The EcoMan:
The Gentlemen’s Green
The best of Commerce with a Conscience: Nov. 2010, Part 1
This is the fourth installment of The Gentlemen’s Green from Brad Bennett, founder of the ethical menswear daily Commerce with a Conscience. Enjoy!
| People Tree Snowflake Jacquard Cardigan: Like the Fairisle tank I featured earlier, the Snowflake Jacquard Cardigan (£125.00) from English brand People Tree is hand knit by students at the Fair Trade certified Kumbeshwar Technical School in Nepal, using humanely harvested wool that’s been treated with environmentally friendly, low-impact dyes. Along with an education in fine garment making, the KTS attendees are also provided with full medical coverage, a number of social benefits, and a fair and equitable wage, making this one sweater that’ll have you feeling warm inside and out (literally and figuratively). |
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| Tailor Store Organics: I was lucky enough to go hands-on with one of the new organic offerings from ethical Swedish custom clothier, the Tailor Store, and I’m happy to report that the shirt is great, as well as one of the best priced on the market, eco/ethical or otherwise. Shirts start at $65 - click here to read my full assessment. |
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| Reigning Champ Recycled Fleece Crewneck: The Cadillac of sweatshirts, Reigning Champ’s Recycled Fleece Crewneck is designed and manufactured in Canada by CYC Design, the same company that makes sweats for Engineered Garments and Supreme (among others). Made from a brawny 19 oz. 75% recycled cotton / 20% recycled polyester / 5% polyester fabric, the sweatshirt is both environmentally-friendly and sumptuously soft, and features great classic design details like raglan sleeves, a v-stitch at the neck and ribbed cuffs, hem and side-panels ($59). |
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| Forestbound Recycled Canvas Tote: There’s only one downside to designer Alice Saunders’ exquisitely crafted Forestbound bags, and that’s that they can be damn hard to get your hands on. Made exclusively from salvaged and reclaimed fabrics, Saunders’ totes, weekenders and duffels lovingly pay homage to the textiles from which they’re made, with each bag retaining some mark or indication of the material’s former life. Unfortunately, they have a tendency to sell out within hours of going up for sale. But, that doesn’t make them any less of a pleasure to look at ($26-$300). |
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| From the Tent City Archives: And lastly, CWAC has teamed up with the venerable Boston based outdoor outfitter Hilton’s Tent City, to bring the store’s enormous surplus of unsold camping and hiking gear to the masses. All items featured (like this great parka) are new old stock, and range from ten to fifty years in age. A great resource for anyone who appreciates enduring apparel and/or classic outdoor designs of yore. |
