Who made our clothes?

Today we are very unlikely to meet the people who create the clothes we wear. It can feel like we’re completely detached from them, and a lot of the time we can even entirely forget that the things we buy have been created by the hands of a fellow human.

This month we’re celebrating 10 years of Fashion Revolution - the fashion activism organisation that is pioneering the change in the fashion industry. For the past decade they’ve been fighting for social and environmental justice and the need for the system to change.

For one week of the year, between 15th and 24th of April, they go all in on their efforts, getting as many people involved as possible in their campaigns, events and social media to share their message and raise awareness about the true cost of fast fashion.

That means getting up close and personal with exactly what our clothes are made from, who made them, and what impact they have on the planet.

We wanted to showcase the hard work of a couple of our amazing brands who take part in Fashion Revolution Week. Get ready for an insight into the tireless work they do to keep the people and the planet at the forefront of the way they make clothes.

Seasalt and Sustainability

Seasalt put so much love and care into creating clothes that will be worn for generations, not just months or years.

Working with suppliers Comtex and Thanh Cong in Vietnam, they became the first UK fashion company to achieve the GOTS certification, which is no mean feat.

They are committed to using organic cotton, and worked hard to get their Indian suppliers, Brij Designs their GOTS (that’s Global Organic Textile Standard to me and you) organic cotton certification. The certification marks their standard of organic fibres and ecological and social transparency. They make sure everyone who works for Brij Designs have medical insurance, and are committed to providing education for the children of their employees, creating the change that’s much needed in the fashion supply chain.

Choosing to go organic isn’t always as easy an option as we might initially think. The qualities of the fabric differ from non-organic cotton, making it more challenging to work with.

But we love Seasalt because they don’t shy away from a challenge, which is what was posed by their famous Larissa shirts. The shirts have a silky finish that organic cotton wasn’t initially going to offer, and when they trialled it in organic cotton, it wasn’t looking good. They persevered, trying and testing different options with their

Indian supplier Afflatus, and eventually developed a technique that gave the shirts the same soft and silky feeling using organic cotton.

A huge amount of thought goes into the everyday items we wear, and even the simplest things take a lot of work, and committing to sustainable practices adds an extra layer of care.

Shop pre-loved Seasalt Cornwall here.

Finisterre and Sustainability

You’d have to be living under a rock to not know about Finisterre’s sustainability and transparency efforts. They’re so embedded into their core ethos that it’s hard not to know about the ways in which they put the planet - and their workers - first when creating their designs.

They don’t shy away from open honesty - they want you to know exactly where your clothes come from.

And why wouldn’t they, when the suppliers they work with have such great stories.

Like their Carlisle-based knitwear suppliers, Robert Todds, who have been in the knitting business for more than 120 years. Their factories span across 10 different countries now, all over the world, but they focus on using only the best British and Italian yarn, making the Finisterre jumpers extra special.

From head to toe, Finisterre focuses on quality, and if you’ve ever worn a pair of Finisterre socks, you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about. Their sock suppliers, J Alex Swift create their adventure-worthy socks right here in England. They’re also in their 4th generation, with socks that really do last the test of time.

Shop pre-loved Finisterre here.

Now more than ever it’s important to tell the stories of the people who make our clothes. And thanks to Fashion Revolution, those stories are getting louder every day. Check out our article on Fashion Revolution to find out more about the amazing work they do.