T-shirts · Eco-Chick

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Lara Miller: Eco Fashion’s Quick Change Artist

Eco Fashion designer Lara Miller is an Eco Chick fave; her supermodern, often convertible, sensuously romantic, yet travel-friendly designs are deceptively simple but always on point.

Lara says she didn’t plan her designs for the travelling types (though they suit us so well), but that her ideas come from a playful, fun place that happens to result in highly variable separates (think dresses that can be worn three ways, or trousers that have adjustable hems):

I graduated from a very conceptual design program at the School of the Art Institute where I researched Eadweard Muybridge images and architectual theory by Gregg Lynn. I was fascinated with the idea of animation and gestures in every day life, especially when getting dressed. I wanted to give the wearer a relationship to their pieces and allow them to be more individual. As my line and I have grown up, the functionality has really become key.

The Fern Flip wrap in recycled cotton
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Eco Chick Giveaway: Win an Organic Cotton Excentree T-Shirt

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by Starre Vartan · 02/02/10

One of the four women’s tees available.

Excentree t-shirts are all organic, limited-edition (only 100 of each design), and include a tree planting in a country of your choice. You have a chance to win both a t-shirt and a tree planting (which offsets one ton of carbon) by entering the giveaway below.

Not only do they make fab t-shirts, I really like this company’s message: “Excentree is not about pushing a message. It is not about telling you how to live your life; it is not about telling anyone what to do or not to do, it is not about telling anyone what to buy or what not to buy. It is about us all doing our best, living our lives, being aware of our surroundings, enjoying those surroundings and helping everyone make an informed decision be that decision what it may.”

To win, visit the Excentree site and choose a style from EITHER the women’s OR men’s pages and leave a comment here (click on comment link at top right of post) with the style you prefer. When you fill in the comment field, it will ask for you email address. This is the address I will use to contact the winner, so use a real email.

Deets and Promises: Eco Chick does not sell, lease or lend any email addresses we collect. There will be one female and one male t-shirt winner. Giveaway ends Monday, February 8th. Good luck!

One of the four men’s tees available.

eco fashion, organic cotton, t-shirts

Gorgeous and Graphic Green T-Shirt Bonanza!

3 Comments

by Starre Vartan · 02/02/10

There are so many great things about t-shirts. You can wear them under a jacket (to leave any cheeky messaging to the imagination), over a long-sleeve for an always-beloved 90′s moment, you can wear them to bed, you can wear them on the red carpet. T-shirts are as American as blue jeans and just happen to look great with a pair of denims.

And like quite a bit of American clothing, tees are made from cotton, a crop that uses (literally) tons of pesticides and herbicides. The tees below don’t, because they’re either made with organic cotton or because they’re made of alternative materials (like recycled polyester).

OMunky is “creative eco-friendly apparel that is guaranteed to start the conversation” and there’s no doubt they showcase some cute and provocative designs (for both men and women). Look for new designs on a regular basis from this NY-based company.

Excentree makes limited-edition t-shirts, meaning “when you are wearing an Excentree top you will be one of fewer than 100 people in the world wearing it.” Made from organic cotton, a tree is also planted for each t-shirt (in a country of your choice), offsetting carbon now and in the future. Men’s and women’s shirts available (and you can win one here!)

cotton, designer, eco, green, Organic, organic cotton, t-shirts

We Add Up

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by Kimberly Jordan Allen · 09/03/08

Last month I attended a green expo in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It was fun and there were a lot of interesting people to share stories, peddle eco-wares, and wax prolific on everything organic, local, and carbon neutral. One of the booths at the event was We Add Up.

We Add Up has a sharp design aesthetic with modern T-shirts, totes, and recycled water bottles denoting the message that we do, indeed, add up. With a number on each item, a purchase actually adds one to the count of folks who have chosen to become, as founder Jill Palermo explains, “ambassadors of the environmental message – helping to spur conversation and educate others about climate change.”

One of the initiatives We Add Up has created is having school children sell their products, instead of Girl Scout Cookies or People Magazine. This has helped to get children involved, to feel they are a part of something productive and making a difference. Being the jaded, eco-savvy, anti-consumptive consumer that I am, my initial response upon seeing the shirts was “hmmm… been there, done that, got the T-shirt?”

Is this another way to spend money so people can quell environmental guilt and appear to be concerned or making a difference? According to Palermo, the founder, the company is working to put its money where its mouth is.

We just introduced three new T-shirts to our line, which were suggestions from the public – PLANT TREES, COMPOST and VEGAN. The PLANT TREES shirt is very special because we have joined forces with Sustainable Harvest International. With every purchase, SHI will plant 10 trees in the Central American rainforest. As you probably know, trees in the equatorial latitude are much more efficient at absorbing and sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere than trees in northern latitudes, making reforestation in Central America imperative to ending global warming.
WE ADD UP is a member of 1% for the Planet. We donate 1% of sales or 10% of profits, whichever is greater. In addition, the sale of the “Plant Trees” tee directly contributes to creating more carbon sinks, as 10 trees are planted for each purchase. As a taste of what is to come with WE ADD UP, we are currently working to create exciting partnerships for each of our tee actions. We are seeking non-profits who are leaders in developing solutions to the action the tee promotes. And, $3 from the sale of each shirt will be donated to that chosen non-profit.

I know that we are not going to change the world by simply buying organic hair conditioner and carrying a canvas bag to Whole Foods. I think it is important to be mindful of what we consume and to choose wisely, but truth be told, if we see what is happening, and the speed at which it is occuring, buying a “green” T-shirt is not going to have a massive impact.

However, what about the message We Add Up is trying to convey? Can we act as ambassadors for environmentalism? Isn’t it better to have children selling eco-friendly T’s that have a message and teach them about what is happening with regard to climate change, instead of sending them door to door with boxes of lousy commercial frankenfood chocolate bars?

Is it not productive to have people see the words “buy local” or “recycle” or “unplug?” When I see these words, even on someone’s T-shirt, it does remind me that whatever trivial issues are dominating in the moment are nothing compared to a bigger, more important cause that is always calling. Acting on behalf of the earth, on any level, can instigate thought, dialogue and change. We Add Up, in the words of Al Gore, “…is a tremendous marketing tool to promote the important message about climate change.”

clothes, Organic, rainforest, t-shirts

Sweet Pepita Clothing

2 Comments

by Kimberly Jordan Allen · 03/05/08

Shannon Kline is the creator of Sweet Pepita Clothing. Using recycled fabrics from old, funky tee’s and 100% organic cotton, Sweet Pepita blends sustainability with hip, retro style. You can send Shannon a favorite old tee-shirt that you don’t want to get rid of and she will give it new life as a baby-tee. I have requested she make duds for us adult folk also but for now its just for the wee ones.

I love to sew custom baby tees. Customers send me their old favorite adult sized t-shirts and I transform them into clothing for their babies. I just read that Americans throw away an unspeakable amount of clothing every year. And I know that we all have t-shirts we’re holding on to that we’re never going to wear again. Sewing them into baby tees feels really good! We’re recycling and giving a child a piece of her parent’s history.