Eco Fashion Friday Feature This One Is For the Dudes!

There have already been ten featured artists in our continuing Eco-Fashion Friday series but only a couple of those designers were guy approved and some of my male readers may have begun to wonder if good planetary fashion sense was relegated solely to the ladies. Not at all! So in an effort to share some of the funky and cool designers I have discovered for the Earth conscious boys out there, I am going to pull an entire outfit together, literally from head to toe, and you can let me know what you think. My Leaf Rating at the end is going to be my own interpretation of the collective awesomeness of this outfit and I am also assigning a 'brief review' Leaf Rating to each piece and the designer who constructed it. OK let’s get our guy style on!

Of course the first thing every hip dude needs is a really great hat for those days where he wants to be noticed. This one by U.S. based company Miller Hats, in a classic black and white houndstooth pattern, can easily dress up or down. Since it is made from 100% wool it is good for the planet as well. An easy Three and a Half Leaf rating!


Heading out does not always mean a T-shirt, this button up hemp and cotton blend long sleeve shirt from Emmett Brown is a clear Four Leaf effort from brand Planet Earth! They focus on outerwear and accessories, not to mention the planet.

Off to a meeting and need to spiff up? How about wearing this Three Leaf rated necktie from Me and Matilda? It is cotton and washable and they ship everywhere! Don’t like the pattern? They have eight pages of awesomeness in their shop, sure to please everyone; even bowties!

(Don’t forget after the meeting is over to strip the tie and unbutton the shirt to reveal your killer Blend Apparel graphic Tee!)

No guy’s outfit would be complete without a nice pair of sturdy pants. How about a twist on the standard blue jean and go with these Duck Pants from Patagonia. Made from organic cotton by a company who states “we seek to build the best product and cause no unnecessary harm” I’d say these are worth at least a Three and a Half Leaf rating!

Um, can someone say Five Leaf Rating? Hemp and organic cotton upper, recycled tires for the sole, recycled plastic laces, certified Vegan, post consumer recycled paper forms, water based glue, even the box is made from post consumer recycled content and soy based inks. Oh and they are cheaper than that brand they will remind you of. And of course they’re hot. Visit Simple to check out all their shoes (women’s too!).

Though flip flops or sandals are comfortable those shoes need a nice comfy pair of socks. How about this offering from HT Naturals in 100% bamboo fiber? They come in natural (shown) or black. This company is killer in their eco-mission and even aiming for carbon neutrality on shipping. A Four and a Half Leaf Rating is in order!

While perusing the sock collection from HT Naturals why not check out some boxers made partially from soy and organic cotton?

Does it get cooler than recycled inner tubes? Only when it is turned into a funky belt and this belt is a fun addition to the already hip outfit above.

Want to see how it looks all together (minus the accessories)? Yes I had a little time on my hands so I compiled this in Photoshop. Not too bad huh?

Overall the average Leaf Rating on this outfit is hovering somewhere around a Four Leaf Rating with some higher and some lower of course but all of these companies are striving to make a difference in the world of men’s fashion by their materials, shipping methods, price, environmental practices, fabric selections and a whole slew of additional ways.

Now admit it ladies, wouldn’t you notice this guy walking down the street? And once you found out he was sporting such planet friendly gear wouldn’t you find him that much more awesome? Get Green guys! ♥love♥

Eco Fashion Friday: Follow-up With Jon Marro of Blend Apparel

As promised yesterday here is the interview with Jon Marro from Blend Apparel.

I've had the distinct honor of interviewing Jon a couple of times in the past and I keep reaching out because he's such a positive force in the eco-fashion world. Not to mention the man is just an all around open and honest business owner who truly cares about what he does and how he shares his passions with the world. 

Please take a minute to say hello or give him a virtual high-five at the end of the post!


It's been a while since we last spoke, how have things changed for Blend Apparel in the last year? 

Things are truly amazing. Orders are more consistent; we have a few new designs and discontinued a few others. We also have a super big-hearted and phenomenally devoted intern named Julz. So she's been really freeing me up with answering emails, doing product research, and shipping out orders and the corresponding love notes we send. This of course has allowed me to stay creative, and focus more on the visionary aspects of the company-which I am so grateful for. Basically, we've grown and broadened our "communi-tee" -some of whom you can see on our website gallery. 

How has the economic crunch in California impacted you personally or professionally or both? 
Honestly we haven't noticed a difference at all. Things around here have been steady. Sure we have our good weeks and our not as good weeks, but overall-we can proudly say we're still doing really well. I feel at times like this people actually want to be a part of something transformative. Something that questions the ways things haven't been working so efficiently (whether it's the financial or political systems, expressing love, generosity, self-worth, or any other issue Blend tries to have its wearers and viewers consider). 

As an artist and human-I'm always looking at the whys of the way things are, and I try to offer up questions for different, more "heart-minded" views on life. Really it’s the famines, the wars, the recessions that really call me into action. I can see they are all results of some kind of fear or perceived scarcity. I'm acutely aware that there's no less money in the world right now. The money didn't go anywhere. It's all still out there-people are just holding more tightly on to it. Thus, it's not flowing. 

So yes. The economic crunch has totally affected me as someone who's sensitive to global issues. But this is the stuff that really fans my creative fire and gives birth to new ideas and images. Also, I feel it really gives us all an opportunity to shift our resource reliance on community versus bank or institution. 

Carpool, share groceries, clothes swap. Instead of "mine. mine. mine." It can become "ours." I truly feel the only way out of a lot of the knots we've collectively got ourselves into is by getting past our individual (and limiting) beliefs and [come] together in a unified stand for what best serves the whole.

Are you finding an increased awareness in the Green movement is also leading to an increase in understanding what Blend is all about?
Whether it’s "the green movement" or just people  starting to wake up-I'm so thrilled it's happening. People are becoming way more self-aware and privy to ways they can make a difference, and that our planet needs a difference made. I feel there's a cultural and I'd go as far as to say, global inherited belief that "I don't matter." So we have all these people running around the globe thinking they don't matter, what they say doesn't matter, and what they do doesn't matter. It's no wonder the planet is in the state it's in.

So for me personally, I think it's awesome that it's currently hip to be green. There's always been a green movement. I live in Berkeley, and I promise you it's still alive and well. I'm glad it's found some limelight through celebrities and the media.

I've also heard people say that green is just [a] trend and that it too is has been over-commodified. That now we'll have a new problem of a zillion METAL water bottles as opposed to plastic ones. And honestly, I can see their point. The green movement can become like anything else if we're not committed to creating a sustainable system for it. A system that naturally creates a future for us (and future generations) to live into, not just creating more products.

For us, we feel t-shirts and living more sustainably never go out of style. Our shirts are designed to really just teach ways of BEING. BEING more loving. BEING more generous. BEING more aware. So while I am all for the green movement, our commitment is to who we're being about our lives.

It's my belief that the being gives way to the doing, and not vice versa. For example: using green materials (the doing) doesn't necessarily make you committed to the environment. BEING committed to sustainability and the planet's future will naturally transform the doing/using green resources. Again, this isn't "true" it's just the practice I feel gives me a powerful place to lead and create from.

Speaking of creating, now that more people are creating clothing from bamboo have you considered increasing the use of this fiber, or are you happy with the current, literal, Blend?
I love the feel of the material. The blend of 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton that we're currently using, we've found holds up better. Being a product oriented company, we're completely committed to giving our customers the best product we can find with the greenest possible materials. I'm always open to new ideas, but really am more concerned with the footprint we're leaving then trendiness.

What is your favorite new design & why do you love it so much?
I love the reciprocity shirt. It's SO brilliant to me. You can't tell if the hand on the left is placing the love in the palm of the hand on the right or taking from it. It's this infinite give and take. A cosmic sharing.

What has been your greatest personal or professional achievement in the last year?
Jason Mraz (part owner with myself and our other friend Jeff Goss) wore the “?eace” shirt on American Idol. There were 80 million+ viewers who watched that show and thus saw my shirt***. That's pretty amazing to think about. And to be honest to continue to have people such as yourself interested in what we're up to-lets me know we're up to pretty cool things. We've had people hand write us letters thanking us for all we do, and almost daily emails with similar sentiments. It's amazing.

***Editor's note -- At about :25 there is a sweet shot where Jason’s jacket opens on the way down the stairs & the shirt is in full view. Yippie!




How does it make you feel to see so many people send in pictures of themselves wearing one of your shirts, be it celebrity or everyday normal guy?

I love it. That’s the whole point of this crazy/foolish project. To plant as many seeds of love and awareness as possible. So that the wearers become beacons and seeds of transformation. Spreading smiles and ponderings across the land.

Honestly it's a dream come true. It's so cool-that I get to wake up everyday and walk into a world I helped create. I really am so proud of the work I do.

What is the furthest from California you have shipped a shirt?
We've had some Indonesia and South Korea [shipments] out there. Australia too. And Chile. We're on 5 continents so far. I'd love to get onto Antarctica without the help of global warming. It's not exactly t-shirt weather there so we may just have to offer some Blend parkas or mittens or something.

What kind of new stuff is on the horizon for the second half of 2009? Do you see the company growing?
New stickers. A few new tees. And it’s my goal to have a hoodie for the holiday season. I totally see the company growing and I had an insight recently, where I realized I've been waiting for Blend to "get big" or for it to be discovered some how. Within that realization I decided that I wasn't living very powerfully and am choosing to take on passionately inspiring and enrolling people in the possibility of Blend.

To invite our fans to take on spreading the word and help create the world we want to live in. I see this whole crazy experiment as my responsibility as an artist to fill the world with as many smiles as possible. So yeah, if I were to go all algorithmic on you, my calculation for 2009 would be something like this: more shirts + more smiles = more love.

Please visit Blend Apparel and help spread Jon's message of love!

The Feeling is Good Society and the Word Is Denim

Its eco-fashion Friday again, where do the weeks go?! In my quest for eco-fashion this week I inadvertently stumbled across an organization called Good Society and what I discovered about these folks really impressed me. They have a few divisions including: Pathos Water, Deconstruction Reconstruction, Fannypack and the division I will be reviewing today -- Sling and Stones which is all about denim for both men and women.


What sets the company Sling & Stones apart in the world of denim is their use of American grown, handpicked organic cotton to make their Supima denim, as it is a rare but natural fiber. In addition to the organic fiber, the indigo dyes are all natural and ozone friendly washes are utilized to finish each piece. The fiber is hand loomed at a small Japanese mill and the jeans are then constructed back in Seattle. Oh and did I mention that the rivets are created from 24K gold?

This should lead into the cost quite nicely (and it is the only draw back I could find because the company supports charities worldwide), each pair will set you back $260 - $350. The price is steep but if you are a lover of soft, easy to break in, last forever, high end denim, then the price will be well worth it knowing the environmental benefit each pair possesses.

With their efforts to employ workers in Peru, donate to such charities as suicide prevention in Japan and their use of organic and Fair Trade materials, Sling & Stones is on the cutting edge of eco-fashion awesomeness. I am granting the company a Three Leaf Rating simply due to the price point which would be out of reach to so many.

I will be keeping my eye on both Sling & Stones as well as Good Society as trail blazers in the eco-fashion world. Keep up the great work! ♥love♥

Eco Fashion Friday Featured Designer Jon Marro of Blend Apparel

Finally something for all the guys out there as well as the gals! The last couple Eco-fashion Fridays were definitely for the environmental gals but this week I am giving a major shout to Blend Apparel. This company is founded on one thing -- love. Love for each other, the planet, comfort and originality. How much more awesome does it get than that?

Jon Marro, Founder, Owner and all around Blend Apparel Guru, creates T-shirts from organic cotton and bamboo fibers using environmentally friendly inks/dyes and printing methods. Did I mention the company’s servers are also run using wind power? Did I also mention I have had the pleasure of interviewing Jon before? He shares a passion for art and how “iconography” can bring the world together. And it is all done with enormous love.


The average cost online for a plain old bamboo fiber or organic cotton T-shirt falls in the range of about $20, so considering there is a conceptual graphic design, applied using an eco-friendly processes on each shirt, the average price point of about $25 is well within reasonable. Never mind the fact I have spent more than that on a shirt from a concert which lasted half as long and was less than half as comfortable.

In all honesty I have read through their entire website (a few times actually, go ahead, call me a groupie) and attempted to find something wrong but Jon has such a big heart for the Earth it spills out all over his designs and I have no choice but to grant the company the very honorable Five Leaf Rating!

Keep up the amazing work Jon and we will keep spreading the word.
♥love♥