Christy R.’s blog

My finished MTV MID against the required specifications set by MTV:

• Duration: 30 seconds, yes it followed the required duration.
• Music: Yes it followed the rule of original music or mtv templates because I used MTV templates.
• Yes my MID was original and it is verifiable.
• Most likely yes, it followed the screen resolution, 352 x 288 WMV, 25 FPS, 44.1 kHz for audio because Mrs. Wilson was able to convert both the animation and audio into wmv and I was able to upload it.
• My video does not contain obscene language, any sign of racism, legally objectionable material, or material that may infringe upon any person’s personal or property rights. It cannot be considered unethical because it is not…! And, it is not dangerous.

Result? Hopefully a 6/6 grading by MTV staff for following their technical specifications!

Evaluating my work at each stage of the project:

• Criterion A - Investigate: I followed through each of the instructions and ticked all the boxes as I went through and I also finished before due date was over so I think this part was satisfactory :). I didn’t contact the MTV Creative Director with a legitimate question however because I didn’t really have one since I couldn’t come up with any questions my head wanted to agree with. - Do you like cheese? -
• Criterion B - Design: Yes I followed all the guidelines for design and I posted it before the required time too so I can only hope that I did good on it.
• Criterion C - Plan: I had difficulty uploading my Criterion C but I worked on it and finished on time. I was able to upload it finally because I sent it to myself and put it on words and uploaded it from words. I was never quite sure why it didn’t upload though. The message I received was something like ‘is not legal’ or so. It was a funny/bizarre message that contained the word ‘legal’. I did not do anything out of the ordinary when I made my table! =| Trying to follow my plan was a whole different story though. Macromedia was difficult to follow and when I made mistakes I had to learn from them and that took a long time because I saw the tutorial videos but they only tell you how to do something. They don’t explain to you what you should do in case of errors. I spent much more time than intended for my Criterion D.  (It would’ve really really helped if I had flash! But I could not download it anymore - I should’ve came up with the idea of downloading it on my dad’s computer earlier… .. … … or I could’ve bought a flash and stole the school’s macromedia program! But I didn’t have a flash.)
• Criterion D - Create: As stated above, I spent more time than what I planned because I’m a little slow with flash. Just a little…!! Something I’m afraid that I have not really done on time is asking 3 friends to comment on my MID. Many have seen it but I always forget to ask for comments.
• Criterion E - Evaluate: I don’t know. I’m trying to include anything I can think of. Hope I’m doinge a good job!
• Criterion F - Attitude: It’s tempting to get out of my seat and roam around because I see so many people do it, but I was able to tame myself. Yay! =) I only got out of my seat when it was necessary, like when it was a request from a classmate to comment on their MID or to try to solve something or go to the bathroom(it’s necessary!). The only time I can remember getting out of my seat for no necessary reason was when I wanted to see Beom Su’s MID animation.

I’m not going to grade myself because I’d be kind since I know I tried! =-) The effort I put in is most important to me. The only times I would not do good for sure is when I’m mentally exhausted and when I forget. I don’t do it on purpose. =-) (Thanks for not making things so intense and for always being considerate about things like those. =-))

Summary of things I did different:

- More frames than storyboard boxes so my flash would go smoother. Next time, I should experiment with the program first so I won’t be just using my storyboard as a guide but a plan part next time.

- More time taken than planned on C because I’m slow on grasping Macromedia Flash.

- Instead of a butterfly that comes to life rising out of my MTV logo, I made the flower animate rainbow colors, a heart with MTV in it, and finally added the MTV music television logo. This was because I did not have more time and no macromedia to continue at home. Next time, I’d bring a flash disk so I could steal the program from school computers :p.

My plan for creating my MID

Ordinary bud blossoming into a flower of warmth.

Unique elements that I think can make a video ‘pop’.

- colors, colors alternates

- colors and object working correspondingly to each other.

- special effects are relative.

- varying shapes

- decent length

- appropriate music.

- focused, elements working each other out.

My video will start with many colors, then black, it will turn into a bud of green on a black background, the color of the background growing lighter as the bud starts opening up, and as the bud finishes blooming, the flower has powerful colors in it. Then in the core of the flower is the MTV logo. From the MTV logo a butterfly will pop up and start flying. It will be at a decent length, with shapes alternating, alternating colors, colors will work relatively to each other. The flower will be the main core of my focus and as the logo shows up, the logo becomes the focus. Then the butterfly as an outro.

 I want to convey a warm, relaxing, renewing feeling.

How long will my MID be? Perhaps 10 or 30 seconds. It would depend on the video, if I start realizing, ‘oh, I think I can work with this idea!’ then I will most likely keep it at 30. But if I become unmotivated because the program was hard to use/I start having other ideas, most likely a 10. If I stick through with it.

What music? I think I would use a sort of electro/trance music to make it seem energized because the bud was growing. Then, at the end, I want the music to alternate because of the MTV logo, and the same music all the way through the whole video wouldn’t fit either. By the end I want to have a sort of nature-like music, perhaps birds chipping. All of this either has to be an MTV template or something I would create myself.

Technical Specifications: I will most likely use Macromedia flash for this project.

Copied right from MTV + ME:

MTV logo: I will most likely use the white logo because then I could edit colors to it easier as opposed to the black one. The white one gives you more options to decorate also.

Actors, drawings, photos? Well, my MID would most likely be an animated clip. I will be using mostly Macromedia flash. I will be using many slides to make the video process more understandable.

Justifying against my own design specifications; well, there isn’t much else I could say other than I’ve been having them in my head while I was doing this, and I try to achieve as much out of my time as possible too. When I made my plan, I had inspiration and ideas in mind. When I did the storyboard drawings, I followed the plan.

I guess I’m pretty much done with the plan except for actually deciding the music I want to include. And, of course - I haven’t learnt much about Macromedia Flash so I would have to visit atomiclearning.com fairly often.

A few things I took note on:

Reverse motion: first you have the forward motion, then you copy the frames that make the forward motion, paste it somewhere else on the timeline, right click on the duplicate, scroll down and click ‘reverse frames’.

 Changing colors and alpha effects for a motion tween:  motion tweens are not for motions alone. You can alpha  and  fade pictures, you can change their sizes, make your images grow or shrink, etc.

Shape tween: it’s there to turn one shape into another. “The shape tween will only work with the basic primitive shape, you won’t be able to use symbols, or groups, in a shape tween.”

Shape hint: have two shapes, put them in shape tween motion. Go back to the first frame, go to ‘modify’, ’shapes’, and then ‘add shape hint’. A small red circle with an A will show up. The animation would look different, and it would look more like one form rather than a recreation.

Using a motion guide to create a motion tween: (wouldn’t work. I would need this though. Could always try experimenting around and try to get there anyhow.)

Importing sound(or pretty much any other files): file > import > import to stage/library > (navigate to file).

Although I am quite sure that there is much more for me to learn, I think these will be good enough as simple, basic, yet strong guides for starting.  

My first idea of an MTV logo: from a screen of blurry, dreamy colors to a bud to a flower, at the core opening of the flower, the MTV logo sits. ^^ I got this help when listening to the electro dream track template.

Second idea: Kid opening presents, keeps opening with an indifferent face until he finds an MTV logo in a present box. Kid goes berserk.

 What is MTV + ME?It’s about you and what you can do. MTV + ME is a campaign that allows you to present your MTV MIDs on-air, on MTV.
What is an MID?

An MID is the MTV channel ident that allows you to create the MTV logo. It lets you be creative with the MTV logo. An MID is an MTV ID.
What is the brief or theme?

There is no brief or theme, so you can be creative in your own way with the MTV logo – you can do it in 2D, 3D, animation, photography, video clip, etc. However, you have to follow the duration of MTV and it’s technological specifications (answered below) and create a piece that would not interfere with MTV’s broadcasting regulations.
How does the campaign work?

You create, upload, and MTV staff assess. Each week the best works are selected out by random and are helped by the MTV staff to make their broadcasting quality from good to even better.
Duration (how long should your MID be?)

MTV requests your MID to be either 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or 60 seconds long.
Music (what’s important to know from this page?)

You either have to create your own music piece to include with the MID or select original music pieces from MTV’s audio templates/ music beds.

MTV will not accept music pieces that were not originally created by you or any pieces that do not exist in its database specifically made to volunteer you on your MID. Yes, despite the fact that your non-audio is original.
Where do I get the MTV logo?

The MTV logo and logo guideline can be found/downloaded from http://www.mtvasia.com/mtvme/downloads.html.
Technological specifications (copy, paste, and discuss them on your blog)

The guideline sounds quite complicated, especially the online submissions part. All the numbers, formats confuse me. I’m already a confused person! =/ You have to have a format that allows you to upload + submit to MTV, then another format when your work is selected…. That wasn’t very helpful…! Perhaps the only thing I understood was the fact that it had to be at the maximum file size of 10 MB. Otherwise, I did not understand anything else other than the bullet points. Your work must be appropriate for the wide audience, have original content, have a suitable title for submission. The only downside this may be is that submitted material are non-returnable.

You can submit as many as you want.
What do I get at the end of this?

A spotlight on MTV – well, your name on MTV, along with your work shown on it. You can also get into exclusive MTV premiums. In addition, you can be nominated in MTV’s awards that honour the best MIDs produced.

You may also be offered an internship with On-Air Promos department if your work gets featured.

The downloads section:

• Guidelines: Wow! Quite complicated! It has a lot of ‘Do Nots’. I think I would need it beside me or minimized, simply just there in case. The examples helped a lot in helping me understand it though. I’m thinking, showbiz is harder than it seems. A lot of brains I think.
• MTV logo formats: I was only able to view the first and last 2 logos because I don’t have the program for the 2nd. I think the white MTV logo was most appealing because I think that I could work with it more. Make it black when I want, add in all kinds of colors. That’s what I think of it anyways.
• Audio templates: I’m downloading all of them. I’ve listened to all of the fast tracks and I’ve listened to 3 of the medium tracks. So far, electro dream has been appealing to me. However, most of them made me felt an urge to be creative and they were quite different from each other so it’s unclear whether I actually have a favorite. Edit: I’ve listened to all of them and now as I have, I feel like I will be using them to my advantage. Some good tracks to go with different themes! Maybe I would want vocal in it later on, but maybe not. I’m indifferent for now. I like the tracks though! =) ‘The Right Stuff’ sounds appealing. Good beat.

The uploads page: Not too complicated. At least on the surface. A title, the file, a box to tick for the agreements of MTV’s term and conditions, and a submit button. It has the guidelines that you have to follow for an MID to be accepted.

The gallery section:

1. Who made it? Firman Machda from Indonesia. How long is it? I’m not quite sure. Perhaps 10 seconds. Edit: I timed it. More like 30 seconds. What techniques did he/she use? 3D animation. Trance/electro music I think. Do you like it? Not really. All I really understood was a martian… releasing a human being… headphones… stuff coming out of martian… done. No, I didn’t necessarily like it.
2. Who made it? Christina Guerreiro from Portugal. How long is it? 10 seconds. What techniques did he/she use? 2D animation I guess. With electro in the background. Do you like it? Nah not really. I don’t like her style of drawing.
3. Who made it? Caroline Attia from France. How long is it? 10 seconds. What techniques did he/she use? 2D animation too. With electro in the background. Do you like it? This one was more decent from the others. But maybe it’s because of the small video screen, all of them seem so crowded together. This MID was pretty cute. I’ve seen better drawings but I don’t  know if I could do better than her. 
4. Who made it? Aras Parmawam from Netherlands. How long is it? 10 seconds. What techniques did he/she use? Realistic coffee, 3D background, 3D shapeshifting object. With electro in the background. Do you like it? Not quite. I think the coffee and the shapeshifting object didn’t go to well together. Could better.
5. Who made it? Aras Parmawam from Netherlands (again). How long is it? 10 seconds. What techniques did he/she use? 3D, shapeshifting. With electro in the background. Do you like it? This was better than the last. I’m indifferent. 

Source: Viacom International Inc., “MTV + ME: We want your work on MTV.” MTV Asia. 2008. Viacom International Inc.. 14 May 2008 http://www.mtvasia.com/mtvme/.

How to evaluate my finished project: 

Fill out my own survey with total honesty. 

1. Did I record my ideas? Tried my best at demonstrating them during the planning step? 
2. Did I have an overwhelmingly wonderful feel at the end of the show?
3. Was it creative?
4. Was it more appealing than it was creative?
5. Did it make you go, ‘oh!’?
6. Was the sound quality at a high standard?
7. Was the visualization sharp and at the peak of its theme?
8. Was it relative all together?
9. Did the substances in the MID work well to make each other thrive?
10. Last, but not least, was it inspirational and motivating to the audience at the same time?

 /10

!! 

It started today -

-No computer

-No cell phones

-No music players

-No TV

For 4 days. (Except for homework.)

!!

Day 1:

Today I did something stupid - my dad was watching national geographic and I sat down and watched with him.

I feel somewhat terrible. I usually listen to my sony walkman in the car, from home to school and back, and my ipod or computer at home. I watch national geographic and I go on facebook and gmail.

Today - there was no mp3, no ipod, no facebook, and no gmail. I’ve long thought of getting away from all the technology, and as this project came up, I was somewhat enlightened. -However, when it started, I thought more of the things I wouldn’t mind not using - the computer for facebook and gmail, the tv for national geographic, and the cell phone for texting. 

T h e n,

I realized that my walkman has to go, too - and a panick went through my head. I’m so used to it that it’s like an addiction. An addiction that could be killing billions right now too, if it were dangerous.

I’m probably handling this assignment a little better than some other kids though, because I don’t use my cell as much, I don’t watch tv as often, and even though I use the internet a lot - I’ve tried so many times to sit at the computer less. Now I’m actually achieving that goal. I’ve only used it for homework today :). 

I am confident that I could do better than this though. I feel that I’m only as good as 6/10 because of the tv incident, and my driver listens to the radio in the car, same music as I like - not so unplugged.

Day 3

 Today was actually worse than yesterday. I’ve felt tempted to cheat - check my facebook, my gmail, and listen to my MP3 player. My father either watches TV or goes on the internet when he’s home, and that makes me crave the things we can’t use even more. On the first day we started - Tuesday - I actually came home and slept from 5 to 9 I think, so it wasn’t as bad as yesterday or today, but even though I slept for a few hours I still missed the technology when I woke up - because it was obviously still there!

 But despite it all, a moral voice inside my head kept me intact up till now - at least. I feel quite vulnerable, but I feel that I can also make it. I wonder what it would be like if electricity suddenly disappeared though. Death of billions of people? A third world war? I’m curious, but I don’t want to find out. Maybe I would join the amish people one day - no more than a week - for an adventure - but I don’t think I could make it too well for more than those 7 days.

 After all… this was only day 3. 1 more to go.

Evaluation

Against my own design specifications:

Design Specifications:

1.      Accurate, detailed, and grammatically correct texts.

2.      Correct MLA citations and correct wikipedia format.

3.      At least 2 other people’s reviews. +1 more when Ms. Wilson checks :).  

My achievement:

1. Pretty accurate, detailed and grammatically correct description, but not totally. For example, I spotted another mistake (oooonly after I posted it already……………………….!!) saying, ‘They are also known to improve soil quality in degraded and eroded areas of land due to its rapid spread in large areas,’ when it should be ‘their’ instead of ‘its’. I moved texts around a lot to try and make the paragraphs more smooth for the readers but that example sounded really awkward. I think that next time, I could take this even to the next level – and use my yahoo answers account as an advantage. I could simply ask the community’s contributors to review my article before posting. Yahoo answers has many knowledgeable users that I know of, so I think I could personally trust the site to help me out. Besides, I’ve asked and answered many questions on yahoo answers before and it’s been one of the best informative sites I’ve used. (Yes it can get addicting too with scoring points - and you do that by answering questions, 10 points for being the best answer, and voting for the best answers.) 

2. I used citationmachine.net for the MLA citations and I researched wikipedia about its format (for ages), so I think this step was pretty fair.

3. Tselmuun, Udval, and Namuun read my article although only Tselmuun and Udval commented. Then I also gave the article once to Mrs. Wilson. ^^I would say I did pretty good on following my own design specifications (because I made it to suit me heheh). Hopefully the other criterions would be good too?

Against each stage of the project(using the rubric as a guide): 

Originals:

A: Self-grading for investigation: 5 – Because I didn’t complete the whole task on time (finished step 3 + self grading Wednesday morning). 

B: Self-grade: 4-6 (but leaning onto the higher side :P), since I know what I did and how long it took for me to finally reach this stage, I know that I had a bit(juuust a bit…) of a time-management issue. Because it took me so long to find a topic to write about or edit on criterion A, the time pressure incurred with B, and because the article I wanted to edit was already edited by someone else, I had to find another article I was interested in/familiar with to edit (I usually feel more motivated=), which, in turn - meant I had less time to complete criterion B. However, a few hours spent at home paid off, and I feel as though this was one of the assignments that I worked harder on yet, since I actually brought it home and spent time on it, actual time – not just 10-20 minutes.

C:Self grade: 5-6 just because! Edit: BECAUSE … it took me forever to learn the wikipedia format! But I learnt! =) 

D: (aww it’s a sad face.) Self grade: 5-6, hopefully, because I somehow lost bits and pieces of my sanity doing this last - or almost last part of the project even though I am still motivated about it. All the reading up on the wikipedia format, what the system accepted, what it didn’t, etc. - wasn’t so fun for someone like me that doesn’t like to read long descriptions. Didn’t help that I am a slow reader also heheh. 

What I think of it now: as an overall I think I could’ve gotten a pretty good 5 or even 6 because I for once actually tried harder on this project than I did on the last, and I felt it also because I had to do more work at home. I enjoyed it more as well and the negative parts usually hanged around my head but I actually overlooked the fact that I got it in late for A(memory issues had a little bit involvement =/).  

Checking over my wikipedia article again: 

My wikipedia page – had not been changed much. I looked at its history, and on the history, it says 2 users, Soxred93 and Addbot edited my article – but there is also an m next to their edits, m standing for minor edits. As I compared the histories, I realized that Soxred93 added a ‘uncategorized tag’, but I wasn’t sure what Addbot did. I think he/she simply edited a row of space.  

Either way, it doesn’t seem like that much of an issue to me. Something I could overlook, too. I could try and categorize my article though. Should ask for permission first. ^^ 

Improvements I could make:

-         I could improve - yes, grammatically and informatively on my descriptions even more next time by asking contributors of Y!A to check it over for me.

-         Even though I’m careful, most of the time I’m just not as careful as I want to be. I could always try brushing up my reading skills over the summer, because when I tried to learn about the wikipedia formats and its dos and don’ts, I lost a lot of patience. The texts were long, and I sometimes got impatient because of them. Most of the time I didn’t even want to read. I thought it was too boring to start:P so I tried skipping a lot. But I realized that most of it was relative to each other. That was when it became… annoying!!!!!!!

-         Get more sleep. As my usual need-to improve – that’s been on the list for over 3 years. Teenage hormones mess it up. The internet messes it up. Homework messes it up too. I guess I’d just have to experiment on and on until I find the better ways to handle them. And theeen. My beauty sleep. ^^ (Lucid dreams have its part in there too!!!!!! Stop those lucid dreams….)

Evaluation for my evaluation: I think I did fine with E. I hope for a 5 or 6 because I’ve also added what and why, and how I could improve. ^^ And I also tried to follow the rubric. Effort counts too…. D: *:D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_clothing =) This is THE link.

 Here was what I put into the wikipedia edit panel body:

”’Bamboo clothing”’ is a modern invention that originated as a desire for a greener planet. It is considered the ‘most sustainable natural fiber on earth with many extraordinary qualities’, along with being comfortable, durable, and stylish. <ref>Naturally Bamboo LLC, “Do You Bamboo? .” Naturally Bamboo. 2007. Naturally Bamboo LLC. 26 Apr 2008 <http://naturallybambooclothing.com/>.</ref><ref>Breckenridge , Jenn. “To Bamboo Or Not To Bamboo.” In The Loop; eco fashion news and reviews brought to you by Greeloop. 13 Mar 2008. Greenloop. 26 Apr 2008 <http://thegreenloopblog.com/2008/03/to-bamboo-or-not-to-bamboo/>. </ref> 

==Organic== Unlike cotton, bamboos do not require a huge amount of water, fertilizer, or pesticide. They are the fastest growing plant of the whole world, taking a time span of approx. (approximately) 3 months to reach full height and 3-4 years for maturity. They are also known to improve soil quality in degraded and eroded areas of land due to its rapid spread in large areas, and they absorb carbon dioxide approx. 5 times faster than normal trees. In addition, bamboo clothing is 100% biodegradable, which means it can be recycled more easily. <ref>Bamboo Clothing Ltd., “About bamboo clothing: Why is it better?.” Bam. 2008. Bamboo Clothing Ltd.. 23 Apr 2008 <http://www.bambooclothing.co.uk/why_is_bamboo_better.html>.</ref> 

Because bamboo clothing is organic, its popularity can increase photosynthesis and reduce the greenhouse gas that adds to global warming. <ref>Fashion Organic Clothes, “Why Organic.” FOCS; Fashion Organic Clothes. 2007. Fashion Organic Clothes. 25 Apr 2008 <http://www.fashionorganic.cn/whyOrganic.asp>.</ref> 

==Fine quality==Along with being extremely soft and ‘luxuriously comfortable, it absorbs and evaporates sweat quicker(3-4 times better than cotton), it has a thermo-control system that allows your body to breathe easier in hot weather(2-3 degrees cooler) and keeps you warmer in cold(2-3 degrees warmer). It is an antistatic material, and it also cuts down 98% of harmful UV rays that attack your skin. Bamboo clothing is antibacterial and antifungal, naturally. Because it acts against bacteria, wearing bamboo keeps you feeling fresher, cleaner, healthier, and smelling better for longer. (Less cloth washing needed, more free time, more water saving!)  

Besides these advantages, bamboo clothing has a smooth and round texture, with little harsh chemical treatments that can irritate skin. Since it is also antibacterial, it resists the spread of bacteria on the skin. This makes it perfect for sensitive or allergy prone skin. <ref>Bamboo Clothing Ltd., “Frequently Asked Questions.” Bam. 2008. Bamboo Clothing Ltd.. 25 Apr 2008 <http://www.bambooclothing.co.uk/why_is_bamboo_better.html>.</ref><ref>Fashion Organic Clothes, “Why Organic.” FOCS; Fashion Organic Clothes. 2007. Fashion Organic Clothes. 25 Apr 2008 <http://www.fashionorganic.cn/whyOrganic.asp>. </ref> 

==Debates== 

Although bamboo fabric is considered eco-friendly and ‘the new silk’, there is a debate over whether it is truly as eco-friendly as many claim it to be.  As a production step, harsh chemicals, possibly toxic - are used to break down the bamboo pulp from the plant. Despite the fact that bamboo clothing is still considered an improvement from synthetic clothes and unnaturally achieved clothes, many of its manufacturing companies are criticized and questioned for the way they produce these fantastic fabrics. <ref> Breckenridge , Jenn. “To Bamboo Or Not To Bamboo.” In The Loop; eco fashion news and reviews brought to you by Greeloop. 13 Mar 2008. Greenloop. 26 Apr 2008 http://thegreenloopblog.com/2008/03/to-bamboo-or-not-to-bamboo/. </ref>

==References==

{{reflist}}

It took a lot of research, and it took a lot of patience (thank you :PP!), and finally it’s done. Notice that I took out the part that says ‘Why is bamboo clothing better for you?’ on this final article because as I went through the wiki rules, it would’ve been considered advertisement, which is discouraged. I learnt a lot by opening the edit panel of random articles and comparing their scripts to each other; the fuller the better, and although it took a little time, I found what I needed; like how to make the references look a little more professional, a little more wikipedia, for example. ^^

Self grade: 5-6, hopefully, because I somehow lost bits and pieces of my sanity doing this last - or almost last part of the project even though I am still motivated about it. All the reading up on the wikipedia format, what the system accepted, what it didn’t, etc. - wasn’t so fun for someone like me that doesn’t like to read long descriptions. Didn’t help that I am a slow reader also heheh.

My Plan for D

 The final article. 

Bamboo Clothing
Bamboo clothing is a modern invention that originated as a desire for a greener planet. It is considered the ‘most sustainable natural fiber on earth with many extraordinary qualities’, along with being comfortable, durable, and stylish. (“Do You Bamboo?.)ⁱⁱⁱ

Contents:

• Organic
• Fine quality
• Debates

Organic

Unlike cotton, bamboos do not require a huge amount of water, fertilizer, or pesticide. They are the fastest growing plant of the whole world, taking a time span of approx. (approximately) 3 months to reach full height and 3-4 years for maturity. They are also known to improve soil quality in degraded and eroded areas of land due to its rapid spread in large areas, and they absorb carbon dioxide approx. 5 times faster than normal trees. In addition, bamboo clothing is 100% biodegradable, which means it can be recycled more easily. Because bamboo clothing is organic, its popularity can increase photosynthesis and reduce the greenhouse gas that adds to global warming. ⁱⁱⁱ

Fine quality

Why is bamboo clothing better for you? Along with being extremely soft and ‘luxuriously comfortable, it absorbs and evaporates sweat quicker(3-4 times better than cotton), it has a thermo-control system that allows your body to breathe easier in hot weather(2-3 degrees cooler) and keeps you warmer in cold(2-3 degrees warmer). (“About bamboo clothing: Why is it better?”.)It is an antistatic material, and it also cuts down 98% of harmful UV rays that attack your skin.Bamboo clothing is antibacterial and antifungal, naturally. Because it acts against bacteria, wearing bamboo keeps you feeling fresher, cleaner, healthier, and smelling better for longer. (Less cloth washing needed, more free time, more water saving!) Besides these advantages, bamboo clothing has a smooth and round texture, with little harsh chemical treatments that can irritate skin. Since it is also antibacterial, it resists the spread of bacteria on the skin. This makes it perfect for sensitive or allergy prone skin. ^ivv

Debates

Although bamboo fabric is considered eco-friendly and ‘the new silk’, there is a debate over whether it is truly as eco-friendly as many claim it to be. (“Bamboo Eco-Fashion”.) As a production step, harsh chemicals, possibly toxic - are used to break down the bamboo pulp from the plant. Despite the fact that bamboo clothing is still an improvement from synthetic clothes and inorganic clothes, many of its manufacturing companies are criticized and questioned for the way they produce these fantastic fabrics. ^vi

iNaturally Bamboo LLC, “Do You Bamboo? .” Naturally Bamboo. 2007. Naturally Bamboo LLC. 26 Apr 2008 <http://naturallybambooclothing.com/>.

iiBreckenridge , Jenn. “To Bamboo Or Not To Bamboo.” In The Loop; eco fashion news and reviews brought to you by Greeloop. 13 Mar 2008. Greenloop. 26 Apr 2008 <http://thegreenloopblog.com/2008/03/to-bamboo-or-not-to-bamboo/>.

iiiBamboo Clothing Ltd., “About bamboo clothing: Why is it better?.” Bam. 2008. Bamboo Clothing Ltd.. 23 Apr 2008 <http://www.bambooclothing.co.uk/why_is_bamboo_better.html>.

ivBamboo Clothing Ltd., “Frequently Asked Questions.” Bam. 2008. Bamboo Clothing Ltd.. 25 Apr 2008 <http://www.bambooclothing.co.uk/why_is_bamboo_better.html>.

vFashion Organic Clothes, “Why Organic.” FOCS; Fashion Organic Clothes. 2007. Fashion Organic Clothes. 25 Apr 2008 <http://www.fashionorganic.cn/whyOrganic.asp>.

viManning, Johneen. “Bamboo Eco-Fashion.” Suit101. 12 Apr 2008. Suit101. 29 Apr 2008 <http://womensfashion.suite101.com/article.cfm/bamboo_eco_fashion>.