This is a wonderful film from Ian Connacher, which goes into great detail about the history, environmental impact and future of plastic.

Two guys, two cameras, two years. Five continents, twleve countries, 160,000 kilometers. 49 interviews, 9 factories, 6 landfills. 85 minutes. It is alarming, disturbing - but also informing, emotional and motivating. It makes you want to do something about it.

So what can we do?

Inform others
Share this video and others like it with friends. Inform yourself about the impact of plastics in our world and share with others.

Get schools and teachers involved
Our children will have to deal with this problem. They might as well get started.

Stop consuming plastic
Don’t purchase, don’t use, don’t discard. Only 3% of all plastic is recycled. And most recycled plastic is not truly re-used, but winds up in land fills.

Demand change
Speak with business people, civic organizations, government representatives and demand change.

Join together
Find organizations who are concerned and actively promote change. Join them, participate and help mold the future.

We want to hear from you
So progress depends on the flow of information - what can YOU do to help? PLEASE contact us any videos, papers, etc. on protecting the environment, human life and other species - and we will post them on our site to help spread the information. Or join us on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or Flickr and discuss!

-Bert

We ran across this wonderful video just a few days ago - we LOVE it! and we hope You enjoy it as well.

Creating Demand
One of the most interesting tactics explained in the movie is that industry makes money by “creating demand”, basically by instilling fear with the public.

How might that work?
1. Weapons manufacturers could instill fear of a steadily increasing threat against which we must arm ourselves increasingly
2. Oil companies could instill fear of reliance on dangerous and unstable nations for oil as a reason to increase offshore drilling in the US
3. Chemical companies could instill fear of crop loss to insects and weeds to increase sales of insecticides, herbicides and genetically modified seeds
4. Clothing companies could instill fear of body odor to increase sales of clothing with nano-particles which kill bacteria (and fish)

But maybe that works both ways! What if it became known that:
1. Weapons manufacturers are not only overstate foreign threats, but actually help create them by selling weapons to unstable governments?
2. Continued rapid consumption of oil will lead to treacherous climatic disasters?
3. Insects and weeds are rapidly mutating and becoming immune to chemicals and genetic engineering?
4. Anti-odor clothing releases silver ions, and the EPA believes “that these ions may pose potential hazards to humans and the environment”?

What can YOU do?
So progress depends on the flow of information - what can YOU do to help? PLEASE contact us any videos, papers, etc. on protecting the environment, human life and other species - and we will post them on our site to help spread the information. Or join us on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or Flickr and discuss!

-Bert

Or: “disposable” isn’t really!

We all talk about change and public health care.

But we barely link health to our everyday life and our consumer behavior - especially as it relates to plastics.

Plastics make everything so convenient, disposable, easy to use. We are in denial, we hope to be not seen in public when we use a plastic water bottle.

We try not to think about the plastic island in the middle of the ocean and the eager accomplishments of the petroleum companies in Alberta, Canada. Money makes the world go round.

We tend to forget the fact that these ingredients (long-chain polymers, phthalates, BPA, plasticizers, nano-particles, etc.) may be harmful to our health (especially when combined with your sweat during exercise) next to our skin or drinking out of that plastic bottle (which travels through many different temperatures in the process of manufacturing and transportation) and trust the convenience and go on with our lives. (Sorry I get so agitated by these things)!

We would like help reduce or eliminate the use of petroleum products such as:
- Plastic bottles (recycling is not a help - it encourages to use more of plastic bottles which most of it goes to the ocean)
- Petroleum-based insecticides, fungicides, and fertilizers
- Plastic fabrics like nylon, polyesters, etc.
- Plastic packaging

We limit our use of plastics to a (certified organic clothing) maximum of 5% Lycra in some of our products and we are actively working on alternatives to learn how eliminate plastics even in very little quantities from our products, production processes and shipping.

Or: Our Clothes go All the Way.

Why are we saying this?

Well, here are 5 reasons!

1- In every step of the production of our clothes we go to great lengths to achieve an absolute minimum if not no impact to the environment. We celebrate clean environment, cherish and respect nature. All Organic Cotton….No fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, fertilizers, pthalates, formaldehyde, chlorine,……almost no petroleum products in making of our products and no chemical residues on your skin while you sweat. This is good news!

2- We can proudly say that some of our clothes compostable - what comes from nature goes to nature! (the styles using our 100% fine mercerized turkish organic cotton) We choose not to fill the lands, ocean and stomach of creatures with our products. When they finally do wear out (which may take a while!!) please throw your Prancing Leopard Organics clothes into your household trash - it will decompose gently in the landfill. Or reuse the cloth for different purposes. You might have problems parting with them, if you like good things that get old and beautiful with time. Well, you can always buy new ones; we are always adding new styles to cheer you up.

3- We have got style! You can definitively say that! Fashion is our passion! AND we design our clothes so that they won’t go out of style for a long time.

4- We care about the social aspects of our business. Fair trade, working with manufacturers who have insured adult workers. We are a little drop in the ocean, but as we grow we hope our quality products and social aspects of our business will some day help to make a difference - helping to transform the fashion business from an environementally damaging sweat-shop industry into something we all want for our children.

5- Last but not least is the TOUCH and FEEL of our clothes. How gentle they are to your skin, how you can feel the difference of caring… everything from design details to our promise of freedom you feel in our clothes.

Well, all this was/is only possible with your support and attention. Be our friend at FACEBOOK and follow us on TWITTER, or even MYSPACE or FLICKR or just sign up for latest offers and news!

Sooooo, Orange you glad that we are PRANCING LEOPARD and not (Lulu)Lemon?

Have a beautiful day!

Sevda

Or: Let Your Lifestyle Define Your Style.

Statistics show that more and more people like to exercise. People who exercise are happier and balanced. It’s also evident with the success of those sports clothing brands. Women are shopping for more comfortable clothes.

In our very dynamic lifestyle, the boundaries between work and sport and party clothes are blurred. What if we combine the stylish clothes you wear for work with your studio and gym clothes? What if you can go to work and do yoga between two meetings or go for a light run around the block and back to work again? or the other way around - and look stylish both ways?

At Prancing Leopard Organics we want to offer a different approach to sports wear - where style, fashion, being 100% green and active wear come together. Rethink…. All you need is…..

Or: How to Go Green and Do It in Style, 9 pieces from our collection you will love!

1- A TUNIC: Our Heavenly Bahia Tunic with our without logo can be worn with boots and leggings in winter or just over a bikini in summer. You can play with the drawstring to wear it high or low, like a dress or a T-shirt. You can even remove the strings if you do not want to play with the styling and just wear it strictly for gym, Pilates or yoga.

2- A BASIC TANK TOP: The Leblon top has no prints, no striping and all organic. It comes in all colors and can be combined with pretty much anything! Features a classic u-neckline both front and back. Enjoy the simplicity.

3- THE HAREM PANTS: The world is divided between “Harem pants lovers” and “Harem pants skeptics”. In truth Harem pants, and especially ours,
are super comfortable for any kind of sports. They are trés chic whether with boots or flip flops; you get a lot of freedom to move and express yourself.

4- A PINK SIDE-TAIL DRESS: to fall in love with! - Well, There is not much to say to this beauty! Inspired by the lines of our Aix-en-Provence Jumpsuit, this is the ultimate: whether a throw-on for the beach or for an evening out.

5- THE HOODIE: Our hoodie is so stylish that you will choose to go out in to dinner in a hoodie! You are going to love the look and feel of this one and stay warm in cold summer nights and cold studios.

6-JUMPSUIT: Our Aix-en-Provence Jumpsuit is inspired by the super-comfy and stylish clothes of the ancient Ottoman empire. The truth is that this jumpsuit is unbelievably comfortable for many kinds of sports. But at the same time it is classy enough for a dinner date.

7- COOL CAPRIS: You definitively need a cool capri in winter with boots again and in summer with anything you want, for going to the movies, out, exercise, yoga, shopping. We have two to choose from: the yoga-surfing inspired Cantabria, and the Pamir with just a hint of Harem.

8- A SOPHISTICATED TOP: Our Marbella top is ideal for work, work-out, play and party.

9- THE KILLER YOGA OUTFIT: The Corsica pants and the Tunic Antibes sell so well because they look good no matter what you are doing!

10- FREE TOE SOCKS: Finally, you can wear your flip flops with socks and also have warmer feet in the studio.

WHOOPS - that was 10 pieces . . . . . . . I guess we lumped the Aix-en-Provence in together with the Harem pants in the Slide show - but here I felt we should separate them, cause they are so different. Try them and see!

I haven’t been blogging for a long time. I missed it!

I am not a friend of obligatory gifting….. but of course I still want to show my love with gifts to my loved ones. When you are too busy to remember and to give all year long, The holiday season feels like the time to reconnect. Even if you are not a believer or have different beliefs, the Holidays still get to you! It must be the magic of the holiday lights and Christmas carols and the smell of cardamon (whatever that is)!

Here is my list of
1- Non Material Gifts (the kind I like the most)

The first one on my list is GIVE LOVE and TIME! By giving someone your time and undivided attention it provides an opportunity to reconnect with one another. Talking with them for a day, half a day or even just one hour can be a very fun and relaxing time for both of you.

GIVE HELP: Help with the undone chores and repairs, go do the grocery shopping, help fix a computer issue, help with legal issues…..however big or small the task -it matters!

GIVE SKILLS: Teaching someone “How to….” is a great gift. Everybody has a talent. It can be cooking, arts and crafts, business survival skills, gardening….. you name it! What are you good at???? You’ll be surprised how much people appreciate it!

GIVE AN EXPERIENCE: Give someone a 1 hour yoga, pilates, dance or meditation class or a massage. If you can’t do it yourself, take them to a studio and share the experience together.

GIVE HELP TO OTHERS IN NEED by contributing in the name of the person you are gifting. I love the idea of Adopting a Snow Leopard (from our partner Snow Leopard Trust) which helps protect the endangered snow leopards and thier habitat. Another idea is giving to an orphange. There are many orphanages in many countries that would love your help many ways. Choosing the right non-profit beneficiary to support can be difficult, but it is rewarding if you find one matching the interest of the person you are gifting. Together you can track back and see how your money gets spent and see directly the benefits of your gift.

There are countless other non-material gifts (actions) you can take to make others happy, and of course yourself at the same time!

By creating a symbolic item, card or certificate, to describe your non-material gift, you can also ensure they experience the joy of opening and holding a present and of course it helps if you tell the story of the gift along with it!

Giving material gifts is unavoidably, but also pleasurably connected to the Holiday season. So here are some thoughts on that!

2- Material Gifts

GIVE WHAT THEY NEED: Figure out if the person you are gifting has a material need. If you can afford it, pay the rent/mortgage for the entire family, I am sure they will appreciate it very much. Pay the electric or gas bill for your mom! Or the Monthly payments for …. you name it! Or get some friends together and build that new front deck, garden walkway, ramp or kitchen cabinets they have been needing so long.

With things instead of actions, it is of course easier to enjoy the unwrapping, etc. Material gifts are best when they are remembered the whole year around. So be remembered with gifts made with Quality, Design, Sustainability and Love!

We can shape our environment, our and our children’s lifetimes with our conscious consumption decisions. Sustainable Products from natural materials like glass, wool, Organic cotton, metal, porcelain, wood, seeds, paper, plants are easily renewable, reusable and recyclable.

We can make a difference.

My next installment will be about our Holiday offerings along those lines, but you can already sneak a peak by going to our Gift Guide!

I really love my harem pants and wear them all the time

Well . . but I am very surprised that the harem fever didn’t already spread to the US years ago - in other countries Harem pants have been popular for a while! It occurs to me that perhaps most people living in America prefer to follow trends as a group rather than play with fashion trends on an individual basis!

With the Harem pants, the idea is to have a skirt-like pant which provides freedom of movement, with a low crotch, which has a contour which doesn’t necessarily reveal the exact contour of the lower body contour!

This was the first style in the collection we completed for sampling, and it kind of set the tone for all the other pieces in the collection in terms of how we treated the seams and cuffs in the end and what weight the fabric should have for pants . . etc.

Prancing Leopard Organic cotton Harem pants have modern cuts and detailing.
By using a bit less fabric in the middle (than the usual harem pants), the volume of fabric doesn’t iritate you, for instance when you want to cross your legs in a pose or when sitting. These pants are designed not restrict movement. For many of us, it is still an unusual style. But for those who carry the fashion to the studio it is a must - this is the perfect outfit - strong enough to make a great impression even combined with a plain top (for instance Leblon top in black gray or white - or the color version with built-in shelf bra).

In the Eurasian cultural tradition, women have worn harem pants in every situation from getting married to working in the field. They were practical, roomy and versatile - for instance women used them to help sort their seeds in the folds of the pants while squating in the field. They took women anywhere they needed to go, to important formal occasions or just to wear around the house, feeling great.

At Prancing Leopard Organics, we explore beyond these traditional and cultural borders. We love the forms that can be created and the freedom of wearing harem pants allows. They take the modern wearer where they need to go too, all day long, from the café to yoga or dance and then out for an evening.

Many women find that this slightly cropped pant is especially flattering when paired with a tight fitting or cropped top. This emphasizes the pant and balances the shape for a very modern and stylish look.

Even in the world of high fashion, the production process will surprise you from time to time. Our factory, being Turkish, is somewhat familiar with Harem design and selected a snug-fitting waistband which simply runs a bit tight for the size. So for most of us, the Small runs more like an XS, the Medium is more like a small and the Large is more like medium. Of course individuals lucky enough to have a fairly small waist for their size can stick with their size and enjoy them all the more! For exact sizing details please see the measurements for these pants in our website.

We are not only organic, but also somewhat obsessed about finding new ways to reduce the wastefulness typical in the clothing business and manufacturing processes. As long as the quality, functionality and appeal of a style have been achieved, we find ways to deal with whatever smaller problems occur in order to reduce the waste in manufacturing. So the Harem pant is one of those issues where quality, functionality and style appeal are right on! So sizing up became the solution. Try on a pair, you won’t regret it!

The Harem pants come in Black, White and Grey in 95% Long-fiber Turkish Organic Cotton + 5% Lycra for just the right amount of stretch and comfort.

Love,
Sevda

P.S. Here is a photo of the interior of the famous Harem quarters in the royal Ottoman Palace of Topkapi in Istanbul. Very much worth the visit - we were there last year in July. Imagine a young member of the Harem moving through the quarters with her litany of servants and friends - dressed in beautiful, comfortable Harem pants of course! -Bert

As I started the designs for the active wear - especially with yoga, Pilates and dance in mind, I wanted to have many different versions of jumpers. I think we had 4 different patterns….. This carmague body was the winner….. the best looking of all.

Compared with the Carmague body, all the other styles looked like they were not complete.  The challenge became to make the elegant smooth lines without adding more stitching details to the cuts. The best solution I found was to make it double layered, with a clean finish from both the inside and the outside.  We had to test the product before the production because I was not sure about the double layers. Well . . . both yogis and dancers loved it. They liked the warming, almost gently hugging quality of the style. And most of the people preferred the reversible one to the single layered version.

So the result was that this jumper is double layered, reversible, soft and warm and nostalgic “I love my body” clothing.  It is magic; almost like three outfits in one: Outside with a single color, the reverse side in another color, and then the fact that the reverse side has the optical effect of a short plus a tank-top.

At first, many people fear that jumpers would be impractical (you know, half naked in the bathroom . . . ).  But then in practice you notice that it is actually a better alternative to the standard combination of shorts and a tank top, because you don’t have to keep pulling your tank top down to cover your midriff after almost every yoga pose!  I remembered how disturbing it was.

Our Carmague one-piece body is named after the wild and magical river delta of the Rhone in southern France, most of which is now a wild-life preserve and bird refuge - a national park where they still have wild horses running free.  It is windy and fresh and you just want to celebrate life and move with the wind.

Horses in Carmague National Park - Salt Marsh River Delta - Photo Daniel Haug

The Carmague Jumper comes in three different combination:

1- White all over! inside and outside….. reversible: 95% organic cotton Jersey 5% lycra.

2- Black outside and gray top + black shorts inside, reversible: 95% organic cotton Jersey 5% lycra.

3- Gray outside and turq. top + gray short inside, reversible (temporarily out of stock)

Please comment: what do you think about one piece outfits in general?

The Heavenly Bahia is one my my favorite “good for several years” styles! It is modern and sporty and stylish. The drawstrings enable you to wear it a different way each time: if you pull the drawstrings tight around your hips, you can wear it baggy. If you make it even tighter and bring it up to the waist, then you effectively shorten the tunic and it becomes a T-shirt. Loosen the strings, or even take them out (you can put them back in) and you will be able to wear this tunic as a short dress. You can also find many creative ways to style yourself and combine this tunic with shorts, tights, pants, etc.

At first I envisioned a simple T-shirt design as the starting point for this piece. But I didn’t like the idea of designing just another T-shirt to add to the mountains of T-shirts already in production! The fine difference of having a Moon neck (this is one signature design element of Prancing Leopard) was not enough to legitimatize the “just another T-shirt argument”!

We call this Tunic “Heavenly Bahia” because we love Bahia and had a wonderful time there in Morro de Sao Paulo just a few years back. Just the unspoiled nature, and the beauty and soul of the Bahianas (not to mention their heavenly food!), and of course the sense of style, music and love of life which vibrates through every pore when you are there.

You will love this very high quality product. This is not just my favorite . . . . we have sold a lot of them already. Our dear customers like the idea of dressing flexibly!

It comes in:
Charcoal Black with a grey Prancing Leopard appliqué - cotton Jersey -95% organic cotton 5 % Lycra
Cloud Gray with a black Prancing Leopard appliqué - cotton Jersey -95% organic cotton 5 % Lycra
and in Silver Grey without the Prancing Leopard appliqué in fine mercerized silky 100% organic cotton.

I am also planning a Panther Pink without a Logo and our earthy Mango Orange, both without logo in fine 100 % organic cotton. What do you think? Which colors are your favorites?

Namaste!

Sevda