Build your own ecological period product
by Rose Collard
Finding working from home, self-isolation or - dare I say it? - furlough a little testy? Us too. So much so that one wearisome afternoon we (unwittingly) came up with a fun new game. Let me explain.
A friend of a friend was discussing ecological period products (why not?!) with a group. You know the sort: those evergreen subjects of adverts that follow young, menstruating eco-warriors across the internet. ‘Never heard of them!’ exclaimed one of the party, a white man in his fifties. A discussion ensued, and it was revealed that said white man’s instant thought upon hearing the word ‘period’ was not, as you might presume, monthly bleeding, but that of time periods. Of course…
After crying with laughter for a good hour (‘Imagine! Hearing the word period and not picturing blood, or instantly feeling dread and pain!’), we wondered what he must have thought of when pondering what on earth these targeted ads for ‘historical time period products' were? Compostable Chainmail, perhaps? Absorbent Ruffs? Et voila - we found out that combining the attribute you most admire in period products with your favourite historical fashion piece gives rise to some rather amusing results. Thus: one man's ignorance of our period plight turned into a fun game for all - give it a go!
Some favourite examples from the Harpy floor include:
Comfortable Petticoat
Absorbent Codpiece
Handy Housecoat
Breathable Pantaloons
Cushiony Monocle
Discreet Ruff
Leak-Guard Shoulder Pad
Title image by Chloe Thomas