What makes cyclists endure a sore backside on a century ride or trek up a mountain only to risk life and limb on the ride back down? Is it the feel of the wind around helmet-adorned hair or a view that beats the passenger seat of a car? Whatever it is, Cyclelogical seems to “get” cyclists. Their collection of men’s and women’s bicycle gear is some of the most fun I’ve seen, and if you love to hop on a bike and ride, you’ll love Cyclelogical.

First, a bit about Cyclelogical:

Cyclelogical exists to bring the best travel and bike commuter gear to the market. Our gear will get you to and from your destination, be it the office or the grocery store, with all the right equipment and just the right amount of options, no more….no less. Cyclelogical will get you there safely and totally in style! Our gear is made with the highest quality and most durable materials. We know, because we have researched them and tried them out.

That whole thing about style is so true! Cyclelogical sent me the women’s Bike Me and Cycling Is Off the Chain tees to test for our Daily Dish readers.

Both tees had a bit of a longer length and more narrow fit, which I liked, but they did seem to run a bit small. The Bike Me tee had the softest fabric but was a titch shorter in length. The Cycling Is Off the Chain tee had a really nice length but a little less stretch. Both are washable in cold water BUT the directions say “lay flat to dry.” Guess who didn’t read that part and assumed drying them on low would work? That would be me. Though they didn’t seem to shrink too much, they did shrink just enough to make me wish I’d gone with a large rather than medium. So be sure and order one size up in those tees, especially if you’re going to forget to dry them correctly!

Madison absolutely LOVED the Bike Me tee and I loved the Off the Chain one. It makes me feel kinda cool to sport a fun, eye-catching tee that lets people know I love cycling. I’m actually considering buying the Chain Flower Hoody with its super cute design on the back!

Their men’s collection is awesome as well. My faves are Bike Power Retro and City Fixie tees. Cyclelogical also has some fun gear like their Minima and Townie Rust packs. And if you find you’re riding early in the morning or later at night, you’ll want to invest in a pack of reflective Chopspokes. No, they won’t make a cool noise like those plastic spoke beads, but they will keep you a heck of a lot safer.

Along with cool tees, Cyclelogical also has a super cool mission “to help the environment by keeping gasoline consumption down, sustaining a healthy mind and body, and keeping the world we live in safe for bicycle commuting everywhere.” I like a company that likes the environment and likes keeping me safe.

If you have a cycling family member or friend and want to give them something other than a month’s supply of energy gel or a new insulated water bottle, give them a Cyclelogical tee. They will love it and you will love being her new favorite!—Emily

*** Giveaway! Cyclelogical is giving away one tee, winner’s choice! ***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway; please leave a separate comment for each one you do:

•  Visit CyclelogicalGear.com and leave a comment telling us which tee you’d choose.
•  “Like” Cyclelogical on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did.
•  Follow Cyclelogical on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•  Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: May 20, 2011 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

Sorel, Sorel, Sorel. The name rolls of the tongue as nicely as their boots ward of the elements—in style. I am still in love with my Shila boots from Sorel. They are a Utah winter staple and keep my feet toasty warm. In fact, I usually keep them on all day long, even in the house (they are that comfortable).

When Sorel approached me to review a pair of boots from their newest collection, I was all over it . . . and all over the website trying to decide which pair to take for a test drive. And let me tell you, it was a really hard decision. Just look at all those super cute styles like the Suka II, Firenzy and Tivoli Low Lace to name a few. But I finally settled on their new Cate the Great boot. Of course the image of the girl in a fancy cocktail dress sporting these stylin’ boots helped seal the deal.

Remember my Looptworks review? It featured a photo of yours truly sporting their Ningxia cowl neck top paired with Sorel’s Cate the Great boots. Here, let me refresh your memory:

How cute are those? And they were warm and comfortable to boot (pun totally intended). Plus I love the little tuft of faux fur accent lining the top. Though the laces do take an extra minute to adjust, they stay put. Compared to my Shilas, this pair feels a little more stiff and almost clunky, like they don’t hug my feet as much nor have as cushy an insole, but the Cate the Greats do have more flair, which means you can pair them with sweat pants or skinny jeans and a dressy top (or cocktail dress if you’re brave enough).

I don’t know anyone else who does winter boot style like Sorel. They seriously have a corner on the market—and if they don’t, they should. Just look at some fun styles for men, women and children:

I know, right? Love them! And yes, Sorel boots will cost you more than the ones you’ll find on the shelf at Target, but they are also a heck of a lot more fabulous and will last you a heck of a lot longer. And you can’t put a price tag on that!—Emily

*** Giveaway! Sorel is giving away one (1) pair of Sorel boots, winner’s choice! ***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:

•   Visit Sorel.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite style.
•   “Like” Sorel on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you did.
•   Follow Sorel on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•   Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•   Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: December 9, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

I love the concept of upcycling: “the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.” (Thanks, Wikipedia.) To upcycle while creating a line of chic, stylish apparel and gear? Something more to love; hence my adoration of LooptWorks.

A little background (and a titch more about upcycling):

Looptworks is a ground-breaking business that repurposes abandoned materials into meaningful, long-lasting and limited-edition products. By re-using the world’s pre-consumer excess, the U.S.-based company aims to rid the world of waste while inspiring a generation to reduce their impact on the planet. ... Clothes that are discarded not only contribute solid waste in landfills, but also are part of a system that uses energy and creates carbon emissions in transit to distant lands. Cast-off clothing is replacing traditional locally made textiles, creating significant cultural and economic ramifications. ... Looptworks has turned the way traditional apparel companies manufacture cool clothing inside out. ...

And inside out never looked so good! I mean, check out the women’s Tranquilla vest and Fleur-escent graphic tee and the men’s Lepas flannel shirt. So cool! Plus they have some pretty nifty laptop sleeves among their upcycled gear.

LooptWorks sent me the Ningxia cowl neck top to review for you all, and let me tell you, it was such a sacrifice to wear this delicious, super soft, super comfortable upcycled tee. And by sacrifice I mean no sacrifice whatsoever. This shirt, which comes straight from Thailand, could be worn with yoga pants, a pair of comfy sweats, or skinny jeans and funky boots like I chose to do.

Later on I switched out my rain boots for a pair of black pointy-toed boots for a date night and it looked fabulous! Though I wish the bottom of the top fit a bit more snugly around my hips, I could live in this shirt. Who knew upcycling could be so freakin’ awesome?

Though a slightly higher price than I’d normally pay for a long-sleeve tee, now that I’ve worn LooptWorks’ Ningxia cowl neck top, I’m pretty much convinced it would be worth the investment.

If you want to learn something more about excess, watch the story of excess on the LooptWorks site. It’s pretty cool and does a great job personalizing the company.

If LooptWorks doesn’t convince you to try upcycling, nothing will.—Emily

• PROMOTION! LooptWorks is offering Daily Dish readers 15% off all items on their site with the code boutiquecafe15. This offer is good through December 31, 2010. I think you need to add a little upcycling with your Black Friday shopping, don’t you?

Multeepurpose is a company determined to change the world…one soft, stylish, “support the cause” t-shirt at a time. (The company had me at “soft” and “stylish” so “support the cause” is just icing on the cake—chocolate of course.)

I can’t remember how or when I first discovered Multeepurpose but I’m ever so glad I did. If I’ve mentioned it in a Daily Dish review once, I’ve mentioned it a thousand times: I love (okay, more like LOVE) t-shirts, especially tees that are soft, comfortable, unique and full of purpose. (Was that a great segue or what?) Multeepurpose combines all of the above for a truly stylin’ line of feel-good—both literally and figuratively—apparel.

Rooted in an authentic commitment to change the world, one tee shirt at a time, we believe that t-shirts are walking billboards—effortlessly spreading ideas and messages.

I’ve never been prouder or more excited to be a walking billboard.

When you browse the Multeepurpose site you’ll find tees grouped by categories: Humanity, Ecology, Urgent, Animal and Liberty. I think the Humanity tees are my favorite, but I found ones to love in every category. Multeepurpose also has a line of tees dedicated to relief efforts in Haiti. Buy a tee from this group and 100% of the proceeds are donated to non-profits on the ground in Haiti. Awesome!

Multeepurpose sent tees for George, Olivia and me to try out (and immediately fall in love with). Olivia adored her “sunshine and penguins” shirt and George felt super cool in his “bull” shirt. (As long as he doesn’t call it that out loud we’re okay…) By the way, I’m definitely buying him more purple—dang, that kid looks good in that color!

As for me, I found my tee to be one of the comfiest tees in my closet. Though the sleeve length was a little long for my taste (hence the rolled-up style I’m sporting in the photo), I loved the extra long length and lived-in feel of the tee. I might have been able to size down (they seem to run true to size) and that would have fixed the sleeve problem a bit, but no matter. This Multeepurpose women’s tee is still fabulous!

I almost forgot to mention these tees are tagless (another fave of mine) and though they specify line drying, I did throw them in the dryer on a low setting. I had to give them a dryer test because I’m known for throwing clothes in the dryer that shouldn’t be dried. These shirts washed and dried beautifully!

With summer around the corner it is time to freshen up your t-shirt collection. Throw in some super soft “purposeful” cotton in the mix with a Multeepurpose tee. Actually, you might want at least two so you have one to wear while washing the other. You probably won’t want to wear anything else!—Emily

Though school has started for pretty much everyone by now, summer weather is still here. For us those fall days are still a few weeks away, though the changing colors up the canyon reminds us they’ll be here soon. And that means it will soon be time for fall clothes in warm, yummy colors.

But what do you do if you have a child who isn’t big on “it itches, Mommy” sweaters or multiple children who I swear try as hard as they can to ruin their clothes? It makes me hesitant to put them in anything other than a long-sleeve tee and makes for pretty un-fancy fancy holiday wear. That’s why I was super excited when I heard about Picaflor Kids and their line of child-friendly, fair-trade-friendly children’s wear.

Reading their “about us” section taught me that Picaflor actually means “hummingbird” in Spanish. What a sweet name for some sweet clothing! The company “uses thoughtful fabrics and small-scale production to create a unique collection of knitwear that is designed for busy little wings.” Their knits are not only simple yet beautiful and stylish but are 100% rayon, which is a natural fiber (I had NO idea) made from recycled wood pulp. I knew rayon was soft but didn’t know it was environmentally friendly! It’s also hypoallergenic, absorbent and wicks moisture away (great for sweaty little bodies) and is known for fade-resistant colors. Best of all, Picaflor apparel is machine washable and dryable. What more could a mom ask for?

Picaflor Kids sent me two outfits, one for George and one for Livi, and I am totally dying for fall to hit so they can wear them. Our days are still too warm for long sleeves and pants, but this is quite possibly the first year since I’ve lived in Utah that I’m looking forward to cooler weather. True to the description above, the rayon is super soft and super forgiving and you can tell there’s been a lot of attention to detail and the colors are just as yummy as the soon-to-explode colors up the canyon. My blue-eyed boy will look fabulous in his brown sweater and pants with contrasting red stripes while Livi will be the belle of any fall ball in her perfect purple dress and leggings!

I’m keeping my fingers crossed my “I hate tags!” son will love the softness of the fabric. That will be a true test of Picaflor Kids’ wearability. I have no doubt Livi will be just fine in her outfit—fortunately for Mom she’s not picky when it comes to clothes. (Yes, I’m enjoying it while I can!) According to their site, Picaflor apparel is available in a wide range of sizes from preemie to 7/8. Te Picaflor Kids site is still fairly new so you won’t find everything online but you will find a locations page so you can hit your local store for the collection. It’s worth the trip!—Emily

...or was so good for the environment! Rebel Green is a company all about eco-conscious fashion that is “chic, edgy, rebellious and eco-friendly” and their products are not only made in the USA but also “specifically designed to minimize waste and motivate a fundamental shift in thinking about our impact on the planet we share.” I love that last part—there’s a power behind the words “motivate a fundamental shift in thinking” and if any company can do it, and fashionably to boot, it’s Rebel Green.

Rebel Green’s product line includes apparel for men, women and children, reusable shopping and produce bags, reusable lunch bags, zipper totes and even a fruit and veggie wash. They offer a variety of designs that make becoming a “green” rebel a heck of a lot of fun! The company sent us a sampling of their tees and though the ones for George and Livi were a bit too big for them to wear, my girls and I have totally loved ours! I feel super cool going for runs while sporting my Peace Girl tank and Lauren’s Bubble Girl short-sleeve tee is now her favorite shirt. Even at her age I have to remind her to wash it once in a while—she wears it as often as she can!

For some of you school has already started and your school shopping is done, but is it ever really done? Did you check off “eco-friendly lunch bag” off the list? Waste-free lunch kits are the newest, greenest trend for school. It’s all about learning your letters and everyone should know about the three “R’s” (reduce, reuse, recycle). Rebel Green has taken the boring organic cotton lunch bag and made it super cool with designs that appeal to both kids and adults.

Did you know the average school age child generates more than 70 pounds of trash a year when he packs a disposable lunch? Each Rebel Green reusable lunch bag comes with a reusable, organic cotton napkin with a coordinating design that can be tucked into the bag’s outer pocket and the bag rolls up easily to fit in your child’s backpack when he’s done with lunch. And get this: all the designs are numbered so if you have a child who’s as into collecting as my daughter, you’ve just taken the cool factor up a notch! Throw in a couple Rebel Green organic cotton, small produce bags and you now have sustainable sandwich and snack bags.

Style has power and our goal is to get people to become fashionably eco-conscious. ... Let’s start with the simple reusable shopping bag. We are not convinced the whole world wants cutsie bags with polka dots, hempy looking sacks with preachy green slogans, or worse, the dreaded polypropylene bag shouting ‘Buy Local’ though the inner tag says it’s made across the ocean. We wouldn’t carry any of those and we think we’re not alone. ~Ali Ruvin and Melina Marcus, Co-creators of Rebel Green

No, Rebel Green, you’re not alone. I believe there’s an eco-conscious rebel inside each of us and now we have a perfectly edgy, hip, cool way to let our greener side show. Being a rebel truly never looked so good!—Emily

** Giveaway! Rebel Green is giving away one lunch tote and one tee, winner’s choice! Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:

• Visit RebelGreen.com and leave a comment telling us your favorite product.


• Join the I Love Rebel Green group on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.


• Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.


• Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: August 28, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

• Congratulations to Kristen C., the winner of the Rebel Green giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

When it comes to toddlers and tattoos you usually think of small squares of paper adorned with cheesy characters combined with a sopping wet sponge (and rubbing alcohol two days later). You rarely think super cool tattoos because, well, those are permanent and for a much more mature age group. While you’ll find a few infant and toddler tees with the common “MOM” tattoo theme, only one company takes the colors, artistry and awe that accompanies an awesome tattoo and turns it into super cool clothing for kids.

Ruthless & Toothless (R&T for sure) has quite possibly the most unique, artistic children’s clothing I’ve ever seen. It’s the kind of tee, dress or tank that makes you stop and ask where you too can find a snapsuit like that. How did R&T come to be? Here’s the “why” behind the designs:

People just need to look at us to know we have a particular look, one we feel strongly about. But when people see our kids, it’s hard for that look to come through. We’ve searched and searched and searched, and haven’t found much for our kids that reflect and define who we are as parents. ... We’ve put in a lot of work to make R&T a true outlet of our artistic expression, and a place where we can extend our tattooed lifestyle to our children. And you can be sure of this- the designs of Ruthless & Toothless are originals. Straight from our sketch pads to your kid’s room.

R&T sent George what I call their popsicle tee (designed by Darren Brass) and Livi their koi fish dress (designed by Darren Brass & James Hamilton). I was all over that koi dress when it arrived, pulling it out for everyone to see. The first thing out of my oldest daughter’s mouth? “That is so cool! Do they have one in my size?” And the first thing out of my son’s mouth when he saw his new tee? “That’s a cool tee! Can I wear it now?”

No, he couldn’t wear it “now” because it was bedtime but you better believe he had it on the next day…and then two days after that…and then a few days after that. (Hey, we had to take a break so Mom could wash it!) His “popsicle shirt” is still his favorite tee by far—the kind of tee you have to wash immediately so he can wear it again within the next 48 hours. And while I love that tee, the fun and edgy style of the koi dress is my favorite. It is still a little big for Livi to wear so we don’t have any photos of her in it, but here’s a great one of George in his R&T tee:

Can you tell how much he loves that shirt? R&T also has some pretty cool phone and laptop covers. I’m waiting for them to come out with a theme for the Blackberry Pearl (hint, hint). You know, sometimes it’s time to spice things up a bit when it comes to your child’s wardrobe. Ruthless & Toothless lets your child live the tattooed lifestyle, if only temporarily. There’s always time (like years) to discuss more permanent options…—Emily

Many of you readers may have heard of Modbe. They are known mostly for modest swimwear, but, you have got to check out their everyday apparel! With t-shirts, dresses and sweaters their collection is stylish, yet simple enough to have in the closet for keeps.

I was sent the printed teal tee. I was pretty excited about the package because I believe a good t-shirt is always in style. Although t-shirts typically come in an array of solid colors, this one had a beautiful brocade design pattern. Not only was it more interesting than a solid hue, but, the design allowed it to look a bit more dressed up than a simple tee. I was shocked at how much went with this shirt as well.

Another thing you usually see with t-shirts is the basic cotton ribbing neckline. But not here. Modbe stitches a small piping neckline on this cotton tee to dress it up a bit. This small feature up top makes a big difference, creating a more tailored t-shirt.

One of my favorite things about the t-shirt is the light and stretchy material. It is a featherweight cotton that is also long in its cut. It is a functional t-shirt that will take you from sun-up to sun-down. With a classy patterned design, infused with rich colors and a light airy fabric, this t-shirt is the ‘must have’ for the season. -Amber

Available online at modbeclothing.com.

Before all you non-golfers out there see the headline and pass up this review because you don’t golf-STOP! This attire is not just for those that swing the irons.

Shi-golf is INSPIRED by golf to create a preppy apparel for all, but, the quality and classy threads can be worn on or off the greens.

Urban leisure at its best really. The sweaters are soft and form perfectly to your body. Sometimes with sweaters they are too bulky with wide lines, but, this collection has shapely cuts that have a great fit. They aren’t snug, yet, they shape you. Perhaps it is the tailored lines and amazing fabric that make the sweaters fit so well.

I like the vest sweater the best. It goes perfectly with t-shirts or button down shirts. The color is a beautiful muted color that can go with just about anything. It is a bit longer which makes it nice for comfort and style. It is nice knowing I won’t have to pull down my shirt to cover that 1 inch gap I always seem to have between shirt and pants. It gives me great comfort knowing I won’t have to tug it down all day. This vest sweater is great for casual or dress up—depending on what you wear underneath the vest.

The other sweater I tried was the 3/4 sleeve length black and white sweater with white piping down the side. This sweater can take you into all seasons with its basic black & white color and comfortable fabric. The dropped scoop neckline and 3/4 sleeve make it a very universal sweater. You can wear it alone during the warmer months, and then when the colder months hit just layer it up!

Both sweaters were easy to wash and kept their tailored lines wash after wash. Sometimes things stretch and don’t fit quite the same after you wash it, but, not here. Looks like the sweater was tailored just for my body. I was curious about the fit on someone else, so I had my sister try it on and though our bodies are different-it looked great on her too…looked like she had her own tailored made sweater as well. You too can have your own tailored fit sweater, just go to Shi-golf.com.

Now I think I’ll be taking up golf seriously, because now I look the part…and isn’t looking great on the greens half the fun?!-Amber

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