By Vanessa Sanchez
We cannot deny the fact that we have all seen the “Go Green” T-shirts and bags in stores. We have heard talk about how terrible our environment is, due to the carelessness of our own society. It is for this reason that a new eco-friendly outlook on our world is becoming more popular every day.
This new perception on our environment is affecting different areas of our lives. Everything from the way that we eat, attempting to recycle, using different light bulbs and how we dress is being affected by this eco-friendly day and age. Fashion is important in our society and is never forgotten. It is for this reason that Jeff Fulmer from Brentwood, Tenn., decided to help our environment one T-shirt at a time.
Bamboo-U has been said to be “super comfortable” and “noticeably softer than cotton.” It is not only Fulmer who has made these comments, but also others who have worn the shirts themselves.
These shirts are made of bamboo, the fastest growing plant in the world. The only places where it will not grow are in the North and South poles.
Even through times of flooding, the bamboo plant is able to survive on its own and is also able to regenerate without being replanted. All it needs in order to grow is water.
Unlike cotton, there are no pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers or chemicals involved. On the Bamboo-U website, Fulmer states that this plant “absorbs five times the amount of carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gasses) and produces 35 percent more oxygen than its equivalent stand of trees. Bamboo is effective in reducing global warming.”
Not only are these shirts great for the environment, their level of comfort is unique. Bamboo fabric is naturally softer than the softest cotton. It even has a silky feeling to it. Who wouldn’t want to be wrapped in that all day? If you don’t feel like this is a shirt that you would wear on a date, it is also great exercise wear because, as it states on the Bamboo-U website, “Fiber from bamboo is four times more absorbent than cotton.” If you sweat, this shirt evaporates the moisture, and the fibers make it unusually breathable.
Bamboo-U is trying to spark the minds of college students. “College students seem to be more environmentally aware,” says Fulmer. “They are younger and more open to trying new things.” Fulmer made extensive research before beginning this project and is fully aware of the lives that college students live. It is for this reason that his company is not only based on helping the environment, but also focused on the fashion aspect.
As college students, we all know that even though we are “open to new ideas,” we are also aware of fashion. Everyone has a different taste in clothes, and Bamboo-U can be appealing to different people.
They have two basic styles: the logo and the Panda (for all you animal lovers). Their typical “Bamboo-U” logo comes in four different colors, and the Panda design will be coming in six different new styles. Fulmer announced that in the future, they will also be producing yoga pants.
When we go to the gym or attend a yoga class, these pants will come in handy because we are now aware of the benefits of the fabric when it comes to getting sweaty.
We all strive to be unique. Some of us always want to be the first to do everything. We want to be able to say that we started a new trend. This new idea of Bamboo-U is rapidly growing, and while many people are already wearing this new shirt, how many people have you seen wearing them on the University’s campus? Don’t hesitate to act on a good idea.
Don’t hesitate to be one of the firsts. It’s a “super cool product,” as Fulmer put it, and you can’t ever go wrong by being environmentally friendly.
For more information, go to www.bamboo-u.com and www.myspace.com/bamboou.