aisles of American big-box retailers like Walmart and Target. Walmart only sells their vibrators online, perhaps to appease their conservative clientele, but Target now offers "intimate massagers" along with their other lifestyle items right on the shelves. In the UK, you can find these items at family favourites Boots and Tesco. Step by step, the adult toy has become a run-of-the-mill household accessory.

Celebrities from Halle Berry to Katie Price are eager to talk about their little friends, as evidenced by this gallery of famous women who proudly use sex toys. Vibrator use by famous women is nothing new. Even Cleopatra is said to have fashioned her own vibrator out of an empty gourd and some angry bees, although proof of this remains to be seen.

Another factor that may lie behind the sudden increase in demand for vibrators could be their improved designs. No longer clunky pieces of fluorescent pink plastic; today's vibrating models are ergonomically designed for comfort, are waterproof, and can even be used as alarm clocks.

So who's buying these toys? Everyone. Although there used to be a preconceived notion that vibrators were the naughty secret of the lonely bachelorette or unfulfilled housewife, in truth the majority of sex toys are sold to couples. The same Kinsey Institute survey mentioned above also found that many couples had a positive attitude towards using a vibrator during foreplay and intercourse, and found that it improved their sex life. A good 40% of women had used their vibrators with a partner, but just as many enjoyed solo play. Perhaps the beauty of the sex toy market lies in the fact that there is something for everyone whether you're single or partnered, with tastes running from vanilla to kinky and everything in between.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1650457 2012-07-05T06:22:13-04:00 2012-07-05T10:27:30-04:00

Rachel MacDonald http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-macdonald/
Sustainable Designs Making Headlines

One approach to sustainable fashion is in the use of local talent and materials. The Scottish designer Henrietta Ludgate is an example of this approach, winning the Ethical Fashion Forum's "Fashion Innovation Award" at London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010. She draws upon Scottish individualism and heritage as well as minimalistic architecture in her coolly structured designs. Ludgate's commitment to ethical, sustainable fashion is clear in her use of locally sourced British textiles, all produced in her own studio in Scotland by skilled artisans. Many of the fabrics used in Ludgate's collections are recycled from British fabric mills.

Bodkin is an American fashion label founded by Eviana Hartman in 2008 with a similarly architectural approach to design. Sustainability is also important in her work, as the garments are made using vegetable-based dyes, certified organic cotton, and new fibre blends. Hartman scouts out factories that have been able to reduce their carbon footprint, and all clothes are made in the USA to ensure fair labour practices. Ada Zanditon is another up-and-comer in the UK, having worked with notables such as Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh. She uses all natural, organic fibres sourced from ethical suppliers, and blends these into carefully sculpted and beautifully dyed pieces.

Apart from using local sources and sustainable fabrics, eco-fashion is also about recycling fabrics and garments that would otherwise make their way to the rubbish heap. Junky Styling was launched in 1997 by Annika Sanders and Kerry Seager, who started off buying men's suits from charity shops and transforming them into completely restructured outfits fit for their nights out on the town. Currently operating out of Shoreditch, they have helped make "upcycling" such a buzzword in the fashion industry. Junky Styling creates everything from bespoke outfits to an internationally stocked ready-to-wear women's collection, all created from reworked and reconstructed secondhand clothing.

New Ethical High Street Choices

Whether you're interested in reducing the amount of throwaway clothing you purchase or want to find garments made from local, eco-friendly fabrics, there are increasingly affordable options. You can now find sustainable, green fashion on the high street, from H&M to Topshop. Topshop has teamed up with the popular green fashion label From Somewhere and its Reclaim to Wear initiative. They launched a capsule collection together on 15 June this year, making use of discarded materials as well as surplus jersey, cotton, and denim from Topshop's own stock. The results are slouchy, lightweight, and guaranteed hits for the festival season.

The popular label People Tree can be found in high street favourites like ASOS, John Lewis, and Topshop. They are certified by organizations such as the Soil Association, using Fairtrade practices, natural materials, organic cotton, and environmentally-safe dyes whenever possible. H&M has jumped on the eco-friendly bandwagon as well, launching a collection last year featuring recycled textiles and organic cotton called the Conscious Collection. And Marks and Spencer is making strides with their Indigo Green collection, having made a commitment to make 50% of their food and clothing completely sustainable by 2020. To this end, they've partnered with the World Wildlife Federation to reduce pesticide use and Oxfam to encourage more clothing donations.

Pushing the Trend Further

The fact remains that many UK consumers are slaves to cheap, disposable fashion and can't pass up the lure of a £5 top or £20 dress meant to be worn for only one season. Unfortunately, according to DEFRA one million tons of clothing still gets thrown away each year, a high percentage of which ends up in landfills. Hopefully the fact that sustainable design practices and fabric recycling is becoming a trend in the fashion world will help even fast fashion junkies develop a greater conscience, and make more responsible purchasing choices. If the public votes with their wallets in favour of the eco-friendly fashion that is becoming more widely available these days, the industry will take even greater heed.]]>