Made in America isn’t the only feature that SustainU is talking about, in its new deal with Eastern Mountain Sports. Sustainability is another aspect that the company is proud of. SustainU is making garments made from 100 percent recycled materials manufactured in the USA.
EMS is carrying men’s and women’s graphic tees, which carry a co-branded label that says “EMS, Powered by SustainU.” Continue reading Made in America: SustainU Clothing at EMS
We’ve all heard the old saying “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Not everything can be as easy and throwing a can in the blue bin or reusing a paper bag. Frankly, not everything can even be reused or recycled practical manner. Take an old bicycle inner tube for instance: while it can be used as a tie down strap or to hang tools in the garage, it isn’t really practical, so most of us just chuck them in the trash. Green Guru of Boulder, Colorado is changing the way we think of trash and they are reusing old bicycle inner tubes and neoprene wet suits in their product line. Continue reading (re)Made in America: Green Guru Bags and Accessories
The Nalini Summer Collection of cycling apparel features Nalini Compression, which will promote increased blood flow and physical performance. The line includes bibshorts and jerseys. The line has additional attributes including reversible and convertible jackets and jerseys and apparel crafted from recycled plastic fabrics.
Nalini cycling gear is often seen in the team kits of professional riders. All garments are made in Italy from the fabric to each stitch of the seams.
The compression line includes Lambro Bibshort ($155) and Drava Bibnickers ($165) as a tight-fitting pant with a silicon gripper at the leg hem, reflective tape and a Nalini ECP Print pad. A contrasting 4-needle stitching on the seams add strength to the garments. The Full Season Man line includes a collection of convertible and reversible apparel able to be worn all four seasons. The Sorbo Jacket ((355) is a stretchable, reversible design that provides warmth and is windproof. The Vormano Jersey ($250) uses the brand’s Quick-Burst sleeve removal system so it can be converted from a long-sleeve to a short sleeve jersey on the ride. Think of the jersey as having built-in arm warmers so you don’t get that gap where the sleeve meets the arm warmer where wind finds its way to chill your arms.
For the Nalini recycling line, the company has the Insonzo Jersey ($120) and Fortore Bibshort ($100). The line is made from an eco-friendly Re-Pet fabric made from the recycling of Pet plastic bottles. The Pet yarns have the same characteristics as polyester yarns.
The Insonzo Jersey features a cycling fit, mesh insert, silicon bottom gripper and cam-block full-length zipper. The Fortore Bibshort provides a cycling fit, mesh insert, reflecting logos and silicon leg grippers.
Nalini’s summer line is expected in stores later this month. Nalini is imported and distributed by Albabici in the U.S.
Polartec’s Women’s El Cap Temple 1/4 Zip top from The North Face is made from sustainable resources. Part of the fleece manufacturer’s eco-engineering line, it contains a minimum of 50 percent recycled content, and both companies continue to push to raise the bar on post-consumer materials. Why opt for a garment with such a high content of reused materials? Each shirt saves 6.6 lbs in C02 emissions, and 0.17 gallons of gas.
The earth conscious gear has its benefits. The pique knit is soft on the skin. It carries an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of 30. The El Cap Temple wicks moisture in a number of ways. It draws sweat and moisture away from skin while setting up a dry zone next to the skin. Moisture wicked to the surface is spread across the outer layer of the garment, and continues to make the top breathable. Wicking is crucial in a long sleeve garment, especially since it’s likely to act as a base layer for outside workouts.
The North Face’s Women’s El Cap Temple 1/4 Zip shirt is appropriate for a base layer in outdoor workouts over the winter. It’s also a great transitional top in those days nice enough to go out for a run, but not quite nice enough for short sleeves. The dual-layer fabric provides a degree of wind blocking, an important factor in transitional weather.