The Problem:Plastic
This might come as a surprise: most clothes (65%) are made from plastic. Look at the tags in your closet. If they say polyester or nylon or acrylic that means plastic.
The Problem:Plastic
This might come as a surprise: most clothes (65%) are made from plastic. Look at the tags in your closet. If they say polyester or nylon or acrylic that means plastic.
Most Clothes Are Made From Plastic
65% of clothes are made from plastic-based fibers. If your tag says polyester, nylon or acrylic...that means plastic. And that’s a problem for three reasons: 1) it keeps us dependent on fossil fuels (plastic is made from petroleum), 2) plastic doesn’t biodegrade and 3) plastic is toxic.
Plastic Doesn’t Biodegrade
Plastic is a synthetic material. It takes up to 500 years to break down and never actually biodegrades. In other words: all the plastic that has ever existed, still exists. Every plastic bottle, every polyester t-shirt, is still in a landfill or floating in the ocean.
Plastic Is Toxic
During every wash, plastic-based fibers shed microplastics and leach toxins into the water (plastic is mixed with toxic chemicals). As a result, microplastics are everywhere. New studies show we eat a credit card’s worth of plastic every week.
The Solution:Natural Materials
Our clothes, on the other hand, are made from 100% natural, renewable materials. And that makes us pretty rare: currently, only 1% of clothes are made from natural materials.
The Solution:Natural Materials
Our clothes, on the other hand, are made from 100% natural, renewable materials. And that makes us pretty rare: currently, only 1% of clothes are made from natural materials.
Natural Materials Make Better Clothes
Natural materials make better clothes. Unlike plastic, natural materials have evolved over thousands (or millions) of years and are very dynamic. Fibers made from plants and wool are more breathable, more antimicrobial, and more enduring.
Natural Materials Biodegrade
Natural materials are inherently biodegradable. They come from the Earth, and return just as easily. Clothes made from natural fibers will turn to soil within a year (so long as they’re free of chemical softeners or dyes).
Natural Materials Are Renewable
Unlike synthetics, natural materials have the capacity to regenerate. Seeds make new plants...which make new seeds. Wool grows back. All that’s required is sun and water (and food for the sheep).
Our Materials
European Linen
Linen is a sustainable, natural fiber made from the flax plant. It needs only sun and rain to grow. We grow our flax in Normandy, France, overlooking the English Channel.
Why we use it
Linen is breathable, antimicrobial, heat-regulating, and long-lasting. Normandy is the perfect climate for growing flax and produces some of the highest quality linen on Earth.
Featured In
Our Bo Shorts, Bo Pants, Cham Pants, Playa Shirts, Ola Shirts, Kite Jackets, Sun Tees, Knit Ola Shirts, and more are all made with 100% linen.
Coconut
Coconut is the fruit of the coconut tree, a palm synonymous with the tropics. The coconut's husk is both tough and lightweight, an ideal material for buttons.
Why we use it
Husks are normally discarded, so coconut buttons give new life to a by-product of the food industry. And, unlike plastic buttons, coconut buttons are made from a naturally renewable material.
Featured In
The Knit Ola Shirts and Knit Polos all use coconut buttons.
Corozo
Corozo is made from the seeds of the Ivory Palm, a tropical tree native to South America. It looks and feels like horn, giving it the nickname “plant ivory.”
Why we use it
Corozo buttons are extremely strong and heat resistant. Unlike synthetic buttons (made of plastic), corozo buttons are bio- degradable and naturally renewable.
Featured In
The buttons on our Playa Shirts, Ola Shirts, Cham Pants, Kite Jackets, Porto Shirts and Park Shirt Jackets are made with 100% corozo.
Organic Cotton
Organic cotton is grown without fertilizers or pesticides and uses 70% less water than conventional cotton. We grow our organic cotton in northern India in the state of Punjab.
Why we use it
Cotton is naturally soft, durable, and breathable. Only 1% of global cotton production is organic—we want to help increase that percentage.
Featured In
Our Bay Sweaters, Caza Collection, Canvas Collection, and Porto Shirts are made with 100% organic cotton.
Natural Dyes
Natural dyes are pigments made from plants and minerals. We use natural dyes derived from rocks and soil.
Why we use it
Natural dyes are biodegradable, non-toxic and non-allergenic. Synthetic dyes are made from chemicals and are often mixed with plastic-based liquids.
Featured In
Our Porto Shirts, Denim, and Caza Collection are all made with biodegradable natural dyes.
Natural Rubber
Natural rubber is harvested from the rubber tree by “tapping” the bark (much like maple syrup). Natural rubber is significantly stronger and more elastic than synthetic rubber.
Why we use it
Natural rubber is significantly stronger and more durable than synthetic rubber. Plus, natural rubber is made from organic, renewable resources (rather than plastic).
Featured In
We use 100% natural rubber for the elastic waistband on all our Bo Shorts.
Banana Trees
Bananatex® is a revolutionary technical fiber made entirely from Abacá banana plants, sustainably harvested in the Philippines. The material is water-resistant, quick dry and 100% biodegradable.
Why we use it
Bananatex®'s innovation allows us to make the world's first 100% plastic-free swim suit. It's a pioneer in the fashion industry's transition to natural materials.
Featured In
The Rama Board Shorts