Bras Draped on Dead Tree in Protest

A downtown merchant wanted to draw city officials’ attention to the dead tree outside his store. He got it.

Keith Howarth hung at least 50 brassieres Wednesday from the branches of the tree outside Noir Leather, an avant-garde clothing store and longtime fixture in this Detroit suburb.

Howarth, 49, told the Detroit Free Press he hoped the multicolored cotton and Spandex garments – which are for sale at Noir – would prompt city officials to replace the leafless ash tree.

The tree was healthy until city workers replaced adjoining sidewalk pavers and “covered up whatever cracks the tree was living off of for water,” he said.

The city will try to inspect Howarth’s tree in coming weeks, said Tom Trice, recreation and public services director. But Trice said the tree more likely fell victim to the emerald ash borer, an insect blamed for killing or damaging millions of ash trees in southeast Michigan.

Royal Oak already has cut down hundreds of ash trees and can’t afford to replace them, Trice said.