Organic and sustainably made swimwear has been fairly difficult to find until now, with most bikinis and swimsuits made from obscure, synthetic materials. But all that is changing, as designers are using more eco-friendly and recycled materials in their swimwear collections.
Hailing from New Zealand, Untouched World is one of the most excting eco chic labels around at the moment, specialising in organic merino as well as other sustainable fabrics. Until now, I'd only seen the odd UW item crop up in some very specialist boutiques, but I've just discovered it has launched a UK site, full of stylish, sustainable garments for men and women.
Editor?s Note: Terry Carter and his wife and writing partner, Lara Dunston, have written half a dozen travel guides to Dubai and the UAE and have made it their home base since 1998. We asked Terry to write about top local / off-the-beaten-path travel tips for Dubai. You can also check out their recent post about “Top Things to Do in Dubai“.
Dubai Tip #1: Dip your toes into the Arabian Sea
Dubai Tip #8 — Expat Volleyball
We?d like to say that it?s invigorating, but we?d be so wrong. The truth is that most of the year the water is as warm as a baby?s bath, but remember, it?s the Arabian Sea! You can surf, kite surf or just take advantage of the photo op with the Burj Al Arab as a backdrop. While it?s calm most of the time, there are strong currents ? and you don?t want to be drifting off towards Iran with the US warships and pesky pirates around. If you do float to Iran, remember to call it the Persian Gulf not the Arabian Gulf. Just so you know.
Shoes are the most difficult fashion habit to break. You can't get much more environmentally irresponsible than filling your closet with shoes you wear once every solar eclipse, if that. Add the fact that most of those shoes are made from animal skin and wow, how do we get to sleep at night?
Melissa is your Melatonin. The newest addition to Eco-Tobi, this sustainable Brazilian footwear company makes hip shoes that are durable, on trend and very reasonably priced. You'll want lots of Melissa, and that's okay because Melissa is socially responsible—exceeding Fair Trade benchmarks—and they happen to be one of the most environmentally responsible companies in the world. Melissa uses recycled materials to make their plastic shoes, and they also recycle 99.9% of the waste and water used in the production process.
For Spring 2008, Melissa has every color you could want. Talk about a candy store!
Keeping up with trend doesn't have to cost a fortune. With a little luck and creativity you can rummage one-of-a-kind keepers from second-hand racks and bins. Vintage has so much personality that just a few pieces will make the outfit. Just be wary and don't overdo it or you'll look too costumey.
Her fedora and cap toe oxfords are timeless and keep the femininity of the dress grounded without sacrificing the sweetness and charm of the ensemble. Vintage worn well always looks modern.
Last week, Canberra, Australia?s small capital city, played host to the controversial Olympic Torch as it makes its way around the world. Organisers described it as the most successful outing yet for the flame ? which isn?t really saying much after the chaotic debacles of Paris, London and San Francisco and the security-deadened, almost invisible parades in cities such as New Delhi, Dar es Salaam, Islamabad and Jakarta.
To the outside world, it all looked fine. A crisp, clear Canberra morning, smiling faces, clean streets and a run uninterrupted by scuffles, attacks on the flame, disappearances into bayside warehouses or the heavy-handed actions of benign-looking men in matching blue tracksuits.
But all was not as it appeared.
Planning a trip? Browse Via Tour for complete list of unforgetable experiences.
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