What do you think of when you hear the word “bamboo”? For me, it conjures up two images. First, is open swim at summer camp. I remember counselors standing around the pool holding long bamboo poles (keep it clean) to extend to a kid struggling to stay afloat. The other is Gilligan’s Island. The Professor could take four bamboo shoots, a couple of coconuts, a few palm leaves, and build a refrigerator. Sadly though, these same raw materials are virtually useless when it comes to fixing boats.

One thing that I would not associate with bamboo is clothing, especially athletic performance apparel. Until now. Evidently the fibers from this woody plant are softer than cotton yet incredibly durable, and have better ventilation and moisture management properties than synthetics like polyester. And it’s all-natural. No chemicals or additives are needed to give the bamboo all these qualities. For the eco-conscious set, that’s a valuable asset. Particularly when you consider how abundant it is (grows up to four feet a day) and safe it is to cultivate (no fertilizers or pesticides).

That's why you should get ready to welcome tennis attire that features this all-purpose plant. Prince has a shoe out now, the OV-I, that has a “GreenFit” sock-liner which contains bamboo charcoal. It’s designed to reduce odors and other unpleasantness without the use of artificial compounds. In 2009, Wilson will be rolling out a new line of apparel with bamboo integrated into select pieces. According to the company they perform better than any polyester-type shirt with none of the harm to the environment.

Now I’ll admit I’m a polyester kind of guy. I’ve got drawers full of Nike Dri-FIT, Adidas ClimaCool and Under Armour Heat Gear shirts and shorts. I can’t play in anything else. But if bamboo is as good as advertised, I’ll happily do my part for humanity and make the switch. Obviously cost would be a factor. Since many synthetics are made from non-renewable petroleum, and we all know that’s not too cheap, it’s hard to believe that clothes made from bamboo wouldn’t be a comparable price. And as mentioned earlier, the stuff grows like a weed.

That leaves style. When I met with Wilson last month about their new apparel they explained that, at the moment, they can only make clothes with bamboo in dark colors. The natural appearance of the fiber looks somewhere in the charcoal grey range and dying it to a lighter color destroys some of the performance qualities of the fabric. This is something that can probably be remedied in the near future. But it does pose an interesting question. If the polyester synthetics have a varied and more appealing look than the subdued bamboo offerings, which do you choose? Do you nurture the environment, or your sense of style?