The Discerning Brute

Trad & True Linen, Food is Bombs, & Tigers in Twilight

These sneaks from F-Troupe are all canvas with a rubber sole. On a bike, in the park, or just chilling out – I can’t imagine not having a ton of fun while wearing these. Available at BBlessing.

According to Time Magazine, The international community rejected U.S.-led efforts to expand protections for a number of endangered and threatened species at a meeting of the U.N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Of the roughly 40 proposals on the agenda, the most contentious dealt with a prized fish. Japan, which imports nearly 80% of bluefin tuna for use in sushi and sashimi, fought hard against a proposed trade ban. Conservationists warned against prioritizing economic interests over the survival of an entire species.

Bluefin tuna: A proposed trade ban was rejected despite the depletion of much of the world’s bluefin stock

Elephant: A ban on trading ivory was reaffirmed, though Tanzania and Zambia pushed for it to be lifted

Shark: Only one of four species hunted for shark-fin soup, the porbeagle, was granted protection

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1975327,00.html#ixzz0jlz6xaTK

Trad and True. Linen and linen blends say casual confidence. When a fabric like linen (also known as flax) is grown, there is no need for pesticides. In addition, the fibers are incredibly strong and have an amazing ability to handle humidity and heat. The hand-feel is rugged, yet lux, and the crumple-factor adds an air of nonchalance. Check these picks from J.Crew, J. Press, Paul Stewart, C.P Company, Etro, Paul Smith, Brooks Brothers, Alexander Olch, Band of Outsiders and John Varvatos:

Food Is Bombs.
The world’s hottest chili is being turned into hand-grenades in India. While not deadly, bhut jolokia, the worlds hottest chili, is intended to render suspects harmless in much the same way tear gas does. But just because it’s a pepper, does not mean it’s not still chemical warfare.

Tigers in Twilight.
• Shenyang Zoo Abuse: There are tons of reasons to be against zoos, but in China, where 11 endangered Siberian tigers starved to death (and 3 more are in critical condition), it’s clear that international attention and action needs to shut these zoo-slums down for good. Some people argue that their kids will never get to see a tiger in the wild, and a zoo is a way to get them to see and care about the tigers. But with this line of logic should we also be caging and showcasing everything else your kids might not see like tribal peoples?Life in a cage for animals that roam free is torture, plain and simple.
• To Save a Snow Leopard: In Afghanistan, a hunter captured one of the rarest creatures alive: a snow leopard. But the hunter who snared the snow leopard saw only a $50,000 price tag. That was the fee supposedly offered by a wealthy Pakistani businessman to any hunter in the Wakhan who could deliver a snow leopard — alive. But the capture of a snow leopard, once believed to be extinct in Afghanistan, didn’t stay secret for long. The feline was to become the object of a four-day rescue operation that involved NATO forces, the U.S. ambassador in Kabul, a royal prince and even Afghan President Hamid Karzai. But the mission would end like so many others of similarly good intentions in Afghanistan.

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joshuakatcher, March 31st 2010 | Tags: Alexander Olch, band of outsiders, bblessing, bluefin tuna, Etro, F-Troupe, J. Press, J.Crew, John Varvatos, linen, Men's Warehouse, paul smith, Paul Stewart, snow leopard, trad
Posted in activism, animal rights, cruelty-free, design, environmental justice, fashion, green, news, social responsibility, trend report, vegan, vegetarian

Judicious Gentlemanswear

1. Fashion Week: Spring 09 Menswear

Spring ’09 will be full of stripes, neutrals with pops of color, and above-the-ankle pants. Band of Outsiders offered casual, laceless loafers, 80′s inspired kid-hipster cuts, and a sense of playing film-noir dress-up. The DKNY man was mostly tie-less and laid back, wearing canvass sneaks. Ducky Brown was inspired by bike messengers and swimmers’ spandex, Lacoste‘s man in red simply showcased polos and cuffed, fitted slacks. Marc Jacobs‘ double-belts, volume, and stripes followed the trends this season. Patrik Ervell toyed around with glam rock-a-billy, Rag & Bone just went straight for the many schools of punk, and Robert Gell er took us to eastern Europe, with Gypsy-softened, military cuts.

What we know about menswear is that there is little flexibility (at least in comparison to womens’ fashion) concerning garments. There are things that define men – suits, ties, knits, hats, waistcoats, jackets, slacks, and certain accessories. In the world of menswear, the leather jacket is almost as defining to male gender as the Bloody Steak is in the world of cuisine. Aside from the perpetual re-modification of tailoring, cuts, and fits – most menswear designers are lost in a cyclical pattern of rotating colors, prints, eras, and fibers. Surprisingly, it is easy to use organic cotton instead of conventional cotton. It is easy to find alternatives to leather and fur. Thanks to designers like Jaanj, we know that ties do not need to be made with silk to be luxurious or silky. Same for knits and wool, yet designers keep pumping out the same old thing – imagining that somehow this is iconoclastic.

Menswear is dying because of logistics and lazy creatures of habit. It is dying due to a lack of vision and a defiant unwillingness to adapt to a landbase in crisis. Designers could use ethical textile suppliers, forcing those who continue to shit on us and get paid for it to change or vanish. Phillip Lim’s grotesquely excessive snakeskin shoes, and so-over keffeyah-inspired scarf seemed useless on the runway. I’d rather see the actual living snake (it is much more beautiful) – or a tribute to Palestinean solidarity that hasn’t been bastardized. Hillfiger’s bone and white suits could easily be made with organic fibers. Designers are just starting to realize that the bubble most of them have found tolerance in – where snakes are shoes and cows are jackets and raccoon-dogs are collars – is becoming more and more difficult to cajole consumers with, whose broadening awareness begs for well-made, compassionate garments and accessories, and exposes the absent referent.

The problem goes even deeper – in a culture of mainstream fashion ‘journalists’ and writers who lack the knowledge to create a critical discourse concerning textiles, labor, and functioning ecosystems – many simply fail to take into account what the clothes are actually made of, how that happened, and what the effects are. Instead, when we do hear about fabric – the only barometer it is measured by is that of outdated and disfunctional ideas of luxury and evocation of wealth.

There are a handful of ethical designers recognized in the mainstream – Trovata for instance – who will be selling their garments from a vegetable powered bus. Others are Organic by John Patrick, Turk & Taylor, NSF, and Linda Loudermilk. They are almost always written off as ‘cooky’.

More to come from spring ’09.

2. Culturata Organics

What can improve upon a long family history in fine italian tailoring? Organic cotton. When in Rome… wear classic, tailored, organic shirts made by expert craftsmen. Culturata Organics is an emerging company with strict environmental and ethical standards.