OUR GARMENTS
We know there is no magic formula for achieving 100% sustainability and we can’t make it happen overnight. However what we can do is make a deliberate and conscious decision in who we work with, how we work and what materials we use to ensure respect for the people we work with and the planet we live on by acting out now. This month, we will be rolling out our ethical and sustainability movement which covers everything from changing our packaging to be more eco friendly, to cutting down waste in our screen printing studio and giving the transparency on our garments that our campaigners need.
PROS AND CONS OF EACH GARMENT BRAND WE USE:
Stanley Stella
Gildan
Continental Clothing
Bella + Canvas
Kick starting with Stanley Stella:Stanley Stella are made in Bangladesh. 5 different factories (All of which are got-s certified and audited by their fair wear foundation, since 2012. Code of conduct of Stanley Stella requites supplies to pay wages over 50% of the required legal minimum wage. Stanely Stella are constantly trying to strive to make an 100% sustainable and ethical working environment. Extremely engaged with the whole process of the production chain from harvesting of raw materials through to environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing and printing, all the way to labelling.
Pros
100% organic
Cost-effective-not the cheapest but not the most expensive
You’d be able to make a good amount of profit from them
Light and durable wearing
Cons
Based on reviews from buyers sizing seems to be slightly small on average- best to get the next size up (Have a look on our size guide for indication)
Not the cheapest garment to source due to it’s attributes, but we still recommend this over Gildan & Continental
Had bad press recently, looking to improve regarding labour and working rights constantly.
Gildan:
Gildan is one of the biggest clothing manufcators in the world. Therefore, their yarns mostly use US cotton and are generally spun in their yarn spinning plants in the USA. Those yarns are sent to their textile facilities in Honduras and The Dominican Republic to be knit, dyed, finished and cut into fabric parts for sewing. The cut parts from Dominican Republic sewing facilities. The cut parts from Honduras are either sewn in Honduran or Nicaraguan sewing facilities. Gildan also operates a small facility in Bangladesh which makes the textiles and sews the final garments in one location.
Gildan comes in all sorts of sizes and shapes. Here’s just a few we offer…
Gildan Premium T-shirt, Gildan Softstyle Heather T-shirt, Gildan Softstyle T-shirt, Gildan Heavy T-shirt, Gildan Heavy Heather T-shirt, Gildan Ultra Long Sleeve T-shirt, Gildan Heavy Blend Hoodie, Gildan Softstyle Adult Tank, Gildan Softyle Youth T-shirt, Gildan Softstyle Youth Heather T-shirt, Gildan Softstyle Women's Tank, Gildan Softstyle Women's V-neck T-shirt, Gildan Softstyle Women's T-shirt.
Pros:
Make the most profit out of them
Durable
No stock issues
Currently with wrap (worldwide responsible apparel production) non profit organisation visits facilities and certify the facility complies with local laws, workplace reg, universal workers rights and environment rights
Cons:
Minimal concern with ethics
Had bad press in the past regarding workers rights - looking to improve as always
Quite heavy t-shirts (Won’t be able to move in them easily)
Continental Clothing:
5 production locations in India, Bangladesh and Turkey. Managed to become the first company in the world to calculate the carbon footprint and place the carbon reduction label on textile products. Manufactured under the organic textile standards are peta-approved began by Peta Foundation (People fro the ethical treatment of animals). Products showing the fair share level carry a small price premium that is passed directly on to the garment workers in India towards their living wage.
Pros
100% organic with 90% reduced Co2
Continental t-shirts save around 7kg of co2 whereas a hooded sweatshirt saves up to 28kgs of greenhouse gasses.
Low impact farming
Carbon Neutral manufacturing facilites
Minimising water usage
Fair-trade and employment practices
Cons
You could potentially make the least profit out of them
The stock can be unreliable as there is only a laminated amount of stock with long waits
Based on our buyers, the elastic on the necklines can go out of shape, with each wash you do.
Not that durable
Bella & Canvas:Bella & Canvas are manufactured in North and Central America regions. Extremely conscious of the environment: they only use 24 mill gallons per week - making sure no harmful chemicals are in the ocean. Zero waste environment - Bella & Canvas recycle pretty much everything that can’t be turned into a tee. They’ve optimised their cuttings to reduce plastic use and excess fabric is recycled into a number of this like baby babes or stuffing for upholstery.
Pros:
Great for active wear, most of our crossfire clients wear them because they are light and stretchy
Sewing and cutting facilities are run on solar power. By the end of 2019, we’ll have a 450,000 square foot solar farm to further our commitment to clean energy
We dye all of our fabric in California at dye houses that use 7x less water than the average clothing manufacture.
Cons:
Won’t be able to make the most profit out of them especially the sweat shirt
Thin material - probably not suitable for all year round (Unless you buy a hoodie)
Due to the elasticated and thin material-sizes for the Bella & Canvas t-shirt can be quite hard to match up, it’s best to use our sizing guide on our platform.
