The Distance Project

Dressing Well.

Posted on August 1st, 2007 by Zach.
Categories: General, Sustainability, Pop-Culture.

So I have had this small secret goal to make everything I wear have some sort of environmental story - Organic fabrics, low toxicity, made locally, or by Co-Ops somewhere for a fair price, recycled materials - you know, all that hippy crap. The challenging part has been that it has to fit into what I like to wear. I am not a big Tie Dye or Birkenstock wearer, I don’t really like the traditionally “natural” look. No offense to that stuff, but it just not my scene.

Oh yeah, I also hate to shop. There is almost nothing worse than trying stuff on in a store. It sucks; nothing ever fits right, you have to spend the whole day just to find one or two things you like, in the end it is always the most expensive thing in the store that fits the best. I mean, come on I am on a start-up budget here people, I can’t be buying expensive clothing. So generally anything I can do to reduce my time in a clothing store is great.

I have been trying to work this into my clever plan by looking for things that can be worn for more than the six minutes that fashion trends seem to last these days. This concept of the “timeless classic” is probably harder than trying to find eco-fashionable wares. It rarely exists, so in the cases where I am buying on trend I have been trying to buy only one of those things and wear it into the ground. (This is known to many of us the River’s Vest Phenomenon - sorry for the inside joke)

No industry has been more successful with the concept of “planned obsolescence” than the fashion industry. Very clever of them, the clothes don’t wear out in their plan - they just go out of fashion. This is brilliant! Basically you shame people into not being cool becuase their clothing is 3 months old. Fashion is the most second grade concept in adult life.

By the way, that Juice Bag of yours is SO last season, have you seen the new Daylight Series?

This is probably more than you ever wanted to know about the little secret plans I come up with when I have to much time on my hands (and, let me tell you, have I got a million of ‘em…). Nevertheless there is some cool stuff out there right now, and my little task has been greatly reduced. Thought I would take some time to point out some of my favorites.

Levi’s Eco
Loomstate

Edun
Mission Playground

Nau

American Apparel Sustainable Edition
Patagonia
Simple Shoes
Terra Plana

Shoes are the hardest, but I just got a pair of WornAgain sneakers from Terra Plana (big up to Riv for the gift). Love these things, I have them on right now. Recylcled rubber soles. Leather from that used to be waste product. Recycled cloth innards. Designs with some funk, how can you beat it!

As I sit blogging in a coffee shop in San Francisco (could I be more of a stereotype right now?), I am feeling right at home with my shoes. At one with the shoe universe you might say. Now hopefully they will be on trend for the next 15 years.

They will right?

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Tags: Edun, Loomstate, Levis, Nau, Patagonia, Mission Playground, Simple, American Apparel, Terra Plana, clothing