TheGreenSet.com Blog
2.18.11 - So You Say You STILL Want An Ecolution
I know I've mentioned Ecolution before, but not in the context of shoes for dudes. Are construction/hiking boots coming back in? I have to think about how feel about that... on the one hand, the 90's gave us Kurt and the rest of Nirvana. On the other hand, is it too soon to be retro for the 90's?
No! It's never too soon! Heck, I'm totally wearing what I wore yesterday, not just because I'm lazy and dirty, but because I'm being retro for yesterday! So put on some hemp hiking boots from Ecolution, throw on a vintage plaid shirt, and do your best Eddie Veder mumbly joe impression.
2.15.11 - Sewing The Seeds Of Change
So a lot of brands use recycled billboards to make bags and wallets, which is cool because there really is a lot of this stuff out there, if only because of the giant iPod canvasses they put up on Highland (an 8 story building). That's at least 2 billion bags worth of vinyl, or 15 trillion wallets worth. But Eco-plant makes adorable wallets that you wouldn't necessarily guess come from old vinyl signs--they just look like fresh, cute, clean, cheerful, peppy little wallets, graced with pictures of attractive birds and plants.
2.9.11 - Beyond Skin Is Soooooo In
Beyond Skin makes super hot shoes from non-leather materials. Their emphasis is more on the ethical aspect of not exploiting people (crazy, right?), but they are completely vegan. The world would definitely be a better (and greener) place if there were more vegetarians out there, and unless the leather is vegetable-tanned, fake leather is a billion times better for the environment, materials-wise.
1.31.11 - Le Port Sac
Here is an homme who really cares about l'environment, which is tres cool, b/c he's French and they don't usually care about anything. Just kidding. Cough. But seriously, these bags! They put Balenciaga to shame with their clever pockets and sassy simple buckles. They are made from leather tanned with carrots and celery or something--plants mostly, which means no gross stuff in our Evian. And they are huge-mungous, so you can carry around bottles of wine, a hunk of frommage, and maybe even a turn-of-the-century French whore, for a nice family day at le parc.*
*Okay. All done making fun of the French, which I only do because they will always have more style and flare in their petit digits than we will as an entire nation of simple farm-folk, and for this I resent them. But not enough to not want this bag.
1.27.11 - We're All Men Underneath
Well, this is awesome because the clothes are awesome, the cute little indie rocker models are awesome, and the company is awesome because this time the guys can dress for the ladies. Purchasing any of Sameunderneath's cashmere menss sweaters gives 25% to Breast Friends, which shouldn't be funny, but it kinda is, name wise. Not cause wise. Cause wise, fighting breast cancer is a fantastic thing to support, and easy to do when all you have to do is buy one of these beautiful cashmere sweters from this eco-friendly and progressive brand out of my homeland, Portland, Oregon.
1.22.11 - Avita, Revitalized
It is the dawning of a new age: the age of the sweater-dress.
Amanda Shi makes cashmere versions of clothes that remind me of Olivia Newton-John's dress in Xanadu. Therefore she is awesome. Because, if you're going to be rollerskating around on the astral plane, you're either gonna want a jacket or at least a warm sweater to go over your dress, and in this case, you can have both. Unbelievably low-priced considering what you're getting, which is beautiful, eco-friendly recycled cashmere clothes designed with acute attention to detail and unintentional references to 80's B-movies.
1.12.11 - Doh! Doie
Sara Kirsner, eco-fashion maven out of NYC, makes shirts, dresses, and loungewear from bamboo, a renewable resource. With silk trim to add flare, these clothes can go from casual to night-on-the-town with a change of accessories.
1.9.11 - Join The Battalion
Linda and Chrys Wong are two sisters who set out to create a clothing line for women that was sexy yet comfortable, and made from sustainable or eco-friendly materials. What do you get when you combine those three things? Low-cut, formfitting organic & bamboo jersey clothes that look great and feel great. I have the bolero thing and the Boudiccara dress. And guess what? I feel both sexy and comfortable. And if I ever stop feeling that way in my Battalion clothes, I can throw them on the compost and spread it on my garden and grow new clothes. That is how it works, right?
1.2.11 - Totally Toggery
Kate D'Arcy has created an environmentally-friendly clothing line using organic cotton and bamboo. The name Toggery is apt: her dual focus on design and sustainability has helped her to create a line of clothing with enduring style. Her clothes are fashionable yet simple--t-shirts, leggings, dresses & fancy shirts. Nice.
12.26.10 - On A Mission (Playground)
From San Diego, Mission Playground is a clothing company that makes polo shirts, board shorts, sweat pants, jeans, belts & even shoes, all from organic and recycled materials. They have a huge selection of products, mostly t-shirts and outdoor sporting clothes, and apparently they have recently started making eco-friendlier surfboards, too.
They even started an education program to raise awareness of unfair labor practices and environmental issues, called S.E.E.D. (Sustainable Environment & Educational Development). Why? Because they care, as should you.