“Plastic bottles are terrible for the environment:” it’s a familiar tune sung by eco-conscious greenifying gurus around the world, but plastic bottles can benefit the environment. But wait, how is that possible?

The answer is with PLAYBACK Clothing, a new fashion brand that makes clothes that look better because they are recycled. PLAYBACK is carrying eco-friendly fashion to a whole new level by making T-shirts from old plastic bottles. What is most incredible about PLAYBACK’s recycled clothing is it doesn’t look or feel recycled! T-shirts and sweatshirts are super soft, stylish and affordable in conforming with the brand’s goal to dispel the idea that eco-friendly clothing has to be boring, expensive and feel like cardboard.

PLAYBACK uses an exclusive manufacturing process to create T-shirts. Plastic bottles are sorted by color then ground down into fiber form and spun with patent-pending eco-conscious fabric. By making T-shirts in the color of the material from which they were originally created, PLAYBACK is saving the planet from the use of added dyes, which are harmful to the environment. Bonus: the T-shirts come in unique, rich colors such as “Soda Bottle Green” and “Water Cooler Blue.”

PLAYBACK also makes sweatshirts for men and women using discarded cotton scraps from other brands such as Quicksilver, Levis and Juicy. The next challenge for the company is making shirts out of old X-Ray film.

Much like plastic bottles don’t have to harm the environment, eco-friendly clothing doesn’t have to tighten your purse strings. PLAYBACK’s products are affordable, ranging in price from $22 for T-shirts and $55 for hoodies. The customer can also be sure what they are paying for is in fact eco-friendly. The brand doesn’t just slap a “green” label on their clothing; PLAYBACK is honest about how their products are made. They even had a life cycle analysis performed on their products by Yale Graduates and proved 98% more sustainable than other eco brands.

Visit www.playbackclothing.com to purchase a PLAYBACK recycled product. The T-shirts and hoodies are made to last and become the favorite clothing item of anyone who wears them.

Article by Valeria Carrasco
www.playbackclothing.com

There has long been a misconception that to be green women must wear sandals & long skirts & throw in the towel when it comes to elegance, be it casual or business like.

Ethical fashion is finally on the fashion map, “it’s no longer big news that ethics & aesthetics are now walking hand in hand. But in an increasingly ethically aware fashionscape who has the time and energy – and the specialist knowledge, to search out the baggy & shapeless from the sassy, organic & casually chic? Enter www.mygreenlipstick.com, an ethical fashion site with style credentials & eco endorsements in equal measures” – Time Out

The big names are there, from Hollywood eco darling Deborah Lindquist to ethical editors favorite Ciel. Combining edgy & classic effortless chic, gorgeous clothes & modern elegance, mygreenlipstick brings together a collection that already attracts an A list following: Kate Moss, Keira Knightley, Sharon Stone, Gwen Stefani, Cheryl Cole, Demi Moore, Paris Hilton, Rihanna, & Sienna Miller to name a few.

One useful feature is that you can search by ethics (by carbon footprint, organic, fair-trade, & vintage or vegan), with the option to find out a little more about them if you so wish, or you can search by product or designer.

mygreenlipstick offers the opportunity to combine style, substance & sustainability encouraging women to try fabrics & materials that are new to them. All the designers tackle the environmental & social concerns involved within the world of fashion, some deal with a few more of these issues than others; however they all aspire to tackle more.

The Power book 2009 lists Adeela Wareley, the Communications Director of Friends of the Earth, who admits her one luxury for the recession, will be mygreenlipstick.com

“Green queens will love this recently launched fashion website which proves that ethical fashion needn’t have to mean hemp T-shirts and tie-dye bum bags: www.mygreenlipstick.com sells a chic range of designers including vegetarian accessory brand Matt & Nat, vegan shoe label Beyond Skin and anti- sweatshop label Del Forte…… Yet another excellent reason to shop online…….” – The Observer Magazine

Naomi Chappell – Director mygreenlipstick.com

A new business, Bamboo U, is making eco-friendly bamboo shirts for college-age women. College students are often more aware and concerned with our environmental challenges and many are leading the way as early adapters in the eco-clothing movement. Bamboo U wants to provide this younger set with affordable eco-chic clothing.

“Younger people are becoming more conscious about what they consume, which includes what they put on their bodies every day,” said Jeff Fulmer of Bamboo U. “Our shirts have gotten a great reception from the college audience. We just want to give them an alternative that allows them to express their own values.”

The ecological reasons for going with bamboo are numerous. Unlike conventional cotton which uses huge amounts of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, the hardy bamboo needs no help to grow except natural rainwater. One of the fastest growing plants on the planet, bamboo is also an incredibly sustainable, self-regenerating crop. Unlike synthetic fibers which use petroleum based additives, bamboo is 100% biodegradable.

A bonus is bamboo fiber makes for an incredibly soft, slightly silky texture. Its unique breathability enables the wearer to stay cooler than if she was wearing cotton. Bamboo’s anti-microbial agent (kun) prevents bacteria from cultivating on it, which helps keeps the wearer odor free.  If that weren’t enough, bamboo naturally provides protection against the sun’s harmful UV rays, making it well-suited for exercise wear.

Shirts at Bamboo U are a blend of 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton.  They also use only environmentally friendly water based inks for their designs, as opposed to the chemical plastisols found on most t-shirts. Not only is this more environmentally friendly, but it gives the printed designs a more natural look and feel as the shirt is worn and washed.

“Bamboo U logos let others know you care about what you wear,” Fulmer said. “Besides, the shirts are so cool and comfortable; once you wear bamboo, you’ll never want to go back to cotton.”

College student, Aimee Masone, agrees, “The shirt is amazing.  It’s super comfy and every time I put it on I don’t want to take it off….It definitely is way better than any shirt I own.”

Bamboo U makes shirts with a couple of different designs in a variety of colors and are looking to branch into other apparel made from bamboo.

Contact:
Jeff Fulmer
Bamboo U
615-545-8611
Jefffulmer@comcast.net
www.myspace.com/bamboou

I’m such a lucky Green Girl. How often do you get to sample beautiful, sustainable clothing without having to go shopping? Well just recently Elwood Clothing gave me the opportunity to do just that.

Now I have to confess that this is breaking a bit of a fast for me. At the New Year I said I would only stick to second hand or hand made clothes in an aim to R, R & R in the wardrobe. However, I don’t need to feel guilty about these clothes because they’re made by a company who supports green fashion big time.

Gorgeous Clothing
The more I find out about Elwood Clothing the more I like them. Firstly, the clothes, made from organic cotton, hemp and bamboo; I received the Pamela Pants, the Whitney Dress and the Simone Poncho.

Having never worn bamboo fabric before I couldn’t believe how soft these clothes are, so comfortable and so flattering at the same time. The Whitney dress can be worn either as a cute little evening dress or as a top over jeans and it is the kind of classic style and shape that allows it a long life span. All the same is true for the Simone Poncho too, giving a lovely luxurious feel.

The organic cotton Pamela Pants are like your favourite pair of jeans except they’re brand new. The really great thing is that these pretty, feminine clothes are also tough and made to last. Elwood Clothing guarantee that if any of their products fall apart they will be repaired or replaced for free – Now what does that tell you?

Checking out the other products online, both men’s and women’s, you can see that all of the pieces are cool and casual. Wave goodbye to your ideas of green, affordable fashion being scratchy and unflattering, these clothes are soft and sexy.

Company Credentials
Sustainable fashion is about much more than the clothes, right? How else is the company doing their bit for the environment? I hear you ask. Well I’ll tell you.

Elwood Clothing are involved in 1% For the Planet and use innovative ways to recycle old Elwood products. To celebrate Earth Day they held an event to collect old jeans which were then donated to an organisation who uses them to create insulation for green homes. Those who donated an old pair of jeans received a new pair from Elwood.

Their past environmental and ethical schemes include donating profits to Global Green and other social projects and charities. Future plans involve further work with 1% for the Planet and supporting the work of Rational Animal, an organisation which helps homeless and working animals and wildlife in NYC.

Skateboarding Roots
I can’t talk about Elwood without mentioning their biggest love and influence, Skateboarding. In fact, if you know about skateboarding you’ll be impressed to learn that the Elwood team includes Kenny Anderson, Anthony Pappalardo, Silas Baxter-Neil and John Rattray, who are involved in the design of the clothing.

Music is also a large part of Elwood and last year these two passions went hand in hand with the company releasing their first skateboarding and music video called 1st and Hope. You can watch the video trailer at the Elwood website and enjoy the great Beck soundtrack (one of my favourites).

Elwood also tell me that they support and dress music artists such as Money Mark from the Beastie Boys, Jack Johnson, The Shins, Tristan Prettyman, Rogue Wave, Mt. Egypt and many more.

Have you ever seen so much cool and green all in one place?

Check them out at www.elwoodclothing.com

On April 20, 2008 I went into my closet and cut all the content and care labels out of my clothes. My idea was to use these in an artwork about global warming. We can lessen the impact that our clothing has on the environment by examining clothing content labels closely. After examining my own clothes I thought, “what have I done all my life?” I have been oblivious to the fundamentals of clothing and had not been as aware as I had hoped.

My vintage clothes didn’t have any content labels so I gathered that we have made big improvements with clothing regulations. One vintage label said, “This jacket can only be washed by specialized cleaners.” I guess that was the early stages of dry cleaning.

My outdoor clothing didn’t come close to being earthy at all. My “sin-chilla” did me wrong. All my waterproof gear put a drain on my sense of green. Hey, when did canvas become nylon and how much polypropylene can girl own? Breathable, but perhaps not environmentally bearable.

The brand names that made me feel good – names geared to ignite emotions of pure love, goodness, hope and peace – made me cringe when I read some of the materials used and the distance they travelled to get to me.

I have some long underwear made of Cap-eye-lene. And, sorry to say that most of my wool sweaters have acrylic in them. My little black dress is rayon, like bamboo, regenerated natural cellulose turned into a man-made “fiber.”

I have a few items with 10% steel in them, how bold is that? There is a pair of yoga pants made of hemp that made perfect sense. I am now very proud of my USA made organic fleece hoodie.

It took some work, unfolding, finding the tag, cutting gently so as not to cut a hole, refolding again and again. I thought about how we are beginning to work on making our clothing, from field to final wear, green. We are discovering what questions to ask:

- Where are our clothes made (domestic or overseas?)
- What are our clothes made of (man-made or natural content?)
- How are our clothes made (processing and production methods?)
- How do our clothes get to us (how far has it traveled?)
- How long will our clothing last (materials and trends?)
- How is our clothing cared for (care instructions and durability?)
- What type of businesses are we supporting? (transparency?)

By knowing more about materials and methods we can contribute to a healthier environment by making our choices heard. As I learn to read clothing labels I imagine “my look” will be changing. I imagine clothing producers will have to follow suit.

I wanted to wear a real beet red tee! I dreamt of real saffron yellow fabric on my skin! Yes I did! Carrots, coffee, cranberries, and conch…
I imagined not only the beauty of it, but also the heightened sense of being grounded. It didn’t work. Vinegar, salt, soda ash…. it did not work. The color washed out quickly and often turned to puce. I have a list of places to buy natural dyes and something called mordent; chemicals to make the color stay. Can I do this in my studio? Once I learned the quantity of materials needed to dye one tee (lbs. of bugs or bark), the cost (omg), and the nature of the chemicals, I got a bit leery. The amount of scientific work made my mind swirl.

I am an art school honor student, well versed in the color theory of Itten and Albers. Color is the greatest playground. In chemistry class I learned about the compositions of pigments (minerals) but never thought about dyes. I looked further and opted to use “traditional” (1950′s) reactive dyes.

In all my studying I never came across a bit of information that startled me to silence. Most dyes in the textile industry are synthetic. 100% of these dyes originate from petrochemicals. Yuck! Why did I ever have to read that! Take it back! A rainbow on an oil slick is now stuck in my head!

My colorful world went grey (and it was winter in Chicago and this didn’t help.) How, when I rest on my green sofa, can I stop thinking that I am laying on oil! How can we wean ourselves off oil if our very world is brightened up by it? What can I do? I wallowed for some time. Mum was the word on what I had found.

So I now wonder, if you take an organic garment, and add any type of chemical to it, does that organic fabric stay organic? Is it better to say “grown organically” so that consumer understands that it has been altered? Is true green color-free? And, what about babies? A baby’s skin is under developed, so new and fresh, thin and open, shouldn’t all baby clothes be dye-free? Wouldn’t that be the wisest choice for infants and the earth?

In the green journey there are wind surges of information that inspire new direction — “Crew, I changed my mind, tact the sails we are now heading north!”

I take change seriously, but as far as color dyes are concerned I will take small gradual steps. No “speed of lightening” action here; my tee shirt collection will stay colorful. I will, however, move to a more knowledgeable palette with time. I had heard, and believed, that being “Green” doesn’t need to require much sacrifice. I now believe that it does. It is my vision of “Green” that is a process requiring time. I am up to the task because I aim to find beauty on the journey to create the ideal “Green” tee.

Currently, I am hand-dyeing tees in my studio and examining all the details to better understand and control each color’s impact. I am admiring all the color I have in reach. My tees tell a story; a new medium for “Green” exploration, not business as usual, as some may think.

In the last decade a huge spotlight was pointed at the Slow Food
movement; the savory approach to healthy eating with an appreciation of food fundamentals and traditions; Slow Food encouraged awareness of food from the grower to the preparer and how our food choices impact the world.

In this century we hope, and there is evidence surfacing, that the
same attention may be given to the clothes we wear. We all need to
wear clothing, so we should all be asking how and where it is made,
and how it gets to our closet, right? Just as the food we choose to
consume has far reaching impact on our environment, the clothes we
purchase influences a wide range of practices that effect humans and
our planet.

More and more people are asking for clothes that are in harmony with their values; clothes that are sweatshop-free, made from organic fibers, and are locally made. Just as vegans don’t wear leather shoes, those of us who are concerned about the earth want our fashion statement to be consistent with our spirit.

YOUR CHOICE OF SOCKS IS KILLING ME!

Possibly a near-future fashion trend: To be considered “fashionable”, the wearer must know who/ where / how their clothes came to be, so that they resonate with their personal belief system. To be fashionable your words are put into action by your choices in clothing, and fashion is then defined as “a look in harmony with thought.” Fashion can equally be in “the MIND of the beholder”.

Yes, polyester is bad. But in our future there is a chance that many will never be caught wearing a pair of pants with any trace of synthetic (both in fiber or packaging.) None would be seen in mass produced shirts that? traveled through the Panama Canal on a container ship loaded with “stuff” because it would just “look stupid.” (look what wearing newly cut fur can arouse from bystanders.)

Eco-friendly, sustainable fiber made with just practice and transported minimally is the wise choice to look smart. And just as urgently, the days of scratchy burlap looking sacks in muted colors is passing us by. We want to look and feel great. We want our greenwear to reflect us, garments made well in all aspects. Dressing can be more than fun, it can be loaded with meaning that surpasses the name on the label.

Wouldn’t it be fun to go to an event where heads turned to see who was wearing the lowest impact clothing? Wouldn’t it be fun to go to a party where ears perk to hear the story about how a dress improved lives? Talk about having fashion SENSE.

In 2005, I caught the buzz of all the message tees being produced -human billboards – and thought, ” I can do that!” I expressed this with the same naivety that someone viewing one of my paintings would say “I could do that!” I would think “Yeah, Go ahead and try. It is way harder than you think!” Ok, I can now admit, building a green company was way harder than I thought!

It is now 2007, and the time spent has been given to exploring the details. I BELIEVE that people, once fully aware, are interested in the whole system of clothing (like the food we eat), where every detail breathes with intention. We will learn what questions to ask and some reasonable answers.? Understanding will develop real sustainability, including clothes that support people and protect our earth with wisdom, style and beauty. Let’s make new fashion sense by supporting Slow Clothing. Live the answer.

Lee Tracy, artist, writer, founder of Certaintees

With the new interest in green living, the eco-apparel industry has grown by leaps and bounds making it easy to look great and do good at the same time.

Established eco brands like Edun and Loomstate have risen to the demand for trendy eco chic apparel by presenting stylish new lines every season. Helping to expand the industry are new luxurious designers like Perfectly Imperfect and Sworn Virgins.

Love the look but unsure how clothing can be part of a green lifestyle? Read on! Clothing can be green in many ways and for many reasons; below I’ve listed some of the easiest ways you can green your wardrobe.

The greenest garments are those that are already here! Vintage, by its very nature, is green. Buying a great pair of vintage shoes or earrings means that there is no new material, manufacturing, shipping or cost! It does not get any greener then that.

Reused and recycled is not exclusive to the complete garment.

You can find furniture made from recycled and reused materials, like timeless recycled barn wood table. Also, fabulous designers like AgainNYC (a chic handbag company) and annabuilt (a trendy jewelry and fine art design company) are creatively using existing materials to produce new and fabulous pieces. They bring new meaning to the old phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle”!

Looking for this season’s hot new trends, make sure to buy clothing made with organically grown materials. When you are buying clothing made from organically grown cotton, hemp, bamboo or wool you can be confident that no chemicals were put into the Earth in the process to grow the materials for your clothing. Additionally, buying clothes made with highly sustainable materials like bamboo is a great step towards a greener lifestyle.

Lastly, manufacturing is also an important part of the eco apparel industry. Designers of eco apparel use a variety of methods and materials to ensure they are leaving the smallest possible environmental footprint. They also ensure that their products are fairly made and fairly traded.

Once I learned about eco apparel, my business partner and I combined our passions and efforts and launched www.shopmodify.com, a fabulous new eco-friendly online boutique. Modify’s mission is to provide eco-friendly and ethically produced clothing, accessories, beauty products, and home décor. We also carry vintage! Modify is all about truly modifying one’s lifestyle by becoming environmentally conscious and changing one’s overall perception of the world and the care it needs. Check out www.shopmodify.com and start greening your wardrobe today.

Photography by Kristie Lee Krause

Wouldn’t life be so much easier, if we didn’t have to spend hours laundering our clothes each week? The time energy we spend sorting out our whites from our darks could definitely be applied to something more enjoyable, perhaps leisurely sipping a cool glass of Pimms while enjoying the summer sun? Well if it ever arrives that is, I know which I’d prefer! And it is not just our energy that is exerted here either, the whole laundry process uses masses amounts of energy and the water used, accounts for almost a quarter of a household’s total use. We have already been urged by many different brands to turn our washing dial to 30 degrees rather than 40, which is obviously a big step in the right direction. This can reduce the amount energy used by the machine by massive 40%, which is not only good for the environment, but also our purses. But wouldn’t it be easier if we didn’t have to do any washing at all?

Well thankfully, this time may come sooner than anticipated. Scientists are developing new fabrics that ‘self- clean’. The idea has taken it’s inspiration from the lotus plant, that can, due to their water and dirt repellent nature, effectively self clean. Nanotechnologists are adopting this theory and producing a coating that can be integrated into fabrics such as cotton and silk, as well as many other common fabrics. This highly repellent coating is made from a polymer film and mixed with silver nanoparticles. This may sound like a complex theory but the reality of it is pretty simple. The clothes made with this special coating will need to be washed much less frequently and stains can be removed by simply spraying a small amount of water over the garment, which will then carry particles of dirt way from the garment. What differentiates this coating from the type of water- repellent coatings we usually find on our rain coats, is that these particles are actually integrated into the fabric, rather than lying on top, making the fabric much more malleable, which can only mean better design. The fact that this process can be applied to so many different fabrics is promising. We are initially likely to see these intelligent fibres in sportswear, hospital garments and outdoor leisurewear, and hopefully making an appearance in the midst of our everyday wardrobe within the next five years. A conference and exhibition, organised by London College of Fashion’s Fashion Science Group is scheduled to take place in January next year, is hoping to draw nanotechnology and design closer together, and fingers crossed, this may even speed up the introduction of self cleaning clothes into our wardrobe.

Those laundry days are numbered, and all I can say is: the sooner the better!