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BANG FOR THE BITE
If 10,000 Biters wear a workout tee made of recycled poly instead of new materials, we'll keep 140,000 soda bottles out of trash heaps.
COCKTAIL FACT
Barbells of gold? Gymrats at the Bosse Sports and Health Club in Sudbury, MA, pay up to $50,000 for an annual membership.
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home › tip library › Workout Clothes
Spend more time thinking about your hot boot camp instructor than your workout clothes?
The Bite
Hel-lo? It's unlikely you'll get anywhere near his medicine balls wearing sweatpants from last century, so give your workout wardrobe an update with eco styles that'll get 'em sweating before class even starts.The Benefits
- Burning calories, not the Earth. By using recycled bottles in some clothing, just one company (Patagonia) has kept more than 86 million bottles out of landfills.
- Breathability. Our skin's responsible for 1/7th of our respiration; natural fibers like bamboo and hemp are great since they're breathable.
Personally Speaking
Two things you know about Jen if you've ever met her: 1) She lives in Bamboosa, and 2) she hardly washes her bamboo shirts. But it's not as dirty as it sounds: Bamboo contains bamboo kun, an antibacterial agent that naturally prevents odor.Wanna Try?
- Bamboosa Long Sleeve T - extremely breathable bamboo and lycra blend, in five colors. Also: a men's version ($26-$28).
- Athleta Barrel Hoodie - smart-looking bamboo and organic-cotton cover-up for cold-temp workouts; four color options ($69).
- Prana Divine Pant - organic cotton and Lycra blend, with a slim-ish fit. Also: men's organic-cotton sweat-shorts ($65).
- Be Present Bamboo Intention Pant - bamboo and Lycra capri pant recommended to us by friends at Yoga Journal ($69).
- Blue Canoe Basic Camisole - organic-cotton and lycra top; in four colors ($39).
- Lululemon - has a great organic fabrics line that works for most activities; available only in stores (prices vary).
May 16,2008
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All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
Dressed to a Tee
Buying something nice to sweat in always kinda seemed like buying fancy dishrags. Why bother trying to look cute while you're doing crunches under fluorescent lighting at the gym, anyway?
Then I bought a set of moisture-wicking thermals for skiing, plus a jacket with zip-up vents-all twice as thin as my previous gear but equally warm, and therefore far more comfortable. For my birthday this year, I got a little golf outfit, including this organic cotton polo shirt. It has perfectly placed pockets on the sides that I can fill up without having to work around when I swing. Here's to technology...and OK, looking cute when you're active.
-Jenifer Morgan...off to tee up...
Biter Comments...
I heard that lululemon uses sweatshops. It would be ironic if a company dedicated to supporting women in their yogic practice used such unethical means for creating the clothes. My source for this factoid of info was 'This American Life'. Does anyone know anything about this?
Dean Foods is the parent company of White Wave, and OCA has organized a boycott of Silk [+ its parents] for pretty good reasons, including the purchase of soy from China and not the U.S.
There really should be a formal place where we can post about today's (5/16) so-called tip about Silk. I know that Silk paid for its spot, and I suspect that it's a greenwashing tactic on the company's part.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_4035.cfm
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/oca/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4756
http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/rs/profile.cfm?id=209&MajorSub=1&CompanyName=White%20Wave%20Foods
"Concerns have been raised about Dean Foods regarding discrimination, transparency, price fixing, and monopoly of the dairy market. While Dean Foods owns Horizon Organic, the company does not guarantee hormone-free and antibiotic-free products under its other brand names."
http://www.veganrepresent.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5953
After today, my trust in the long-loved Bite is surely compromised!
I found this link trying to post a comment on the Silk Soymilk tip, and then discovered that Stephanie Provines above had already posted one of the links I intended to. My concern with Today's GCS is that many reports have shown that over-production of soya in Brasil has led to rapid and illegal deforestation in the Amazon. As Silk and White Wave source their soya from Brasil and other places outside of the US, it would have been nice if there was some acknowledgement of this controversy in the GCS, and some response to it on Silk's behalf. I felt as if this was a paid promotion for Silk, and while I am not for or against soymilk itself, I was concerned by this apparent bias.
I add a quote from the Democracy in Action website: "Additionally, its been revealed that much of the soy for Dean Food's White Wave tofu and Silk soymilk products are sourced abroad, primarily from Brazil and China. Environmental standards and workers' rights are routinely violated in these two countries."
I look forward to reading further comments on this issue.
Shoot. I've been worrying recently about which brand of soy yoghurt it would be best to buy, and I thought this tip might be the solution. Anyone recommend some brands that don't have this problem? My local Whole Foods has Wildwood and Whole Soy as well as Silk, and I could probably find others by looking elsewhere.
It's practically a full time job trying to do the right thing.
While I am thrilled with eco-friendly, sustainable clothing options, $85 for one skirt is a bit out of my budget. I like to sew and quilt and am wondering if anyone knows of any fabric retailers that would have a stock of some of these fabrics (bamboo, organic, sustainable cotton, etc...) so I can create my own sustainable clothing. Also I am a quilter and would love to get my hands on some organic cotton quilt fabric that uses natural dyes.
Any ideas???
Well, Wildwood and Whole Soy didn't buy an ad with Ideal Bite.
Another consideration: refrigeration! Why would a pro-environment company package something for refrigeration, when none of the other soy and nut milks are made that way?
I smell those stinky carbon feet!
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Sally Stewart | May 16, 2008 at 09:12 AM