The power of life causes the snake to shed its skin, just as the moon sheds its shadow. The serpent sheds its skin to be born again, as the moon its shadow to be born again. They are equivalent symbols. Sometimes the serpent is represented as a circle eating its own tail. That’s an image of life. Life sheds one generation after another, to be born again. The serpent represents immortal energy and consciousness engaged in the field of time, constantly throwing off death and being born again. There is something tremendously terrifying about life when you look at it that way. And so the serpent carries in itself the sense of both the fascination and the terror of life.
Furthermore, the serpent represents the primary function of life, mainly eating. Life consists in eating other creatures. You don’t think about that very much when you make a nice-looking meal. But what you’re doing is eating something that was recently alive. And when you look at the beauty of nature, and you see the birds picking around — they’re eating things. You see the cows grazing, they’re eating things. The serpent is a traveling alimentary canal, that’s about all it is. And it gives you that primary sense of shock, of life in its most primal quality. There is no arguing with that animal at all. Life lives by killing and eating itself, casting off death and being reborn, like the moon. This is one of the mysteries that these symbolic, paradoxical forms try to represent.
-Joseph Campbell
- INGREDIENTS: 92% forest fiber from acacia, eucalyptus, poplar, pine, spruce, beech, birch, and maple trees grown on tree farms in Eastern Europe, 8% spandex for stretch.
- FIT: Double layered so you don't have to wear a bra! This is our OG cut that everyone is obsessed with!
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WE CARE DEEPLY: Dyed by hand shades of warm grey, taupe brown, and sunrise orange. Silver moon phase snake and white twinkles printed with water based ink. Cut, sewn, dyed, and printed in downtown Los Angeles by small family owned shops where creators are paid more than minimum wage. *Please note: Our pieces are dyed by hand, and vary from piece to piece. The tops and bottoms were dyed in separate batches and may not be identical in coloring. This is a sign of a handmade item, and makes your pieces special. We are not a mass produced brand.*
Q - Why is it so expensive?
A - Clothes can only be made cheaply if people and/or the planet are being exploited. In 2022, the reality is we are extracting limited resources from the planet to make limitless things. The more plastic clothing made in slave like conditions overseas we support with our hard earned dollars, the more we tell brands that YES, we are down with limitless consumption. When we pay workers a living wage and consider that the planet cannot survive at the pace we are overproducing, clothing can't be inexpensive. We need so much less than we're told we need, therefore do not need to buy dozens of $6 items. It's always better to save up for ethical pieces. (This message is to those with some disposable income, not to those living in poverty.)
We pay a premium for high quality fabrics and labor. While an average top may cost $2.50 for Shein to make, we pay anywhere from $30-$50. That means on a $78 dollar top, profit may be $30-40, which must cover operating expenses (website fees, shipping, advertising, freight charges), taxes, and payroll to our fairly paid employees. Our end of the day profit is closer to $3-6. If we did this for the money, we'd be in the wrong industry. We do this to make an amazing heirloom piece you'll treasure for years.
Q - When are sold out items restocked?
A - We don't make the same thing twice, and this is why: our creations are art! An artist would not repaint the same piece over and over. And for you, our beloved customer, this means your piece is very unique and bespoke. No one else will have it. This is how we used to make clothes long ago-- items just for you that are meant for you and not mass produced to maximize profits.
Q - Where is it made and who makes it?
A - We only work with small family owned shops employing 8-10 people paying well above minimum wage in Los Angeles, CA.
Q - Is it sustainable and organic?
A - Anyone who claims true sustainability while producing a product is greenwashing, intentional or not. We are responsible. To be truly sustainable we should all be wearing undyed, unisex, 100% recycled fabric scraps, government issued uniforms for 5-10 years at a time. While we are not that, we are much, much better than most of the alternatives out there. Our fabric is 99% closed loop, low plastic, made with fair wages, GOTS certified dyed, water based inked, made in the USA, and we donate money to a new charity every month. We will never stop seeking more ways to be make a cleaner and more beautiful piece of clothing!