Holstee - Making the clothes we wear an integral part of sustainable living

Sustainable living can be integrated into virtually every facet of our lives; from the choices we make around our home to those at the office and beyond. Be them as small as picking up a single piece of litter on the street and sending it to the correct deposit or as large as implementing a carbon gas cap across a nation, these are the decisions that impact our world and also perhaps how long we are able to enjoy it. Still, some outlets are able to support the eco-movement in ways that may at first sound a bit unconventional but upon further investigation are so palpable they have been staring us right in the face the entire time. Enter Holstee; the company looking to take the green fashion trend to a whole new level.

When one thinks of fashion in terms of sustainable living what kind of image does this conjure up? Is it an Earth Mama donning burlap bag-esque duds and dreadlocks? While that may be one option another is becoming a bit more available and appealing to the mainstream public. Many may be surprised to learn that in terms of having the potential to offset the current mammoth amounts of carbon gas released annually, the fashion sector yields much power. Holstee has harnessed this potential and in turn works to cover all of their bases; not only are the shirts themselves created out of industrial polyester scraps and 100% recycled plastic bottles, but they limit the amount of shipping and transportation needs by making their line locally, and cut out as much extraneous packaging materials as possible. (Although they are conscious of what they do use and even that is recyclable as the bags that the shirts come in are quaintly coined 'poopbags' which as the name infers are perfect biodegradable sacks to pick up after Fido!) Still, that is not enough in today's current times for one cannot overlook the intense need to give back to society and help humanity to grow and lift those less fortunate out of poverty, "At Holstee, the more we learn about what it means to be sustainable the more we realized how dependent eco-friendly and humanitarianism are on each other," notes Michael Radparvar one of the founders of the unique brand. To achieve this 10% of each sale is then used to encourage burgeoning entrepreneurs in developing nations, "By lending to entrepreneurs and dreamers in the developing world, we are able to directly help individuals from a grass roots level and bypass much bureaucracy in the process," he continues.

This sense of inspired hope and following your dreams, living your life to seek fulfillment is perhaps the strongest thread running throughout the Holstee namesake, "If you don't like something, change it. Life is short. Live your dream, and wear your passion." This creed greets viewers of the website and it in fact sums up the conception of the company, "Dave, Fabian and I knew we wanted a lifestyle change, but we weren't convinced new jobs would cut it. The more we thought about it, the more we realized there was no better time to give a project like Holstee a goToday, Holstee produces apparel that positively influences every stakeholder- people, planet and product," explains Radparvar. This initiative can in turn be spun to offer hope to many that may be currently suffering from their own drastic life changes in a tough economy. "The recession has provided so many folks the opportunity to re-examine what is important to them. For good reason too, it's the perfect time to make a change and start something new." Inspiring words in that instead of feeling like one is lost and grappling for a stronghold in the form of a preconceived ideal job or other similar venue, build your own mountain and make it one that benefits a greater cause.

What that means from Holstee is cutting our reliance on cotton apparel and shifting that to fibers and materials that are in line with more sustainable living. "If people knew that cotton represents 2% of the world's crops but requires 25% of the world's pesticides - we'd probably see more people think twice about wearing it," conveys Radparvar. In contrast by opting for industrial scraps and plastic bottles we can reduce the abundance of toxins and also keep those same plastics out of landfills. Recycling is then applied to not only the shirts and fins but the hang tags, the aforementioned 'poopbag' linings, and mailing envelopes that in a past life served as newspapers. When you purchase a garment from Holstee you are supporting not only a greener earth and business owners striving to overcome financial obstacles but you are also helping to spread awareness for a radical change in how we think, operate, and conduct ourselves, "All in all, we're focusing more on making business decisions with our heart and our conscious - it's the most effective way to get to true sustainability."

So what's on tap for the Holstee brand? "We have some neat product and collaborations planned for the near future including a completely upcycled wallet and line of Tee's - scheduled for Earth DayWe are also super excited about the launch of The Holstee MarketplaceStay tuned, there will be lots more info on this soon," professes the excited founder. Surely for all interested in sustainable living, (and hopefully that is the vast majority!) if you haven't yet thought about the clothes you wear, than you definitely should be; and there is no better place to start than Holstee.

Be sure to visit Holstee.com and a special thanks goes out to one of the three Holstee founders, Michael Radparvar, for obliging me with a couple questions and Ruhi Shamim for suggesting this awesome company to be a featured post!

Photo credit: holstee.com