sustainability
Sustainability is integral to my philosophy of style. And business. And life.
What makes Raff Co. sustainable?
If you're like me, you might be skeptical that any commercial endeavor can truly be sustainable. But there are opportunities everywhere, and here is where we excel:
Quality
High quality-clothing promotes sustainable habits, like properly caring for your clothes, wearing them over and over again, and enjoying them more, for longer.
Material
Raff Co. productions are plastic free. I use only materials that can gently and cooperatively return to the earth when we're done with them, including for thread, buttons, linings, and anything else you find on (or in) a garment. (Elastic and zippers tend to be petrochemical-intensive, and I avoid them in my designs.)
Currently, I stock GOTS-Certified Organic cotton and 100% flax linen. Cotton is biodegradable and easy to come by, but I know organic certification doesn't change the reality that cotton is a finicky crop. Organic practices will never sustain the world's heavy cotton demand.
That's why I'm always on the look out for fabrics made from more resilient fiber crops (like flax linen and nettle ramie), and other ways to ease the material burden.
Labor & Production
Right now, I perform all the late-chain design and manufacturing labor in Raff Co. Clothing. Obviously, I try to treat myself ethically.
On principle, I believe the sewing labor force deserves respect. The minds and lives of people who work with their hands at every stage of making and distributing my product must be properly valued. I try to secure my materials from companies that share (and act on) these values.
Wasteful production practices, like overproducing a style and destroying the extras, is totally unacceptable. That's why Raff Co. Clothing is made-to-order.
Financial
We don't keep our money in a mattress… but mattresses don't fund the petrochemical industry like many banks do. Raff Co. Clothing parks its money with institutions that pledge to invest in only clean energy.
Pricing
Clothing price should reflect what really goes into it.
Most clothing is artificially cheap DIRECTLY at the expense of life-essentials for millions of people and animals...soon to be all people and animals. I want no hidden costs.
That might make it "expensive" and… that’s okay. Yes, I said that.
Shipping
I ship plastic-free with recycled paper products.
Joy
Sounds corny, bu tit's true: You’ll go farther—and do more good in the world—if you feel good.
Joy is part of the sustainability equation. Beautiful, comfortable clothing brings joy.
Material Sources
(updated 4/2023)
Fabrics & Thread:
Cloud9 Fabrics – GOTS-Certified Organic Cottons
Organic Cotton Plus – Curated traceable natural fiber cloth & sewing supplies
SOS – Organic cotton grown and milled in to fabric in Texas
Fabric-Store.com – Fine natural flax Linen
Buttons:
Woondbuttons.com – Machine washable wood and corozo nut buttons, made in the USA by veterans.
Etsy – Various independent supply retailers
Packaging, wrapping, & Paper:
EcoEnclose – Low-emission and Recycled shipping supplies
French Paper – Recycled paper goods made in MI with hydropower
Shipping:
USPS – Fast & reliable