Sustainable Staples: The White Tee
Tried and tested and never fails. Ever. A white t-shirt is the go-to item when you have the mother of all wardrobe fails. But did you know the amount of strain just the making of one conventional T-shirt puts on our resources? (Here’s some more info on that). Luckily for us, there’s brands out there trying to tackle that and here’s just a few of them for you to discover.
Originally starting as a natural candle brand, Nicole and Adelaide have started somewhat of a movement behind the simple words of ‘Be Kind’. Alongside natural soy candles there is the Be Kind collection that features t-shirts, tops and hoodies. They constantly spread the message of being kind to yourself, others, the world.. But what makes their t-shirts different?
A simple ethos of being kind is backed up with just as positive production. 100% organic cotton, made in a climate neutral way that is Fair Wear certified! They’re super soft and a nice physical reminder as you go about your day wearing the words across your chest. The movement is pretty global now, which is such a great achievement considering they’ve only been operating for two years!
Well, where do I start here? Patagonia never fail to fuel the never ending thirst for adventure, the outdoors and the sometimes difficult journeys to get through them. They do this all whilst innovating some pretty special materials that don’t further harm the planet and use some that already exist.
Their white T-shirts range from Organic cotton featuring their iconic logo to a performance based one using recycled polyester with a built-in SPF and odour control! Definitely for when you’re feeling more casual or need something practical but they are made to last. Plus they have some very positive initiatives all around protecting the planet.
Rapanui
Classic basics are in abundance at Rapanui - crew neck, scoop neck and even bundles if you need more than one white tee! Operating from the Isle of Wight, they’ve pioneered a factory powered by renewable energy, fully traceable supply chain and open technology to enable well sourced materials to be made fast. And that’s just some of the story.
With all that innovation, you’d think they’d be quite dear but no, they’re affordable and available in so many cuts and colours!
A crop t-shirt that can be dressed up or down? Yes please. The Poppy tee is a great shape to wear with jeans or dressed up with a skirt and heels and layers really well.
Transparency is the aim of the game with Know The Origin. You can see exactly what material is used and where it’s sourced from as well as a really handy key showing what ethical standards are being met. Plus there’s even photos of it being made! Know The Origin has challenged the industry by doing it differently and showing that easy to wear fashion doesn’t have to mean compromise in any way.
Birdsong
If a good slogan tee is what you like, why not make it count? You can quite literally shout about what you believe in with the T-shirts by Birdsong. They champion fair wages, well made and low impact fashion and believe you can ‘dress in protest’. Words are powerful and having them on your T-shirt is a way of unleashing your inner activist.
All are made with organic cotton with some made ethically in India, using renewable energy or supporting certain organisations. Showing what you believe doesn’t have to be loud, you can simply show up in one of these.
Written by Indie Foolheea
IG: @unfoldchange | @ctrlchange