Outerwear
Finisterre UK Surf Clothing
As a Christmas gift this year I received a surfing video from a friend which got me not only dreaming of surfing, but also of some of the great surf gear out there. This being winter for us up in the Northern Hemisphere, warm clothes and green wetsuits are required to ride our eco-friendly surfboards.
A company called Finisterre, based out of the UK, is doing great things in the world of surfing, and really for all outdoor activities. Also founders of Offset The PLC, they are working to reduce the amount of waste found in consumer goods today. Less raw material waste, production waste, transport waste, and ultimate disposable waste.
“After a certain point the correlation between material goods and happiness breaks down to such an extent that it is questionable as to whether a relationship actually exists.
So again we find less is more.”
With company values like that, along with truly eco-friendly products, and a One Percent for the Planet member, they earn five stars with me.
Atayne Eco Friendly Athletic Sportswear- Green up your Run
Having competed in a few triathlons, I am pretty familiar with the performance clothing out there. You know the stuff, the silky feeling ultra-wicking fabrics made of fancy polypropylene, polyester, and other plastic types.
The process of making these clothes is not the most environmental and has prompted many companies (like Eco-friendly Patagonia) to incorporate recycled materials to help to offset the harmful chemicals released in production. Some companies have chosen to take it one step further and make them out of trash.
I first heard about Atayne through the founders running blog The Story of A Red Shirt, more specifically his 4 Million Steps run from Maine to Florida. He describes a very unfortunate incident with a red performance shirt that changed his mind about sportswear and the creation of Atayne.
Cold? Just flip your jacket – Dual Climate Outerwear
A new innovative design in outerwear, The North Face has come up with a jacket that adapts to changes in the weather using baffles to regulate temperature. This isn’t your regular down vest kinda baffle system, the Men’s Reversible Mercurial Jacket uses the orientation of the jacket (inside-out or outside-in) to adjust airflow between the baffles. Not only that, but a metallic reflective layer does double duty by reflecting the suns rays when worn on the outside, and reflects your body heat back in if worn on the inside.
The 23-ounce jacket will retail for $350 and results in a dual purpose jacket for hiking, trecking, backpacking, or a trip to the mall on a cold day.
[via popsci]
Fashionable Outerwear (with function)
With winter looming and fashion giant Vogue recently buying outdoor outfitter The North Face, clothing retailers have turned their eye to looking good in the outdoors. Its no longer just about function, just check out your local supermarket or ski slopes. With so many brands to choose from, how do you choose which brand to outfit your next excursion? Well if you want functional, stylish outdoor clothing without checking your eco-consciousness at the door, then Patagonia is your brand.
A leader in developing new products and manufacturing processes that lower the impact on the environment, it would only make sense to protect the very thing you are outfitting people to explore. They became famous for being the first outdoor clothing manufacturer to integrate PCR clothing into their product line, a technique for creating fleece from post consumer recycled plastic soda bottles. Since then, they have further expanded recycled materials into their line and now even recycle used garments (of any brand) into new ones. Taking advantage of more eco-friendly and sustainable fabrics such as hemp, recycled polyester, organic cotton and wool, you are sure to find the perfect green material for your style.
Everything we do pollutes or taxes the Earth in some way. It’s a sad and inescapable fact. But there are things we can do as individuals and businesses to lighten our impact on the environment, such as buying and throwing away less, reusing products whenever possible, and recycling everything we can.
-Excerpt from the Patagonia website
Let’s not forget what these clothes were developed for either. Whether you are exploring Mount Everest or your local mall, these garments are sure to perform, and with style. Using the latest developments in technology, and tested under the strictest of conditions, you are sure to stay warm and dry.
l can go on and on about how green this company is, but why don’t you have a look for yourself? There is plenty to explore on their website including well designed functional equipment for just about every sport, even surfing! Reduce the impact on the places you love to explore, and do it in style.
