LET’S TALK DILEMMAS
We want to make the world’s best clothes. Clothes made from natural materials that you can wear for a very long time.
How hard can that really be? Very hard, we think. Especially if we also want to consider the planet and the people working throughout the supply chain – while trying not to make the world’s most expensive clothes.
Because dilemmas come up everywhere. Below is just one small example from the mountain of dilemmas we face.
WOOL AND SUPERWASH
Wool has many amazing properties and is arguably one of the best fibres in the world for us humans. But wool also has one small drawback: it can shrink. Especially if you wash it the wrong way.
That’s why most wool garments are treated with something called Superwash.
Superwash is a chemical treatment that puts a synthetic coating around the wool fibres. It prevents the fibres from tangling together, allowing the garment to be machine-washed without shrinking.
Practical? Absolutely.
But we still know too little about the consequences of the treatment. There is, among other things, a risk that synthetic particles can be released during washing and end up as microplastics in nature.
And will our customers care about having more chemicals against their skin versus having more natural wool?
We honestly don’t know. But we choose to avoid Superwash whenever we can.
There are alternative treatments that are gentler on the environment, but they cost more. That means our wool garments also cost a little more.
It might seem like we’re very certain that this is the only right choice. But honestly, we find it difficult too.
And we face these kinds of difficult choices every single day.
So, yes. Making the world’s best clothes is extremely difficult.
Learn more about Superwash and the treatment we use below.
