Green Expert: Green Workout Wear That Goes the Distance
Get organized in all aspects of your life – starting with your workout! EcoStiletto.com offers great new advice to get organized for going green – in fashion! So next time you look in your closet, or think you need new workout gear, check out these great suggestions from the Buttoned Up Green Expert.
Green Workout Wear That Goes the Distance
By Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff of EcoStiletto.com
Yes, we work out to feel good. For some of us, it’s the bells and whistles of the gym. For others, it’s accessing the exuberance of dance. Swimmers meditate through movement; runners through the heart-racing rush of the sprint. And, of course, there’s always the deep calm of muscle melting yoga to get you to an all-day high.
But we also work out to look good and—let’s be honest—we want to look good while we’re doing it. Because there’s nothing worse than showing up for class in your grubby old leggings and realizing your regular instructor has been replaced with the sub who’s a dead ringer for Colin Farrell.
These clothes and accessories are all crafted from eco-friendly fabrics—some embracing fair trade, upcycling or other sustainable initiatives—with designs that perform as good as they look. Because the last thing you want is your gear distracting you from your practice.
Getting all hot and bothered by the sight of said yoga teacher in a side arm balance? That’s the kind of distraction we live for, plus $2,000+ in workout-ready giveaways!
EARTH CREATIONS
Here’s something you don’t learn every day: Though it tastes great on your pasta, the immense quantities of salt used in the commercial fabric-dyeing process can cause irreversible harm to our ecosystems. That’s why Earth Creations’ clay-dyeing process is so cool: All components used in the process are natural and biodegradable, and meet the strict guidelines of the Organic Trade Association Fiber standards. Roll up or fold down the waistband of their Dharma Pants and you can practice anywhere like, say, a deserted meadow surrounded with vibrant leaves and just a cameraman for company.
OMNITOM
Europe may be best known for couture, but with omnitom—available exclusively from online etailer Luxual.ca—we can add yoga wear to the mix. Ultra feminine—think delicate flower-printed tunics and tanks inspired by Chinese cheongsam dresses—the line is also super practical, fabricated from organic cotton with an inner support bra built into every top and an armpit shape designed for maximum freedom of movement. Che bella.
KIGO
Beloved by “barefoot” runners and water sports enthusiasts who need their feet wet but still protected, kigos weigh less than five ounces and feature a flexible midsole, which allows the shoes to fold closed—a bonus for travelers. Featuring a high-density, non-slip grooved outsole made from recycled plastic and a recycled-nylon lining, and they’re packaged in biodegradable and compostable materials. Rope swing not included.
SAMTOSA
There’s nothing worse than working out in a sucky sports bra. Too loose and you—forgive our crassness—flop all over the place; too tight and you bind up shoulder muscles you didn’t even know you had. But Samtosa’s Sports Bra is just plain perfect. Crafted in organic cotton, veggie-dyed in solid colors or our favorite tie-dye, with a sexy little ballerina-esque gather in the front, the construction is solid enough to keep you in place, and cute enough to show off even after shavasana.
HORNY TOAD
Walk much? Serious trekkers look for the perfect pants: Not so short that they ride up and chafe; not so long that they flap around your ankles. With a perfect, calf-skinning length and wide, smooth waistband, Horny Toad’s Trudy Cropped Pants—made from high-performance, low-environmental-impact Tencel—might just be the answer.
OCEAN MINDED
Since 1996, Ocean Minded has been organizing community beach clean-ups around the world—in 2009, they hosted 47 beach clean ups, collecting more than 20,000 pounds of trash. OM’s odor-resistant Meilani sandals—made from recycled plastic bottles, with water-based glue—are perfect for a walk on the beach or your stinky hot yoga class.
HYDE
Hyde is the brainchild of Anne-Kerr Kennedy, a runner-turned-yogi who quit her corporate job to pursue a career in design. Her genius shows both in the clothes—au courant colors, organic cotton, no annoying seams or tags, and styles cute enough to wear off the mat—and the marketing, as evidenced by the photo above, which takes the practice of yoga to new heights.
NAU
Early morning running is a funny thing. For the first fifteen minutes, everything from your ears to your fingertips is freezing, but once you warm up, all you want to do is strip down. That’s where the Lightbeam jacket comes in. Designed by legendary eco-clothier Nau—each and every piece of clothing they make is recyclable—the Lightbeam is a windshell with purpose. Crafted from water resistant, breathable, quick-dry recycled post-industrial polyester with a stashable hood and elastic cuffs long enough to tuck frigid fingers inside, the Lightbeam keeps out the cold when you need it, but is light enough to wrap around your waist when you don’t.
WEEK OF 11.8 ONE FREE ECOSTILETTO NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBER WILL WIN A $175 NAU LIGHTBEAM JACKET!
ECOSTASY
It’s hard to work out with hair in your eyes—it’s also hard to look cute with a ratty old headband wrapped around your bangs. That’s where Ecostasy headbands come in. Fair trade made in a Brazilian Amazon nature preserve by the indigenous Kaxinawá tribe, they’re made from naturally dyed cotton, hand woven with patterns that symbolize qualities such as courage, power and wisdom. Excellent qualities to draw on when you’re standing on your head.
WEEK OF 12.6 FOUR FREE ECOSTILETTO NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS WILL EACH WIN A $25 ECOSTASY HEADBAND!
REVENGE IS
No comment? Use your body as a billboard with a shirt from Revenge Is. Crafted from recycled plastic bottles and organic cotton, Revenge Is creates a full line of shirts that put your money where your mouth is. With alliances like the Help Haiti t-shirt—it donates 50% of each sale to the William J. Clinton Foundation Haiti Fund—there’s something for everyone. But our favorite is universal: Revenge Is Peace. Now that’s a message we can get behind.
I/O BIO MERINO
Think wool, and typically you’re thinking of sweaters and bundling up to stay warm. But the never-chemically-treated, renewable, biodegradable, recyclable wool I/O Bio Merino Contact Rib Tank does exactly the opposite—it’s super soft and lightweight, with flat seams and a next-to-skin ribbed fit, and it’s strangely temperature regulating: Cool when it’s hot outside, and warm when it’s cold. Miraculous.
BE PRESENT
Think hemp’s rough and tumble? Think again. Be Present’s new Hemp line is ridiculously soft, sheer and sexy. The peek-a-boo Cross Back Tee is the perfect cover up for yoga—flip it around and you can even wear it to the beach. Plus, hemp is a naturally insect-resistant, anti-microbial crop that requires no herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizers to produce. If the 1.4 billion cotton t-shirts sold in American each year were replaced with hemp tees, the energy savings would equal 3.5 billion gigajoules and the water savings would equal 1.3 trillion gallons—enough water for half the U.S. population for an entire year. That’s a lottawatta.
RESTORE CLOTHING
Pilates junkies will appreciate the muffin-top minimizing contoured waist of Restore Clothing’s best-selling Active pants, made with fabric sourced from recycled coconut shells that clings in all the right places—and none of the wrong. Restore takes their commitment to sustainability seriously: Their clothing is all made from recycled materials, packaging is compostable and they donate to 1% For The Planet.
CURAWEAR
Does Canada have the edge on eco-fashion? Designers are popping up everywhere from Vancouver to Toronto, but Cura is the first made-in-Canada, sustainable workout wear we’ve seen. We’re huge fans of the waist-worshipping gathered-side organic cotton top pictured here, which is available exclusively at Luxual, an online boutique—“where luxe meets casual”—that sells everything from work-worthy cardies to cute yoga gear like Cura.
PKD SPA
We love soymilk in our lattes, but on our bodies? Indeed. Designer Patricia King-Davies’ PKD Spa line captures protein from the discarded non-GMO soy “cakes” left once the oil is extracted from soybeans, then spins it into fiber for yarns without any toxic chemicals or bleach. The resulting fabric is so soft and supple, it begs for shavasana.
