This week’s Recycled Contest Package includes the following:

A Fall 2011 Marmot Warmlight Jacket- made from Polartec Classic 200 100% PCR (post consumer recycled) Double Velour Fleece. This fabric is made from Repreve 100 yarn derived from clear plastic water bottles. The Warmlight also includes bonded zippered chest pockets, and interior zipper pocket and is Zippin™ compatible. We only have a Men’s Medium in Navy. (Sorry gals, giveaways to come for you later in the week.)

While we are celebrating recycled products, the second part of our giveaway today is a pair of Revo sunglasses. Revo manufactures the top industry-tested polarized lens on the market and 70% of their collection is made with sustainable materials. This week’s winner, along with the jacket, will receive a pair of Revo Thrives. The Thrives have Revo Polarized Crystal lenses-made from high grade optical glass, and complete with all of the Revo bells and whistles. Most importantly for today’s purposes, the Thrive nylon frame is made from 100% pre-consumer recycled high grade plastic. We think that’s pretty cool. Price is $209.

To WIN YOU MUST:1) If you haven’t already, head to the Polartec Facebook Page and ‘Like’ us. If you are so inclined, hop over to Revo’s Facebook page and show your support for their sustainable efforts as well with a “Like”.
2) Find this giveaway post on the Polartec Facebook page
3) In a comment below the post, tell us: If you could “recycle” one outdoor style from the past and bring it back into fashion, what would it be?

We will choose a winner at random on Friday April 22-Earth Day- at 12pm MST.

Disclaimer:We only have the Warmlight in a Men’s medium in Navy, and the Thrive in black with graphite lenses. No exchanges are available.

Thanks and good luck!

Fiz won the 2004 Marie-Claire prize, given to the best new designer and the L’Oreal Paris prize for the best collection at Cibeles for his elegant and sophisticated style. Now he shows his collections annually at Cibeles and sells in Europe and Japan. We at Polartec are always thrilled to see our fabrics being used in unique ways and honored to have been a part of such a well-received collection. Power Stretch has never looked so good…take a look.

So, why is it so cool?
Polartec NeoShell is completely waterproof (10,000mm) but unlike most hardshells on the market today with zero airflow, NeoShell allows actual air permeability (0.5 CFM or 2 l/m2/sec). Even a tiny amount of air permeability, imperceptible from a wind chill standpoint, accelerates moisture vapor transport significantly. While traditional shell fabrics require heat and pressure to build inside the garment before the membrane begins to work, Polartec NeoShell breathes actively thanks to an exclusive sub-micron fiber membrane with unprecedented air permeability. Pretty cool, huh? Here’s a diagram for you visual learners out there.

Big Shoes to Fill
This launch comes on the heels of the incredibly successful introduction of Polartec Power Shield Pro that won three “Gear of the Year” awards this fall. We are overhauling expectations for outerwear performance and creating a much drier, less steamy experience for technical users. The momentum is exciting for us, and we are eager for NeoShell to hit the market so our consumers can give it a shot.

Liberating Adventurers from Terrible Conditions
Ok, it’s not solitary confinement, but being stuck outside in layers that never dry, stay cold and wet, or never breathe enough to cool you off after a tough slog is still pretty brutal. You zip and unzip, layer and delayer, hat on, hat off. The awkward dance of a miserable athlete. With NeoShell, we aim to free you from the annoyances that you have considered for so long to come with the territory. Check out what cold baselayers have done to tele superstar Nick Devore.

This week’s giveaway is the Marmot Variant Jacket- Men’s Size Medium ONLY

The Variant has a unique and innovative hybrid construction that features an insulated front-panel for core warmth and Polartec® Power Stretch® panels on the side, back and sleeves for maximum mobility and breathability. The multi-purpose design ensures maximum comfort as a stand-alone piece for aerobic activities or fits comfortably under a shell as an insulating mid-layer. The Polartec® Power Stretch® fabric works to whisk perspiration away from your skin providing the performance you demand, while integrated design details, such as zippered hand pockets, thumbholes and reflective accents, give you the fit and features you need. MSRP: $140

To WIN YOU MUST:1) Head to the Polartec Facebook Page and ‘Like’ us
2) Find this giveaway post
3) In a comment below the post, list one of your first Polartec garments. We will choose a winner at random on Wednesday Aug. 4th at 8am.

Big disclaimer: The sample size is MEN’S MEDIUM in black or blue and that’s all we’ve got. There are no exchanges or returns.

Thanks so much and good luck!

This week’s giveaway is the Canada Goose Tremblant Pullover- Women’s Medium Black.

For days when it’s too warm for a down jacket but too cool for simply a sweater, the Tremblant Pullover from Canada Goose features Polartec® Power Shield® O2 fabric for an ideal combination of weather protection and breathability. The Tremblant also has a super-soft fleece lined hood, reflective detailing, stretch cuff gussets and a front drop-in pocket with hand-warmer pouches. This technical yet stylish piece will keep you comfortable skiing in fresh powder, snowshoeing in a winter wonderland or cruising about your favorite ski town. MSRP: $300

To WIN: tell us why you need this jacket in TEN WORDS OR LESS in a comment on the Polartec Facebook Page giveaway post and we will choose a winner.

Big disclaimer: The sample size is women’s medium in black and that’s all we’ve got. There are no exchanges or returns.

Thanks so much and good luck!

In late April, Kent State University’s New York Design Studio held its tenth annual edition of “Stretch to the Future,” one of the longest-running fashion design competitions sponsored by a fiber company. Created in 1999, the “Stretch to the Future” Design Scholarship Competition inspires the creative development of design students while educating them about the technical aspects of garment construction using fashion fabrics containing a highly technical fiber.

This year’s winners were selected from a field of 51 students — 20 more than last year’s entrants. The students competed with garments designed in stretch fabrics containing RadiciSpandex RadElast® spandex donated by Polartec and a number of other fabric manufacturers.

The contest was judged by a panel of industry experts, headed up by Jeffrey Chow, Creative Director for contemporary womenswear label Poleci and also included members of the charitable organization The Underfashion Club (UFC), which returned for a third year as sponsor of the contest’s lingerie award. The judging panel selected scholarship winners in the categories of eveningwear, activewear, swimwear, lingerie and an overall grand prize.

Both the activewear and lingerie category were won with Polartec fabrics. Bethany Clark won the activewear category, and Phillip Fry emerged as the lingerie category winner with a bra-and-panty set featuring a combination of Polartec and TBD Tecidos fabric. Check out the winning garments below.

Our very own Global Director of Design, Allison Spahr, also had a seat on the judging panel alongside other industry experts. Although a spot on Project Runway’s celebrity judging panel may be a long way off, we have Allison practicing her Heidi Klum attitude and “auf wiedersehens” just in case. Congratulations to the winners of this year’s competition!

Okay, they’re not all naked now, but they could be, without some help. Through a donation of Polartec® Classic Micro® fabric, Polartec is helping Montane raise money for Mountain Rescue, the national coordinating body for volunteer search and rescue teams in England and Wales. Mountain Rescue relies upon donations for 100% of their funding, so Montane has produced the special edition Polartec® Chukchi Shirt made from Polartec® Classic Micro® fleece, available for purchase at the Outdoors Show March 26-28 in Birmingham NEC or on montane.co.uk for £35. Montane will donate over half of the proceeds to help fund Mountain Rescue efforts. This is your chance to aquire a limited edition Spring garment and support a great cause at the same time.

For a chance to win, all you have to do is add a comment to this post. Next week, we’ll pick a random winner from all the comments.

Disclaimer: the sample size is men’s medium, the color is dark shadow, and the production version that is released in the Fall may be slightly different than this sample.

Every season we get a handful of early sample garments from our customers so we can seed them to the media for testing and reviews. Right now we’ve got a bunch of the coolest new Fall ‘10 layers from Patagonia, The North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Arc’teryx, Marmot, Canada Goose, Isis and more. As a reward to our loyal JustaZipper readers, we’re going to try doing an occasional product giveaway with some of these garments. To kick it off, we’re going to do a drawing for the new R3 Hi-Loft Jacket from Patagonia.

The R3 Hi-Loft features new Polartec® Thermal Pro® fabric that’s 30% warmer than the previous R3. The open-mesh stitch of the fabric promotes compressibility, increases airflow and minimizes weight, while the new addition of Polartec® Power Stretch® on the side panels allows the jacket to move any way you do. MSRP is $179.

For a chance to win this R3 Hi-Loft, all you have to do is leave a relevant comment on this post (like, “The R3 is awesome and I wanna win it”). On Tuesday, we’ll pick a random winner from all the comments.

We think this is a pretty cool opportunity to get a free R3, a full six months before it’s available to buy.

Big disclaimer: The sample size is men’s medium and that’s all we’ve got. Same thing for the color. There are no exchanges or returns! Did we mention it’s mango!

Good luck.