Better fabrics (and its invisible cost)
This is an extension of our IG post, on a topic that’s deserves much more education in the public space! What is the hidden cost of fashion products? Why better fabrics matter not just for the environment, but also for the quality you get!
First things first, cost. Did you know that material cost makes up half if not more of your average cost of goods (COGs)? Yes it’s materials unfortunately and not human labour! No surprises then that there’s where brands usually cut cost to increase their margins. Is it any surprise then that the quality of clothing (especially fast fashion products) seem to be on a downward trajectory…
Look beyond how something feels the next time you go shopping - beyond the fabric feeling ‘soft’, what is its material composition? Polyester and synthetics likely won’t have the same sweat-wicking, breathability of natural fibres. That’s before we’ve even consider the environmental impact of fabrics! Did you know that up to 80% of emissions in the fashion value chain occurs at the raw materials extraction and material production stage, even before clothing is made? Yes our choice of materials has a HUGE impact on the environment!
Which brings us to the next topic of certified fabrics. Why do we insist on using certified fabrics for most of our assortment, despite its higher costs? Why are certified fabrics more expensive?
In the same way that organic food products cost more (controlled process, no harmful chemicals), certified fabrics tend to cost more as its manufacturing process has much more stringent environmental and safety controls in place.
Lenzing TENCEL™ fibres for example uses only certified wood from sustainable forestry, consumes less water, with energy from bioenergy and avoids the release of toxic chemicals via a closed-loop process. It’s gentle on the skin, biodegradable and has a lustrous shine. In short:
- No toxic chemicals - No toxic solvents are used in the production of Tencel fabric, unlike most synthetic fibres
- Low water consumption - Up to 99% of the water used in Tencel production is collected and reused
- Renewable raw materials - Tencel Lyocell is made from eucalyptus - a rapidly renewable and biodegradable raw material that does not require artificial irrigation or the use of pesticides.
- Comfort - Tencel fabric is gentle on the skin, cooling and less prone to wrinkling.
This is a great chart for understanding the different types of cellulosic fibres!
As a slow fashion brand, we embrace material sustainability by:
-
using certified fabrics for a sizeable portion of our assortment.
As a small brand, we can’t do 100% at the moment as not all of these resources are available to small batch producers. GOTS organic cotton for example requires both fabric vendors and clothing manufacturers to be certified. These certifications are often limited to large manufacturers with huge minimum order quantities. E.g some of the fabrics we use are GOTS organic cotton as we sourced them directly from fabric mills. However, we can’t use the GOTS label as our smaller clothing production factories aren’t certified!
-
using deadstock where possible. W
e want to caveat that deadstock alone does NOT equate with sustainability! Most deadstock fabric is never incinerated and will not be sent to landfill. Great for smaller indie brands like us as we get to tap onto leftover branded fabrics whilst avoiding virgin fibres!
- giving preference to natural fibres that are not only great for your skin, but also from renewable sources such as wood pulp, cotton and linen. Cotton has its fair share of environmental and labour impact, so organic sources are preferred!
Remember - there is no silver bullet when it comes to sustainability. There is SO MUCH more that we’d like to do! Sharing the processes transparently is one of the ways in which we are committed to being an authentic brand.
Check out our certified ECOVERO™ and TENCEL™styles here.