SUSTAINABILITY MANIFESTO, A PERSONAL LETTER
Sustainable fashion to us is, first of all, a conscious way of buying clothes. Don’t rush into buying something new. Look at it. Put it on your wishlist. Will it fit your lifestyle? See if you can wear it with stuff you already have. Is it gonna make you feel good when you wear it? Wait a while. See if it’s still on your mind.
Being mindful of how we’re buying clothes, but also of what type of clothes we’re buying. Is the brand you’re buying into trying their best to do it right? Are they being conscious about the fabrics they’re choosing for their pieces? Do they treat the people who create their garments right? What happens to the garment when it has served its purpose, is it biodegradable, can it be recycled? Because if it isn’t, it will end up in a landfill and could stay there for hundreds of years.
Secondly, sustainable fashion is buying stuff that will serve you for a longer time, focussing on personal style instead of consuming items that are trend-led. This will also help you to be able to invest in quality items. As you grow as a person, you might wear your pieces differently, but if it’s really good you will still be wearing it.
Also, it’s not buying anything that you’re gonna wear for a single occasion, consciously choose pieces that you can wear time and time again.
Our personal belief is that in the end it comes down to this: we all have to buy less clothes. And if you do buy clothes, buy good clothes.
- Wendy, co-founder BOEALOE
HOW WE PRACTISE SUSTAINABILITY AT BOEALOE
Mindful design
We believe our sustainability journey starts with our designs. We aim to create timeless pieces made to last throughout the seasons. Effortless, so you will want to wear them all day. Expressive, so they will keep you interested for years to come. Favoring quality over quantity and style over trends, we take pride in our eye for detail. Every single stitch in a BOEALOE garment has been thoughtfully made to match the fabric used and to ensure a high as possible lifespan of the garment.
Our fabrics
At BOEALOE we are committed to using natural fabrics only. Our biggest motivation for using natural fabrics is the fact that these are naturally biodegradable and in many cases compostable. We invest in making garments of a high quality, which we hope you will enjoy for many years to come. However, some day you will not need them anymore. We think it is our responsibility to make sure that, when our customer disposes of their product, no matter in what way (reselling, recycling), the earth will not pay the price for it. Using natural materials is a way of ensuring a BOEALOE item will never end up in a landfill, polluting the environment. Whenever we use new fabrics, we will always make sure to choose the most sustainable option available, i.e. certified organic, GOTSGlobal Organic Textile Standard , RWS Responsible Wool Standard . We are actively exploring all options to take the next step in sustainable fabric sourcing, one is working with 100% recycled natural fabrics.
Deadstock fabrics
BOEALOE’s first items are entirely produced with deadstock fabrics, which were sourced from the warehouses of luxury fashion brands and couture houses in France and Italy. Deadstock fabrics is a term in fashion used for excess fabric that would otherwise be destroyed. In fashion, materials including fabrics represent around 70% of the total environmental impact of a garment [1]. Using deadstock fabrics we can prevent the production of new materials, which helps conserve valuable resources such as water, energy and raw materials. Overall this reduces the environmental impact of our garments and reduces textile waste. Working with these deadstock fabrics is the perfect mix of our focus on sustainability and high quality materials.
Our manufacturers
We have dedicated a lot of time, effort and funding into (re)searching our manufacturers. Our goal is to establish personal, long lasting relationships. As a brand, we expect high quality craftsmanship and finishing, for which we commit to always pay a fair price. You won’t find us haggling with our manufacturer to make our garments for a low(er) price and we will never work with companies that do not offer their workers a healthy work environment and fair wages. To help us establish these relationships as a small brand, we work with a manufacturing consultant with over 30 years of experience with manufacturing within Europe. With their expansive knowledge and network, we were able to select manufacturers based on fair labor, quality of craftsmanship, ability to work with high-end fabrics and ability to produce in small batches to prevent overconsumption.
Size inclusivity
Our first drop is produced in a standard European size run. In the near future, we look forward to offering a wider size range to ensure more clients can find the right fit.
Textile waste policy
As a fashion brand, we believe that we are responsible for the items we create. We are very serious about this responsibility, including after our garments have served their purpose for their owners. We are currently researching several potential recycling partners to build a lasting partnership with, to recycle our garments and textile waste in the most sustainable and ethical way. Practically this will mean that all our garments and textile waste will be recycled into new fabrics and eventually into new garments, to work towards circular fashion.
Also, we are a member of the “Foundation UPV Textile”, a Dutch foundation that holds fashion brands accountable and helps to find sustainable solutions for textile waste.
The future
As a young brand, we genuinely believe we made a great start with our sustainability and ethics vision and policy. However, we are not perfect and are committed to learn and grow with every piece we create. We believe that transparency is an important stepping stone in building a sustainable company and a more sustainable fashion industry. If you have any questions on a BOEALOE garment or about our process, please feel free to get in touch.
[1] McKinsey, October 19, 2020 - The fashion industry can reduce emissions across the entire value chain