
A forthcoming high-performance running shoe by Brooks that uses recycled materials guaranteed to biodegrade in 20 years -- as compared with 1,000 years for conventional runners. (Courtesy of Brooks)
Here at EthicalStyle, we spend a lot of time talking about how clothing looks and what our clothes are made of: sumptuous peace silk, luscious recycled leather, and awesome organic cotton. We also talk about the importance of quality and clothing that has benefited from tender loving care (henceforth, TLC) while it was being made. But beyond someone doing an amazing job stitching the seems on my new silk shirt, there is another kind of TLC we want to consider more.
I think the best thing to call it is “Intellectual TLC” or “Design TLC.”
Beyond simply executing a wonderfully-made item of clothing, this is the part of the process I like to call the “math and science” of a piece of clothing. This is the design you don’t see. The effort that goes into making sure a product serves its use well is a part of the process of expert design to maximize a garment’s purpose for its owner. Great designers ensure the products used in the manufacturing process correlate with the item’s eventual function.
Sound complicated? Let me ask this simple question: What sense does it make to have a pair of cotton-soled shoes that must be replaced every other day? Wasteful, right? I doubt many people would disagree. So let’s consider items, like shoes, and the design and substances that make them ethical. (This doesn’t always mean organic, per se. But the “design you don’t see” may just make a few surprising garments worthy of the ethical style” designation.)
There are truly some amazing design-focused brands out there:
Terra Plana
I first came across this company because a dear friend was sporting a pair of awesome shoes that she told me made her “feel barefoot.” She even passed along this article about feet.
I’ve concluded she must have been wearing one of their VIVOBAREFOOT shoes. Terra Plana defines sustainability as “lightness, anatomic design, disassembly and durability.” Its goal with each shoe is twofold: “minimize waste and toxin use” and “maximize product use and love.” And while they seek to use as many organic products as they can, they prefer to use the most durable synthetics and crazy-tough soles to maximize the lifetime of the shoe. (Click here to watch a video of the Terra Plana POP technology.)
You may not see inside the sole of your shoe, but Terra Plana puts the time into designing footwear for the whole body. They even provide an environmental impact matrix for the shoes you purchase. How many companies can boast that?
Helly Hanson
Maybe its EkoLab line of shirts, jackets, and pants isn’t exclusively organic cotton, but a great deal of meditation is behind its clothing design. Made out of nylon, for example, a women’s jacket is designed for extreme weather condition but to also have a “minimum impact on the planet.” They embrace waste-free methods of cutting, fabrics that eliminate the need for chemicals, multiple layers, and water resistant zippers. For a company that has been around for 130 years, Helly Hanson is pretty up to speed. If I am ever stuck out in the cold, I for sure want one of their jackets.
Brooks
A shoe company I have always loved is debuting an incredible new running shoe in February 2010. The performance racing shoe called Green Silence and it looks freaking cool. Not to mention it’s made from 75 percent recycled materials, soy-based inks, water-based adhesives, nothing toxic, a biodegradable insoles and collar foams — and the first ever biodegradable midsole for running shoes, a substance called BioMoGo. Apparantly, traditional soles can last upwards of 1,000 years in a land fill (slightly longer than you’ll use your sneakers). This Brooks sole won’t biodegrade on your foot, but once “landfill” conditions are met, the sole will be eaten away in 20 years. Apparently, Brooks is so proud of their invention, they are not even patenting it, hoping to encourage other companies to use it.
You may not see the design. It may be invisible to the naked eye, or on the bottom of your foot. But the “math and science” that goes into the above products offer an exciting future of what ethical design can be when we put our heads — not just our hearts — into sustainable fashion.