These days it is getting easier to find stylish and affordable eco-friendly clothing. HumanWear is a Tampa-based company that offer some great choices for men, women and kids. They officially opened April of this year.
I recently asked the owner, Jellie, of HumanWear a couple questions about why she wanted to startup a "clothing line with a conscience". Here is what she had to say:
Why did you want to start selling eco-friendly clothing?
"HumanWear was inspired by the documentary Go Further with Woody Harrelson and his wife Laurie Louie. One of the things that Woody talks about is Communal Evolution which really struck me to the core. We’ve made a shirt with this saying to include our definition 'a collective push towards a higher state.' I encourage everyone to watch this movie or read the book – it will turn your mind upside down.
We set out to make the greenest shirt possible that was hip, came in cool colors and was affordable with phrases such as 'Greenlicious: environmentally good' so people can brand themselves as someone who is part of the green movement. I’ve seen way too many t-shirts with radical messages that I believe turn people off as well as shirts that are old school with the boxy cut and high neck that only come in a natural color."
Why do you think it is important for people to choose eco-friendly businesses?
"When someone supports us, they are supporting our entire supply chain made up of companies of varying shades of green in our area of the country, the southeast, as well as a few in the northeast. Our shirt supplier is a medium sized-company out of Atlanta on the cutting edge of eco-conscious apparel; you can see many celebrities wear their tees. Our printers started out as vegetarian grocers printing for rock bands on the side, eventually morphing into a forward-thinking indie business, and our recycled wrapping paper supplier is a female-owned indie business in Jacksonville. All others are family-owned or indie businesses continuing to find ways to compete with the big guys."
Jellie was kind enough to send me a shirt for review. When I received it, it as like getting a present in the mail. The recyclable box was wrapped with decorative tape and they use recycled gift wrapping to protect the clothing. Also included is a free eco sticker, my favorite simply read, "GREENIE." The tank top she sent says, "SUN FOOD: Return to a simpler way of life." It's made with 100% organic cotton and earth friendly dyes and inks. The cut is great — it's made to hug your body and so soft it feels like you have worn it a hundred times.
Human Wear is a company that "walks the walk" when it comes to operating a green business. Customers are able to track their shipments to see how much carbon was required and the company then purchases a 'Green Shipping' carbon offset to make the shipment carbon neutral. They also donate a portion of sales to GREY2K USA, a national organization dedicated to ending greyhound racing.
HumanWear is currently offering free shipping with the code GREENTAMPA.
To find other great eco-friendly businesses, please check out my website, GoingGreenTampa.com!
This article appears in Jul 1-7, 2010.