We heart ethical clothing

We heart ethical clothing and looking after the world we live in.

Living on our planet is a privilege that we should all be very grateful for. This philosophy is one that many clothing brands have taken upon themselves to adopt as part of their work ethic. Companies like Sundried, Patagonia, Under The Same Sun and Finisterre have made it their mission to ensure that they manufacture their clothes ethically by using recycled materials, cutting down on their environmental impact and assuming responsibility for all of their employees and customers. Find out why we heart ethical clothing and why you should too.

Raw materials

With concerns for the environment growing every day, demand is growing for clothes that are made ethically as opposed to as cheaply and as quickly as possible. And as a result, companies are coming up with new and innovative ways to manufacture clothes sustainably from recyclable materials.

Sundried have embraced a method of production that involves using coffee grounds to make clothes. First developed by a Taiwanese company in 2008, fabric produced with coffee grounds has been proven to have a number of benefits that are especially advantageous for activewear. The fabric is fast-drying, UV resistant and deodorising, plus it doesn’t need to be made using as high a temperature as other fabrics, which cuts down on the C02 emissions.

Under The Same Sun also use a variety of recycled materials to manufacture their clothes, including Tencel, Renew Prime, Organic Leather and Cashmere, to ensure that they cause less of an environmental impact. According to Under The Same Sun, their method of using recycled polyester from recycled water bottles instead of regular polyester uses 53 per cent less energy and water and produces 54.6 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Simple changes can make a huge difference.

Environmental impact

When clothes are made, there are many steps that go into the manufacturing process. Sometimes, this involves causing harm to the environment.

With an increased awareness about the dangers of global warming and environmental damage, there are clothing brands out there who have made it their mission to do everything in their power to take care of the earth ethically.

Sundried has been audited by the Low Carbon Innovation Fund, which means that their efforts to make as small a carbon footprint as possible have been officially acknowledged.

Patagonia also feels very strongly about the environmental impact of their work, as they make strong efforts to check that the materials and methods they use will leave as little an impression on the environment as possible.

These are just two examples of companies who have adopted this ethos that it’s our responsibility to look after the world, even if it means slowing down the manufacturing process. With great power comes great responsibility!

Power to the people

When you buy clothes, chances are you don’t often stop to think about the numerous amounts of people who have played a part in getting those clothes on the shop shelves. The clothes you’re wearing now once started off as a few bits of material and thread on a factory table – someone had to make them.

Patagonia is dedicated to ensuring that the people in their supply chain are taken into account and that their human rights and working conditions are protected. A task that is not easy in an industry where exploitation at lower levels of the supply chain is rife.

Finisterre are also committed to caring for their manufacturers, employees and customers every step of the way. The people make the product what it is, so it’s great to see responsible companies doing their bit to make sure the people are well looked after.