You may recognize this brand as the one that was giving away free leggings at the beginning of 2017. For the $20 cost of shipping, they sent customers a free pair of black leggings. The brand launched the promotion to generate buzz prior to their launch and it’s safe to say it worked. Since then, the brand has developed into one of the better known sustainable activewear brands out there.
Girlfriend Collective is a brand that focuses on bringing supply chain transparency, eco-friendly materials, and high-end fit and feel to your closet. Their first goal is to be as transparent as possible, as they recognize that “so many companies tout transparency but only offer flashy headlines instead of substance.” Girlfriend Collective chose every part of their process, from raw materials to facilities to partners, with transparency in mind.
“So many companies tout transparency but only offer flashy headlines instead of substance.”
Each pair of Girlfriend Collective leggings starts with material made at their fair trade facility in Taiwan with 25 recycled water bottles. Once the fabric is knit, it gets sent to a dye house that greatly minimizes water and chemical waste. Every single drop of water used to dye their fabric gets sent to a wastewater treatment plant where the water gets treated to separate safe dyes and stray fibers. When everything is separated, the water is measured to make sure it is safe to release. After the water is safely released, the dye mud produced from the dyeing process is sent to a pavement facility where it’s transformed to be used for paving stones. Girlfriend Collective’s SA8000 certified factory in Vietnam uses the recycled fabric to make each garment. This factory uses no forced or child labor, mandates fair working hours and safe conditions, allows unionization, and pays living wages.
After all that, we are left with the actual product. Girlfriend Collective takes the time to make sure that every single one of their designs is beautiful and something that can be worn over and over again. Remember, the first rule of recycling is to reduce, so buying timeless clothing that lasts is one of the best ways to support sustainable fashion. By making high quality clothes that people want to wear, it is much easier to reduce the amount of clothes being purchased. Where and how your clothes are made matters and Girlfriend Collective is one of the brands that takes great care in making sure they do it right.
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