GroovyGreen.com – Start Today :: Save Tomorrow

My last (unless our devoted readers send in more) eco-fashion question comes from Robby: I am an 18 year college student at the University of Florida and I would like to know more about Eco friendly sport wear. I am a purist and don’t mind spending a lot on a a high quality, ethical product. My favorite shop right now is rawganique.com. I am always on the lookout for new bamboo products and hemp products. Are there any 100% bamboo shorts on the market? Is Nike going green?

Sweet, a double-header! Robby, your first question will be pretty easy to answer, but the second one is a bit more complex.

In terms of bamboo clothing, there are lots of brand options. Unfortunately, when it comes to shorts, the choices are few and far between. As a matter of fact, the only bamboo shorts that I could find are an on-sale, discontinued style from Bamboosa. Other good sources for bamboo basics are BambooClothes.com, Shirts of Bamboo, and Panda Snack.

Depending on your type of workout, hemp and recently released coconut fabrics are both good options. Hemp is more well-known for its strength than its breathability, so if you happen to enjoy colder or rougher (read: hiking, mountain climbing … etc) activities, then hemp is for you. In just the past year, coconut fabrics have become more popular among fitness brands. Bamboo clothing has a number of benefits, such as being hypoallergenic and naturally anti-bacterial, but coconut fibers have a benefit that bamboo does not – protection from the sun’s UV rays. A few of the brands using these new coconut fabrics are Champion, Marmot, Cannondale, and Pearl Izumi.

If you are looking for other planet-conscious active brands out there, then you’ve got a pretty swank list to choose from. One of my first Q&A posts was about an upcoming outdoor clothing brand called Nau. Made from many newly-developed eco-fibers, keeping the entire lifeline of the garment in-mind was key from the first day. Unfortunately, their goal of opening their online store at the end of January didn’t happen. Currently, the end of February is their updated time for the store launch, but no matter how long we have to wait, it will be worth it. Until then, you can view their entire first collection via Flickr. Often mentioned as Nau’s biggest competitor, Patagonia is another well-known and somewhat green brand. Prana makes clothing specifically for yoga and climbing, though most of their rock scaling gear can be user for many other sports and exercises. Their eco-practices including using organic cotton and recycling plastic fabrics, as well as a growing Natural Power Initiative. Last but not least, ladies-only Ailin is a technically advanced and eco-sensitive brand for climbers, mountaineers, extreme skiers, surfers and explorers.

Now for the final, and most difficult, subject of this post: Nike. Widely chastised for their long-time use of slave and child labor in China, the brand has made headway in transforming its image. The responsibility section of their website is quite extensive, giving detailed information about their use of organic cotton, old shoes, charity efforts, updated factory policies, and more. While their efforts are commendable, the fact remains that they are a gargantuan corporation that still uses leather for nearly all its shoes and widely promotes their products to “generation X”, trying to convince them that they need a new pair of shoes every month. If you are in the market for a new pair of athletic shoes for your exercise regimen, I would personally recommend New Balance. Their social responsibility runs deeps and they also offer vegan (leather-free) options for many of their shoes.

Robby, I hope that my info and insight has been of some use to you, as well as all you others reading out there. Make sure to e-mail me your green fashion curiosities; my inbox is always open.

Next week, I’ll be premiering another green fashion series called Face Behind the Fashion, where I talk with the actual designers and founders of eco-style brands, giving you unique perspectives that you won’t find anywhere else! Do not fret – you’re favorite Eco Fashion Q&A isn’t going anywhere. Whenever a question is submitted, I’ll be here to dole out the information you crave.