Our friends at Ecouterre put together a list of the Top 7 Wearable Technology Concepts of 2009, saying, “Personal Jetsons-esque jet packs not withstanding, you only need to take a gander at these brilliant examples of wearable technology for proof that the future has arrived. Although pie-in-the-sky concepts like kinetically powered music players and solar-powered beanies abounded this year, we teased out the best ideas that had working prototypes already in place. (Some, like Zegna’s solar-powered jacket and Sonic Fabric’s cassette-tape fedoras are even available for purchase.)”

Our favorite by far is the Playable Cassette Tape Fedoras! You may recall our enthusiastic response to Sonic Fabric earlier this year in a GWG Roundtable Blog Post. We can only be more excited by this new, hip development. Ecouterre says:

“Designers Alyce Santoro and Julio Cesar have topped their recycled mix-tape neckties—quite literally—by trying their hands at high-tech millinery. Their old-school fedoras, inspired by German artist Joseph Beuys’ trademark topper, are anything but fusty: They’re tightly woven from recorded cassette tape that becomes audible when you run a tape head across the fabric surface… Made to order, the haute headgear is available in medium and large sizes, in your choice of dark brown or black.”  Order yours now from Supermarket!

The other contenders are:

Color changing swine flu masks

Glucose sensing contact lenses for diabetics

Solar powered jacket

Largest wearable display

Solar Powered Bag/Lantern

CO2 Sniffing Climate Change Gown

Vote for your fave (or ours) on Ecouterre now and shape the future, today!

Treehugger’s Emma Grady was kind enough to do the shopping for us and found a selection of 6 Green Dresses to Ring in the New Year and 6 Sustainable Shoes To Dance in the New Year! Whoo hoo!

Of the six dresses, four of them are the classic LBD (little black dress), each with their own distinctive twist. The remaining selections include one ivory dress and one with a black and peach pattern against a white background. They’re made from stuff like organic wool, organic cotton poplin, or hemp and recycled poly denim.

They (Treehugger & Emma, that is) put it this way:  

“We are keeping it simple this season and suggest scouring vintage and second-hand shops, raiding a friend’s closet, or–if you absolutely must satisfy your sweet tooth for shopping–shop slow and green. We are bringing it back to the basics with black and white dresses that can be accessorized and worn again in the year to come.”

But the shoes are likely to pull focus from the dress!  Especially our faves, sure to be an Eco-Cult Classic: Melissa Lady Dragon III by Vivienne Westwood (the shoes are pictured above, but you can see Vivienne speak on the rainforest in a recent post to our GWG Universe Blog). 

Melissa Metflex plastic heels are comfy, fun, festive, and a cult classic for eco-fashionistas everywhere. But if instead you’re searching for comfortable flats to dance into 2010, the right shoes for your LBD, or the perfect pumps to pair with one of our 6 Green Dresses for New Years, they recommend getting a jump start on green New Year’s resolutions by “rummaging through your wardrobe before shopping and if kicks cannot be upcycled with shoe clips or fixed-up by a cobbler, then kick back and click through to our selection of sustainable shoes to dance in the New Year.”

Happy new year from Garments Without Guilt!

Wyclef Jean, the Grammy Award-winning musician who achieved fame with The Fugees before going solo, is also a humanitarian, and Goodwill Ambassador to Haiti. He recently teamed up with The Timberland Co. to sell eco-friendly footwear and support reforestation his homeland.

The 16-boot collection, made from recycled and organic materials, includes designs for men, women and kids. Timberland also will sell T-shirts designed by Haitian children, and a new line of organic shirts and hats will be sold at Jean’s concerts, with a cut of the profits going to Jean’s Yele Haiti foundation.

Wyclef founded Yele Haiti in 2005, to build global awareness for Haiti and help drive transformation through education, sports, the arts and environment. In the video above, Hollyscoop.com’s Brian Corsetti caught up with Wyclef Jean at ESPN the Magazine’s NEXT Big Weekend 2009 event in Florida to talk about his Foundation.

Wyclef and Timberland have a shared commitment to the environment and a passion for improving communities throughout the world. The partnership is also part of Timberland’s Earthkeepers program, which promotes environmental and social activism. Wyclef is one of their seven Earthkeeper Heroes.

For every pair of Timberland Earthkeepers(TM) Yele Haiti boots sold, Timberland will donate $2 to the Yele Haiti foundation to support reforestation in Haiti. The collection of eco-conscious footwear will be available globally in February 2010.

Our friends at White Apricot (a website about Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle for the eco and socially conscious) pointed us to this great CSR project from the clothing company Horny Toad.

Horny Toad’s philosophy is “Look good. Feel Good. Do Good.” They believe the choices they make are as important as the clothes they create, so they try each day to lighten their environmental footprint, be good partners in all of their relationships, pay attention and stay active in their communities and support organizations that improve our world - the source of our daily adventures.

This year they’ve joined together with Goodwill® to help Share the Warmth this season, by asking you to donate your “pre-loved” clothes.
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The clothes will be sold at Goodwill locations, and the revenue from the sales of these donated items will go to funding job training and enhancing the quality of life for many people in need.

Also, donating clothes helps recycle usable clothing in environmentally sound ways, keeping billions of pounds of clothing out of U.S. landfills—“a little added nugget of eco-love.”

Not only do you reap the benefits of the philanthropy warm-and-fuzzies, but you get 15% off new Horny Toad clothes!  Bonus!

How it works, step by step:
• Take your pre-loved clothes to a local Goodwill donation center.
• Tell Horny Toad about how many units you donated and how great it felt, on their Share the Warmth page.
• When shopping online, Use the code GOODWILL at checkout for 15% off new Horny Toad duds. If you’d rather shop at a participating dealer with your discount, you can find one on their website, where you can also see how many clothes were donated so far!

And we hope you enjoy the promotional video about winter warmth above!

As we continued our quest through Inhabitat’s Green Holiday Gift Guide, we encountered some lovely jewelry!

Water Is A Human Right Necklace
Not only is this sterling silver faucet pendant with water droplet absolutely charming, it also supports the UN’s “Water is a human right” campaign, which funds clean water initiatives in third world countries. Any woman would be proud to wear this on her neck.

Also check out the Wheel Of Life Necklace - Bellisimo! Jessie Alon’s exquisite handcrafted baubles are cast using a 15th century Venetian technique known as terrazzo (Italian for “terrace”). Made from a mixture of reclaimed marble and recycled glass, her Wheel of Life necklaces are a fusion of Old World grandeur and modern verve.

But, wait!  That’s not all!  Visit these sites for more guilt-free jewelry!

World of Good and their beautiful handmade jewelry selections made from such diverse materials as recycled glass, scrap wood, locally sourced silver, and more. Their collection of jewelry is affordable and unique – the perfect gift for all.  Be sure to read our article about World of Good on our GWG Universe Blog, too.

Novica who, in association with National Geographic, offer eco-friendly green treasures. Novica artisans worldwide have contributed hundreds of stunning eco-friendly and nature-inspired gifts, decor & jewelry. One example is the Turquoise and bamboo cocktail ring, ‘Imagine’ by Warren and Robbin, who explore the tribal origins of art with this imaginative design. Fashioned by hand, the wide silver band clasps an ornate piece of black bamboo. Natural turquoise completes the ring. “We probably hold the record for low environmental impact jewelry, using things like bamboo, coconut shell, bone and horn for the most of our designs, and sparingly using sterling silver.”

Ruff and Cut’s glittering conscience and socially responsible luxury jewelry, inspired by the timeless and intrinsic beauty of the rough diamond. The Ruff&Cut Collection makes social responsibility at once effortless and luxurious with conflict-free diamonds and recycled metals.  Pictured here is the Petals Pendant — A Ruff&Cut exclusive. The Petals Pendant features gentle floral open work and features a round brilliant-cut diamond weighing .03 carats. 18k. Designed by Fifi Bijoux.
The pendant is made in certified recycled gold. The polished diamond is from Liqhobong Diamond Mining Cooperative in Maluti Mountains, cut and polished by Surat Diamond Workers’ Industrial Co-Op Society.

See?  There’s no need to feel guilty about jewelry!

The video above from The Daily Greens gives some great green gift ideas for grown ups, and below we continue our perusal of Inhabitat’s fabulous Green Holiday Gift Guide!

Vintage LP Recycled Coasters – $19.99
Useful gifts are always appreciated and almost everyone can find use for an extra set of coasters – especially fun ones like these ones recycled from vintage records! Each coaster features completely random artists from all eras of music and your giftees will have a blast serving each their guests drinks on coasters showcasing their favorite musical styles.

Recycled Wine Bottle Glasses – $35
These 100% recycled glass tumblers make great gifts for parents who appreciate unique housewares with a sense of history. Green Glass Company creates each one from a reclaimed wine bottle, and you can see the warp, and warble, and imperfections that make each piece unique. Choose from cyan (Bordeaux bottles), cobalt (Westport Rivers Wine bottles), and topaz (Californian Chardonnay bottles). It would go well with the organic wine club subscription mentioned in the video and also recommended by Inhabitat!

Culinary Herb Wreath – $65
This culinary herb wreath is just the thing to warm the hearth of your folks’ home and infuse it with the scent of the country. Each wreath is crafted from organic marjoram, dill, thyme, sage, lavender, anise, cinnamon sticks, and yarrow – all of which can be clipped at will to season meals well into the new year.

Samsung Reclaim Cellphone – $250
Samsung’s eco-friendly reclaim cellphone caused quite a stir when it was released early this year, and for good reason – the green machine is made almost entirely out of corn-based bio plastic and features a design that is 80% recyclable. The phone also boasts standard smartphone credentials sure to please any eco geek, including a full QWERTY keyboard, 3G, GPS, and easy access to social media sites like Twitter, Myspace, and Youtube.

While the video above gives us a look at fun, educational and must-have Christmas gift Ideas for kids in the UK, we’ve also a few more items to share for American kids from the Tots section of Inhabitat’s Green Holiday Gift Guide!

Baby Elephant – $24
Your little ones won’t be able to let go of cuddly Lil’ Ellie once they feel how huggable he is. Plus you can feel good about supporting a very important cause – since Lil’ Ellie is hand-knit by women in Kenya, your purchase allows them to earn a living wage by practicing a skilled craft.

Organic Finger Puppets – $20
Give little ones hours of good old-fashioned fun with these adorable organic finger puppets. They’re the perfect colorful way to teach kids about all the different types of animals and how they are all important to the earth!

Soysilk Tofu Bear & Organic Cotton Teddy
You can’t go wrong when it comes to giving a toddler a beloved plush teddy bear to cuddle — especially one that is as cute and eco-friendly as the Soysilk Tofu Teddy or the sweet organic cotton teddy bear from Volker Senger. The silky smooth tofu teddy is made out of soysilk fiber derived from byproducts of tofu manufacturing and the organic cotton bear is twelve inches long, the perfect size for tiny embraces which will be extra warm and cuddly due to his natural lambswool fill.

Knit Octopus – $78
Octopi get cold too! At least our lovable wooly octopus does, but luckily he has a fetching cap, scarf and booties for all 8 legs to keep him nice and toasty. We’re pretty sure he’ll keep your little animal lover cozy too!

Adopt an Animal From WWF and Get a Plush Toy – $25 to $250
This year give back to the earth by adopting an endangered animal through the World Wildlife Fund. There are 100 different species to choose from, and every donation made goes to protect severely endangered animals and support WWF’s conservation efforts. As an added bonus, you’ll receive a cuddly plush version of the animal that you protected that you can give to a loved one.

We thought we’d highlight some of the green gifts recommended by Inhabitat. They’ve got suggestions for gifts for her, gifts for him, for boys, girls or tots, for moms and dads, gadget nerds, furry friends and new parents.  They’ve got specialty gifts like stocking stuffers, cozy knits, jewelry, handcrafted gifts, gifts that give back, heirlooms and gifts of time. We’ve also included a video about Inhabitat, so you can get to know them a little bettah!

From the gifts for her, we liked:

Tara St. James Single Zipper Necklace – $18
Who would ever guess that this delicate charm is actually made of a single zipper! Designer Tara St. James takes discarded cream and gold zippers and whips them into these rather luxe looking pendants that the lucky girl on your list will simply fall in love with.

Recycled Vinyl Record Cameo Pendant – $56
Is there a special girl in your life that is part edgy rocker chick, part retro glam femme? If so, these intricate cameo pendants recycled from actual vinyl records will win you points in her book. She’ll think of you every time she gets compliments on it!

For the guys:
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Freedom Shaver – $46
Let your man shave off the grid this year with the Wind N’ Go Freedom Shaver, a crank-powered electric razor with a battery. This nifty invention lets a man get a full shave after just a minute of cranking and has interchangeable blades for when they get worn down. Perfect for the guy on-the-go, the Freedom Shaver stays off the grid and on the road wherever he needs a quick touch up.

Bottle Opener Belt – $15
The holidays are a time to eat, drink, and be merry, which makes this one-size fits all bottle opener belt the perfect gift for the beer drinker on your list. A marvel of muti-functional design, each black web belt features a brushed metal tab on one end that doubles as bottle opener.

Check out all their great suggestions at GreenHolidayGiftGuide.Inhabitat.com!�

“Ethical fashion represents an approach to design, sourcing and manufacture of clothing, which is both socially and environmentally sustainable”.

But if you’re reading our blog, you may already know that.  Otherwise, you may be looking for Garments Without Guilt, but you’re just not sure how to choose your guilt-free clothes. 

Manufacturers and clothing retailers who are interested in giving you ethical and environmentally made clothing are gathered in Sri Lanka at the first ever Sri Lanka Design Festival to discuss the why’s and the how’s to make it happen. At the Ethical Fashion Symposium held on November 29th, they discussed topics such as:

• The business case for sustainability
• Is sustainable/ethical sourcing satisfying or creating consumer demand?
• How much international interest is there in ethical sourcing and how to market the products to the industry?
• How relevant is the sustainability of a product to the fashion reporting?
• What are the necessary definitions for ethically sourced products and how do you enforce standards?
• How much does the ethical/sustainable message need to be incorporated into fashion education?
• And of course, how are suppliers in Sri Lanka making the change from price-driven to ethically-driven demand?

You as a consumer may not even want to know the answers to these questions. But aren’t you glad the industry leaders are asking them and looking for the answers on your behalf?

Our friend Kelsey Timmerman has written a book about his journey as an engaged consumer called “Where Am I Wearing?” and he’s the guy in this video, giving you a more real-world way of understanding the ideas behind ethical fashion, and we promise you’ll enjoy the ride and come away smarter.

You can also peruse the categories to the right to learn more about Guilt-Free Fashion and  Ethical Business Practices. Or visit some of our featured links like Ethical Consumer Magazine or Ethical and Green Living. 

You may have also heard the concept discussed with the term Fair Trade. Check out our recent article called “Fair Trade Products Beautify the World!” or from our GWG Universe Blog “Fair Trade Does A World of Good”.

We at Garments Without Guilt want you to know all you can about ethically made, guilt-free clothing so that you know what to ask for!�

The video above gives you a great idea of what they’re about, but just in case you’re watching the video someplace where you need to be quiet, we’ll explain too. Or at least tell you their explanation from their website. Ideal Bite offers bite-sized ideas for light green living - ideas for real people who lead busy lives and want to make small changes that add up to big results. Their Daily Tips cover everything from biodynamic wine to eco-pet products to organic cosmetics. The secret sauce? A spoonful of “incremental environmentalism” combined with a keeping-it-real attitude.

The mission of Ideal Bite is to create a more sustainable world by connecting enlightened companies with responsible consumers who are ready to make small changes that add up. Ideal Bite is a sassier shade of green.

We checked out their Fashion page and found tips for eco-boots, recycled sunglasses, organic underwear, shoe recycling, eco-luggage, and an organic little black dress.  They even break it down into bite-sized categories like Apparel, Accessories, Fashion Care and Men’s.

Clicking on any of the items brings up more details, like the benefits and a list of products you can try, along with a personal tale like, “Heather bought a hot little black organic cotton dress that hangs in her closet as a reminder that she’s not allowed to skip yoga under any circumstances” or “Hanah modeled some of the [organic] women’s underwear for her sig-o so he could help her decide, and - surprise, surprise - he found a whole new appreciation for all-things-eco.” The comments that follow talk about real issues too.

It’s these touches of easily digestible info with personal experience combined with the ease of a list of links so their recommendations can be followed that makes the site so great. Not to mention the cute artwork and clean design.

Go ahead and take a bite. Try it!  You’ll like it!