Tinctoria Men's Board Shorts : All Hemp, All the Time

A few years back, I was checking out some hemp towels in Brattleboro, VT in a store named Save the Corporations from Themselves when the guy behind the counter launched into a primer on hemp.

Hemp, he said, has been an invaluable crop for over 10,000 years. The Declaration of Independence was drafted by Jefferson on hemp paper, and the original Levi jeans were made of hemp. And who knew that Henry Ford grew industrial hemp on his estate back in the 1930's. Though this "miracle planet" is grown virtually everywhere around the world, it's illegal to farm hemp in the United States - a fact that sent him another step up his soap box.

Once he regained his equilibrium, he told me that it can be used to make paper, textiles, tea, biodegradable plastics, fuel, and the list went on and on. And I forgot to mention that the interior panels of some cars made by Mercedes Benz include hemp.

I was desperately trying to find a way to excuse myself when he told me that hemp requires little to no pesticides, replenishes the soil with nutrients, controls erosion and produces heaps of oxygen. It could replace many harmful products like paper made from trees and tobacco and, well, I was only able to leave after claiming I was late to a cannabis convention in Quebec. (For the record, industrial hemp has such low amount of THC that you'd have to smoke multiple acres to feel a narcotic affect.)

After that enlightening conversation I tended to avoid hemp-themed clothing stores, and even catalogue pages emblazoned with the words "Nature's Miracle Fiber!" But last month I acquired a pair of hemp Board Shorts made by Tinctoria, and now I'm officially over my hemp aversion

These lightweight no-fly, tie-at-the-waist baggy shorts are rugged (double-needle stitching on the gusset and inseam) and comfortable. At the end of June I drove from Brooklyn to a kayak race at Lake Ontario in my stylishly relaxed boardies; in the evening I returned from the boonies my wife and I went out to  a trendy part of Manhattan to see Werner Herzog's documentary on Antarctica (when he mentioned global warming I felt a small, righteous glow).  I've worn my board shorts nearly every day this month and see no reason to take them out of the rotation until those close to me insist.  

Bottom Line :   A durable, handsome, eco-conscious hang-to-the knee pair of shorts made of 100% hemp. By the way did you know that hemp seeds contain omega fatty acids, amino acids, and minerals? The seeds can be eaten raw, ground into a meal, sprouted, prepared as tea, used in baking and the leaves can also be eaten in salads. --J.G. (Aug 08)

Price : $64 purchase at manufacturer's site

Manufacturer's Site : www.tinctoriadesigns.com

Buy Online: www.certainees.com