Alternative Apparel Blog

Speak Out!

As part of our most recent issue of ReThink, we asked three of our favorite leading ladies,

"How do you contribute to an eco-friendly way of life?"

Here's what they had to say.

Alison Sudol  The leader of A Fine Frenzy, Alison was named a "You Oughtta Know" artist by VH1 in 2007. The singer-songwriter’s newly released sophomore album, Bomb in a Birdcage, combines her whimsical language and love of the natural world with a New Wave-y dance-pop vibe. "I’m constantly trying to learn how to be more eco-friendly—and I know I have a long way to go—but right now I recycle, buy local and organic produce, use an aluminum refillable bottle instead of plastic bottles when I can, drive a hybrid vehicle and use organic products and homemade cleaning solutions as much as possible. When I travel, I unplug my electronics, and I have a clothesline, which is fun to use instead of a dryer...it makes my clothes smell like sunshine and grass. I also buy organic clothing for A Fine Frenzy’s merchandise and try to raise awareness in the people whose ears I have, both personally and professionally. The state of our environment is really quite grim, but it’s encouraging that green living has become the cool thing to do. If the general consensus is that we must develop new plans, fostering alternative ways of living that work with the earth instead of against it, then society will put pressure on big businesses and the government to make real changes. I am definitely optimistic."

Samantha Lockwood  An actress, painter, and innovator, Samantha most recently starred alongside Jason Mewes in the action-comedy Shoot the Hero. She is also the founder of Fleurings, a line of utilitarian jewelry designed to hold fresh flowers. "I live in Los Angeles; that means everyday I wake up and I can see the layer of smog over our beautiful city. Seeing is believing, and that is enough to make me want to change my way of living. I recycle and try to use less of everything—it’s common sense, really. If possible, I walk to get to where I need to go instead of driving. For clothes shopping and grocery shopping I go for organic as much as possible—even household detergents—and bring my own shopping bags. In my house, the lights are off whenever possible, and I use energy-saver light bulbs. I also donate old or used items to Goodwill on a regular basis. I have learned a great deal about being eco-conscious from the good recycling and efficiency habits of others. My friend Billy Lockwood, for example, has a solar wind farm, which I believe is the way of the future. I live by the philosophy that attitude is everything. Change your attitude, change your life—and then you can start to help change the world by living in accordance with nature."

Crystal Allen  When she’s not appearing in top-rated TV shows or starring in movies like the slithering sequels Anaconda III and Anaconda IV: Trail of Blood, actress and Canada-born beauty Crystal Allen is heating up the kitchen with her green cooking tips. "I grew up in a household determined to save money on energy bills. Now, one of my favorite ways to save energy is in the kitchen. I love having dinner parties for at least 14 people, and there are so many simple, easy ways to help the environment through green cooking. For example, run your dishwasher on air dry instead of heat dry; cover your pots when boiling water for quicker cooking; and don’t bother to preheat your oven when baking—there’s no need and it wastes energy. If you must clean your oven, set the self-cleaning cycle immediately after baking; when the oven is already hot, less energy is required for cleaning. I also like to cook with organic produce and grass-fed meat. I make it a point to go to the farmers’ market for locally grown produce—it’s better than buying organic from the supermarket, which has been shipped halfway around the world."

Wanna do your part to go green? Make a difference with what you wear. Check out brand new Spring 2010 styles & colors in Alternative's Eco-Heather fabric, part of our sustainable Alternative Earth collection. Shop new favorites like The Slouchy Pullover (pictured) for women, The Berke Urban Polo for men and more!

OK GO Brings New Music And... Band Uniforms?

Those super quirky super creative guys from OK GO are back with a brand new album and brand new, uhm, super quirky creativity!  You probably remember them from that crazy treadmill video a few years back which, by the way, was watched more than 60 million times on the internet.  Totally wild.  Their new album is entitled Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky, and we're lucky enough to have the album's second single "This Too Shall Pass" on our music player this week!

So how about a giveaway?  We'll give two people a digital copy of the new album (via iTunes) and we'll also throw in an eco-heather piece of your choosing - we've got some new styles and colors that you might want to check out!

How do you enter to win? Just leave a comment on this post by Sunday, Jan 24 2010 - we'll announce our two winners on Monday, Jan 25. Good luck!

Also, if you run over to OK GO's official site, you can get a free mp3 of "This Too Shall Pass" from the video for your own very own!

P.S. They won't let me embed the video for "This Too Shall Pass" from YouTube (boo!) but I did run across this nifty Passion Pit remix of the song that I think you might like.  That is, if you like Passion Pit.  I do and I think they're pretty rad, so just listen already!  Well, watch and listen...

Growing Up Zen with Chris Kattan

 
Over the course of his ten-season run on Saturday Night Live, Chris Kattan created more than a few memorable characters—Mango, for example, the exotic dancer with a maddening allure, and those world-class cheeseballs, the Roxbury Guys. But in real life, Kattan plays another role. Call him Mr. Just-Unplug-It. Here, the comedian, who made his return to the small screen this past fall in the ABC sitcom The Middle, tells us what Buddhist monks have to do with his fetish for electrical efficiency.

I read somewhere that your stepfather studied to become a Zen Buddhist monk alongside Leonard Cohen. Is that true?

True. When I was a kid, I moved with my mom to Mount Baldy in Southern California, because my stepdad found the Zen Center there and he wanted to be close to his Roshi. He and Leonard Cohen actually got ordained together, meaning, my stepdad was in fact a monk.

Sounds like a hijinks-filled childhood, you and the monks….

It wasn’t the most fun place to be a kid. You get antsy. I mean, everyone was really into meditating. But there was a lot I got out of the experience. I mean, we were up in the mountains, probably half an hour from the nearest store, so my mom made soap, she made our clothes, and she started her own garden with these amazing vegetables. I ate really, really well. And it’s funny, because a lot of the stuff people talk about now as "green," we were doing back then as a matter of survival. We had a…well, we mulched, we ate leftovers. And I don’t mean we re-heated the previous night’s dinner—I mean, we’d save bacon grease and find a way to use it.

To get Chris's eco-friendly style, shop the Alternative Earth collection. Read more after the jump!

80s Redux

 
We may have just wrapped up the first decade of the 21st century, but we’re still partying like it’s 1989. That’s right, the ever-popular 80s fashion trend continues for Winter 2010. Here are some tips on how to rock your 80s garb and still look like you’re living in this century.

Wear & Tear

With the plethora of neo-grunge flannel shirts that are flooding the marketplace, it seems only natural that ripped denim, torn tights and shredded tees are all the rage this season. While I am a huge fan of ripped denim, I think we can all agree that there is a level of taste here which must not be compromised. In other words, please don’t flash anyone with inappropriately placed rips and tears. For a more wearable take on this trend, turn to destroyed sweatshirts and tees.

 
Shine On

Sequins are everywhere this season, from mini-dresses and skirts to tanks, tees and leggings (another enduring 80s trend in its own right). I can’t help but reminisce about Michelle Pfeiffer’s awesome sequined dress in Scarface. We should all aspire to wear our 21st century sequins with such elegance. As a rule of thumb, avoid wearing more than one sequined piece at a time. If you’re wearing a sequined top or jacket, go with something basic on the bottom; if you choose to wear a sequined dress, you don’t need matching sequined shoes and a sequined handbag.

Boyfriend Basics

Far more chic and sophisticated than 2009’s boyfriend jeans, the boyfriend blazer is going to stick around well into 2010, and with good reason: this versatile piece is an easy way to put the finishing touches on any outfit. Whether worn with jeans, leggings, shorts, skirts or dresses, the boyfriend blazer gives off a casual-cool, effortlessly put-together vibe. Just make sure you follow these two crucial tips to get the look: wear it slightly oversized and always roll up your sleeves.

Win 2009's Best Music! We're Making Room for 2010

The holidays are dunzo, and we're all back in the office full-time.  It's 2010 now - it's a new year for new opportunities and new adventures!  I desperately felt like doing a little cleaning up to start the year fresh with a clean outlook; it's kinda like, you know sometimes when you clean everything at your house and it just makes you feel more calm and more relaxed?  Something like that.

This means that I also cleaned out our music stash because I'm totally ready for awesome new music in 2010.  And I'm giving you a chance to win all of these 2009 goodies!  One of you lucky individuals can get a gift pack with the following super rad albums from 2009:

• Bomb in a Birdcage by A Fine Frenzy
• Fortress 'round My Heart by Ida Marie
• Funplex by The B-52's
• It's Blitz! by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Junior by Röyksopp
• Love is not Pop by El Perro Del Mar
• Made in the Dark by Hot Chip
• Mind Chaos by Hockey*
• One Love by David Guetta*
• Up from Below by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros*
• Zounds by Dappled Cities

I'll also throw in one of our unisex Eco-Heather Crew t-shirts, which was our #1 seller for 2009 on our website, by the way.

How do you enter to win? Just leave a comment on this post by Sunday, Jan 17 2010 - we'll announce ONE winner on Monday, Jan 18.  Good luck!

* Oh hi, I just added these albums on Thur. Jan 14. EVEN MORE MUSIC GOODNESS!