A MAG is a Modern African Girl, so no subject is taboo. My purpose is to share things which may interest a MAG.

This week's contributors: Lydia, Doré Fasolati, this week's subjects: Pockets are becoming mainstream, Joan Mitchell sues Louis Vuitton?, Tampons, menstrual pads, and others.

Pockets are becoming mainstream

Pockets are patches of fabric sewn into clothing and accessories to hold personal belongings. Pants, jackets, bags, long sleeve shirts, etc.… The pocket stands as one of the biggest sartorial landmarks in the history of clothing. Allowing us to store and transport our personal items. Here are a few types of pockets becoming mainstream. Patch pockets are created from a ‘patch of fabric’ placed on top of a garment, with the wrong side down, and then top stitched into place.

Accordion pockets are most often seen on cargo / army style trousers and outerwear garments too. Also known as bellows pockets, these are usually created with at least one gusset along the perimeter of the ‘patch’ part, which helps to push the pocket out from the main garment.

In-seam pockets: some pockets are ‘in seam’ without being inserted into the seam. These are constructed in such a way that they ‘create’ a seam through the construction process, like in the jacket image below.

These zippered pockets have been added to the horizontal waist seam

There are the jetted pockets, welt pockets, Kangaroo pockets mostly found on sweatshirts, slashed pockets which are commonly used; we all own in our denim pants or skirts, and many more.

Joan Mitchell, (1925-1992) and Louis Vuitton. American painter Joan Mitchell did a lot of textile printmaking and abstract paintings, some of which are now selling for as much as 16 million USD. After her death, her artwork estate was taken over by the Joan Mitchell Foundation, set up by Joan herself, a non for profit foundation which supports painters, sculptors, and artist collectives. The next thing is Louis Vuitton using some of these artworks in an advertising campaign highlighting bags which go for 10,000$ a piece, whilst The Foundation had categorically refused to cooperate with Vuitton because Joan's works are to be used for educational purposes only, not for commercializing merchandise

Louis Vuitton says they take the intellectual property and protection of its own visual trademarks seriously, like its iconic logo. Its website reads that the company has a “zero-tolerance policy” regarding counterfeiting, and its intellectual property department “initiated more than 38,000 anti-counterfeiting procedures worldwide” in 2017. The website continues, “preserving the creativity and the rights of designers, artists, and brands is vital to their long-term survival.” Hear who's talking. When I am writing this the Joan Mitchel Foundation did not sue yet but has issued a Cease and Desist (legal-minded MAGs, check what that means)

Of tampons, menstrual pads, and others. If you use any of these the average of us will use about 15000 of them in our entire life. Heard of Nicotine plasters? They are plasters with nicotine in them, a smoker who wants the nicotine but not the smoke can put that plaster anywhere on the body and now gets a steady supply of nicotine, through the skin. It's a technic which funny enough is not used very often to apply medicines. Now back to your menstrual pad. Your vulva, which is all that skin before the vaginal opening itself, is one of the body's most sensitive parts, and that particular skin is very permeable and becomes even more permeable when irritated. Tampons actually sit inside the vagina, and the vagina is even more sensitive and permeable than the vulva. (That’s one of the reasons why women have more chance of attracting HIV than circumcised men where the gland skin has somehow hardened). So you want to be very careful what material goes on or in. And now comes the surprise, worldwide there are no international guidelines as to what is allowed and what is not in or on tampons and menstrual pads and there is very little research on it as well. Studies on side effects from pads and tampons mostly show no side effects, but some women have been complaining of shorter periods, more cramps, and less bleeding. Korea reported 200 chemicals of concern in the 10 most popular pads, 22 of which are known carcinogens (cancer causers). In Kenya, users of the very popular “Always” brand of pads reported itching, burning, and rashes which they initially attributed to the heat, but after switching brands, these symptoms disappeared or became less. The “Always” brand of pads is manufactured in Kenya, under license from Procter and Gamble of the USA, who claim their product is sound and safe. But who admits that some of their Kenyan raw materials are sourced locally and may be different? And some of the glue in the sticky part of the pad may contain substances that are now forbidden in cosmetics, and which could have hormonal effects, also on fertilized eggs, i.e. just after you have become pregnant, resulting in lower birth weight or preterm birth. There is more, a lot more. My recommendation? Try to use products that are imported from countries with strict controls and laws, and if you experience irritation switch products. Or go your grandma's way, though that may not always be practical for a MAG

Lydia...

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