* Prices are on par with Banana.
* Sold Nationwide at Neiman Marcus and in a few boutiques in California, Colorado, Florida, Oregon and Texas. Also, purchase on their website.

Email: ahuang@gearpatrol.com
Site: http://www.gearpatrol.com/
About: Hello, gentlemen; this is Anthony, and this is my long-awaited bio post (according to the ever-pestering Eric, anyway). Personally, I think Gear Patrol is making me poorer. Not the best idea in today’s economy but, what the hell – hopefully, Citi will fall after I purchase a few barrels of JD. As one of the very first readers, I’ve enjoyed watching the site grow from one new post every few days to several articles daily – finding more and more gear I could add to my ever-growing collection. So, I find it a great honor that I was selected to join The GP Crew. Despite many failed attempts to get Eric to write my bio for me (so I could envelop myself in Call of Duty at his pad), he remained stalwart, and I was relegated to alternative measures: interviewing myself. So without further ado, I give you Anthony vs. Anthony – on the hot seat. [Continued after the jump] Tell us a little about yourself. My editors know me to be laid back, obsessed with finding deals on the finer things in life, and one who tends to over-research products. Why? To convince myself that I desperately need something, then not buy it. It’s a sordid affair. That’s pretty rough. Anything else? I’m also a fanatic when it comes to reading about random articles and an irate, foul-mouthed lunatic when it comes to playing video games (Ed: True). I’m perpetually on the move, calling New York, Chattanooga, and Memphis home. What’s one embarrassing moment you’d like to share with our readers and forever be published on the internet for the whole world to see? Gee, Anthony, when you put it that way… Oh wait… actually, looking back one of the funniest events (not for me at the time) had to be when I was learning how to ride a bike. Being the young and ever-confident 5 year old trying to keep up with an older bro, I decided to try and show off by riding my bike down the hill – sans training wheels. So what happened? I think this YouTube clip might be the closest dramatization of the actual events: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OszlUvXGsfw Why that moment? Because, well… you fall down and you keep going and that’s what guys do. The old adage applies here: if you can’t laugh at yourself, you shouldn’t be laughing at all. What’s your biggest vice? An outrageously good deal (think: slickdeals.net). Oh, and Glenlivet 15 Year Old French Oak Reserve. Is there anything embarrassing you can tell us about Eric Yang? Eric is supafly smooth (Ed: I’d debate “supafly”). I’m still waiting for him to trip up; we all are, actually. Such events are rarer than spotting Nessie. If we ever go on that golf trip next year, then maybe I (we) can catch one of those rare moments on camera.See Authors Posts (44) on Wed, Jan 6, 2010
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Lately, green has been the new black. Everyone is cashing in on the environmentally organofriendly trend, especially clothiers. While being chemical and pesticide free is certainly a good thing, we still need to improve our efforts to improve water conservation. No matter how conservative you think you are, the amount of water used to make everyday products that keep us comfortable can be rather surprising, as it takes hundreds of gallons to make a simple t-shirt.

Degree 6 Clothing was created with just this eco-problem in mind. Their main focuses are on water conservation and reducing carbon emissions. They produce clothing by using alternative resources such as water-saving bamboo and recycled polyester.

After getting a chance to view their offerings first-hand, bamboo isn’t just for pandas and feng shui anymore. Bamboo fabric is super soft and almost silk-like. Not to mention it’s more wrinkle resistant, more durable, and more breatheable than cotton, too. Degree 6 offers a line of eco-lux men’s clothing that includes hoodies, sweats, and tees. So head over to Degree 6 and save some water, whilst looking sharp.

Cost: $127

Degree 6 creates well made garments by using alternative materials such as bamboo and recycled polyester instead of cotton. They recognized that a single cotton t-shirt requires over 700 gallons of water to produce. A Degree 6 bamboo t-shirt require’s only 35 gallons and shirts that are made from recycled soda bottles consume 1/2 a gallon less gasoline than shirts made of virgin polyester. Degree 6 Clothing isn’t just great for the planet, its good for your skin. Bamboo fabric is super soft with a texture similar to silk. It’s also wrinkle resistant, more durable, and more breatheable than cotton. Check out more product shots after the jump!

1. First Step Organic Cuddly Bear Kimono Bodysuit

Our goal is to provide you with the highest quality certified 100% organic cotton non-toxic apparel for your baby. Our hip and stylish organic baby basics collection includes short- and long-sleeve tees, snap-bottom bodysuits, wrap-around bodysuits and pants.

A cute little bear adorns the front above the words “natural life” on this soft, natural kimono style, long-sleeve onesie.  This adorable organic onesie is made with nickel-free snaps and 100% organic cotton that is GOTS certified.  Before reading this product’s description, I had never considered that the snaps in children’s clothing could contain heavy metals.

Would I buy this product? No. I know sustainability is expensive, but at $23 for something so little seems a little steep. Under The Nile organic long sleeve bodysuits are only $12, but they don’t have the cute little bear on them.

2. Green Toys Dump Truck

Green Toys is great company that makes recycled plastic toys in the USA. Although I prefer sustainable wooden toys, sometimes plastic is best.  For example, plastic trucks, such as this dump truck, are perfect for sand and gravel play.

Need help hauling a big load while helping save the planet? Then the Green Toy Dump Truck is ready to get working. Made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic milk containers that save energy and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Green Toys Dump Truck is possibly the most energy efficient vehicle on this or any planet. The super cool eco-design has a workable dumper and no metal axles.

Green Toys also makes a super cool recycling truck.

Would I buy this product? Yes, I actually have.  My son has had a lot of medical interventions and fears doctors. I resorted to bribery positive reinforcement the last time we went to the dentist with a trip to the toy store to try and relieve his anxiety. This dump truck was the only eco-friendly toy we could find in the toy store.  $20 may seem like a lot for a plastic toy, but recycling isn’t cheap!

3.  EO Products Hair Care

EO Products is a company I have long trusted for beauty and personal care.  Their new hair care line lives up to the same standards of being “natural, gentle, effective and free from animal testing” you would expect from this great company.  The new hair care line includes:

• EO Restorative Shampoo for Dry Hair, Chamomile & Honey
• EO Conditioner Restorative for Dry Hair, Chamomile & Honey
• EO Everyday Shampoo for Normal Hair, French Lavender
• EO Everyday Conditioner for Normal Hair, French Lavender
• EO Sweet Orange Clarifying Shampoo
• EO Rose Geranium & Sweet Orange Conditioner
• EO Volumizing Shampoo for Fine Hair, Rosemary and Mint
• EO Light & Volumizing Conditioner for Fine/Oily Hair, Rosemary & Mint
• EO Protective Shampoo for Color Treated Hair, Rose & Chamomile
• EO Nourishing Conditioner, Dry or Treated Hair, Rose & Chamomile
• EO Repair Deep Conditioner Wild Lime & Ginger

Besides the natural unique ingredients, such as quinoa protein and carrot oil, I love how many EO products are available in bulk gallon jugs.  Plus, these hair care products are made in Marin County, California, which is closer to my home than where most beauty products originate.

Would I buy this product? Yes.  EO products are affordable, and I regularly buy them for my family. I feel safe using these products on my children.

4.  Degree 6 Clothing:  “Style for the conscious human”

Degree 6 (D6) Clothing is a line of organic, sustainable, eco-friendly fashion for the whole family. The children’s clothing is very cute, and I love how the label reads like a label found on food items. It contains information such as serving size, calories, fertilizers, toxic dyes, preservatives, etc. From t-shirts to jumpsuits, this clothing is made from organic cotton, bamboo, and/or recycled polyester. In fact, D6 chooses bamboo for its t-shirts because:

Manufacturing a single cotton t-shirt requires a whopping 700 gallons of water. This sobering statistic stands in stark relief when compared with bamboo. When it comes to water usage, bamboo is the clear winner; the same sized t-shirt made out of bamboo fabric requires 1/20 of the water that cotton does – or approximately 35 gallons.

Would I buy this product? Yes for sustainability, but I don’t know the price. Women’s t-shirts sell for $92, so I doubt these baby clothes would be within many people’s budgets.

5. The Itchy Kids Club: Silly Poems for Itchy Kids

Itchy Kids Club provides support for children with allergies.  From environmental allergies to food allergies, it can be hard to be an itchy kid. The silly poems in this book make it a little bit easier by letting kids know they are not alone.

Woe is Me

My toes are itchy from the grass

My belly hurts from all the gas

My skin is tender from the rash

My hives are lumpy and aghast

Allergies from grass and trees

Belly aches from milk and cheese

Eczema from head to knees

Breakouts from food allergies

I don’t like being such a pain

I don’t like having to complain

But you must know how I disdain

These allergies make me insane

Having food allergies can be especially difficult for young children. My neighbor’s grandson has many food allergies.  The other day, his sister and some friends were eating cheese. He took cheese out of the refrigerator and told his mother he just wanted to look at it.

Would I buy this product? I don’t know. It seems expensive at $20 for a softbound book, but if I had a child who was really suffering from allergies, this book could be helpful. It may even inspire your child to write their own itchy poems.

Disclosure:  The products described above were sent to us as free samples, with the exception of the dump truck which I personally purchased.  Prior assurances as to the nature of the reviews, whether positive or negative, were not given.  No financial payments were accepted in exchange for the reviews.  The reviews reflect our honest, authentic opinions.

Degree 6

For December, we caught up with Cassie Stevenson, co-founder of Degree 6 Clothing to learn about bamboo clothes, cotton’s insatiable thirst and why there’s more to six degrees of separation than Kevin Bacon…

We love your clothes! How did you get started in the fashion business?
The decision to start fashion school was prompted by a study abroad trip to London while I was attending Chapman University. My advertising classes were in the same building as the fashion design classes. I found myself much more interested in what the fashion design students were doing than the PR/Advertising courses I had signed up for. I worked hard to finish my degree early and graduate from Chapman so I could attend FIDM. I was lucky to get an amazing internship with Modern Amusement, which I had the entire time I was at FIDM. I learned a lot about every aspect of the industry while at Modern Amusement, which prepped me for creating my own line, Degree 6. I also had a job as a buyer for a boutique in Beverly Hills, in which I learned a lot about the other side of the business. This gave me insight into positioning my line better for buyers and consumers.

Do you design the clothes yourself?
I do design each piece myself. I work with my pattern maker on each each style from start to finish until all details are perfect and ready for production.

Each piece in the collection features a Green Facts label – how did that happen?
The tag was an extremely important aspect to each piece in the line. One of our goals with Degree 6 was to make the environmental issues that we support easy for the consumer to understand. One thing that everyone understands is “nutrition facts.” In the same way that each box of food is labeled with “nutrition facts” which contain its ingredients, we did the same with our “Green Facts” label in order for the consumer to understand the ingredients of each Degree 6 garment.

Why bamboo?
The Bamboo Sorona is by far my favorite fabric to work with. There is really no comparison to any other fabric for a Tshirt, from the way it feels to the way it lays against the body. The Bamboo has a unique soft and silky feel, and is just as durable if not more than any other Tshirt fabric. However, the most important quality of Bamboo is its sustainability. To produce a Bamboo T-shirt requires 35 gallons of water compared to the 750 gallons of water it takes to produce a single cotton T shirt.

Do you wear your own clothes?
I do wear my own clothes. I love to comfy T’s for any occassion, whether is casual day wear or to dress it up at night, so my line is actually perfect for my style.

What is your favorite D6 piece?
I love each of the styles for different reasons, but I would have to say the Boyfriend T is my #1 because it is so versatile and is sexy and comfortable at the same time.

D6 stands for Degree Six, a reference to six degrees of separation. What does this mean to you?
I believe that everything each person does each day can effect the people and the environment around them. There are simple choices that people can make everyday to make a positive impact. A choice as simple as buying a bamboo Tee, rather than one made from conventional cotton can save over 700 gallons of water.

Have you ever played the Kevin Bacon game?
No, but I want to. Who should we start with?

You come from Portland, one of America ’s greenest cities. Do you find it more difficult to be green in your current hometown of Los Angeles?
Portland definitely has a heads up on LA as far as living “Green.” I continue to do the same things I did growing up in Portland, although they do not seem to encouraged in quite the same way. It is habit for me to recycle cans, plastic, paper, etc. As well as conserve energy by always turning the lights and electronics off when not in use, and not leaving the water running more than I need. However, I have seen more of a push for “green living” in Los Angeles in the past year than before. There are many more businesses taking action to do good for the environment and more products offered that are recycled and eco-friendly.

What’s your favorite green living tip for this ultra-consumptive time of year?
REUSABLE BAGS when shopping!!!!

Are you hoping to find anything special under the tree this year?
A puppy!!

What’s next for you and D6?
At this moment I am focused on developing the Mens and Womens collections further and incorporating recycled clothing in a few of the new styles as well as keeping busy with the launch of our D6 Baby collection.

For more on Cassie and the ultra-soft, ultra-cool D6 clothing line, check out the company’s website.

Jeanine Mason and Jason Glover Even Managed To Pull Off “The Lift”

BY LYNDSEY SAUL

Posted: 11/30/2009 09:42:24 AM PST

Katie Holmes hosted, and a slew of So You Think You Can Dance-rs performed at the Dizzy Feet Foundation’s Inaugural celebration at the Kodak Theatre last night. The new nonprofit org high-kicked off its mission of raising dance awareness and opportunities for talented, underserved youth nationwide with a veritable dance off and gifts galore.*

Holmes, also a Dizzy Feet cofounder, looked polished in her uniform of a late–a cropped leather motorcycle jacket, in off-white for this occasion–Lance Bass and dancer Lacey Schwimmer hammed it up on stage and Fabienne Levenson pole danced in toe-shoes.

Baby and Johnny would’ve been proud–So You Think You Can Dance duo Jeanine Mason and Jason Glover executed a perfect, onstage “lift.” And there wasn’t a spaghetti arm in sight.

* Degree 6 took part in the gift giving. Check out the pics: