Ethical, Sustainably-Minded Clothing:
Sustainable Materials
When it comes to our material choices, here’s how we prioritize:
Certified
We choose high quality materials that will not only last but also are certified for their sustainable and ethical production methodologies. Certifying organizations vary by fiber types, but we always seek out credible certifications in all our materials choices.
Recyclable
When it’s time for our clothing to finish their lives as garments, it’s important to us to look way beyond the landfill. For this reason, we choose mono-fiber or minimally blended fabrics and notions that allow for effective recycling and composting.
Quality Trims
These aren’t after thoughts for us. From thread, to buttons, to zippers, to facing, we select trims to reinforce the quality of our garments and to make recycling and composting easier down the line.
Sustainable Fabrics
Because most of the ecological damage in clothing production comes from the manufacturing of fabric, we’re pretty serious about doing our due diligence on this front. Here are a few of our core fabrics:
Deadstock: This is leftover fabric that factories or brands no longer plan to use or reproduce. We can purchase it and keep it from the trash. Quantities can vary and so this type of fabric is of particular use in limited-run projects.
Organic Cotton: We use either certified organic cotton or recycled cotton whenever we make a cotton garment. Organic cotton uses significantly less water (up to 91% less!) than conventional cotton. It also forgoes the use of harmful chemicals, fertilizers, and dyes as it is grown and manufactured into textile.
Recycled Cotton: Giving cotton a second life instead relegation to landfills, recycled cotton is made from breaking down pre- and post-consumer cotton to reform it into usable yarn. By cutting out the growing step, recycled cotton uses much less water than new cotton.
Organic Linen: A sustainability superstar, linen is breathable, strong, anti-bacterial, and ridiculously versatile. As a crop, organic linen can be grown with few (non-toxic) pesticides and herbicides and exponentially less water than cotton. In its production, organic linen does not use harmful dyes, making it one of the most biodegradable fabrics available. Linen softens wonderfully over time and with washing and can last for decades.
Organic Hemp: Needing neither pesticides nor herbicides, hemp is a durable crop that grows easily using little water – and even replenishes nutrient back into the soil as it grows. Organic hemp uses a mechanical process (instead of an environmentally-intense chemical one) to convert hemp plants into fabric. This all-weather, breathable fabric can start out feeling stiff but will soften beautifully with repeated washing.
Lenzing EcoVero: A more sustainable alternative to conventional rayon/viscose, this multi-certified silk-like fabric is lightweight, durable, anti-bacterial, wrinkle-resistant, and quick-drying. It is produced in a closed-loop system using only sustainably harvested trees, and uses less water and emits fewer emissions than conventional viscose production. EcoVero fabric has little thermal stability and so must be washed and ironed with cool/low heat.
Lenzing Tencel: Soft, smooth, flowy, and breathable, Tencel is a delight to wear. This versatile alternative to rayon is produced from sustainably grown trees in a closed-loop chemical system. It uses less energy and water than the production of cotton and is completely biodegradable.
