Tangle Syx

While I was designing our signature sleeveless shirt, I was watching Game of Thrones, Vikings and Wonder Woman, and fell in love with the costumes and the women warriors who wore them. Plus, I was going through the tail end of a very challenging time in my life, so I wanted to instill my clothes with an aura of strength to help get me through the day. 

To me, being a warrior in today’s world is about dealing with the daily struggles of life, whether they are a life threatening illness, the challenges of being a parent, or countless other obstacles. I find that wearing certain items gives me a little extra confidence, whether it’s the perfect pair of leather boots or my husband’s wedding ring. I derive strength from wearing these things. They are my armor.

One of the definitions of armor in the Mirriam Webster dictionary is “a protective outer layer”. In the Tangle Syx world armor isn’t made from chainmail. Instead it's made from materials like heavyweight 100% linen that feels as good as it looks, and is designed to fit and flatter your curves, which encourages a certain confidence and inner strength. It’s also about the fun derived from feeling a little badass. 

We use linen and hemp for their durability, and because people have worn clothing made from these fibers for thousands of years. Wide shoulders give an aura of strength. Topstitched seams make a visual statement, as well as add durability. I also design clothes so they won’t hinder your movements. Clothes you could fight in (if you had to) or run after an errant toddler (more likely).These are my warrior elements. Perhaps they are all in my head. Or perhaps you see them too. Either way, I hope that they help you to hold your head just a little bit higher and to face your day with a bit more strength and courage, knowing that they were made with the intention to support you and all that you stand for in this thing called life. 

“Slow fashion is about consuming and creating fashion consciously and with integrity. It connects social and environmental awareness and responsibility with the pleasure of wearing beautiful, well-made, and lasting clothing (as compared to the immediate gratification of fast fashion)… Slow fashion is the intersection of ethical, eco, and lasting fashion.”
— Kat Collings, Editor in Chief at Who What Wear

The name Tangle Syx is a mixture of many things. When I was first working on a brand name for a clothing line, I decided that I didn't want to name it after myself. So then I went through many months of trying different words.

The word Tangle comes from both the summer camp Tanglewood (in Lincolnville, Maine) where I spent many wonderful days and began my environmental education, and from the idea by Brene Brown in one of her books of rumbling with things. Of grappling with our own internal struggles and with the world we live in. She described having to rumble with things to sort them out. Tangle is a synonym of rumble, and I feel that as a society we all need to work to be better humans, to ourselves, to others, and to the planet. One of my goals is to do my part to change the fashion landscape to something more sustainable. So that is something to "tangle" with.

Syx is another a compilation. Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, said that when she was researching what to name her company, she noticed that brand names with "K" sounds, like Coca-Cola and Kodak, were recognizable. She chose the name “Spanks” with that in mind, later changing it to “Spanx” because it was easier to trademark. Six is one of my favorite numbers, because I was born on the 6th day of the month. So I chose to use that, because it has a "K" sound and went well with Tangle. I spelled it with a "Y", because my maiden name had two Y's, and because it just seems more interesting.

Lastly, the decorative tail on the Logo was styled after a blackberry bramble. Blackberries were in season just before I was born and my mother talked about picking and eating them while she was pregnant with me, so I have a fondness for that idea, and for wading into blackberry bushes in August trying to avoid the thorns catching at my clothes as I reach for one more distant berry. It also symbolizes life, as every life involves a bit of the good (the fruit and flowers), a lot of the everyday stuff (the leaves), and of course some thorns.

It means the pattern pieces are cut on the diagonal (instead of the straight grain). This changes the way the fabric drapes over the body and also allow a fabric with no built-in stretch to stretch a bit. It provides a lovely drape and means I can make garments that stretch without using Spandex.

Hemp textiles are made from industrial ‘cannibus sativa’ fibers. Hemp plants grow very quickly, without the use of chemical herbicides or pesticides and produce high yield commercial crops which optimize both land use and available resources. Hemp also returns a significant amount of the nutrients it takes from the soil leaving it rich and ready for new crops. Exceptional tensile strength, naturally hypoallergenic, offering UV protection and with the ability to help with thermo-regulation, hemp textiles are multipurpose and multi-functional.
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Linen fibers grow with little to no irrigation, and require far less chemical inputs than other natural fibers like cotton. This fiber is made from flax and is naturally once of the most environmentally friendly fibers. Linen is breathable, lightweight, slightly textured, and softens with time and wear. Linen can withstand high temperatures and absorbs moisture without holding bacteria.

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Organic cotton is grown without synthetic fertilizers. Organic cotton crop rotation and composting maintain the health of naturally moist soil by creating a biodiverse, balance ecosystem. Organic cotton plants are more resistant to pests and disease, therefore eliminating the need for pesticide usage which are often carcinogenic or neurotoxic. As a result of the cleaner growing process, farm workers are afforded a healthier work environmental and the resulting uncontaminated plant waste can be used for other purposes - feed for livestock, oil production, etc.

Tangle Syx garments are already preshrunk, so you can throw it in with the rest of your laundry. Machine wash and dry on whatever temps you like to use, and iron on high with steam if you feel like it. Yes, really.

However, if you’ve got the time or you have strong feelings about it, feel free to treat it to hand washing and/or line drying. I design clothes that can be thrown in with everything else, because that's how life is sometimes. If you want to be more eco-conscious, wash it less often. If it looks and smells fine, hang it up for another wear before throwing it in the wash.

We want you to love your Tangle Syx clothing, so if it isn’t right, you can send it back within 30 days of the day you received it, for either a refund or an exchange for a different size. However, our designs won’t work for everybody or every body. So if after trying three different sizes, it’s still not right, we will refund your money and go our separate ways. No hard feelings.

If you need to return an item, contact us for instructions or just send it back to us at the mailing address listed on the Contact Us page.

I sell returned garments at periodic sample sales at my workshop. I'm still figuring out what to do with scraps from making new garments. For now I'm saving them and using them periodically for repairs and other small projects. My goal is to develop a set of projects like small zip pouches and other accessories that will use most of the scraps, and the rest can be used as stuffing in some future stuffed animals or other soft toys.

No, due to shipping costs, customs duties and the complexity of navigating international shipping, I do not ship to other countries at this time.