When the sleeve is this beautiful, why shouldn’t you wear your heart on it?

Buying fashion for a good cause seems like a lovely idea, doesn’t it? You could say it’s like lifting two spirits with one swipe of your credit card. You buy an item and the designer donates some money to a good cause. That is until, like me, you’ve got enough charity printed tees to hold a small rally in your closet benefiting workouttopsforever.com. Or your new, not so environmentally-friendly storage unit…And don’t get me started on those tacky plastic wristbands. (Surely there are enough of those by now to fill a dedicated “What were they thinking?” landfill.)

As the industry witnesses a profound shift in the way we consume and use products, the world of fashion for charity is also experiencing a timely rethinking and redesign. More and more, environmentally friendly companies are creating some truly beautiful things that stylish people will use beyond the latest environmental disaster’s news cycle.

Check out Mat and Nat’s limited edition Ikat collection in honor of Earth Day. The bags are made from an average of 21 recycled water bottles and will be available in the U.S. exclusively on www.mattandnat.com until April 25th. The perfect accessory for your spring Boho-inspired looks, each bag purchased will generate a $21 donation to a non-profit organization that brings clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.

Jennifer Bennett, the San Francisco-based designer of the brilliant Jendarling garment bags recently created a dry-cleaning bag benefiting clean and safer beaches. The Bondi bag, named in honor of the pristine Bondi Beach in Sydney, was created in partnership with the Surfrider Foundation’s Rise Above Plastics campaign after Jen became dismayed at the amount of litter she found on the early morning beach walks she enjoys with her dog. Like all the pieces in the Jendarling line, this bag is beautifully crafted and has to be the chicest way to drop off your dry cleaning.

For those who desire a more enduring commitment to a good cause, take a look at Berlin designer Christine Mayer’s extraordinary Peace Collection that benefits a series of children’s charity projects in Nepal and India. Consisting of carefully constructed and imaginatively fitted separates and tailored jackets, the evocative line is made from recycled materials such as flour sacks from the 1850’s, antique table linens and aprons. It reminds us of the long-lasting service made possible from a hand-crafted treasure.

As those plastic wristbands unfortunately prove, doing good doesn’t always mean you’re looking good. However, when charity looks this stylish you’ll get a generous dose of both.

Jason Mraz

When I got an  email from Bahar Shahpar that she’d be styling singer Jason Mraz at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, I didn’t realize how little I knew about the singer, though I’ve heard his catchy songs many a time.

Some of you might be better-informed fans of this Grammy winner, but did you know he’s a committed sustainable activist?

Like, ridiculously so. Maybe we’re soul mates.

Here’s a quick rundown of Mr. Mraz:

1. Co-founder of Blend Apparel, a line of bamboo T-shirts.

2. He recently published his first book titled a thousand things, printed on Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper that’s 20 percent recycled and wood-free. The book also happens to be word-free: it’s a collection of Polaroids.

3. His tour bus is an 80/20 biodiesel bus.

4. Information at his concert’s merch table lets you know how you can get Jason Mraz organic merchandise, how he makes conscious choices on the road, how you can participate in greening your community or select brands that are doing something to help the environment.

5. Thanks to living in  San Diego and dealing with water pollution, he’s an active member of the Surfrider Foundation.

6. He also owns an organic avocado farm in Northern San Diego County.

Next thing you’re going to tell me, Jason, is that you were immaculately conceived from a tree. I’m on to you.

While his third album release with lead single from We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things, “Make It Mine,” won Best male Pop Vocal performance and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for “Lucky,” his duet with Colbie Caillatalso, Mraz didn’t shirk from putting importance on what he wore when he accepted.

Here is Shahpar’s rundown of his duds at the event:

EcoGir Suit by Simon Carter
·         Made from recycled polyester/wool
·         About 25 plastic bottles are used to make one suit
·         Machine washable

Organic cotton Shirt by Culturata
·         Made in Italy using no pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, fragrances or dyes

Tie by Sonic Fabric
·         Made from recycled cassette tapes

Handmade Shoes by Osborn Design
·         Handmade by local artisans in Guatemala
·         Made using local and vintage materials

How did she get the gig styling Mraz?

Shahpar says she met him at the EMAs (Environmental Media Awards) in October 2009 when he received the 2009 Missions in Music Award.
Having been a stylist since the beginning of her career in fashion over a decade ago, she’s found many opportunities to work with clients who share her passion for promoting beautiful, responsibly produced pieces.

“Clothing is such an intimate part of our lives, and dressing someone can be a telling window into who someone is,” says Shahpar, “So it is often a very personal experience – and incredibly rewarding when you’re able to help them be a better version of themselves.”

A better version, Bahar? In the case of Jason, we’re already talking sainthood!

A day at the beach shouldn’t include body surfing through plastic bags. But, equally detrimental is the harm that’s being done to wildlife when plastics photo-degrade (break down from the sun’s UV rays). In the ocean, birds and marine life often mistake these small pieces as food, and as they provide no nutrients, wildlife slowly starve to death.

The Surfrider Foundation recently announced the roll out of its long-awaited program Rise Above Plastics, which seeks to reduce the amount of plastics making their way into our beach and marine environments though education and outreach efforts.

“In certain areas of our oceans, the amount of suspended plastic particles outnumbers plankton by a ratio of six to one,” said program director Angela Howe in a press release. “Subsequently we see all this plastic making its way up the food chain, where it harms and kills birds and marine life.”

The Surfrider Foundation began the initial outreach for its Rise Above Plastics program earlier this summer as part of Jack Johnson’s All At Once tour (his songs can be heard on the Surfrider Foundation website).

“People are ready to make behavioral changes that benefit our environment,” said Johnson’s wife, Kim, who along with Jack, helped in the planning and launch of Surfrider’s program.

Log on to learn more about how plastics impact our marine and coastal environments and how to take steps to reduce your plastic footprint. Take the campaign pledge. To find a brick and mortar location and meet with like-minded souls, visit the area chapter page.

Image: guzzzt