The Choosy Beggar

As we’ve documented, everyone’s got an opinion about appropriate short length. Taking the debate to a whole new level, GQ presents a pasty white vision for tomorrow; a scrawny, lanky, hairy portrait of mankind — Behold: A world without pants!

If a consortium of top brands has their way, you’ll soon be held — and likely be holding others — to a whole new sartorial standard. The 100-odd brands — including Levi’s, Nike, and Patagonia — “have developed a software tool to help them measure the environmental impact of their apparel and footwear, from raw material to garbage dump,” reports The Wall Street Journal. “Ultimately, the companies hope to display an eco-value on a tag or package, much like the Energy Star rating of appliances.” While the so-called “Eco Index” won’t achieve broad adoption overnight, The Journal suggests that it could eventually factor highly into consumer purchase decisions. Will it factor into yours?

We applaud the effort, particularly because the index considers how consumers “eventually dispose of their clothes.” When you’re ready to part with that coat, for example, will you head for the consignment shop or the dump? In other words, the index should represent those qualities closest to our hearts: quality and value.