February
2003
Herbivore:
A Small Company with a Big Voice
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0% animal ingredients; 0% sweatshop labor, reads the
tag attached to Herbivore clothing.
A new kid on the veg message-Tee block, this Portland-based company
is the brainchild of long-time vegetarians Josh and Michelle. Some activists
will recognize Herbivore by their signature shirt: a bright red, upside-down
pentagram with “Praise Seitan” in bold white gothic letters
on a black background. (see photo p. 6) That’ll make ‘em
stop in their tracks!
How about “Milk is Murder. Go Vegan!” (in loopy cursive
script) for a twist on the old ‘meat-is-murder’ slogan?
“Huh? How is milk murder?” you might ask. Look closer: that’s
a little calf silhouette in between the words—you know, humans
drink milk meant for cow babies, who are swiped from their mammas and
stuffed into veal crates, where they are confined until slaughter—
18 to 20 weeks later. (Women’s Tee in army green; men’s
in light gray.)
Just last month they added a new design—a Soviet-style “Veggie
Revolution” (see photo, above) complete with raised fist (except
this one clutches a fork). For women, there’s a tan baseball-style
shirt with brown sleeves ($21); men’s/unisex version is a tan
Tee with brown trim.
The baby blue “Vegetarianism is for Lovers” cotton panties
($8) are sure to make people titter. Shirts are also available—choice
of light blue or bright orange Tee, or tan/brown baseball-style for
the girls; dark blue for the guys.
A few designs are available in long-sleeves ($21) and tank tops. They
sell stickers and buttons too.
Herbivore prints exclusively on American Apparel garments, which are
sweatshop-free. This makes their Tees and tanks a tad more than most
at $19 each; however, this includes shipping. A word about sizes: everything
runs on the snug side, so if you’re between sizes order the next
size up.
While they’re still developing and so a bit short on the variety
of designs right now, they score off the charts with originality and
ethical consistency (a portion of their profits is given to Farm Sanctuary
to sponsor rescued animals). Keep your eyes open as they make new additions
to their catalog. With what they’ve produced so far, we’re
looking forward to watching them grow over the next year. Order at www.herbivoreclothing.com
or call (503) 234-0553. —C.C.
