I’ve tested the pair of tights for expecting mothers over the last week. They’re made of 93% cotton and are very, very comfy on the skin. The tights are simply great! The tummy has enough space, they don’t slip, and they kept me cozy warm.

I haven’t tested them below freezing yet, though (except as a second layer under trousers), as I’m fighting off premature labor and I don’t want to worsen my aches with too much chill. I’ve learned from my midwife that quite a few women experience premature labor, and I heartily recommend visiting a homeopath and/or craniosacral therapist for some treatment.

Years ago I bought a pair of expensive tights in a specialty store, and the saleswoman advised me to buy them a size larger. She wasn’t exactly elegant in expressing herself, and at first I thought she wanted to insult me. But then she explained to me that a pair of tights is more comfortable and looks better if you buy a size larger than you would otherwise. I’ve done exactly that ever since and have been quite satisfied. No more slipping, and no more perpetual tugging and pulling.

I ordered the tights from hessnatur a size larger as well. It’s nice, in that it gives me a properly opaque and also warmer pair of tights. Admittedly, though, I can’t make a proper comparison between the normal size and the larger, as I only ordered the larger. Whoever claims never to be able to find a good fit in tights might want to try out a size larger.

The only suggestion for improvement that I would have for the tights I tested is the seam at the toes. Instead of closing at the front, I would introduce a toe insert and thus shift the seam. I find that much more comfortable to wear, in contrast to the seam pressing against the tip of your toes or feeling that the seam is simply askew.

Coming soon: the organic cotton tee, both long sleeve and short sleeve, maternity briefs, the cotton cami, and the comfy looking and aptly named lounge pants. The maternity bra is also still waiting its turn. Stay tuned …

Her concept, that which won over the jury, is named “Hinschauen” (Behold). The name may be taken quite literally – spellbound, I gazed at the exhibition behind glass, in which Sandra created a vision from textile dyeing techniques. She placed the focus of her concept squarely upon that vision, which she had already researched deeply during her studies, pouring over literature, experimenting with fabrics and colors.

The exhibition gives the relationships between cloth, color and the clothed human being a fascinating clarity. A secondhand dress is sewn to a canvas and sprayed with deep blue dye. The dye drips downward to collect in a vat, where it is pumped back up and sprayed upon the dress once again. The uncolored dress becomes steadily deeper and darker blue – a process which takes time, gradually giving the surface of the textile its character. “It’ll be interesting to see what it looks like by Friday evening,” mused the 2012 HIFA winner. Clothing was brought to life in video clips projected upon wooden screens, using color and a model suddenly adorned in trousers, sweaters and dresses. Healthy, modern clothing for human skin, for human bodies – that is an essential function of clothing, and of fashion.

Sandra had finished half of her sample collection when she saw the Humanity in Fashion Award advertised at her college in Bielefeld. The decision to apply for HIFA came quickly: “My studies and research project simply fit the topic,” remembers Sandra. The exciting task ahead is to interpret her creative concept into a Capsule Collection together with hessnatur. “What’s important to me is that the essential idea behind my work, namely ecological dyeing and transparent, sustainable production is not lost,” emphasized the HIFA laureate. “But then again, I really don’t have to worry about that at hessnatur.”

Photos: Marcus Schneider, Silke Weinsheimer

It was consequently no easy matter for the jury – comprised of Susanne Gundlach (Fashion Director of Germany’s largest women’s magazine Brigitte), Prof. Stephan Schneider (Berlin University of the Arts), Dr. Alfons Kaiser (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), Dr. Stefanie Schütte (German Press Agency) and Designer Miguel Adrover – choosing a winner amongst the three finalists, jury member Kaiser stressed. It was an equally difficult task last year, narrowing the myriad of excellent submissions down to just a handful of HIFA finalists. Unique concepts were expected to be demonstrated by the three finalists – real “fashion treats”.

The knitted dress created by knitwear designer Agne Biskyte, with its capacity to be worn in several different ways for a multitude of varying occasions, emphasized an important aspect of sustainability according to the jury’s appraisal. A historic reference into the 1920s was well recieved.

Willem Gremliza sees fashion as an interface between nature and the human body. He captivates through “glamorous drafts”. He doesn’t want to create beautiful clothing just for 30 year olds, but also for 60 year olds – to give voice to his conviction “…that you can be sexy when you’re older, too.” The jury’s verdict: “Regal and authentic,” with an eye on Gremliza’s handling of fashion and physique.

Sandra Goldmann enchants clothing with ecological dyeing techniques into “…the most beautiful and wildest of patterns”. The jury recognized references to designer Alexander McQueen in the “very experimental exhibition,” which was even described by jury member Dr. Stefanie Schneider-Schütte as “substantialist”.
The jury was particularly drawn to the fact that Goldmann pursued the question of how fashions are created in general, thereby casting a critical eye on the production processes of the textile industry. At just 25 years old, the young student played “…masterfully with references, without depending upon them.” With her concept “Behold”, she succeeded in creating the “decisive twist” which won her the 2012 HIFA baton. Her extensive and diverse collection was seen by the jury as a foundation for many successful opportunities in a market for sustainable fashion. Her prize: funding to the tune of 25,000 Euro and a Women’s Capsule Collection for hessnatur which will appear in 2013.

Humanity in Fashion Award’s symbolic baton was passed on to Sandra Goldmann by hessnatur CEO Wolf Lüdge. He encouraged the three finalists, all of them holding compelling ideas for the world of fashion, to “…blaze new trails – and blaze them where the way is not necessarily easy. My advice to you: Do that which is not expected of you.” Because fashion needs genuine role models again, “…who are credible, who engage.” True beauty lies in the balance between trend driven fashion and sustainability – which is not only a matter of toxic free clothing, harmless to humans, but also a matter of aesthetics, design, and utility. Wolf Lüdge: “Fashion is there to serve people, to follow its nature – not the other way around.”

Images: Marcus Schneider, Silke Weinsheimer, Michael Krause

The decision was anything but easy for the jury according to Dr. Alfons Kaiser from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Ultimately, the “comprehensive and very diverse collection” of Sandra Goldmann tipped the scales with its critical reflection upon the production processes of clothing.

As an inspiration to further ideas in sustainable design, hessnatur CEO Wolf Lüdge passed on the Humanity in Fashion Award’s symbolic baton to the joyfully radiant and somewhat stunned winner. Sandra Goldmann will develop a Women’s Capsule Collection for hessnatur, which will appear next year.

Designed by Miguel Adrover, and adorned with an image of the African continent cradled in human hands, we first introduced our statement shirt “Not Without You” in the Fall collection of 2010.

hessnatur customer Stephan Homberg, along with his parents, wife, and son Laurin Thandizwe (Laurin’s second name means “He loves the world – the world loves him” in the Zulu language) were on the road in South Africa for five weeks, visiting and supporting preschools, among other things.

Writing us in a wonderful e-mail, Stephan Homberg told us that, knowing they were on their way to Africa, he and his family had ordered the T-shirts and worn them on their travels “…as a statement of our solidarity with Africa.” Sent along with the e-mail was this photo of the three-generation family, wearing their hessnatur statement shirts at the Cape of Good Hope.

It’s great to be able to share this news in our blog, and we’re delighted that our message has made it to Africa as well!

Many thanks to the Homberg family!

Those nice details, for instance the waistband, are a bit of a problem when sitting, however *. Since waistbands tend to be very solid in jeans, especially those with only a small amount of elastic in them, they have no “give” when you sit down in them, and tend to constrict at the tummy. Also, the waistband is not adjustable, like it would be with bib overalls, for instance, which makes pulling them up over hips and rear a bit difficult. I found the jersey insert a bit tight as well, as was the elastic at the top, which was also not adjustable. I thought about getting the jeans a size larger, but then they would have been too wide in the legs and rear.

A different pair of maternity pants is simply not an alternative for me, though; I think the linen trousers and cargo pants will be too cold for me in winter. Of course, because I sit for most of the day, as well as spend a lot of time on a bicycle, the trouble with sitting in these jeans might be more conspicuous to me than to others. Like I said, they are otherwise really great, and you can tell that a lot of attention has gone into the design. It’s just that a non-adjustable waistband isn’t very practical for a big tummy.

In my next article, I’ll let you know how I found the feinstrumpfhose and maternity bra. Don’t forget to comment if you have any questions or some of your own experiences to share!

*As I wrote last week, my adventures into pregnancy actually started this time last year, when I started writing these articles for hessnatur’s German blog. Now that I’m sharing them with the American blog a year later, I’m happy to say that the observations I made in the original articles found eager listeners at hessnatur, who are always looking for ways to make their collection even better, and have worked hard to address the issues I found in my testing.

There are a lot of fashion bloggers out there, out and about in major cities, cameras in hand snapping photos of people on the streets. “The Sartorialist” is one well known example.

The focus of their entries are people dressed in style, however that might present itself. Whether in business look, casual, street wear, or crossover, man or woman, young or old – those photographed usually radiate something authentic, as if they were taking their own personal stand on their individual style.

On Fora MTV’s blog, we discovered this young woman, whose photo was taken in the streets of Toronto, Canada, in a hessnatur coat made of alpaca and virgin wool, combined with an Indian scarf and a fashionable pair of tights.

Very stylish, we think!

Hi! My name is Nora Diesner. This time last year I was pregnant with my baby boy, Jonas. And while I was pregnant, I took the opportunity (together with Jonas, of course) to test hessnatur’s maternity clothes for their German blog. Since then, Jonas has taken the lead, creating an urgent need to test things like diapers and the baby collection. But I thought it was a shame not to share such a great opportunity with hessnatur’s American readers, so I’ve decided to post my not-so-scientific evaluations here on the English blog, in the same order I first wrote them last year. So, without further ado, off we go again- I do hope you enjoy them…!

… let’s get started!

I’ve been connected with hessnatur for quite some time, now. It’s my mom’s fault. She has always been a fan of eco-fashion, and when I was a kid, she dressed me accordingly. During puberty, of course, I just smirked at the “healthy clothes”, but nowadays I realize what the term “eco” really has to offer. I was confronted with a few of the negative sides of the textile world during a stay in India, and began looking into the issue of clothing in earnest after that. I’m a seamstress now, and find myself right in the middle of further training as an apparel production specialist.

In September I wanted to fly to Peru as a hessnatur ambassador. But after finding out that I was pregnant in August, I canceled the trip and began concentrating my full attention on that little someone in my tummy. After all, it’s a bit of shock when you suddenly realize how much of your life is going to change in the very near future. Like for instance, your own body!

I had already been warned: Especially in a colder season, there’s a lot to bear in mind if you’re pregnant. At some point or another, your pants won’t fit. And then your tops get too tight and too short, and everything just gets all pinchy. And then along comes Old Man Winter, and you need something warm to wrap up in, and loose boots to slip into, because your belly’s too fat to tie your shoe laces …

I’m about at the “too tight/too short/too pinchy” stage, which puts me in a shopping mood. But because I consider myself a highly critical consumer, most brands don’t have it easy with me. Each and every flaw is brought to light, and every detail scrutinized. Finding something that suits me 100% borders on a miracle.

Each month, I’ll be receiving a few articles from the baby collection, which I will then test for function and features for as long as I use them, and report my experiences to you here in the blog.

We’ll start with the first test report soon, when I’ll be putting my first order through its paces: organic cotton jeans, a “Feinstrumpfhose“, and an organic cotton maternity bra (click the links to check ‘em out in the hessnatur online shop).

Recently, we introduced the idea here in our blog that natural fibers are also functional fibers. After presenting certified organic wool fleece as an establishing argument, I’d like to put a long standing, traditional fabric forward as a further example, namely boiled wool.

Boiled wool is knitted sheep’s wool, which is then fulled in hot, soapy water. By pulling and kneading it through the combination of heat, water, and soap, fulling alters the knitted structure of the fabric, matting the wool fibers together in a thick felt.

Just like wool fleece, boiled wool creates a textile which is relatively lightweight, but still very warm and wind resistant. And all that without a single synthetic fiber. In our latest Fall/Winter catalog, for instance, we have this virgin wool jacket made of boiled wool. I’ve already had the jacket in service for several weeks, and have found it to be an excellent companion for those cooling temperatures in the Fall. I find the high and wide cut collar especially practical, easily accommodating a scarf underneath it for those extra cold walks.

We also have an attractive boiled wool product in our women’s collection, namely the boiled wool parka from Eviana Hartman’s collection.

… we always mean natural fibers at hessnatur. That doesn’t appear to be the standard definition for the mainstream, however. A common definition that I’ve been running into lately is, “A collective term for high-tech fabrics with innovative material properties, delivering an added benefit to the consumer.”

High-tech, they say. And then only with “added benefit”. Hmm. We see that a bit differently here at hessnatur, and over the next few weeks we’d like to introduce to you a few natural “functional fibers” which have had great “added benefit” for both ourselves and you, our customers.

Wool fleece is one of those remarkable natural materials. Although it has nothing to do with high-tech at all, the fabric inherently provides several extremely useful properties. I’m sure you’re all familiar with wool fleece’s synthetic cousins: polar fleece & co. They keep you warm, dry quickly, and are robust, yes. But they are manufactured from synthetic fibers and therefore an undesirable alternative for those who prefer wearing natural textiles.

hessnatur’s wool fleece is produced from pure, certified organic Merino wool, which has an intrinsic “added benefit” right from the start: sheep’s wool can hold up to 30% of its weight in moisture without feeling wet. It’s a great advantage, especially when you’re involved in sports that get you sweating sporadically. Whether you’re hiking or bicycling, your inner motor is working flat out when you climb a mountain. You sweat. If that moisture stays against your skin when you’re going down the other side, or stopping for a lunch break , you’ll cool down too far and to fast. Pure sheep’s wool protects you from that moisture. Add to that the fact that wool, as an animal product, behaves similarly to our own skin, making wool fleece so wonderfully agreeable. The processing of our fleece, by the way, is done entirely by mechanical means – no chemicals – a real hessnatur breakthrough.

Meanwhile, word is getting around in the sportsman’s scene that natural fibers can also be functional fibers. That’s not “eco” for us – it’s simply self-evident.
What sort of experiences have you had with our wool fleece? We’d like to know.

Make a comment here, or post it on Facebook – we look forward to your own “true life” stories.