Happy belated Earth Day. Sorry...I was busy sorting my recyclables and lost track of time since my previous “eco-blog” post. Then I was watching a really depressing episode of Frontline about the polluted Chesapeake Bay and really didn't feel much like celebrating.

But I am excited to see that more and more people in our industry are trying to make a difference. I hope that someday we'll laud their efforts the same way we now praise fashion and retail pioneers like Chanel, R.H. Macy or Gideon Sundbäck.

One such pioneer is Joe Tomlinson, with his new organic apparel collection called Revel Seven. “Revel” as in to celebrate; and “Seven” as in “twenty-four/seven.” Put aside visions of boxy hemp shirts and drawstring pants destined to be worn to the Phish concert.

It all starts with Tomlinson and his wife Amy. The whole family is very outdoorsy and lives an eco-friendly lifestyle, turning positivity into pop culture. In fact, Amy brings retail cred to the formula, having run Grommet, a popular surf shop. Apparently it all started when their daughter needed to buy a tee-shirt and chose a bright fuchsia number with an obnoxious graphic, inspiring Joe to create a line of organic tees with positive messages. He proceeded to build a bamboo hut and tour with Radiohead, selling tees all along the way.

Denim and tee-shirts make up the collection’s core, all fully certified by Global Organic Textile Standards, designed with a classic 1950s, '60s American fashion viewpoint. Jeans are washed in salt, using rubber balls and chlorine-free bleach—all materials are easily recyclable and produce almost zero contamination. A plus since it’s rumored that something like half of the world’s water pollution can be traced back to textile production and it takes 1/3 pound of pesticides just to grow one pound of “normal” cotton.

The collection’s first delivery will be this July, with jeans retailing for around $195 for women and $225 for men. One outstanding style has a rounded pocket with hidden rivets—very difficult to assemble—quarter lined in gingham for longer wear, and is based on a pair Elvis wore in an image from a vintage Rolling Stone magazine! Another pair, an old-West boot-cut, is made from Italian denim in a rich shade of Mediterranean blue. The only non-denim bottom in the line is a flannel-lined twill trouser in earthy tones of safari, licorice and stone, expected to retail for $185. Woven tops include a chambray work shirt with mother-of-pearl buttons, $145 and, of course, the ubiquitous plaids of the season. A collection of sweater knits is in the works, but an initial collection was rejected because the manufacturer couldn’t meet organic standards. Tee shirts, $50 short sleeve, $55 long; continue to have positive, environmentally-themed graphics, but are always injected with a sense of humor. Most of the collection is produced in California. First run retailers include Marios, Douglas Fir, Sugar Creek Outfitters, Blues, Talullah G, Still and Retail Therapy.

I think I'm finally ready to celebrate!