Dyes are the Tragedy

to the editor: david schlegel writes that a doggy t-shirt by american apparel is, "tragically offered in only one color: white with green cuffs" (the pampered pet, sept. 17). i know you were only being cute, but the real tragedy is that humans have gone way too long poisoning the earth's waterways with fabric dyes, along with a myriad of other toxins, oblivious to the damage being done, for the sake of indulgence in vanity. the day before i read your article, [i was] articulating my idea about possibly not having coloring in our clothing and household accoutrements for 100 years or so to clean up the mess we've made-unless all the dyes become botanical again. they do a lot of artificial fabrics and bright colors at american apparel. it's good that the doggy t-shirt is mostly plain cotton, with minimal color on the trim.

margaret s. dabney morningside heights

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