Spotted at my niece’s science fair:
Lotta running kids, and as such a lot of falling kids.
Note: easiest way to have everyone look at you like you are a creep is to be bearded and walking around an elementary school science fair.
Sundippers
Eco-Conscious Fashion for the Fashion Conscious
Over the course of the last year we have gotten a lot of questions about “surf-volunteerism”. To be honest, before starting Sundippers I had no idea what it meant. I think one of the coolest things about venturing out on a new path is the way it can expand your worldview and this is one great example of that fact. Surf-volunteerism is something I learned about through a company called Waves For Development. In getting to know one of its founders, Dave Aabo, I found it to be a perfect partner for Sundippers. Waves believes that the ocean communities are a vital part of the ocean as a whole and as such that developing these communities is a benefit to the beaches themselves. The main drive of this mission is that a volunteer will come to Lobitos, a surfing location in Peru, and help out the local youth with various activities while also surfing premier waves. These educational programs are a great boon to an economically disadvantaged area such as this one. And that, in a nutshell, is surf volunteerism. Please check out the Waves site for more info on how YOU can get involved.
The photoshoot is finished, and I must say that the pictures came out incredibly. Lori, the photographer just started branching out from concert shoots, and her work there really translates well to stills. Check her work out here and here if you’ve got a minute. I will post some of the pictures after the touchups are done.
I wanted to take a minute to address Sundippers commitment to organic cotton. We often get questions like: “what is organic cotton?” or “why do you use organic cotton?”. People often consider organic food products because they do not want to consume pesticides, but the impact is far greater than just personal health. Cotton, like say corn, is a crop. It needs to be fertilized, as well as harvested. In the growing of typical cotton, chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used to ensure speedy development; this is not true with organic cotton. This greatly reduces the runoff into water supplies, and also makes a safer workplace for the harvesters. Health risks from pesticides include birth defects, immune system issues and a number of others. As an eco-friendly business, it would be difficult to justify creating products that knowingly harm not only workers but inhabitants of surrounding communities. Water pollution effects us all, and in using organic cotton we continue the preservation of our world’s water supplies. The value of clean water cannot be underestimated. Here’s a source on the benefits of organic cotton if you’d like to do some more reading.
Lastly, why not check out one of our suppliers, Royal Apparel, who make great organic cotton clothing, right here in the US.
Song of the Week: Broken Bells- The High Road.
Summer is over, fall is almost done too, but still the beach is beautiful. The other day all I could think of was the way the caps of the waves look against the backdrop of a grey December day. Beauty isn’t transient. It is why paintings and songs and films from way back still resonate. I try to remember this often.
Melting Vitruvian
Vitruvian Man from John Quigley for Greenpeace, to show the rapid melting of ice via climate change.
courtesy of theinspiration via fuckyouverymuch
The planet will not save itself.
Sundippers, this is the first official post on the Sundippers tumblr and it follows a whirlwind week. As always, things are moving fast here at Sundippers, with a lot of behind the scenes stuff going on. One of the most exciting things is the continuing preparation for the Surf Expo in Orlando in just over a month. We have two brand new designs ready for it and if I do say so myself, they are two of the crispest shirts I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, for now my lips have to stay sealed on the specifics, but maybe we’ll toss up a preview after out photo shoot this week.
I made a facebook/twitter post about this recently, but as an eco-friendly company, one must constantly consider their environmental impact. There is a lot of plastic waste that we as humans create with little effective way to dispose of. Two things that you might consider asking for this holiday season (besides a nice little Sundippers stocking stuffer of course) are a reusable water bottle and a water filter system. Both are ways to cut back on your carbon footprint with relatively little expense. I would recommend Klean Kanteen for your water bottle (or insulated mug) due to their responsible production methods.
It seems like every single week we are figuring out just one more thing to help synthesize the vision of the company. If next year, we have moved as far as we did in the past year, then I will continue to have lot to be thankful for in regards to Sundippers.
Have a good week everyone, and peep this week’s listening, Blue’s Traveler’s Hook.
-SD
Looking for Environmentally Friendly Businesses?
Look no further! This site offers a list of them! (My god theres hundreds…)
Insert sprout eco-geekout here.
Always helpful!
This is looking really fresh, nice set up.Screen printed tee shirts by backward prints. We have new designs this year including owls. Come to the winter fantasy show in laguna beach today and check them out.
Sundippers Tumblr
Sundippers Tumblr is now live. Expect daily content, as well as a wrap-up at the end of every week. In the holiday spirit, do your best to remember that part of being thankful is giving back; support the things you love because they support you too.
-SD
