The Discerning Brute: fashion, food & etiquette for the ethically handsome man » Alternative Apparel

Polos, Smoothies & Animals Rights in Washington

joshuakatcher — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:32:07 +0000

• A polo is great because it's somewhere in between a dress-shirt and a tee-shirt. The sophistication of a collar and buttons combined with the comfort and casualness of a short-sleeve tee is perfect for backyard barbecues, outdoor lunch meetings, and Sunday brunches. Thrift stores are chock-full of polos, and here are some ethical polos to ponder in organic cotton, hemp, recycled poly and more:

• You don't need a blender to make a shake. Vega's new shake & go smoothie is great because there's no cleanup. Only 100 calories per serving with 2500 mg Omega-3-6-9, 11 g complete protein, and 1 billion probiotics cultures. Just add two heaping tablespoons to ½-1 cup water, shake and go! Formulated by Brendan Brazier, vegan, professional Ironman triathlete and bestselling author on performance nutrition

• The National Journal wrote a thorough and objective article about the state of the Animal Rights movement. According to them, the sophisticated movement is gaining momentum, sharpening it's tools, and ushering in some huge political and cultural changes - but not without a backlash from animal farmers and animal-industry-funded groups like the Center for Consumer Freedom. • Tail docking cattle is among the most disturbing practices MFA's undercover investigator captured on film during a recent investigation of New York's largest dairy operation. A worker uses a bladed clamp to slice off the ends of calves' tails, severing nerves, skin and vertebrae - all without the use of anesthesia. The calves' legs buckle from the pain, as they stagger and stumble to the ground. The worker then applies a smoking cautery device to the amputations. Find out how you can help.

Win a ReThink Gift Pack!

joshuakatcher — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:55:25 +0000

Exclusively for 'The Discerning Brute' readers, register to win a gift pack from Alternative Apparel that contains one of Alternative’s limited-edition Think Earth Tees, as well as an Organic Cotton V-Neck and Eco-Heather Zip Hoodie! Click here, and fill out your info! Hurry! Last day for submissions is Sunday, December 20, 2009. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, December 22, 2009. Don't forget to get down with Alternative Apparel's ReThink Campaign, featuring some of our favorite peeps like Alicia Silverstone, Nigel Barker & Zach Gilford!

Local Myth, Man-Boob Billboard & Walking For Farm Animals

TheDiscerningBrute — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:34:27 +0000

It turns out that omnivorous locavores may be bending over backwards for no reason if their goals are environmental. Read the Forbes article that takes the meat out of the locavore argument and puts the emphasis right back on the largest single contributor to greenhouse gas emissions: meat and dairy. But we know that already, right? There's nothing green about local bacon aside from the greenwashing in which it's packaged. It's almost as bad as the "humane slaughter" myth. Sometimes all you need is a simple, organic cotton tee in a few colors to take your wardrobe to the next level. Logos, silkscreen graphics and band names can distract from the main attraction: you. Alternative Apparel has crew neck and v-neck tees in every damn color. PETA recently took some heat for asking us to save some whales - from blubber. Women went nuts when PETA put up a billboard saying that adopting a vegetarian diet can lead to weight loss, and now they are going after the guys! So what do you think? Offensive or crafty? Meatloaf is not just for meat-eaters. With 33g of protein per serving, Field Roast's Classic Meat Loaf packs some serious muscle. Order it online or check your local retailer. Walk like a man. We often hear about all the things we should do "like men". But now, you can really walk like a man, by raising money to benefit Farm Sanctuary! Click HERE to see all the walk dates and locations. To raise funds in person, please use the Offline Donation Form. You’ll need to bring the completed form and any donations with you the day of the Walk. If you can't make it and want to sponsor someone, like our friend Gretchen or Dave, or simply donate, please do that too! Thanks to our friend Ari, who is often a guest columnist on GGA, and who owns the snarky, yummy vegan, soy-candle company A Scent of Scandal forwarded locavore and man-boob articles.

Fresh Friday Finds

TheDiscerningBrute — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 05:09:27 +0000

1. If you thought they couldn't possibly be any more disgusting, the parting Bush Administration has denied dwindling, drowning and starving Polar Bears protection under the Endangered Species Act. Human generated global-warming, mostly caused by meat & dairy production, is the #1 culprit. Read the full article here.

“This rule makes a mockery of the Endangered Species Act, our nation’s most important wildlife protection law,” said Defenders of Wildlife executive vice president, Jamie Rappaport Clark. “The polar bear doesn’t have time for political maneuvers. Its habitat is melting away, its food is becoming scarce and the science is clear that the cause is global warming - yet the rule this administration released today affirms that little will be done to save the species from sure extinction.

2. If you wear glasses or sunglasses, and you don't know about Fabulous Fanny's, you are missing out! Get the most amazing selection of thrift & vintage frames and shades. Buying thrift is the greenest way to shop! It's one of the East Village's best kept secrets, and one of my personal favs. 3. Farm Sanctuary strikes again! With an awesome party, of course! With Miss Guy on the turn table, more amazing vegan food than your eyes and tummy can handle, and the most inspiring crowd of activists and celebs from Danilea Sea and Alison Becker to Jennifer Coolidge, Corey Feldman & Inder Bedhi of Matt&Nat - this Winter Wonderland fundraiser was not to be missed - but if you did miss it, make sure to make it to next one! Farmsanctuary.org 4. Our friend Karl at PARTYBOTS has designed some awesome, 100% post-consumer recycled, originally designed notebooks! These are sweet and under $6 each! Cheap gifts for everyone this holiday! 5. This holiday, you may be feeling philanthropic. However, be very aware of organizations like Heifer International - whose promises of alleviating malnutrition and poverty through providing animals, actually has disasterous results. Like the little fact that over 90% of the Africans who are given dairy cows are lactose intolerant. Our friends at WFAS school us on this, and tell us how we can really help: "While this might sound good on paper, the water and land needs of livestock in areas that are often short on both quickly outweigh the benefits -- instead it increases human dependence on an unsustainable food-system that depletes the environment and does not fulfill all of a community’s real nutritional or long-term survival needs" Read the full article. 6. Organic Cotton from Alternative Apparel is so much better than conventional cotton from the notoriously homophobic Urban Outfitters. 7. December 20th is National "Adopt, Don't Shop" day. The Saturday before Christmas is the biggest puppy-buying day of the year. This year, In Defense of Animals is teaming up with activists in dozens of cities around the country to educate the public about the horrors of pet factories (puppy mills) and encourage people to adopt a homeless animal from a shelter or rescue group instead of buying one from a pet store. Enzo and I say you should adopt! 8. In case you missed it on Ecorazzi, Chloé Jo Berman, and yours truly were interviewed about ethical fashion. Read the interview! 9. Elephants should not be in zoos. For example, the Los Angeles zoo has killed 13 elephants. Help close down this horrible slave-trade, and save Billy from the same fate that his previous 13 fellow elephants experienced. These intelligent, emotionally complex and gorgeous beings belong in their native habitat, not in captivity. You can view video of Billy and the Los Angeles Zoo here. You can donate to IDA's campaign to Free Billy here. 10. The sleek Pool Collection from Matt&Nat has arrived! Get it while it's hot, then take a dip in the pool. 100% vegan, recycled lining, and cool as hell.