Alternative Apparel Blog

One Hour Drummer

Imagine this: a place that can transform even the most musically challenged person into a drumming enthusiast without learning how to read a single note. In Atlanta, such a place exists with One Hour Drummer, an interactive music studio which leads drumming lessons, workshops and biweekly drum labs for inspired, local musicians and teaches with a simple WorkPlay system. People longing for a musical experience with little or no music background can join together to form a drumming community to relieve everyday stress. The studio also has wellness programs that are designed for families, seniors, special needs children, soon-to-be moms and cancer patients--for whom drumming has actually been proven to increase levels of cancer-fighting t-cells.

Falling Whistles: A Campaign for Peace in Congo

 
When Sean Carasso went to Africa to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2007, he never imagined a business endeavor would come out of just a single experience on a single day. Carasso wrote a powerful journal entry one night about his experiences describing the horrible sights and sounds of the war in Congo along with his encounter with four young soldiers who were told to stare danger and fear in the eye with only a whistle as protection.

Fighting Back against Hunger: Food Forward

Southern California is known for its lush natural landscape, and that includes apple, orange and lemon trees. With such abundance on hand, charitable West Coast residents all over the state have joined forces to pay the food forward and help feed the hungry. In 2009, a group of local volunteers and fruit farmers created the grassroots organization Food Forward in order to “harvest food, fight hunger and build community.” The nonprofit gleans and distributes 100 percent of all fruit accumulated from their community picks—which take place at private homes and public spaces—to local food banks.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Join Alternative and Make a Difference with What You Wear

At Alternative, we believe that every effort is crucial—there is no act to small. That’s why we’ve partnered with the global leader of the breast cancer movement and introduced our Pink Ribbon Collection, featuring bestselling tees, tanks, dresses, hoodies and more.

This October for Breast Cancer Awareness month, we’re asking our Alternative friends and family to join us in the fight and make a difference with what you wear. For every participating Pink Ribbon style you purchase, Alternative will donate 10% of the retail price to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.

With your help, we’re working to put an end to breast cancer—forever. Remember, no effort is too small.

Got Your Back and Alternative's "Show Love" Tee

Millions of children around the world don’t have access to an education, simply because they can’t afford school uniforms. We’ve partnered with the Got Your Back Movement to do something about it. For every Show Love tee you buy, Got Your Back donates a uniform to a child in need.

Although public education remains free across the world, the cost of mandatory uniforms in countries such as Haiti, Kenya and even the United States is often too great an expense for struggling families. Since 2009, the Got Your Back Movement has focused its efforts on eliminating this burden by distributing school uniforms to disadvantaged children. Several times a year, founder Austin Casselman and his team conduct “uniform drop” missions during which they supply uniforms to as many as 1,200 children at a time.

“We believe that owning a school uniform is not only the gateway into school, but it’s the pathway toward a hopeful, sustainable future,” explains Casselman. “Our mission is to create sustainability through education, not dependency.” To learn more, make sure to check out Got Your Back’s video below, The Seventy Percent: Part 1.

To join the movement, visit the Got Your Back online store and shop Alternative’s Show Love tee (made of our super-soft Earth-friendly Eco-Heather), available in red and blue.

 

Alternative Joins Forces with Alison Sudol (A Fine Frenzy)

 
We are extremely happy to partner with our dear friend Alison Sudol (better known as the musical tour de force A Fine Frenzy) to release 3 limited edition print tees for charity. Inspired by the singer-songwriter’s own words and sketches, the specially designed tees were a collaboration between Alison and Alternative’s Creative Team with printing by our favorite L.A. screen-printers, Family Industries. A portion of sales from each purchase will benefit the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), for which Alison serves as a goodwill ambassador.

These shirts are being sold exclusively at our flagship store in the Abbot Kinney shopping district of Venice, CA.  You're in the area, you can drop into the store to pick one up, or you can phone the store to purchase one and have it shipped to you (inside the US only).

If you're feeling lucky, you can also enter to win one of these tees PLUS a $200 gift card for a shopping spree at alternativeapparel.com!  Visit our Facebook page for details on how to enter.