Red Bamboo Tank

admin — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:36:00 +0000

Cotton is a quandary. To me, no fabric is more comfortable, but its environmental impact is vast. Cotton is sprayed with reservoirs of pesticides, dumping tanks of volatile organic compounds onto the soil. The wide spacing necessary to cultivate cottons also diminishes soil fertility. Also, if you use cotton, odds are that you are exploiting a child in Uzbekistan. Is there anyway to avoid culpability?

Synthetics make me feel like I'm wrapped in plastic. Bamboo, on the other hand, takes in five times the volume of greenhouse gasses as an equivalent stand of timber trees and releases thirty-five percent more oxygen. Bamboo does not require replanting or fertilization, and its roots provide an infrastructure that help prevent erosion.

Fortunately, bamboo-material clothing is becoming more available. The labor conditions of the workers who produce it may be compromised, but at least it's creating less damage at the ground level. Dear Lil Devas purchases material from factories from who meet Oeko-Tex and ISO 14001 standards, the highest international standards for protection of workers and the environment. They offer splendid high-coverage tanks in a full spectrum of shades—white, natural, baby pink, light blue, red, cobalt, green, brown, and black—made from lightweight bamboo fabric. The fabric is reported to have hypoallergenic and antibacterial and antifungal properties, and the top is designed with a lined bust and a length that keeps the belly covered when executing the Tree, Triangle, or Cobra. Their pants and bags are manufactured locally. Pants are available in two styles and five colors. Now, if I can achieve something more than the lotus position. Tadakasana, I can also handle. Time to go practice.

Photo depicts Dear Lil Devas bamboo tank in brown.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, September 8th 2009