Last week I was pleasantly surprised to hear that Green Focus, Paolo Abrera’s TV show on sustainable lifestyle, had finally featured the Waterboy water-harvesting machine on its program. I’ve previously featured the machine in a blog post on sustainable lifestyle and it’s great to see it et featured so that more people become aware of these technologies to minimize our impact on the planet.
In the same vein, when the distributors of Thriv apparel (pronounced “thrive”) got in touch with me, I jumped on the chance to see what it was all about.
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Thriv Natural Performance Apparel
I’m sure you know some of the drawbacks of “dri-fit” polyester material: some brands feel harsh on the skin, they retain odor after repeated heavy sweating in them, and their moisture-wicking abilities disappear when the chemical treatment washes out. Also, polyester is made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource.
Bamboo is known as a highly-renewable resource; it grows and spreads quickly without the need for fertilizer, pesticides, and much water. Fabric made from bamboo has a texture like silk or cashmere and wicks moisture away from the skin, which makes it a natural and sustainable alternative to polyester-based materials. Thriv sources its bamboo from a sustainable and certified-organic bamboo forest in China. The bamboo fibers are blended with either organic cotton or merino wool. The yarn is then knitted into a smooth fabric.
testing a Thriv tank top
I was given a Thriv tank top to test on one of my Thursday tempo runs. Its material felt like very stretchy wool or cotton, and was quite thick. I’m not sure if it was the humidity that day or the fact that I produce a lot of heat while exercising, but I found myself overheating within three kilometers. I had to take the tank top off and run in my sports bra the rest of the way.
Though a bit frustrated with the results of my test, I gave the tank top another chance and used it in one of the yoga classes I teach. The conditions were quite different here than on my run: it was indoors, there was air-conditioning, and I don’t sweat as much in yoga as I do when running. This time, I found that the tank top kept me from losing heat in the chilly studio, and it kept my back comfortably dry despite the salt-and-pepper grey showing where I was sweating. It also hugged my body in all the right places so it was super easy to move in.
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doing an arm balance wearing my Thriv top
Checking out the other styles on Thriv’s e-commerce website, I may just have been given a top designed to keep its wearer warm in cool conditions (Thriv is based in the US). Also, I usually wear looser-fitting running clothes, so the body-fitting tank top may have trapped a lot more heat than I’m used to.
The thought of sustainable materials in clothing still appeals very much to me, so as Thriv expands its line of products offered in the Philippines, I look forward to when they offer some running-specific loose sleeveless tops for women.
Check out Thriv apparel at R.O.X. Bonifacio High Street, Aura Athletica, Yoga Plus, Plana Forma, and the Manila Polo Club pro shop. Follow them on Twitter @thrivmanila or on Facebook.
