100% Natural Fibers

This piece is made entirely from natural fibers rather than synthetic ones. Washing clothes made of synthetics, like polyester and nylon, cause a ridiculous amount of tiny plastic fragments (microplastics) to be realesed, eventually showing back up in our food chain. Some scientist estimate we eat a credit card worth of plastic each week. Ewww.

100% plant-based

Vegan, but on steroids. While some vegan products have synthetic ingredients, everything in this piece came from the ground. While that doesn't necessarily mean its biodegradable, it's still badass. Some plant-based products need specific conditions to break down properly.

Anti-Slavery Australia Award

The only prize in Australia which recognizes the outstanding contributions of individuals, organizations and businesses to combat modern slavery and make a positive impact on the lives of trafficked and enslaved people.

B-Corp Certified

A Certified B Corp is a for-profit corporation that has been certified by B Lab, a non-profit company. Where other certifications can be specific, a B-Corp certification is more all-encompassing across foundational and performance requirments, which differ by the size and type of corporation. Some, but not all, requirements include: 1. The company sets a science based target to keep global warming below 1.5° C. 2. The company has a strategy to address its actual and potential negative environmental impacts, and to pursue efforts to stay within ecological thresholds. 3. The company pays workers a living wage or collectively-bargained wage. REQUIREMENTS - Foundation: eligiblity, legal, risk assessment, impact business model assessment - Performance: stakeholder governance, workplace culture, fair wages, justice, equity, diversity & inclusion, human rights, climate action, envirnomental stewardship & circularity, government affairs & collective action, and other complimentary topics. The B Impact Assessment is owned and managed by B Labs, which began in 2006 with the idea that a different kind of economy was not only possible, but necessary — and that business could lead the way towards a new, stakeholder-driven model.

Biomaterials

Biomaterials are a new category of materials derived from sources such as cactus, bamboo, pineapples, olives, and more which serve as alternatives to animal skins, meaning no new "virgin" animal leather was used. These animals need a ton of land and water (for themselves and to grow their food). Numbers are contested, but 1 cow typically drinks more water than a backyard pool in it's lifetime. These alternatives are some next-gen stuff. They're durable, strong, flexible, light and breathable. They can do most the things regular leather can do, but have been around for less time, so no one can say they'll wear like your grandmother's bag. It's vegan, but not bio-degradable - varying levels of petroleum-based materials are added to make them behave more like traditional leather. Btw, using more of these plants is great for the areas which grow them by creating additional, and more diversified, income for farmers to help create jobs, typically in rural communities.

BSCI Certification

The Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) is an auditing program aimed at improving workplace conditions in accordance with human rights, International Labour Organization conventions and national labor law. They look 11 principles ranging from child labor, discrimination, collective and bargaining. Those certified commit to implementing the 11 principles throughout their supply chain.

Climate Neutral Certified

More to come here.

Deadstock materials

Ever see a cookie dough cutter make shaped cookies? You can eat the extra dough left over, but not so much in fashion. Fabric also comes in massive rolls and deadstock materials are the "left overs," whether from cutting out shapes to sew into garments, or if the fabric was the wrong color, or many other reasons. Using deadstock materials means not using resources to make new "virgin" materials and it means keeping fabric out of landfills. We're dead rn.

Designed in Canada

This brand is based out of Canada, where it does the majority of its designing.

Designed in England

This brand is based out of England, where it does the majority of its designing.

Designed in Germany

This brand is based out of Germany, where it does the majority of its designing.

Designed in Mexico

This brand is based out of Mexico, where it does the majority of its designing.

Designed in Spain

This brand is based out of Spain, where it does the majority of its designing.

Ethical Clothing Australia

Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA) is an accreditation body which works collaboratively with Aussie fashion businesses to protect garment workers. To be ECA accredited, a business’s manufacturing operations (including head offices) are audited to ensure that workers are being paid appropriately, receiving all their legal entitlements and working in safe conditions. ECA’s audit covers workers in design, pattern making, cut, make, trim, value-adding, dispatch and associated area and outworkers throughout the supply chain.

EU Ecolabel

The EU Ecolabel is intended to enable consumers to identify more environmentally friendly products and is awarded to products that have a lower environmental impact than comparable products, but ranges from electrical appliances to campsites. There is a broad spectrum for textiles such as 95% thresholds of organic or recycled cotton, but only 20% recycled nylon or 50% recycled polyester.

Fashion Pact Member

The Fashion Pact is a non-profit organization forging a nature-positive, net-zero future for fashion, through CEO-led collaboration. Launched as an initiative by French President Emmanuel Macron, The Fashion Pact began as a call to action to fashion CEOs to rally and build a courageous collective to address the industry’s environmental impacts. The pact was then presented to the Heads of State at the G7 Summit in Biarritz in 2019 and connected to One Planet Summit, a multi-stakeholder platform committed to address environmental issues.

Global Recycling Standard

The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) is designed to boost the use of recycled materials and is intended for use with any product that contains at least 20% recycled material. Each stage of production is required to be certified, beginning at the recycling stage and ending at the last seller in the final business-to-business transaction. Materials are verified to meet the ISO definition of “recycled.” Both pre-consumer and post-consumer material is accepted. A professional, third-party certification body audits each stage in the supply chain and certification makes sure the identity of the recycled content is maintained from feedstock to final product. GRS is owned and managed by Textile Exchange, a global non-profit with a mission to inspire and equip people to accelerate the adoption of preferred materials through clear, actionable guidance. Learn more here: https://textileexchange.org/about.

Indigenous Peoples-owned

The owner(s) of this brand identify as Indigenous Peoples.

LGBTQ+ owned

The owner(s) of this brand identify as LGBTQ+.

Marine-debris materials

Marine debris, typically plastic, can be intercepted from areas where mismanaged waste poses a threat, whether on it's way to the ocean, or plucked straight out of the ocean. Ghost nets are fishing nets that have been lost or abandoned in the ocean and they name is suited, they're scary AF. Marine life of all shapes and sizes get entangled in them, often with lethal results. Since most modern nets are made of nylon or other plastic compounds, they contribute to the ocean plastic issue too.

Manmade cellulose fibers

More to come here.

Natural dyes

Most raw materials aren't grown or created in every color so yarn is dyed, often with harsh chemicals, to make colored materials. But there are 1,000-yr old techniques of coloring fashion, whether by growing or foraging. The color purple is associated with royalty because of how expensive the dye was in ancient times - makers had a crack open 250,000 rare sea snails to generate 1 oz of usable dye.

OEKO-TEX® Standard 100

Most raw materials aren't grown or created in every color so yarn is dyed, often with harsh chemicals, to make colored materials. On their own, many of these chemicals are known to possess carcinogenic properties and/or be disruptive to human endocrine (reproductive) systems. Then fabrics are made into clothes which sit against our skin, the largest and organ in our bodies. It hasn't (and many argue can't) be proven that wearing these clothes cause any health issues, but the Standard 100 certifies this product is harmless to human health. Every single component and accessory is tested by an accredited lab, before final products can earn this certification - textile, zippers, buttons, threads, prints, and all. Standard 100 is owned and managed by OEKO-TEX® which consists of 17 independent textile and leather testing institutes in Europe and Japan, with offices in more than 70 countries.

Pays Living Wage

Earning a living wage means you can afford to feed, house and clothe yourself decently, as well as being able to afford healthcare, education, and transport.

Recycled Claim Standard

The Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) is designed to boost the use of recycled materials and is intended for use with any product that contains at least 5% recycled material. Each stage of production is required to be certified, beginning at the recycling stage and ending at the last seller in the final business-to-business transaction. Materials are verified to meet the ISO definition of “recycled.” Both pre-consumer and post-consumer material is accepted. A professional, third-party certification body audits each stage in the supply chain and certification makes sure the identity of the recycled content is maintained from feedstock to final product. RCS is owned and managed by Textile Exchange, a global non-profit with a mission to inspire and equip people to accelerate the adoption of preferred materials through clear, actionable guidance. Learn more here: https://textileexchange.org/about.

Recycled materials

Using recycled materials means someone is not using resources to make new "virgin" materials. However, recycling can be resource-intensive to process things back down into raw materials so the jury is still debating if using recycled natural fibers like cotton is better than growing it new "the right way." We especially like recycled materials when looking at synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon.

Reuters Stop Slavery Award

In collaboration with Turner Prize-winning artist Anish Kapoor - and in consultation with leading actors in the anti-slavery space - the Thomson Reuters Foundation launched the Stop Slavery Award in 2015, marking the first global recognition for businesses that had set a gold standard in efforts to eradicate forced labor from their supply chains.

Responsible Wool Standard

The Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) is a voluntary standard which aims to improve the welfare of sheep and the land they graze on. A professional, third-party certification body audits each stage in the supply chain starting at the farm and certification helps to maintain the identity of wool from certified farms through to final products. RWS farmers and ranchers are evaluated against the below animal welfare, land management, and social requirements. Some, but not all, critical requirements include: 1. Mulesing is prohibited (mulesing is the practice of cutting chunks of flesh from lambs’ hindquarters with shears to address problems caused by breeding them to produce excessive amounts of wool). 2. Shearing shall be performed by - or under the direct supervision of - a competent shearer. 3. Animals shall be handled humanely; unacceptable mistreatment of animals include rough physical contact such as kicking, striking, slamming gates on the animal, tripping, throwing, or dropping animals, dragging, or pulling by the fleece, tail, ears, head, horns, or neck, or dragging by the back legs. STANDARDS - Animal welfare: nutrition, living environment, animal management, handling and transport, and management, plans, and procedures. - Land management: soil, biodiversity and water, fertilizers, and pesticides. - Social requirements: hiring practices and forced labor, child labor, working conditions and conduct, freedom of association and collective bargaining, wages and benefits, communities, and health and safety. RWS is owned and managed by Textile Exchange, a global non-profit with a mission to inspire and equip people to accelerate the adoption of preferred materials through clear, actionable guidance. Learn more here: https://textileexchange.org/about.

Sprout Partnership

Brands use Sprout to donate to tree planting initiatives, often to plant a tree for every item sold. Sprout is the software developed by theGoodAPI company which partners with Eden Reforestation Projects which focuses on planting mangrove forests to support wild life diversity, improve coastlines, and provided meaningful wages to indigenous populations.

Undyed

Most raw materials aren't grown or created in every color so yarn is dyed, often with harsh chemicals, to make colored materials. However, heirloom cottons can naturally grow brown, green and red in addition to white varieties. Dye-free fabrics use significantly less water, energy and resources during the manufacturing process. These fabrics also ensure that no dye chemicals are leached into water supplies.

USA Supply Chain

The phrase "Made in America" doesn’t mean its entirely made in America. There are four big steps in fashion's supply chain and many companies will only do 1 of the 4 in the US. Rest assured, "USA Supply Chain" means everything was done in the USA.

veteran-owned

The owner(s) of this brand identify as veteran(s).