Who: Dana Miller and Jan Ramos of BaggyShirts
Medium: Sturdy, secondhand- cloth shirts
Their story: When Denver neighbors Miller and Ramos saw “An Inconvenient Truth” and then heard climate-change activist Laurie David’s presentation to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, they decided to take David’s words to heart.
“Ms. David suggested folks pick one aspect of global warming, and then do something about it,” Miller said. “We picked the harmful over- consumption of paper and plastic bags. And BaggyShirts was born!”
Both Miller and Ramos were members of the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado committee, which explored ways to minimize the environmental impact of the 2008 Democratic National Convention here. In their research, they learned that bales of secondhand clothing are cheap, available, and typically destined for either landfills and Third World countries.
So they bought a bale of old shirts. Their friend, Sheila Lansinger, bought them some sergers (machines that trim excess fabric as seams are sewn), and they worked out a pattern that uses nearly every centimeter of the shirt.
The shirtfront becomes a large bag sewn along the side seams, with the buttons allowing the collar opening to widen or narrow, and front pockets serving as cellphone or change holders. The sleeves become a second, slightly smaller bag. If there’s leftover material, it goes into a third bag that holds a water bottle or a bottle of wine.
In this environmentally conscientious business, the owners and the artisans they contract work from their homes. There’s no packaging, and only recycled and recyclable shipping materials are used.
Denver’s Micro Business Development, a nonprofit organization, provided the start-up funding for BaggyShirts, calling it “an exemplary model of the ‘profit for all’ paradigm where the focus is on sustainable business practices” and “not just a company, but a movement.”
The Starz Denver Film Festival ordered BaggyShirts as its official bags, using them for for media kits and gift bags. Ahimsa, Denver’s new vegan shoe store, carries BaggyShirts as well.
Philosophy: “Reusable bags made from recycled clothing for a healthier planet”
Cost range: $10 for wine/water bottle bags; $25 for shirt/sleeve set; $35 for all three
Where to find his/her work: Ahimsa at 1668 Marion St., Denver; the Tattered Cover Book Store locations, online at baggy-shirts.com and by calling 303-300-6682.
