EMILY VS BEAR, an eco-conscious fashion brand that came into its own during the 2016 election season, makes ethically-produced luxury pieces.

Damn fast-fashion

Emily Bell, EMILY VS BEAR founder, knows all too well that the worldwide clothing industry is wasteful.

“As an American female millennial, I realize that I am probably one of the worst contributors to this issue,” Bell says.

After all, marketing campaigns tell women to consume as much trendy fashion as possible.

Building a brand to take down the man

Bell came up with the name of her company after a real-life encounter she had with a bear at her home in western Massachusetts. Her friend suggested the name and she knew that the phrase “was the one”. Bell also enjoys how the company’s name has become a metaphor for the brand and its fight against corporate malice.

Bell creates her clothing by following a simple formula: She takes issues she’s passionate about, such as environmental and agricultural issues, and creates inspired fashions.

“[Everything] is linked on a global scale [and] I want to inspire young people to care and get involved with [finding] solutions,” she adds.

It’s in the material

Bell tries to make all her garments from sustainable, natural, textile material. Currently, the brand prints on American-made organic cotton. EMILY VS BEAR only uses suppliers that follow ethical practices, too.

Bell believes that most everyone would choose to buy ethnically-made items if they considered the larger issues at hand. “I mean, who is going to say that they actually want something that was made by someone whose livelihood is worse because we can’t get enough of their cheap goods,” she says. “It’s a terrible cycle that needs to change.”

Bell thinks that more businesses need to play a role in creating a better future for everyone on the planet. She believes that large corporations have a responsibility to ensure they take care of people and the planet. “The system we’ve created cares only about the bottom line. That simply can’t be the case moving forward.”

She also thinks that sustainably-minded people need to help change the world’s systems by changing what they value. For example, corporations could put profit back into the system. That monetary aid would help solve life-threatening global issues.

Bell adds that while she supports American-made goods because they benefit the country’s economy, all American-made products aren’t ethical. “Part of the problem is that there isn’t really any way to tell without doing extensive research,” she says.

Moving forward

This autumn, she’ll add new items, such as sweatshirts. Bell also plans on adding new designs that depict the issues present in the palm oil and meat industries.

“There isn’t a particular process I go through while selecting each [design],” Bell explains, “they just come to me.”

Related on EcoSalon
Anita Arzé: Bolivian-Inspired Ethical Fashion with a Nod to Luxury and Modern Sophistication
Chan + Krys: Ethical Fashion Essentials for Dapper Dames
Sweet, Sustainable Looks From an Ethical Fashion Week in Brooklyn

images via Emily Bell

The post EMILY VS BEAR Aims to Lead the Eco-Fabulous Fashion Revolution appeared first on EcoSalon.

Keeping those New Year’s resolutions can be made easier by incorporating stylish reminders into your wardrobe.

Here we are, a few days into the new year and hopefully still on track with our resolutions. Whatever your resolution may be — eating more veggies, practicing more gratitude, helping rebuild disaster areas, giving up bottled water or supporting sustainable seafood —  you can probably find an item of clothing that will help serve as a reminder.

Eat Your Veggies Mushroom U-line Tank
Resolution: I will eat more veggies. Besides being one of my favorite veggies, mushrooms provide a wealth of protein, fiber and vitamin C, and have also been shown to boost heart health, lower risk of cancer; promote immune function; ward off viruses and help balance blood sugar levels. Designed and made in the USA, this tank top is made from 100% Siro Micro Modal (derived from sustainable beechwood) and printed with water based inks.
On sale for $20, Revenge Is

Practice Gratitude Bamboo Wear with Organic Cotton
Resolution: I will practice gratitude. This soft tee is made in a Fair Trade facility that guarantees a fair wage and safe working conditions, from a silky blend of 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton. As a bonus karmic reward, a tree will also be planted for every tee you buy. Now there’s something to be grateful for.
$34, Tees For Change

United by Blue 167 Tee
Resolution: I will give up bottled water. 167 is the average number of water bottles disposed of in the ocean per person. If we all pledge to give up bottled water in favor of reusable bottles, we’d do a lot to help prevent the oceans from being clogged with plastic debris. When you buy this 100% Organic cotton tee, United by Blue does their part by helping remove one pound of trash from our waterways.
On sale for $26, Mission Savvy

PACT for Japan Light Boy Short
Resolution: I will help those less fortunate. PACT and Architecture for Humanity have teamed up to create this collection of organic undies, which supports the design and construction of a work-house for a cooperative of 15 fishermen in Shizugawa, a town where 70% of the structures were destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami in March. The cute pattern featuring Japanese lanterns is one of three designed by Yves Behar especially for the collection.
$22, PACT

United by Blue Sustainable Seafood Tee
Resolution: I will only consume seafood that is sustainable. When you purchase this 100% Organic cotton T-shirt, you help United by Blue remove a pound of trash from oceans and waterways around the world. When you check out, you can even choose — from one of three cleanup sites — where you want this pound of trash to be removed from. We should all aim to make sure that all the seafood we consume comes from a sustainable source. Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch guide is a great resource that will help you move toward that goal.
$34, United by Blue

peaceBOMB Resolution Wrap
Resolution: I will work toward a more peaceful world. This wrap bracelet is made from vintage silk string from France and a hand cast tag and comes wrapped around a resolution card for you to write down your goal. For each bracelet sold, Project peaceBOMB is able to clear one meter of bomb littered land in areas of Laos previously ravaged by war. Wear it around your wrist as a constant reminder of your resolution (and our collective desire for a more peaceful world).
$16, Project peaceBOMB

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Favorite t-shirts from designers around the world.

T-shirts. They tell the world what we think, offer up artistic canvases, and make people laugh when they pass us by.

We have drawers full of them, our favorites worn beyond repair, each one imbued with a story that makes us love them even more. Because at some point you’re going to need another, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite graphic tees to replenish stock. Small, indie brands and well known sustainable designers are all here, with the common thread being they’re organic and graphically pleasing.

We know you’ll like.

FluffyCo’s premium apparel line unites organic cotton and eco heather blends printed with FluffyCo’s signature graphic prints. Printed in small batches in the Bay Area, some using water–based inks. All styles have a fabulous soft, luxe feel and hand–printed hangtags. Yes, these are alligators.

FIN is a Norwegian high fashion label producing designer womenswear in a sustainable manner. When we caught site of this fairy tale-based organic tee we were more than smitten.

L.A. based Stewart +Brown have a few great t-shirts like this Tipi Tee. Designers/founders Karen Stewart and Howard Brown are “inspired by their love and respect for nature and a passion for design.” Hard to pull off great collections and infuse them with a few great tees but we can always count on them for it.

Meow. This digitally printed t-shirt from Wiloh combines not just the pairing of cats and space, but bamboo and organic cotton in a deep scoop neck.
Designed by London based fashion and lifestyle blogger Mademoiselle Robot. Wiloh was launched in July of 2010 as a way to promote environmental and social awareness through sustainable street wear and has teamed up with Kids In Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.), a charitable organization that reaches out to help children affected by natural disasters and poverty, to form a “Tee For Tee” initiative. Every t-shirt sale is matched with the donation of a specially-designed t-shirt to a child in need.

Famed for her high-impact slogan tees, Katherine Hamnett is best known for her political t-shirts and her ethical business philosophy. Having a Hamnett tee is like having a piece of history in your wardrobe.

The Orphan’s Arms is an English label “That harks back to a time of gin, palaces, poor houses and executions. King George IV is on the throne and Paris Hilton upon the public tongue.” Though not a 100% sustainable line, they have a fun selection of hand printed organic t-shirts to peruse.

Loomstate celebrates 41st Earth Day with a limited edition run of super soft graphic tees that includes this one. Launched in New York City in 2004 by designer Rogan Gregory and Scott Mackinlay Hahn, Loomstate was founded as a casual brand dedicated to creating demand for certified organic cotton using socially and environmentally responsible methods of production. They do an amazing job.

Boa is an Istanbul-based eco fashion label that stands out from their pack thanks to their commitment to organic cotton, and their whimsical hand-drawn illustrations.

Look For Fiddleheads is a Chicago based line that inspired by the art and writings found in very old books and bound newspapers from 1832-1845, that belonged to designer/illustrator Lee Tracy’s grandmother. We love all the witty designs that are as artistic as they are thought-filled.

Mociun says on their site that they “Explore and integrate the ever-emerging technologies and critical conceptions of sustainability; environmentally healthy production; and, as a type of de facto jouissance, the role of, and the products available to, the individual consumer in society at large.”

We appreciate their gift of supplying us with interesting product.

Blondes Make Better T-Shirts is one of the funniest lines I’ve seen in branding, admittedly at the expense of us brunettes and redheads. This one reads: “Help Global Warming. Donate a Swimming Noodle to a Polar Bear.”

The post The Best Graphic, Organic T-Shirts appeared first on EcoSalon.

Under the Roller Derby t-shirt, beside the over sized psychedelic pigs tee and just south of the creepy shirt with the drawing of a girl everyone thinks is a PCP enhanced, melting Michael Jackson – I see it, the one I want to mail to Hello Rewind. It’s the somewhat faded out (but still cool) t-shirt especially made for me that reads: I Heart Designers.

This is the one I will send to the company to make me a new iPad cover that will tell the world every time I pull it out that I don’t screw around. I mean, I really love designers.

What the hell am I talking about? Who is Hello Rewind?

Well, I just came across them recently and am pretty impressed by the fact that the company will not only take your old t-shirt and make it into a netbook, iPad or laptop sleeve, but they are also helping former U.S. based sex slaves by providing them with employment, language skills, and vocational training. In fact, by the simple act of purchasing a Hello Rewind laptop sleeve, you’re giving trafficking survivors financial opportunities and the option to give their former employers the finger.

How does this all work?

The post Taking the Shirt Off Your Back to Stop Sex Trafficking appeared first on EcoSalon.

I think I’m going to move to Norway.

Not since I backpacked Europe alone and met lots of handsome towheaded Norwegians who insisted on braiding my hair have I felt this desire.

I blame all this on Blondes Make Better T-Shirts, to their easy going sense of humor in the face of some pretty terrible global issues like clean water and global warming and making light of it on a simple t-shirt (not to mention I’d just love a trip to Norway).

The line is actually co-designed by two women, one based in Norway, the other in New York (both blondes of course) who cut their t-shirts from a fabric made of 50 percent recycled bottles mixed with organic cotton and a Promodal made from 40 percent Beech Tree, 60 percent Eucalyptus.

To add to their sustainable messages and fabric, the gals are proud to use water based inks on their t-shirts, which are silk screened in L.A. and 100 percent sweat-shop free.

You might be asking yourself at this point, “Um Amy, where are all these environmentally friendly and funny t-shirts you write of? The one you’re showing is cute but has lipstick on the collar?”

Well, dear readers who love these giveaways, if you go over to Olivine, one of the cutest boutiques you’ll find online, you’ll see a whole array of t-shirts from the blondes with messages that include “Help Global Warming. Donate a Swimming Noodle to a Polar Bear,” “Save the Blondes. Too Many Animals Are Dying Out,” and “Save the fjords, give the blondes a place to hang out.”

The above tee is from their “Oops” Collection and features a pair of non-toxic red-lipsticked kissers that by mistake went unnoticed as the wearer pulled on her tee.

Interested in trying to win it? Then leave a creative comment below with a slogan you would put on one of their t-shirts. Here’s mine: “Two blondes walk into a bar. Save the blondes.”

For more blonde fun, watch their video:

(Legalese: contest rules and FTC compliance.)

The post Blondes Make Better T-Shirts Giveaway appeared first on EcoSalon.

Often when you see images of the earth, recycle signs and other eco-slogans on t-shirts, you just assume the t-shirt itself is made from sustainable materials, right?

Rarely.

In fact, next time you’re out, take a look at the tag and you’ll see that most are made from conventional cottons and toxic dyes. It makes me wonder who should be held more accountable, the manufacturer pushing the blatant greenwashing or the consumer who fails to be conscious?

To prove the point that most t-shirts aren’t eco at all, I did two basic searches: “Save The Earth T-shirts,” and “Recycle T-shirts.”

While lots of sites came up, not one on the first page was even close to organic.

Is saving the earth or recycling so trendy that green propaganda has immeasurable power to persuade even the best-intentioned tree hugger? Is our confederacy of dunces really so strong?

Katherine Hamnett, one of the UK’s leading designers, is well known for her own t-shirt propaganda in 1984 when she wore a t-shirt opposing the purchase of US Pershing missiles at a reception attended by Margaret Thatcher. She writes in an Ecologist article that the farming of conventional cotton is: “A modern-day nightmare: 400 million cotton farmers in the developing world are living in conditions of abject poverty due to the high costs and negative health impacts of pesticides used on cotton; up to 100,000 people (Pesticide Action Network) are dying every year of accidental pesticide poisoning; up to 1 million a year are suffering from acute long-term poisonings; 200,000 farmers commit suicide per year. Conventional cotton farming also causes long-term contamination of aquifers, rivers, the seas and air and desertification.”

With all this in mind, is simply wearing a cotton t-shirt promoting saving the earth acceptable? Not even close.

Image via G Living

The post Green Propaganda and Our Confederacy of Dunces appeared first on EcoSalon.

Raquel Allegra’s top secret distressing technique that she uses with her L.A. County Jail duds, turns thin t-shirts into sheer dresses, flowing tunic tops and amazing accent scarves. These pieces bring just enough rock to the look so that we all have access.

I also recommend having a peek at a few other sale items on her site including this great shirt.

A longtime fan of Allegra, I’m always on the lookout for sales involving her name. I stumbled across this one at Worthwhile recently.

This Three Rivers Dress is pretty cool the way the model wears it, but imagine a black or white silk slip underneath? Yum.

Street cred? Forget about it in this. Paparazzi will be following you like your a celebrity because you look so together. Just remember to bring along your shades.

The post Raquel Allegra’s Three Rivers Distressed Dress appeared first on EcoSalon.

If you’re anything like Andy Bowness of Hide Your Arms, a blog about hoodies and t-shirts (why the heck not have a blog about them, right?) then you’ve got a lot to think about.

Especially with over 200 t-shirts in his cache.

For most of us, a large part of our wardrobes are based on the two staples and it’s pretty common for our drawers to be full of t-shirts that we don’t necessarily care for anymore.

Bowness, on his personal arsenal of 200 t-shirts:

-¦and they don’t all fit me now, so I thought I’d hunt around and find out what they devil I could do with all those superflous tees. As it turns out, other people have this problem too, and there are loads of tutorials out there with interesting ideas for how to recycle your t-shirts into something “˜new’.”

Click over to his site and you’ll get some immediate ideas as well as tutorials on what you can do with that tee that maybe has a growing hole, coffee stain or message you no longer identify with.

Personal favorites are the blue t-shirt scarf and the “Big T-shirt To A Little Angel,” which allows us to feed off our male counterparts’ t-shirt drawers.

Now where are my scissors”¦

The post A T-Shirt’s Evolution appeared first on EcoSalon.