Wearing high fashion and being an environmentalist haven’t always gone together, and it may seem a little antithetical to combine the two. After all, once upon a time, “eco-fashion” meant things like scratchy hemp, tie-dye shirts and Birkenstock sandals; thankfully, those days are long gone, replaced by sumptuous organic cotton, sleek, chic bamboo textiles and hemp that’s soft enough to cuddle up with, in styles that are more hip than hippie. To show you how to look good while doing good, here’s a casual head-to-toe outfit for men.
Though their collection offers enough variety to dress you from head to toe (in 100% organic cotton), we’ll concentrate on Loomstate’s denim [www.treehugger.com] (available at Greenloop [www.thegreenloop.com] online; check Loomstate’s site [www.loomstate.org] for a stockist near you). Designer Rogan Gregory’s jeans combine looks and ethics; by combining runway-caliber style with organic cotton, Loomstate is helping to turn heads in both the fashion and environmental industries, and saving the planet at the same time. To wit: 10% of all agricultural chemicals and 25% of insecticides in the U.S. are used to grow cotton, so choosing organic cotton is one of the healthiest, most environmentally-friendly choices you can make when it comes to the shirt on your back.
Speaking of, we like the look of Twice Shy’s [www.twice-shy.com] organic cotton t-shirts; their vibrant colors and intricate prints and patterns run the gamut from modern to retro, and their rainbow-like palette insures there’ll be something in your favorite color. It takes almost 1/3 of a pound of chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) to grow enough cotton for just one t-shirt, so even though it may seem trivial up against your entire wardrobe, it adds up, really fast. If t-shirts aren’t your thing, browse the rest of the line which includes button-downs, polo’s and a hoodie.
When it comes to what you wear on your feet, it’s tough to beat Terra Plana’s collection [www.terraplana.com] of casual shoes. Their goal is nothing to scoff at: to be the most innovative and sustainable designer shoe brand in the world. They’re working on this with a couple key strategies in mind: repairability, anatomic (foot-healthy) design and lightness are all considered in each shoe, and they use materials like vegetable-dyed leathers and recycled materials to keep their shoes’ environmental footprint as small as possible.
For a versatile jacket that’ll perform well when the weather turns, we like the look of Nau’s [www.treehugger.com] new outerwear. Their garments are certainly not the shapeless silhouettes you might expect from an outdoor firm, and they use a wide variety of materials including recycled polyester (like in the jacket pictured), organic cotton, corn starch-derived fibers and merino wool. Nau is brand-new, and we’re expecting great things from them as they continue to grow.
Of course, there’s a lot more out there when it comes to TreeHugger-friendly fashion. We’ve got a whole category [www.treehugger.com] dedicated to it, and also recommend our How to Green Your Wardrobe [www.treehugger.com] guide for more information and ideas for clean, green clothes. What you wear says a lot about you, and it’s easier (and more fashionable) than ever to say “I care about the environment” while still looking good.
