High Adventures in the Great Outdoors
Swiss Wave and Calida
Gottfried Keller, precision watch manufacturing, the Alps, Max Frisch, fondue, versatile wee red knives, solid milk chocolate, more than seven thousand lakes, Jean-Jacques-Rousseau, multi-culturalism, Roger Federer and Gruyère cheese – stereotypes and clichés aside, I have always found it difficult to not like Switzerland.
Musically, I have always harboured a fondness for Swiss bands like Yello, Kleenex Nasal Boys and TNT, and my first excursion to Switzerland culminated in a stay at the Off the Disk Records HQ where my horizons were expanded to appreciate genre-coining pioneering outfits like Fear of God and Celtic Frost.
Fashion-wise, Switzerland has always been an insider tip for aficionados of sporty and contemporary couture, which should not come as a surprise given its location next to France and Italy. The fact that the fair trade industry is well entrenched in Switzerland only contributes to the appeal and adds another facet to a distinguishable, distinct identity that Switzerland embodies the fashion world.
For the last seventy-five years, Swiss brand Calida has been a champion of sustainability, long-lasting quality and contemporary design when it comes to lounger and undergarments. While their craftmanship and attention to detail has created a league of itself, I have developed an appreciation for Calida over the last couple of years because of their use of innovative materials, commitment to sustainability and their belief in the importance of transparency.
Case in point, Calida was the first underwear brand that championed Made in Green by Oeko-Tex, which ensures that the labelled products are devoid of harmful substances, adhere to safe and socially responsible production principles, which do not harm the environment.
Calida’s 100% Nature collection pushed the envelope even further by producing the first completely compostable products made exclusively from cellulose material, which are not only being manufactured in a closed, energy-efficient cycle and sourced from sustainably managed forests but are being produced using locally sourced carbon-neutral biogas.
In other words, if you want to discard your Calida gear, you can just put it on your garden compost, where it will decompose into biological nutrients to essentially create new raw materials.
A favourite of Calida’s offerings includes the Spacer Lounge sweater, which I love wearing on long-distance travel given its HeiQ Fresh technology, which ensures breathability and odour control.
The fact that almost every item of Calida’s collections can be combined which each other, make it not only a dream for people who love getting dressed in the dark but creates an overarching cohesion and provides coordination possibilities that other brands lack.
Given the longevity of Calida’s gear, the commitment to sustainability and the aesthetically pleasing designs, it is commendable brand that justifies the investment as one easily see and feel what you pay for.
