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Green Gear from Nau Clothing’s Spring Collection & a Hoody Giveaway!

travel with a purpose — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:36:22 +0000

It’s springtime, and I’m tucking away sweatpants and browsing my favorite sites for some new sunny-weather sundries.

First stop – www.nau.com for a peek at the new spring collection! I’ve been a big fan of nau clothing for awhile now, where fashion-forward design meets forward-thinking sustainability, and many of their items are particularly travel-friendly.

I’m eyeballing a few items such as the courier skirt and dual citizen hoody, which look like they’ll fit the bill for getting me through the airport and on to the street, feeling pretty all the while.

The Alternative Consumer is a big fan of nau too! Right now they are hosting a giveaway of 2 dual citizen hoodies on their site; but you’ve got to hurry up and get over there before midnight EST tonight!

While you’re there, poke around the Alternative Consumer site for great eco product reviews, news and eco geekery!

keep it green when seeking out winter white

travel with a purpose — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:00:25 +0000

This time of year, scores of Americans are hitting the slopes for skiing, snowboarding and other snowsports. How do you choose which ski resort you’ll be heading to next weekend? Besides snow conditions, many responsible travelers are also starting to turn their attention to the environmental practices of the ski resorts they frequent.

The Ski Area Citizens Coalition has created a fantastic resource with their annual Ski Area Environmental Scorecard to help you choose the most environmentally friendly areas to hit the slopes. The resorts are scored based on a range of things, including: impact on local natural resources and wildlife, operation environmental policies, recycling programs, use of alternative fuels and energy efficiency.

From the scorecard comes SACC’s Top 10 recommendations, based on a 100 point system. Here’s their current top 10 for this season:

1. Aspen Mountain Ski Resort – Colorado

2. Buttermilk Mountain Ski Resort – Colorado

3. Sundance Resort – Utah

4. Park City Mountain Resort – Utah

5. Squaw Valley USA – California

6. Alpine Meadows Ski Area – California

7. Aspen Highlands Ski Resort – Colorado

8. Bogus Basin Mountain Resort – Idaho

9. Mount Bachelor Ski Area – Oregon

10. Telluride Ski Resort – Colorado

And be sure to make your ski weekend even greener by carpooling or taking the ski shuttle to the mountain!

photo courtesy of fd at Creative Commons

earth creations: clothing with conscience and highlighted Passports with Purpose prize!

travel with a purpose — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:09:08 +0000

As a female traveler, I have learned that the clothing I choose needs to satisfy two things – it has to be extremely comfortable and functional, and it has to make me feel pretty and feminine. I know that sounds petty, but any woman who has arrived tired and bedraggled in an exotic locale and emerged onto the metropolitan streets in those zip-off legged hiking pants knows what I am talking about.

When I find clothes that really fit the bill for me, I rejoice. And then when I find those clothes are made by a company with a conscience, I rejoice and tell others.

My newest infatuation is with Earth Creation’s line of sustainable, stylish and oh-so-feminine clothing. Not only does this Alabama-based company use natural fibers and clay-based dyes, but they support some great causes as well. EcoSprouts, a division of Earth Creations, offers grade schools across the country an ecological and educational alternative to traditional fundraising. And now they have generously donated 2 of my favorites pieces to Wanderlust & Lipstick’s very own Passports with Purpose fundraiser on now for Heifer International!

Here’s the Earth Creations in my current wardrobe rotation:

Skop Skirt – Passports with Purpose Prize item!

It’s really quite simple, but the wrapping asymetrical look just gives this comfy stretchy skirt a really cool edge. The thick stretchy top section allows you to wear this however you are most comfortable (hike it up to your navel or roll down the top to hip-height). It’s a great length for traveling too – short enough to be stylish and cute, but long enough to maneuver in without fear of flashing. This item can actually be worn as a top or dress as well as a good ol’ skirt.

Hemisphere Hoody

The first time I put this on, it felt like we had been good friends for years. I love that fact that the hood is actually big enough to be very functional as a head-cloaking device during bad hair mornings on red-eye flights, and the cut and styling has these sweet little swooping lines that make it feel girlier than your average hoody.

Dharma Pant & Babelicious Boot Cut Pant – Passports with Purpose prize item!

These are essentially yoga-type pants, without the too-revealing lycra fit that keeps me from wearing my yoga pants on the street. Both are extremely comfy and flattering – the Dharmas are crop-length with billowing wide legs, and the Babelicious are more of a full-length, slightly more fitted pant. These are ideal for trans-atlantic flights, overnight trains and buses, long walking days wandering through rural villages and probably will serve double-duty on my next trip as pj’s.

Tranquility Top

The cut of the neck line is my favorite part of the Tranquily Top. It creates the perfect showcase for any exotic necklaces or scarves I’m likely to buy while out on the road. I also love the three-quarter sleeve length (ooh, bracelets too!) and once again, the curvy organic lines sweep in a very flattering way across the waist and hips.

Ladies Long Sleeve Tee & Skinny Tee

Just a great classic t-shirt-type layer that strays from the norm by being made of sustainable, organic materials and dyes in an array of pretty earth tone colors and cool graphics.

Now boogie over to the Passports with Purpose page and enter for your chance to win!