Sustainability and toxin-free clothing are extremely important to me.
Clothing is one of the largest pollutants in the world! A lot of big clothing brands intentionally use lesser quality materials with the idea that the customer will need to come back and buy more when their clothes wear out. This leads to a lot of waste in the world. We want to help change the consumer’s standards. We use high-quality materials sourced from ethical companies so our items will last many years and can be passed down from child to child.
In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint we are conscious of every step of the process from seed to packaging. Our clothing starts with certified organic cotton. Our solids are grown and milled here in the USA by family-owned and operated mills.
Our prints range from American-made to European imports. But all are certified organic cotton and bought from ethical suppliers.
We list under each item what the fibers are and where they were milled.
Our items are not GOTS certified, however, the fabrics are grown by GOTS standards and dyed with nontoxic low-impact dyes.
Our packaging is also sourced from companies that share our passion for protecting the earth, and we support other small shops as much as possible when looking for packing materials. All packaging is eco-friendly and recyclable!
Why Organic? Why certified?
A lot of us are conscious of what we place into our bodies, but overlook what goes on our bodies! Our skin is our largest organ and anything placed on our body will get absorbed to some degree.
Many conventional clothing items are made from synthetic fabrics, most commonly polyester. Polyester is a form of plastic derived from petroleum(crude oil) that can contain toxins linked to immune and reproductive issues. On top of that, it can cause allergies and skin irritation because it’s not breathable. For this reason, polyester should never be used on newborns because they are still learning to regulate their body temperatures, and isn’t recommended for young children.
Due to the chemical makeup of synthetic fabrics, these toxins are released by heat. Washing and drying can cause microplastics to be released into our water and air causing more pollution. But even the act of wearing synthetics can cause the toxins to release, which are then absorbed by our skin.
A common misnomer in the clothing industry is referring to bamboo or other plant pulp-based fabrics as “natural fibers.” These fabrics originate from natural sources but are often highly processed and by the time they’re in a usable form they are primarily synthetic. This is kind of a grey area between natural and synthetic fabrics known as semi-synthetic. We personally don’t think these fabrics are healthy so we choose to avoid them, but there are many debates on where they fall on the toxin scale. How the fabric is processed can also affect how toxic the end result is.
Natural fibers such as cotton are the preferred choice for breathability and many believe they’re healthier since they’re naturally derived. However, cotton is the most sprayed crop and uses around 16% of the world’s insecticides. It’s then processed and many other toxins like ammonia, formaldehyde, and heavy metals are added along the way. So by the time cotton is ready to become a garment it’s already full of toxins. Additionally, many conventional factories will dump more toxins onto it in the form of dyes and other embellishments.
This is why organic cotton is so important. Not only does it avoid the heavy use of insecticide, but it’s also free from many other toxins. It’s important to seek out certified organic cotton fabrics because even if a fabric originated from organic cotton, it could still be manufactured and dyed in a manner that adds toxins to the finished product.
GOTS is the highest level of certification and has very high standards for what they allow from seed to production. You can read more about it here.
This is why we choose to only use certified organic fabrics. GOTS is very particular about who can use the term and when so they can ensure only truly certified companies use it. Our fabrics are sourced from GOTS certified mills, however, we buy them from small shops that have not been certified, therefore we cannot claim our items or fabric as GOTS and instead simply list them as certified.