In an industry devoid of transparency (not surprising they don't want to disclose all the toxic and cancer-causing chemicals they use), we are changing the game. Here is an inside look at exactly how our clothing is made, as we walk step-by-step through how our lavender and chamomile dyed pjs are dyed.
1. Receiving the Clothes
All our clothing is locally manufactured by an ethical and high quality manufacturer in Los Angeles. We manufacture all our pieces using the highest quality materials, including GOTS-certified organic fabrics that are sewn together using GOTS-certified organic sewing threads. Even the drawstrings for our pj shorts are organic cotton and the elastic used in the waistband is GOTS-certified organic cotton and natural rubber. We are seriously Type-A about eco-friendly and ethical materials, so you don't have to be.
2. Washing
Before we can dye our organic clothes, we have to wash them. Washing removes some of the natural oils and waxes in fabrics that can cause the dye to attach unevenly. We use natural plant-based soaps and minerals to wash our clothes, and reuse the wash water whenever possible.
3. Prepping the Dyes
Making natural dyes is in many cases similar to making tea. Our lavender, chamomile and rose dye for our pjs is made by using organic flowers that are steeped in water to extract the dye. Then we add in a ground fruit called myrobalan (a fruit commonly used in Tibetan medicine) to help the dye color attach to the organic cotton fabric. It smells absolutely wonderful. (You don't even want to know what typical dye factories smell like - it sure ain't roses).
4. Dyeing the PJs
Our clothes are then added to a dye bath, where they steep, sometimes for hours. Some of our clothes require multiple dye baths, like our pjs, which are first dyed yellow in the flower bath and then dyed blue in our organic indigo vat (green is actually one of the hardest colors to make naturally - surprising, right?). To conserve water, we reuse the dye bath water for irrigation, though for our indigo vat we just keep it around. Natural indigo vats can last up to a year with some TLC.
5. Beautiful Plant dyed Apparel
So that's it. Our process is as clean as we can make it. We are proud of our products and hope to inspire an industry fraught with chemicals harmful to ourselves, the textile workers and our environment, to clean up their act. We are working to pave the way to a cleaner industry, and cannot truly express how thankful we are to all those who support us in making this a reality.