Summer Sun: Bamboo Aviators, Fair Trade Fedoras

Men

Vogue recently announced their list of top Ethical and Sustainable Designers to know, and I was inspired by Carry Somers’ hat line Pachacuti. The hat line started when Somers, on a trip to Ecuador, witnessed inequitable and polluting trading patterns where intermediaries made all the profits. Pachacuti is the first Fair Trade organization to complete the pilot for the new World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) certification process, has a extensive sustainability initiative, and became the first international Fair Trade business to be able to put ‘Certified Fair Trade and Sustainable’ on all products. To top it off, the hats are really cool and come in so many different styles and colors. Most of the hats are cruelty-free, but I’m not crazy about the fact that some have leather (the worst possible thing to use if you care about ecology).

Planter Brisa Grade 8 Coffee Flecked Panama Hat Capri

Red Houndstooth Panama Hat Fedora Back Cornflower Panama Hat Narrow Brim Fedora

A lot of the others on the Vogue list lead me to ask what they think is ethical or sustainable about leather & wool? Not to toot my own horn (toot! toot!) but The Discerning Brute’s Top 20 Designers To Know by Earth Day list is a bit more accurate and informed when it comes to tackling the real ecological problems with fashion production.

Acetate and Bamboo Aviator Unitdot Bamboo SunglassesSilver Aviator Unitdot Bamboo Sunglasses

My Life’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades. Acetate or Silver and Bamboo Aviator Unitdot Bamboo Sunglasses, by Designer Cyrus Wong, come in 3 stylish designs and are available with a promotion price of $120. With every Unitdot Bamboo Eyewear sold,  $3 will be donated to UNICEF for the orphaned street children worldwide and Excentree will donate a tree for each pair sold.

Human Breast Cheese, SIGG Sale, Tofu Tester & Sonic Fedora

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• I’m trying to figure out what the hell all this infantile (haha!) hysteria about he human breast milk cheese is really about. Is it really being considered the worst idea ever? It it really illegal? C’mon. Really?

When comparing cow and human milk, let’s ask a few question. Which milk comes from a consenting individual? It’s not the cows’. Which milk typically has pus, blood, synthetic hormones, and feces in it? Nope, not the human milk. Which milk is designed by nature for human consumption? Not the cows’. Which milk is responsible for the veal industry and global warming? Not the human milk.

So why are people freaking out? Why is human breast milk any more gross than drinking the random tit milk from a cow stuck in a filthy factory farm up to its knees in feces? Let’s face it, people are so boob obsessed that’s all they can think about. Boobs! But if you had to push a calf aside, crawl under a cow and put an udder in your mouth and suck – you’d have a much different point of view. The anonymity and safety of the milk carton obscures the truth. The newness of the human milk illicits visions of adults sucking on pregnant tits, which is, apparently, very scary. That’s why I prefer almond, coconut, rice, and soy milk. Yum!

What do you think about this issue? Leave a comment!

• SIGG sale at Gilt Groupe! Only $10 – $15. Click here for you invitation to Gilt.

• Serious Eats’ Michael Natkin conducted a taste test of several store-bought tofu brands to bring you the least-bland winner of the taste test! I’ve never been a huge fan of plan old tofu, but according to Michael:

not all tofu is created equal. Some tofu has a mild, sweet beany flavor and a smooth consistency, while other brands have flavor defects and strange textures.

In Japan, it’s understood that top-shelf bean curd is an artisanal product made with only the best soybeans and spring water and processed with labor-intensive traditional techniques. That level of appreciation is unusual in the United States, but perhaps it will become more common as we realize that tofu is a versatile and delicious food in its own right, not a replacement for meat.”

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• Remember those recycled cassette tape ties? Check these recycled cassette tape fedoras from the same people!

recycled cassette tape fedora from alyce santoro