Ummm…what can we say? Two Florida college students wanted to create an eco-friendly underwear line. Uranus Apparel produces boyshorts made from soy, hence the nickname “soyshorts.” Soy requires less water, is more durable, and dries more quickly than cotton. It’s also super soft which is great for, ya know. (Excuse my cheekiness.) Out of all the viral vids the founders have put out on YouTube, the one above is our favorite. It has a bit of an Art Haus kind of feel to it. Enjoy Uranus!

The latest fall trend is embracing all that’s good about looking “bad.” It falls somewhere between Joan Jett and Hell’s Angels and relies heavily on leather, spikes, and chains. At first glance, it is not a trend that appears to lend itself to the green way of life. But, look a little closer and you will find that these eco fashion essentials will let you look tough, while maintaining your soft spot for the planet. Rock on!

Read more at WhiteApricot.com…

Thank goodness Stephanie Rogers is here to tell us about non-toxic nail polish! No more looks from the manicurist when I tell them “no polish please.” Even a treehugger like me can be Priti after all.

I’m in love – with nail polish. A few years ago, I all but gave up on the idea of ever having a nice-looking manicure again after swearing off conventional polishes full of toxic ingredients and experimenting unsuccessfully with the few ‘natural’ nail polish brands on the market.

Then, I found out about Priti NYC, a boutique brand created by Kim D’Amato. Priti polishes contain no toluene, formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) or petroleum ingredients and are safe for children and mothers-to-be.

Read more about Priti NYC at EcoChick.com…

By Darrah De Jour

Yogamatic.com is gaining a lot of attention these days as the only customize-able, eco-yoga mat out there. The Santa Monica-based e-commerce company has been featured on Extra, The Ellen Show, E! and in the hallowed pages of leading magazines, like Shape and Marie Claire. Taking individuality to the next level, Yogamatic.com lets yoginis design their own custom, one-of-a-kind yoga mat.

Whether a hobbyist or professional photographer, take your craft to the mat. Upload a photo onto Yogamatic.com- and Voila – you are the matrix of your one-off eco-mat. Nobody else in the gym or at the resort will have your eco-mat. Plus, you can also choose from over 200 designs in their online Gallery. Images range from the Dalai Lama to Barack Obama’s inaugural speech, foraying into pop art and even more irreverent images (i.e. “Strip.”)

Made from natural rubber and recycled content, the mats are printed using water-soluble ink, so they are non-toxic. There is no lead, phthalates or chemicals. Ever. You can collect different mats and gift them this holiday season. Active in philanthropy, the two-year old company got a boost when Donna Karan and Calvin Klein created exclusive mats where 100% of profits benefit “Fashion Targets Breast Cancer.” And now Alice + Olivia designer du jour, Stacey Bendet has two mats with her classic neon flavor, sold in A + Os Malibu Lumber Yard store and at Aliceandolivia.com. Five percent of proceeds on all mats purchased from YM benefit the leading environmental charity Global Green.

With their new web-series POSERS: Yogastyles of the Movers and Shakers, Yogamatic.com is turning stereotypes about Yoga upside down. This edgy “yogamentary” captures a wide array of vibrant Los Angeles personalities. Actors, musicians, captains of industry, and celebrity instructors offer their take on Yoga and how it has impacted and transformed their daily life. Including Academy Award nominated actress Mariel Hemingway, Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Michelle Branch, celebrity instructor Mandy Ingber, Skinny Bitch bestselling author Rory Freedman, Yoga Works’ Vinnie Marino (recently hailed “L.A.’s Yoga King” by the New York Times), Eco Gift Festival Founder Tommy Rosen, instructor Kia Miller and many more…Check it out.

Photo and article discussed from The Huffington Post: Starre Vartan in the audience.

Starre Vartan, eco-fashion blogger extraordinaire, and author of the book, ” The Eco-Chick Guide to Life: How to Be Fabulously Green“, shares the inside scoop on her recent attendance at the “Is the Future of Fashion Green” discussion.  As always, Starre is a steadfast supporter and dare I say champion of sustainable fashion.  Starre and I see eye to eye on this issue, that eco-fashion is one, very visible piece in a greener, more sustainable lifestyle where dedicated  hands & hearts are making change, often most visibly and most poignantly, from the bottom up.  Her response to the assertion that only “professionals” and those “in the energy sector” can effect real change is right on, as such a sentiment is not only preposterous, but insulting to all of us out here busting our asses to bring about positive change.  Not to mention, just take a look at the track record.

Yes, cooperation and support is needed from the “big guys”, so to speak, but each of us has the power to contribute and support the development of a more sustainable fashion industry, which can in turn serve as a vehicle for advocacy, not the mention the intrinsic value of converting a notriously wasteful and polluting industry to one with a far smaller ecological footprint.   Read on to see what Starre has to say:

“Having covered ecofashion designers for four years now on my blog and having written a book discussing ways to live green (including supporting ecofashion), I was interested and excited to attend the “Is the Future of Fashion Green” discussion recently held at SoHo House in association with the NY Salon.

The crowd, despite the subject matter, was definitely not filled with agreeable zombies nodding in blind acceptance as Bruno might have us believe about fashion-industry folks. No, instead this was a real salon-style dialog (attendees were heartily encouraged to participate, and they did), which included disagreements, tangents, and departures, and some difficult but worthwhile issues were raised. The intellectual wranglings were, however, made by a crowd was also obviously quite involved with fashion; most who sat in designer chairs and perched upon overstuffed couches, or even lounged on the floor- were dressed a la mode.

The panel was composed of Jeffrey Hutchison, who designs fashion retail spaces for stores like Donna Karan and Narciso Rodriquez; Sandra Ballentine, the beauty and style director for T: The New York Times Style Magazine; and James Woudhuysen, a professor of forecasting and innovation at De Montfort University in Liecester, UK and author of Energise! A Future for Energy Innovation. Julie Gilhart, SVP and fashion director of Barney’s (and a true leader of the ecofashion movement) was unable to make the panel due to a family emergency, but she sent along a statement that I will reference here. Due to Julie’s absence, the panel was a bit lopsided, as she represented the day to day reality and success of ecofashion over the last 2-3 years.

James Woudhuysen got the panel off to a rousing start as he blamed environmentalists for thinking too small, and was vociferous in trying to persuade the audience that the solution to our environmental issues shouldn’t be in individual’s hands, but turned over to corporate, scientific and government agencies who could make a real difference. Citing Adam Smith, Barack Obama and Thorstein Veblem, James said, “If you want to do something about he world, you ask the engineers to do it. Ask intelligent, specialized people. My first argument is that if you want to do something about CO2 go to energy sector, not the fashion sector.”

This could a sensible argument, except for the fact that we live in a free-market capitalist society (or so we’re told) and unfortunately, the energy sector has dragged its heels in moving away from fossil fuels, as that is where the short-term monetary gains are. Money hungry oil, gas and coal companies are not going to change their ways unless they’re forced to. And who has the power to change policy? Why the American voter of course, that is, millions of individuals, voting with their dollars and at their ballot boxes. Of course change has to happen at the highest levels (where it can make the most significant change), but without the passionate, expressed will of millions of people, business as usual will continue. And in America, we vote with our dollars. “Green” has succeeded (and continues to) because people have learned about the irreparable harm we are doing to our own health and the health of future generations and we are demanding change, from the bottom up.

The idea that the solutions to our planetary ills should be removed from the people’s hands and thrust into those of what James calls “experts” is problematic on several levels. First of all, companies and governments are notoriously slow-moving, and change needs to be nimble and creative. Also, all forward progress about how we live (and certainly, shifting the focus of our energy production methods and consumption patterns is a massive movement) has always come from the grassroots. Civil rights, women’s rights, animal rights; none of those movements were top-down, and so far, the environmental movement has been about a lot of dedicated people who care (from fashion designers to journalists to community activists to health care workers) toiling for years to educate and inspire the people (individuals) who are both consumers and involved in making new products and deciding how to package, ship and sell new stuff to us all.

Taking power from the people (James suggested greenies were running around exerting a lot of energy and alleviating guilt rather than making real change) and putting it in the hands of the wealthiest, most educated takes the power of debate and disagreement from the people and puts it squarely in the hands of those who already have (and routinely abuse) power and resources. It’s the old fight between Democracy and Capitalism, wherein the former is supposed to temper the latter; taking away the individual and personal involvement cancels those natural checks and balances. Lastly, those big corporations that James says can make the biggest change? They are filled with individual people, who are inspired and educated in their communities, the places they shop and by their friends and families, which is why real change happens from within.

Back to the fashion. Jeffrey Hutchinson, the industry expert, said, “Consumerism is not bad or dead, luxury is not bad or dead and shopping in stores are not bad or dead. But significant course corrections must be made. How can we make retail sustainable? Green is just one part of that conversation. It’s the rapid growth over past 20 years that is not sustainable,” said Jeffrey. He then pointed out that both megastores and fast fashion were to blame for the unsustainable trends in the biz, but said that there were also great ideas out there, like pop-up stores. These temporary shopping destinations are ideal for a more sustainable fashion future because designers or large retailers can still have a place to showcase exciting new collections without expending resources on ever-expanding (and totally unnecessary) brick and mortar stores. Jeffrey advocated smaller stores, smaller collections, with an emphasis on making things more fabulous and special within those constraints.

I can see a future where each piece of clothing has a story, pop-up stores appearing in your city have a fun “let’s go check it out” vibe similar to a travelling art exhibition, and shopping becomes an interaction with creative forces rather than a money-making fast fashion mill of togs that fall apart after a season.

Jeffrey said it was incumbent upon the consumers and fashion industry leaders to make change, “We work in a creative industry, so we must be creative in our solutions. reconnect with local communties and cultures. Not so fast, let’s reconsider the pace of the growth, not so big, not so disposable, and not so indulgent.”

Julie Gilhart of Barney’s echoed this idea in her statement. “For the business of fashion to be sustainable, we need to acknowledge that fashion celebrates beauty. If the way we make beautiful clothing and accessories actually damages the natural environment and our precarious health within it, how can we enjoy this kind of so called beauty? ”

Sandra Ballentine of the NY Times seemed to agree too, though she was skeptical about green. “It’s about quality, integrity, authenticity, realness. I am so tired of the green PR – green this, sustainable that. I’m against that, I want to see a real conversation. Most often the ‘eco’ piece is a really amazing thing, and often means a craftsman that is making unique or one of a kind,” said Sandra.

Fashion is evolving, and despite James Woudhuysen’s view, it seems that change is coming from designers, passionate ecofashionistas who support them, and the behind-the-scenes folks who do the heavy lifting to get new clothes to us each season. Julie Gilhart makes the point: “Now and in the future, it’s not really about being ‘green’, per se. I see the need to develop and sell fashion and consumer products, in general, which contain a greater level of consciousness. Period.”

Originally posted at www.hufftingontpost.com

I was recently introduced to Mola boots and shoes, my attention immediately grabbed by the vibrant colors and patterns of vibrant, one-of-a kind, vegan, fair trade shoes being produced by The Aware Network. What’s Mola? Mola is a traditional Central and South American art form consisting of intricately layered textile art, hand-stitched Mola is created by the women of the Kuna tribe of Panama and Colombia.

Jasmine Wallace and Daniel Rawson created Mola shoes because they wanted to walk the talk, so to speak. Jasmine’s mother is Colombian, a heritage Jasmine is closely connected with and inspired by, and which led to this project. They felt Mola shoes could be a great alternative to mass produced big brands, and a way they could contribute to society along socially ethical, eco-conscious and spiritually fulfilling lines.

Hours of painstaking work go into creating a single Mola. Several layers of cloth in a variety of colors are loosely stitched together and fine-tipped scissors are used to cut the top layers. The cut edges are folded back and stitched to the layer below, with embroidery detail often added on the top layer.

Sewing Molas is a cultural practice passed on by grandmothers to younger generations in the Kuna community. A Kuna woman sews a Mola to reflect her mastery and wisdom, and her view of the cosmos and life, a vision of the world full of color and meaning for her Native Indian culture. The Mola is worn to show her maturity, wisdom and experience in life expressed through the details stitched thereon. Once a woman enters a new phase in life, she unstitches the old Mola from her blouse (lets go of the old) and stitches on the new Mola with its new symbolic meaning. Traditional Mola designs represent Kuna culture, mythology, native animals and plants, ranging from abstract images to geometric designs, mazes, animals and plants.

Not just for the ladies, the boots and shoes come in a variety of styles for guys and gals, including hi-top sneakers, boxer boots, ballet flats, mary janes, open-cut flats, knee high boots, and more! Supposedly very comfortable, with rubber soles and easy to clean in warm water with a cloth. Color fast too, so no worries on the patterns running.

Each pair of boots and shoes are constructed using one, authentic, re-claimed, Mola, along with other vegan materials, resulting in each pair being unique individually tailored. The ultimate in up-cycling with the added benefit of preserving a beautiful traditional art form, with 10% of their profits supporting environmental and social justice non-profits like the International Women’s Development Agency, Oxfam, and Climate Friendly.com, and those promoting indigenous cultures and peoples such as the World Council of Elders and Cultural Survival.

The Aware Network is Australia based, but ships to the US, fees included in the price listed on their website. www.theawarenetwork.com.au/

“The success of this year’s Project Earth Day eco-runway show which took place in April in NYC was a brilliant indication that green fashion is no longer just a fad. The energy-packed show featured today’s hottest eco-lines as well as a student competition which challenged the brightest designers of tomorrow to whip up their own sustainable garments. All of the designs were brilliant, but in the end, FIT student Stacy Longo’s mod, hand-woven outfit prevailed, winning her the grand prize. We were lucky enough to catch up with Stacy to pick her brain about the inspiration for her design and what eco-fashion means to her.

We met Stacy at the Wholefoods near FIT right after her classes ended for the day and were pleasantly surprised to see a troop of mannequins in the window wearing fashions crafted from Lauren Bush’s FEED bags, which benefit the UN World Food Program. FIT students were asked to come up with ensembles using fabric from the FEED bags. Upon further inspection, one of the designs had a basketweave style that we found very familiar. It was Stacy’s! This fun urban-camper look won her a coveted spot in the window.

After a quick walk to a nearby Starbucks (yes, even we treehuggers need some commercial coffee once in awhile), we got down to business and asked Stacy what inspired her award-winning garment. “Being in the studio all day, I saw that there were so many scraps of fabric being left there and wasted. I wanted to make something out of them.” Looking at the finely-tailored look of the garment, you would never think it was made of a bunch of scraps that would’ve otherwise been swept off the floor and thrown away! “When we first showed our designs to my professor, he looked at mine and laughed. He just didn’t think I could pull it together.” But he wasn’t laughing after Stacy won. “He admitted then that it looked good.”

We wondered if other students in Stacy’s program had sustainability on the brain as well. After all, one of the best ways to see whether or not a movement is gaining momentum is to look to the industry’s future. Sadly and surprisingly, Stacy’s expression when we asked her whether her peers were just as enthusiastic about using eco-materials was a very telling “ummmmm…” face. She went on to explain that the cost of using sustainable fabrics discouraged the vast majority of her classmates from pursuing a green focus to their designs. So to any sustainable materials manufacturers or distributors reading this, perhaps a good investment to guarantee future clients is donating some of your wares to poor fashion students who have a good chance of being rich and famous in a few years? And for any fashion students reading this, you can always do what Stacy did and get your materials for free – it could win you an award!

So what’s in store for Stacy now? Aside from continuing her education (it’s her last year before graduating so if you’re a fashion house looking for an extremely talented designer, now’s your chance to scoop her up before anyone else does), she is participating is the Address Psoriasis Fashion Show hosted by Tim Gunn of Project Runway to raise awareness of psoriasis and recognize people with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who try not to allow the condition to inhibit their personal style. We congratulate Stacy again and will definitely be following her progress.”

As will we here at Greenloop.  Thank you Inhabitat for keeping our readers In The Loop.

Well, there’s finally another way. Reusable dry cleaning bags from  Jendarling (pronounced jen-dahling) and Green Garmento are starting to pop up both in the news and on the street. Jendarling makes uber fabulous organic cotton twill and hemp luxury garment bags for fashionistas or environmentalists who wouldn’t be caught dead carrying big plastic bags around in public. The Jendarling Lux Line goes for over $100, the Lux Lite is closer to $35.

On the opposite end of the financial Richter scale is Green Garmento for just $9.95. It’s a recyclable laundry bag that serves as garment bag, duffel bag, and dry cleaning bag all-in-one. According to Jenny Nigrosh from Green Garmento, the entertainment industry in Hollywood alone could save 100,000 pounds of plastic a year by scrapping single use plastic dry cleaning bags. Check it out…

1 Green Your Gear

Eco surf supply superstars Wave Tribe out of SoCal produce surf bags, leashes, and surfboard “socks” out of hemp and recycled PET, as well as organic cotton tees. Sick sustainable surfboards are made by visionary companies like Imagine Eco and Eden Project. Imagine using linseed oil instead of petroleum to make a surfboard. Aw yeh. Then there’s sustainably-made wetsuits from recycled plastic by Billabong. The biodegradable corn fiber suits by Body Glove use non-toxic inks, reclaimed zippers, and even post-consumer recycled hang tags.

You can get to and from the beach in the ultimate FSC-certified rubber flip flops from the fine folks at Autonomie Project, or try the recycled tire flip flops from Splaff. Da Kine has the Project Blue backpack which they donate $2 of each sale to the Surfrider Foundation to fund coastline protection initiatives worldwide. Not only that, it’s made from recycled plastic bottles, diverting plastic from the waste stream, which shockingly often heads right to the ocean.

Last but not least, make sure you have some eco board shorts made of recycled PET, a pretty decent selection of which can be found at Swell.com and Dogfunk.com. And then there’s always another way of looking at recycled board shorts…

2 Share And Share Alike

Volcom actually wants you to make use of your old surf threads with their “Recycle Your Old Boardshorts For a Good Cause” campaign. Just drop your old trunks in the labeled bin at any Volcom shop and they’ll pass them on to a less financially flush surfer. Put’s a positive new twist on “drop your shorts,” doesn’t it?

Another ecologically smart way to approach your surfing will also save you mad cash. Try starting a surfboard collection with your friends. Does everybody need their own longboard, paddleboard, jet ski or kite if you’re hardly ever using that gear? No. Make sure to hold your favorite board tight, but consider going in on all the other equipment with your closest friends. Like I said, your closest friends.

3 Don’t Kill Everything Else To Save Your Own Skin

Many chemical UV filters found in today’s sunscreen can cause coral bleaching and genetic mutations in marine life, like ovarian tissue in male fish testes. Ewwww. If we think that’s digusting, how do you think our friends in the sea feel about all this? They’re pissed really upset. Who knows, maybe the reason why the US has the highest rate of shark attacks worldwide is because we’re the ones dumping all this crap into the oceans. Well, as we can see, I’m no scientist, but I can tell you to stay away from these ingredients in your sunscreen: octinoxate, oxybenzone, parabens, and DEA (diethanolamine). What’s the healthy alternative? Zinc Oxide. Sunscreen brands that use Zinc Oxide and don’t include the other BS are: Badger SPF 30, Soleo Organics, and California Baby SPF 30 (don’t worry- it’s for big kids too.)

And one last thing, try eating less fish. Humans have overfished to the point that we’ve actually eaten 90% of the big fish in the ocean. Yes, 90. Scallops, mussels, veggie burgers-give ‘em a try!

If you go through the effort to align your love of the ocean with more sustainable habits, it’s going to feel a whole lot different next time you’re carving alongside a huge pod of dolphins playing in the ocean…I can’t explain the feeling exactly, just try it. You’ll see what I mean.

As droves of designers become hip to their significant impact on the environment, they are on the lookout for vintage, surplus, and reclaimed fabrics. One of the most polished couturiers using vintage fabrics today is LA-based Deborah Lindquist. She is able to recycle cashmere sweaters into runway-ready creations, fit with iconic handcut appliqúes, original antique beadwork, and bohemian chic for days. Deborah’s Fall ‘09 collection is dubbed Goth Girl Goes To The Country, and she weaves everything from vintage kimonos to scarves to wool skirts into stunning wedding gowns, corsets, and prêt-è-porter separates.

Aside from Deborah Lindquist, there’s a handful of vintage vixens throughout LA, but most of them are owners of infamous vintage shops like Wasteland and Resurrection. Alas though, when it comes to vintage shopping, barring the celebrity clientele thrifting on Melrose and Hollywood Boulevard, LA simply can’t compare to her northerly neighbor of Portland, Oregon. There are more thrift shops per capita here than any other place in the US. And the woman you need to show you the best spots in town? Lulu.

Lulu, aka Anne Weiland, keeps thrifty shoppers in the loop with her comprehensive guide ShopVintagePortland.com. She recently explained to Eva Wiseman of The Guardian UK, “Vintage fashion is huge in Portland,” Lulu says, “because there are so many creative people who move here for the music and arts scene, lots of artists, and designers and fanzine makers, lots of people who have transplanted from New York to find a more mellow pace of life. Plus the eco thing is so important here. People want to reduce, reuse and recycle, and by buying vintage they are doing their part for the environment.”

Can I get a “hallelujah, finally”?!