Today’s post comes to you on Earth Day, a time when we all slow down to reflect on the planet we live on and our human impact that affects nature. As outdoor recreation enthusiasts, we’re always looking for ways to reduce our footprint and be good stewards of the environment. As a result, many of us insist of buying outdoor gear from companies that have a green track record and strive to make earth-friendly products. Mountain Khakis is one such company now that they’ve released a new line of environmentally shirts, which I got to try out just in time for Earth Day.
The Mountain Khakis Approach and Fairway Collections are both made from recycled materials, but you may be surprised what what’s in them. First up is the new Approach Collection, a line of shirts made from recycled coffee grounds. The fabric features S.Cafe® fabric – spent coffee grounds from coffee shops are salvaged then re-ground into super-fine bits, mixed with molten polyester and recycled into a composite fiber. The fabric is then made into an innovative performance yarn that delivers odor control, UV resistance and quick-drying properties.
If you’re a coffee lover like I am, then the thought of wearing your favorite drink is a bit odd. I was curious how this coffee ground shirt would work, so I wore the Approach crew and polo shirts around. The fabric is very supple, and feels really natural despite being woven with polyester. But to be considered gear, the shirts have to stand up to the rigors of the outdoors. So I wore the Approach crew on a six-mile run. To my delight, those-coffee ground threads kept me cool and dry the whole way. These shirts may not look very “teched out,” but the Approach Collection definitely has the qualities of moisture-wicking, technical performance pieces. The Approach also comes in a Henley version.
Another Earth-friendly line of shirts are the Mountain Khakis Fairway Collection. The Fairway shirts are made from recycled plastic bottles, which are turned into fabric called PET. But while most PET yarns require a highly clean source of recycled plastic, Mountain Khakis’ Bionic® uses recycled PET fiber that can be produced universally, including developing countries where plastic waste is a serious issue. The dual layer Bionic® Dpx yarn produces a fabric surface of cotton and a core of recycled PET. In fact, each Mountain Khakis Fairway shirt contains as many as 14 PET recycled plastic bottles. Now that’s something Mother Earth can get behind!
Golfers seem to be the target market of the Fairway Collection (hence the name) but I don’t golf… like… ever. But I did rock the Fairway Polo to work, around town, and even on a short hike in Provo Canyon on a very warm day. Just like the Approach shirts, the Fairway Polo kept me cool and dry. I was also impressed by the quality of the shirt, especially how tight the weave is, how well the shirt fit and kept its shape, and how it features cool metal buttons on the collar. The Fairway also come in a crew version.
So if you’re celebrating Earth Day, or are on the lookout for any Earth-friendly clothes, then give the new Approach
and Fairway Collections a look. You can wear recycled coffee grounds and plastic bottles, look good doing it, and know that you’ve made a difference by purchasing clothes that reduced the waste stream.
For more information, visit Mountain Khakis online.