A “Green Vest” that simply attaches green gadgets to a perfectly good vest could be a bully-magnet if worn by kids, I wrote not too long ago. Now, it appears this bully magnet’s actually being created and sold to geeky environmentalists!

For the bargain price of $140, you can display your love of solar power by wearing an ugly Solar Vest. If any passerby happens not to notice the four chunky solar panels that take up a good quarter of the vest, the eco-wear’s clearly labeled “SOLAR VEST” in bold white letters to set them straight.

The Solar Vest boasts lots of pockets to carry all manner of gadgetry and keep them juiced up on sunny days. However, as Jaymi Heimbuch points out in Treehugger, “no geek who might wear this is going to be seen sitting in the sun for the hours it’ll take to charge the small handhelds.”

There’s a reason geeks are known to have pasty skin and it’s because they don’t walk around for hours in the sun. They might, however, devise a complicated pulley system that will haul this thing out their window into the sunlight, and back in when it finishes charging their gear.

Chinavasion’s making things even worse for lost eco-geeks by insisting that the vest’s perfect to wear to “go cruising for chicks,” who’ll be drawn to the vest “like moths to a light bulb.” Let’s hope that the green guys google for proof of chic-magnetism and find this post before donning the vest and stepping outside.

Not all solar clothing’s so blatantly ugly. The solar bikini, for example, actually looks like a futuristic, albeit uncomfortable, bikini, and makes better sense as a solar-power device since bikinis are meant to be worn on sunny beaches in the first place.

Know of any other solar-powered devices, whether eco-gorgeous or eco-fugly?

Photos courtesy of Chinavasion

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>> Eco-fugly lamp, or Duchamp-inspired found art? Apparently the rich are paying good money for upcycled household goods that look cheap. The price tag on the broom-lamp to the right: $850.

>> FastCompany has a slideshow of the 29 best buildings in Los Angeles., many of which are sustainably designed and community-oriented. Vista Hermosa Park in downtown L.A., Pasadena Bike Transit Center and Treepeople Center for Community Forestry are among those featured — alongside a gas station and parking structure. The buildings were recognized at the 39th annual Los Angeles Architectural Awards. (thanks for the tip, Rodney)

>> Want your home to make that list? Try entering the competition for a big green home makeover, complete with everything from an energy audit to eco-insulation to energy-efficient appliances — to green furniture from Cisco Homes and home furnishings from VivaTerra.

Image via ritabotelho.com

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I’ve called Terracycle’s other upcycled juice pouch stuff eco-fugly before — but the eco worm-poop company keeps comin’ out with new items, this time for the holidays.

Behold the Terracycle stockings and tree skirts, made with upcycled juice pouches and cookie wrappers diligently collected by Terracycle trash brigades!

Now in general, I consider both holiday stockings and tree pouches to be decorative items one saves and reuses year after year. Which makes me wonder — Even if I decided I was okay with cookie-wrapper stockings for one season, would I be able to stand looking at those things every year?

Then again, kids may actually really like this stuff (I’ve no firsthand experience and thus no clue — I’m totally guessing here) because the stockings may evoke warm memories of eating and drinking high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil. Yum!

Let me step back and say that I do love, in general, what Terracycle’s doing to eliminate the idea of trash. In fact, you only need to read TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky’s thoughts on the individual conundrums that non-recyclable, recyclable and biodegradable packagings all cause to know that Terracycle’s serious about its mission. About his own brigades, Tom writes: “these programs (almost 12,000 collection sites strong) are merely a drop in the ocean when compared to the many billions of used packages discarded every year.”

Other eco-conundrums posed by Terracycle’s upcycling ventures include: 1) People will come to think of nonrecyclable packaging as eco-okay since they can be upcycled — despite the fact that only a teensy amount of the stuff actually does get upcycled, and 2) The upcycled products themselves may serve as greenwashed advertisements for unhealthy, uneco products with non-recyclable packaging.

And yet, as far as stockings and tree skirts go, aren’t Terracycle’s products pretty far up on the eco-scale? Certainly since Terracycle’s goods are available via Home Depot at reasonable prices, one could make the argument that these products are the only eco-ones of their kind made accessible to the general public.

Would you buy a Terracycle stocking or tree skirt?

Images via homedepot.com

[crossposted on BlogHer]

Update, 12/8/08: Amenity makes a cuter — and more expensive — eco tree skirt.

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Now that Obama’s emails asking for money seem to have finally stopped — Do you miss them? If you’ve somehow become addicted to sending $5 - $10 to a cause you support every week in exchange for stickers and T-shirts, here’s how you can get something back for your donations to help save the environment:

If you like to wear your enviro-activism on your sleeve, a couple eco-bracelets are competing for your dollars — by promising to donate the funds to StopGlobalWarming.org, the virtual march against global climate change.

First up: A Stop Global Warming bracelet from Roots. Made from 100% recycled scrap leather in Canada, this bracelet’s available in five different colors and costs $5 — all of which is donated to StopGlobalWarming.org.

If you’re vegan — or simply want a slimmer bracelet — there’s the I’m Tired of Global Warming bracelet. Made from recycled tires and metals, this bracelet costs $10 — $5 of which goes to StopGlobalWarming.org.

No, I don’t think I’ll buy either bracelet — because I feel the same way about didactic messages on my wrist as I do about didactic messages on my chest. Also, the bracelets seem slightly eco-fugly and crunchy to me. But that’s just my opinion….

I did send $5 to StopGlobalWarming.org back in April though, when I bought special edition eco-friendly Simple Shoes….

Give to Get’s a holiday series about eco-friendly goodies you can buy — or get for free by donating to eco-motivated nonprofits. Earlier: Picking an eco-gift bag and A Surf-inspired eco T-shirt with benefits

Update: I spoke too soon! Just got another Obama email, this time asking for $35 in exchange for an Obama calendar.

Update, 12/15/08: Here’s a new Give to get post: A fancy necklace plus an eco-book that explains it

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The idea’s sweet — but are the shoes hot?

A London company called Above + Below’s making “Limited Edition Tube Trainers” out of old subway and bus seat covers, recycled / repurposed leather, and recycled tire rubber. (via Grist) The resulting product’s pictured above.

The shoes do look a bit less jarring in photos taken from a distance — if the shoes are turned so you don’t see the seat cover sides too much….

Are these sturdy-looking kicks a smart use of existing resources that double as a subliminal ad for eco-friendly travel to boot? Or are the overly-colorful footwear perpetuating the frumpy hippie environmentalist stereotype?

Images via aboveandbelowlondon.com

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Question: Recycled products are at the top of my list when I’m looking to buy something new, but I’m sorry, I’m too cheap to pay $38 for a t-shirt (right). In my house a t-shirt gets splashed while I’m working in my kitchen and dug into by cat claws when I sit down on the sofa to take a rest.

I know that this price is not out of line with what many women pay for a shirt, and I’d rather see that money spent on something that is kind to the environment, but in my budget something that costs $38 needs to be protected and cared for so that it lasts a long time. A shirt that needs protected and cared for is just a liability; how can I relax while wearing a $38 shirt?

I like unisex type t-shirts (read - baggy, comfortable, and not necessarily very flattering), rather than fitted ones and I like earth colors…. I guess the environmentally kind way to shop if your are frugal is to visit a resale store or go to garage sales, unless you know of someone selling eco-friendly shirts for maybe $25?! BookLady Alison

Answer: I think you’re the first person who’s specifically asked me to recommend a slightly fugly product. But as your comment points out, not all T-shirts are created equal. Some are, indeed, unique designs that are intended to be prized; others are to wear while undertaking house painting projects.

Which is to say the wide variety in T-shirt pricing isn’t unique to eco-clothes! Step into a Nordstroms, and you can easily fork over $85 for a plain, non-eco crewneck T-shirt. I’ve spent $50 on an organic Loomstate T-shirt at a boutique shop called Planet Blue once — but all the conventional T-shirts there were at the same price point. Whether eco or not, there’ll always be expensive items where you’re paying mostly for design, style, and brand cache.

Of course, not all expensive stuff is actually well designed or stylish, IMHO — and that goes for expensive eco stuff too. Check out this $88 T-shirt from Social Atelier to the right. Yes, it’s just a plain white T-shirt with the words “Stop Genocide” on them. Good message, but worth $88? I think not.

In general though, cuter items do tend to cost more — which actually works out well for you, because you prefer the slightly fugly, boxy-looking stuff one can often find on sale. Since you named $25 as your price point, here are some T-shirt options for $25 and under:

Ebb and Flow Shirt, $25 . This organic, Cali-made T-shirt is intended for men, but it may be the exact boxy fit you’re looking for.

We Add Up shirt, $25. This gray organic cotton, US-made T-shirt’s available in fitted women’s sizes too, but you might want to opt for the men’s. Each of We Add Up’s T-shirts have a number showing that you’re part of a larger group that cares about enviro issues.

District Cotton T-shirts. These organic, fairly-made T-shirts are printed with a variety of different cute designs — and available in a fitted cut I like as well as looser men’s sizes. Best of all, many are on sale for just $9! $9-$16 at District Cotton.

Maggie’s Functional Organics T-shirts, $5 - $16. I’ve dubbed this company’s shorts eco-fugly, but the boxy comfiness of Maggie’s is probably what you’re looking for. These organic and fair trade T-shirts are available in a variety of colors in both fitted and looser styles — and some are on sale for just $5!

You’ll likely come across other organic T-shirts under $25 at chain stores like Wal-Mart, Target, and Forever 21. Even Nordstrom has an organic T-shirt for $15.90! However, those T-shirts are often made in China under questionable labor conditions. I suggest sticking to US-made or fairly-traded T-shirts from eco and fair trade-committed companies you can trust.

Lastly, here are a few other eco-fugly products that may catch your fancy.

[crossposted on BlogHer]

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Can eco-goodies be so crunchy they become chic? Or are these eco-goodies really just eco-fugly?

The item in question: WeBeBags. I got the one pictured in a shwag bag at Eco-ganik’s runway show.

And while I heart coffee and am happy to see those coffee burlap sacks put to good use — AND while I can attest to the fact that these bags are well handcrafted, complete with a zippered top and lined interior with an inside pocket to boot — I am not sure these WeBeBags are actually cute.

Still, I do have a rather specific aesthetic — and maybe I need to branch out a little more. So you tell me: Is this bag crunchy-chic or eco-fugly?

Poll closes at the end of the Monday.

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You might best know Maggie’s Functional Organics for its organic socks and tights, available at Whole Foods and many eco clothing stores. But this green company makes more than just footwear. In fact, you could dress yourself up entirely in Maggie’s, thanks to Maggie’s organic cami-and-shorts set (left).

However, I’m not sure I’d leave home in this outfit, despite Maggie’s contention that “These Lounge Sets are great for yoga, lounging around the house or running errands on the weekend!”

Lemme start with what I love about the ‘fit. Obviously, Maggie’s commitment to organic cotton and to Maggie’s commitment to fair trade practices (this cami-and-shorts set is made in Costa Rica) makes me happy. Even better are Maggie’s prices! Bucking the image that eco-fashions are only affordable to the rich, Maggie’s offers its cami-and-shorts set for just $28 right now!

What doesn’t work for me about this ‘fit: It doesn’t fit well. No, the outfit isn’t too big or too small. I mean that the clothes don’t look flattering on me — or on most people.

To be fair, I’m okay with the cami. The organic cotton fabric’s great — soft and comfy — and the lightweight cami kept me cool in my apartment on a sunny SoCal day. The one downside is that the fabric around the armpits just doesn’t sit flat, creating an unsightly gap between your skin and the shirt, as you can see even on the model photos above (I added in the red circles to highlight what I’m talking about). However, I guess the degree to which this fit would be a problem depends on your unique size and shape.

The shorts (right), however, are another matter. They look like they were made by quickly cutting fabric roughly in the shape of shorts, then sewing up the edges and attaching a thick chunk of elastic up top. The shorts have little shape, hanging down loosely and bunchily in a manner that’s not very flattering to my ass, hips, or any area it covers.

Sure, the shorts are comfily “functional” — in the same way that an organic cotton sack with holes for the head and arms could “function” as a comfy dress. But they are not cute. It may be because I live in LA, but people here don’t wear stuff like that to yoga class; they wear cute stuff, more like this.

Meaning that while Maggie’s shorts avoid the eco equals expensive stereotype, they fall directly into the eco equals shapeless sack stereotype. I do feel that Maggie’s has sort of lost a great opportunity here by ignoring design factors. Comfy clothes can look good too — and I hope Maggie’s will work on the aesthetics of its products more in the future….

However, if all you really care about is comfort, you can be good to your wallet, your own health and the planet’s by getting some affordable loungewear from Maggie’s Organics.

[crossposted on BlogHer]

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Be honest — Would you buy this? Or — If someone gave it to you free, would you use it?

The above is a pencil case made of drink pouches. Or more accurately, it’s four Kool-Aid pouches cut and sewn together, with a zipper attached to one side. To the right’s a look at the inside.

Don’t get me wrong — I love Terracycle, the anti-waste company that’s making these pencil cases. And I love the idea of upcycling juice pouches and cookie wrappers and what have you; I wrote glowingly about TerraCycle’s trash brigade program here.

And I do really like some of the upcycling Terracycle does! The company’s best known for its worm-poop plant fertilizer, all of which gets packaged in bottles saved from the waste stream. Those bottles all look just fine, as do TerraCycle’s new line of cleaning products, packaged similarly.

I even think the reusable totes TerraCycle’s making by upcycling used Target plastic bags look pretty good. They’re sturdy too!

I am just not sure about these juice pouch thingies. They are kinda cheap and crunchy looking to me, and seem a bit like a home-ec project gone wrong. What do you think?

Update, 12/6/08: Terracycle creates an upcycled holiday line.

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Great Green Goods calls these burlap sack slacks “fashionable eco-friendly” and says “Forget the old jokes about wearing a burlap sack,” but I have to say all I can think of are burlap sack jokes and how fugly these are.

Is it just me or are these burlap sack duds really scary looking?

I think burlap sack material’s acceptable for some tote bags — but even that’s only if the bag’s given a cute shape and design. Materials aside, these pants are not a flattering cut. Plus, wouldn’t they feel scratchy?

Would you pay $120 for these pants?

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