RESPONSIBLE MATERIALS

This miracle plant might just be our favorite material to work with. First off, it’s one of the fastest growing plants on the planet, and it’s harvested without causing permanent damage. Think mowing your lawn, instead of chopping down trees. Entire forests of bamboo can easily be sustainably managed and grown organically without using harmful pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers. As an added bonus, it only takes a small fraction of the water that thirsty crops like conventional cotton need to grow.

Bamboo also naturally fights climate change by absorbing high levels of CO₂ while producing 35% more oxygen than trees. With global temperatures and sea levels reaching dangerous all-time highs, we’re honored to help stop the rising tides by bringing a little more bamboo into the world.

Natural, sustainable, and now completely legal… just three of the many reasons we love cannabis’ favorite cousin. Outlawed in the U.S. for over 50 years, cultivation of industrial hemp is finally back in action and we couldn’t be happier to continue the tradition.

Our magical green friend has helped humans in a myriad of ways since ancient times, used for a vast variety of purposes from nutrition and herbal remedies, to paper, building materials, and (you guessed it) clothing. Not only do hemp stalks grow quickly with no need for irrigation or artificial fertilizers, they also produce some of the longest, strongest, and softest natural fibers on earth, making them particularly well suited for years and years of use as your new favorite go-to hat or tote. Now that’s dope.

Synthetic fabrics like polyester are made out of plastic derived from fossil fuels. Yuck. They pollute our air when they’re made, and they litter our oceans when they’re thrown out. We’re not about it.

That’s where our modal comes in. It’s a naturally biodegradable alternative to synthetic fabric, made of wood pulp from beech trees grown in sustainably managed forests without any artificial irrigation. The wood pulp becomes usable fiber through a closed-loop waste-free production process that uses an oxygen-based solvent and water. This process minimizes emissions and conserves resources, as over 99% of the solvent gets reused and 100% of the water gets recycled. All other byproducts get repurposed, and the end result is a plant-based fabric with all the best qualities of a synthetic without any of the pollution.

Tencel is the cream of the crop when it comes to sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based synthetic fabrics like polyester. It’s made from a combination of upcycled cotton clothing scraps and sustainably sourced wood pulp, and manufactured in a 100% efficient closed-loop process using only organic solvents. No wasteful byproduct, no toxins, and no fossil fuels required for an end result that’s incredibly soft and breathable with a high capacity for thermal regulation. We like to think of it as a sustainable super-fiber, and we couldn’t be more stoked to include it in our collection.

Cotton is king. It’s the world’s most commonly used natural fiber, and it’s found in nearly 40% of all clothing worldwide. Unfortunately, only 1% is grown organically while the remaining 99% has been dubbed “earth’s dirtiest crop.” Why so dirty? More pesticides are used to grow conventional cotton than any other crop in the world, amounting to over 25% of global pesticide usage each year.

By refusing dirty conventional cotton and working exclusively with sustainably sourced GOTS certified organic cotton, we’re able to preserve over 90% more water while using 62% less energy and none of the pesticides. In doing so, we’re supporting responsibly managed organic cotton farms while preventing harmful toxins from entering our natural environment, your clothes, and ultimately your skin.

Polyester has become the fashion industry’s favorite fabric, recently surpassing 60% of all clothing worldwide. To meet rising demands, suppliers burn over 70 million barrels of crude oil each year to make polyester, releasing harmful greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere in the process. Thanks for the climate change, guys!

We’d rather see oil stay in the ground. That’s why we use recycled polyester made from recycled single-use plastic bottles, otherwise known as RPET. By repurposing plastic rather than making more of it, not only are we preventing more fossil fuels from being burned, but we’re also keeping harmful plastic waste out of our landfills and away from our oceans. Talk about a win, win!

The average American throws away 68 lbs of clothing every year. While nearly 99% could be recycled, only about 15% actually is. The rest ends up wasting space in landfills, littering our land, and leaching toxins into our ocean. Not chill.

While “fast fashion” giants keeps pumping out more and more cheaply made soon-to-be-trash clothes each year, we’re fighting back by treating discarded clothing as a useful resource. Recycling old clothes into new wearable fabrics requires only a fraction of the energy, uses no new raw materials, and cuts back on the mountains of waste produced by an otherwise grossly inefficient industry. Plus, it feels pretty cool wearing something new made from fibers that have already lived several past lifetimes.

Skate is life, but making boards has become the leading global cause of maple tree deforestation with over 6 million produced annually out of pure maple hardwood. Pretty heavy, right? It gets heavier… most decks are unceremoniously tossed out after they break, causing all that perfectly good hardwood to go to waste. Bummer! ...but what if broken boards could get a second chance at life? Whoa… we’re glad you asked!

By repurposing skateboards into super durable hand-shaped sunglasses, we’re paying homage to their thousands of fallen comrades who fall victim to cracks, snaps, splinters, and razor tail each year. No two frames are ever the same, making each one a most excellent tribute to all the unique thrashers out there from Tonys like Alva and Hawk to the Rodneys, Bams, Stacys, Buckys, Bobs, Pattis, Lizzies, Leticias, Brightons, Bryces, Nyjahs and Daewons of the world.

Americans use 500 million plastic straws every day. That’s enough to circle our planet twice, adding to the growing global epidemic of plastic pollution. Plus, they’re made from petroleum, designed to be used only once, and they leach harmful toxins. Ew...

Looking for a sustainable solution? Stainless steel offers a 100% recyclable, non-toxic alternative to single-use plastic that’s durable enough for you to use at least 500 million times. Go ahead and count.

The same plant that brings you those heart-healthy essential fatty acid-filled seeds makes for some pretty amazing sustainable fibers as well. It needs very little water and absolutely no pesticides or herbicides to grow organically, and the linen fabric it makes pretty much can’t be beat in terms of greenness. It’s biodegradable, highly durable, naturally hypoallergenic, moisture absorbing, and bacteria-resistant. Perfect for wrapping your reusable utensils in if you ask us.

Jute is no joke. It’s durable natural fibers have been used around the world for thousands of years to make everything from rope, twine, baskets and bags, to exotic tapestries, rugs, and even roofing. We like to think of it as the OG responsible material since it’s been grown organically for so long while playing a major role in the livelihood of so many marginalized rural populations throughout history. Products made from ethically sourced jute represent a great way to vote with your dollar for both social justice and sustainability at the same time. We’re honored to do our part by offering it in our collection.

While synthetic dyes remain the industry standard, they’re noticeably flooding our rivers, lakes, streams, and soil with more and more toxic runoff that includes carcinogens, allergens, and other environmental disruptors. As synthetic dyes continue to discharge waste into our water systems, the global textile industry is in effect poisoning our planets’ plants and animals, and endangering our drinking water… not to mention our skin every time it comes into contact with artificially dyed clothes.

Natural plant-based dyes, on the other hand, remain non-toxic from seed to skin. That’s why we prefer to continue the age-old practice of using what nature gave us to color our clothes. The best colors on Earth come from mother nature herself, through the roots, leaves, stems, and flowers of naturally growing plants. Plus, we apply all our plant-based dyes by hand right here in Southern California to bring you one-of-a-kind patterns and designs that you won’t find anywhere else.

Petroleum-based plastic tape and stickers remain the industry standard because they're the cheapest and most readily available. If you can’t tell by now, we’re not too fond of following the status quo. We refuse to let the tape and stickers we use contribute to the global plastic pollution epidemic. That’s why you’ll only find us using plant-based alternatives that are naturally biodegradable.

Over 50% of the world’s plastic waste comes from product packaging alone, with the fashion industry in particular contributing greatly to the global epidemic of plastic pollution. Even plastic-free brands tend not to go all the way, contributing to deforestation as they settle for packaging made from virgin or only partially recycled paper. Not us. We’re committed to ensuring that every piece of our packaging, including all of our boxes, bags, tissue paper, packing slips, and tags are made in the U.S. from 100% recycled paper.