Organic, Affordable Eco-Activewear on Oahu

Now at Boutique-E: Exclusive on Oahu!

Still & Moving is proud to introduce great, new activewear made with organic cotton and bamboo fabrics that are both beautiful and affordable. Boutique-E is the only place in the Hawaiian islands where you can find them!

“As we are cultivating consciousness here in our movement classes, we are expanding to include the clothing we wear as well,” says Renee Tillotson, our director.

Why buy organic? Since at least 25% of the world’s most harmful pesticides are used to grow cotton, by cleaning up this one industry we can take a big step toward living in harmony with the planet. It is empowering to remember that the choices we make as buyers dictate what is produced.

Organic bamboo fiber has a natural anti-bacterial and deodorization effect. This occurs totally naturally without chemical treatment, so bamboo fabrics are ideal for those with skin allergies or who are chemically sensitive. Bamboo regenerates naturally without replanting, eliminating the need for re-forestation. Bamboo fiber is 100% bio-degradable through prolonged sunlight exposure. Bamboo fiber naturally blocks 98% of all harmful UVA rays!

Paula Rath, Honolulu fashion writer, wrote a great piece with photos about the new lines in the boutique http://www.paularath.com/2012/01/finally-fab-workout-clothes/

Introducing the active wear lines now carried at Still & Moving Center’s Boutique-E:

Green Apple Active was pioneered with the vision to innovate and create new organic products for the active lifestyle arena. They use only natural raw materials, organically grown Bamboo & Certified Organic Cotton in all of their apparel. These crop pants are made from organic bamboo and cotton with 14% lycra for a great fit.

GGO fine organic bamboo clothiers is one of the few yoga lifestyle brands whose yoga collection is actually designed by a yoga professional. Vivica Schwartz – a long time practitioner and instructor of vinyasa flow yoga – design assisted and personally tested GGO’s women’s yoga collection. GGO bamboo grows wild in northern Vietnam and it is harvested responsibly.

Bhakti Ware sews their organic yoga clothing in the U.S. The company since it’s inception has donated $1.08 of the proceeds from every item sold to organizations, which promote higher consciousness and help other beings in need including Habitat for Humanity, Make-a-Wish Foundation, and John Legend’s – ‘Show Me’ Campaign. Clothing on left is made from 100% organic cotton and lycra.

MahaDevi Design is a company from British Columbia, Canada run by two women who are dedicated to creating sustainable clothing made ethically from organic bamboo viscose and hemp. Fabrics are custom-made and dyed in custom colors, They have been wholesaling fabrics to other designers and clothing companies for years. Waterfall skirt and top featured on the right are made from organic bamboo and lycra.

Queen of Hearts Clothing is an independently owned and operated business that is based in Northern California. Their production takes place on Bali, co-creating with a family-owned cottage industry. The company has been able to keep their family of tailors working full time and make annual contributions to non-profit organizations in Bali.

While they are not an organic line, their designs are innovative, made with fair-trade practices. The soft, light-weight fabric is 90% rayon and 10% lycra and the styles are breezy like the islands, a perfect fit for Hawaii and you.

Inner Waves Organics: 100% organic cotton fitness clothing made in the USA. In their holistic approach, they have chosen a low-impact dyeing process, sourced sustainable materials and sought out suppliers and manufacturers who comply with Fair Trade Labor Practices.

Super Buddha: When you purchase a garment from Super Buddha you are dealing directly with the artist designer who created the design. They always strive to source garments that are made in the USA and keep as much of their production as possible local. Super Buddha garments are hand printed or decorated by Super Buddha Collective artists in Santa Barbara, California USA. Sanskrit mantra: “You are All the Buddha.”

Tees for Change is an eco-friendly apparel company whose purpose is to inspire positivity. Adorned with messages such as CHOOSE HAPPINESS, TODAY MATTERS, PRACTICE KINDNESS and EMBRACE CHANGE, the tees are 100% organic cotton and 70% bamboo/ 30% cotton blends. You buy a tee, they plant a tree. To date, customers have helped them plant over 20,000 trees through our partnership with Trees for the Future.

Fashion Blog/Photos of Boutique-E by Paula Rath, Fashionista of Honolulu

Finally! Fab Workout Clothes

January 30th, 2012

posted by Paula Rath for Fashionating!

Sonja Sironen in Queen of Hearts Flower tunic and Audrey capris.

Remember when workout clothes were really cute and fun and you wanted to just live in them? Jane Fonda was our super-fit style siren, dressed in fashionable leotards and flattering tights. The styles came in floral prints and color blocking and a variety of styles to suit every body type. The shorts were actually short – and not baggy. Those were the ’80s, a very long time ago.

Jane Fonda and class in the mid-’80s.

Then, for a long couple of decades, the workout offerings were all about gray and black in workout clothes that seldom had style. Until Lululemon came along with its flattering Groove pant and colorful tops and our own local yoga wear designer, Momi Chee of Lily Lotus created with bling and a bit of excitement in her clothing for yoga and beyond.

Now workout wear seems to be experiencing a renaissance of sorts. Maybe it’s the influence of dance-oriented exercise modalities such as Zumba, salsa, Nia, aerials, belly dance, tango and pole dancing. I don’t really care what’s causing it, I’m just happy to see some interesting and original offerings on the workout scene.

I recently visited the Still & Moving Center where Boutique-E is carrying some workout wear that I have not seen anywhere else in the Islands. The buyer, Heeraa Sazevich, searches far and wide for lines that are “more innovative and original,” she said. In addition, the Center has a commitment to clothing that is environmentally conscious, in keeping with the philosophy of the owner, Renee Tillotson, and the teachers and staff. “If we have a movement studio that is promoting conscious movement, we should incorporate that into the clothing we buy,” said Heeraa Sasevich, buyer for Boutique-E. Nothing is made in China because Tillotson does not approve of the manufacturing practices in China.

Heeraa Sazevich in the Queen of Hearts tank top and Fairy Dancer pant with built-in skirt.

Heeraa shops the world for men’s and women’s clothing that is organic, bamboo (a highly sustainable fiber) or “somehow environmentally friendly,” Heeraa explained. An ecstatic dancer herself (watch this blog for more on that later), Heeraa is always on the lookout for clothes that move with grace and fluidity. “Dancing invokes the feminine,” and that is something she seeks in the clothing she buys for her customers at the Center.

Many of the styles are inspired by, and derived from, Festival clothing, a new category to me. Think ” What do you wear to the Burning Man festival?” It’s all about clothes that move in evocative and interesting ways. They’re dance-oriented and made with freedom of movement in mind. A double row of flounces adds a shimmy, an asymmetrical hemline with pirate-like points flows with the body. A little over skirt flutters whimsically above a flowing pant.

Many of the lines carried at Boutique-E are not found anywhere else in Hawaii. In addition, many do good deeds in the world.

Understanding that not all dancers, exercise and yoga enthusiasts are tiny, Boutique-E carries sizes from XS to XL. Prices range from $29 – $96.

Here’s a brief rundown on some of what I found there:

Kai-Ya Designs: Designed on Kauai and made in Indonesia. “The clothes are not all organic yet, but they’re getting there,” Heeraa explained.

Heera Sazevich in a Kai-ya halter hooded top and Queen of Hearts Fairy dancer pant.

Queen of Hearts: Designed in San Francisco and made in Bali, this line is pure fun and highly original. Boutique-E recently custom ordered pieces in purple and teal to create a more colorful workout scene.

Queen of Hearts Flower tunic

Bhakti Ware: 100 percent organic cotton from a company that donates $1.08 per garment sold to charity.

Tees for Change: The Maryland-based company makes all of its clothing from a bamboo and cotton blend that is naturally anti-bacterial. They plant a tree for every garment sold.