1. Quality 

A garment's active life span is the most important factor that determines its climate impact. Therefore it is of utmost importance to make clothes that last.

At Realness we only choose premium fabrics that have gone through quality tests both by our factories and by us. We wear and wash a garment many times before placing any orders so we can assure good quality. Also we choose factories that works with premium brands so we can be sure about that they are experienced in making clothes of great quality. The factories we work with are known for their craftmanship and outstanding quality.

We only use virgin fibers in our clothing. This is because recycled fibers lose in quality and length every time it goes through the recycling process. The quality in recycled fibers is reduced compared to virgin fibers which makes the fabric less durable. We believe recycled materials is perfect for some kind of clothing brands and products. But since we are a brand that opt for our clothing to last for as long as possible we only use virgin fibers.

Our garments are made to last

2. Design

The most sustainable garment is used many times. So we design clothes that can be worn over a long period of time.

At Realness we design clothes that stands the shifting trends, yet feel accurate. Every design we launch is carefully evaluated to stand trends for many years to come. We design for style and a feeling, not for trends.

When we design a garment it is important for us to make clothes that fits many bodies. There are so many types of beautiful bodies and we strive to make designs that fit as many bodies as possible. Of course for comfort. But also there is a deeper thought behind it. For e-shops we return between 20-40% of all garments we buy. In stores the return grade is 1-2%. This is a climate issue for e-shops since there is emissions behind every shipped item. It's also therefore we strive to make designs that fit many bodies - in order to get a lower return grade and lower our emissions.

We design timeless and comfortable pieces that stands the shifting trends

3. Energy

The energy use is what causes the major part of the climate impact in the production phase. To impact which type of energy used in production is therefore of utmost importance in order to lower the impact and emissions of the fashion industry.

That is one of the reasons we have chosen to place our production in Europe. 38% of the energy use in the EU comes from renewable resources (2020). While for China, which is the leading textile producer in the world, the renewable energy use counts for only 23% (2019).

We choose Portugal as one of the countries to produce in because of its ambitious goals for transition into renewable energy. Actually the factory we cooperate with in Portugal is powered by solar energy. We are very proud of this as it is one of the most effective ways of participating in reducing the emissions of the clothing industry.

50% of our collection is produced in a factory powered by solar energy

Organic Cotton

Conventional cotton is not a great fiber altough it is a natural one. It needs a lot of water and in the farming process a huge amount of pesticides, insecticides  and fertilizers are used. It is mostly grown in developing countries where labor, health and safety regulations are close to nonexistent. Child and forced labor are unfortunately often used. This is why, at Realness, conventional cotton is not an option.

Organic cotton uses 91% less water than conventional cotton. It has 62% less energy demand and 46% reduced CO2 emissions. It is also grown without harmful chemicals or fertilizers. And no GMO are used. It guarantees working conditions covering minimum wages, working hours, child labours, discrimination and other safety regulations. We choose organic cotton garments to support healthier working conditions for those who need it the most. For supporting a cleaner soil, air and water – a healthier earth.

Lenzing Ecovero

Viscose (Rayon or Modal) is one of the most used materials in the fashion industry. Although it is made of wood pulp and in a way therefore a natural fiber the production involves the use of many toxic chemicals, and lots of energy and water. Solvents used during the process can be very toxic to people and the planet. It has also lead to massive deforestation around the world.

Ecovero is a relatively new fiber that is a sustainable Viscose. The manufacturing of Ecovero generates approximately 50% lower emissions and water impact compared to generic viscose. The fibers are made out of wood pulp and in Ecovero the wood is from responsibly managed forests and certified to come from sustainable sources. The viscose fibers are certified with EU Ecolabel – a label awarded only to products which have a significantly lower environmental impact throughout their whole lifecycle.

 

A great property of both cotton and Ecovero is that it allows the skin to breath unlike any oil based fabric such as polyester, acrylic and polyamide.  

We make clothes from sustainable materials that have a lower impact on the planet

5. No or minimal blended fibers 

To secure a circular design strategy we choose fabrics that consists of as least blended fibers as possible. In the garments we have today we have 100% of the same fiber in the fabric. One advantage with this is that we minimize the risk of pilling. When mixing fibers in garments they rub against each other in wash and during wear and it is very common that pilling occurs. Also from a recycling perspective it is important to blend fibers as little as possible. The recycling process gets easier and demands less energy.

The fabrics we use are biodegradable and can incorporate back to nature in a few months.

6. Factories

Our garments would not exist if it weren’t for our amazing and skilled partners.

When starting this brand one of the most important missions was to find factories that share our values for sustainability and ethical working conditions. To find people that truly took sustainability seriously and at the same time offered great quality was not easy. We were in contact with almost 70 different factories.

Finally we found two partners that shared our views on things – one in Greece and one in Portugal. And they are truly amazing – we don’t have enough good words for describing their skills and good hearts.

It is extremely important for us that the factory pay their workers a living wage and not a poor minimum wage. In most countries garment workers get paid a minimum wage so it is very important to produce in a country with a minimum wage as high as a living wage to make sure they have a fair salary. Both in Greece and Portugal the minimum wage is as high as the living wage. This is not the case for example in Bangladesh or China which are the biggest textile producing countries. In Bangladesh for example, the minimum wage is one fourth of the calculated living wage for a single adult – which means it is impossible to support even yourself if you get no more than a minimum wage in Bangladesh.

Another extremely important issue is safety and regulated working hours for workers. By producing in Portugal and Greece, which are members of the EU, we can be sure the production factories are regulated under European standards and therefore are safe.

To be even more on the safe side we have chosen factories that are audited and confirmed by a third party organization. 

Made in EU to secure wages, working hours and safety for our garment workers

Our partner in Greece are true professionals. At first contact we could sense their passion for garment making immediately and they took our sustainability questions and requests very seriously. They offered a large selection of new sustainable fabrics, something that has been really hard to find. We have been quite straightforward and right away when we asked them about their ethical practices in their factories the owner happily explained their ethical work for us. The amazing women there that we talk to everyday have truly gained our trust and feel like good friends.

The textile agency is certified following ETI (Ethical Trading Initiative) standard meaning living wages are paid, working hours regulated and no child labour is used. The factory has received several certifications, including GOTS.

 

Our partner in Portugal is a small family owned factory located in the North of Portugal. Some of the most famous and respected brands in Europe produce with this factory, we are a little starstruck we get to produce with the same supplier as them.

We instantly felt a connection with the owner – he has a very professional and kind attitude. He has been so supportive with all our request around sustainability – he has personally looked for all the special labels, bags, etc that we have requested in better materials. He has really gained our trust. The factory pay their garment workers a little more than minimum wage, and they also get bonuses when the company goes well which they have done the last years. The facility is run by solar panels and has recieved several sustainability and ethical certifications including GOTS.

7. Chemicals 

The fashion industry is dirty. The dyeing stage in textile production uses a lot of energy and water and also expose workers to nasty chemicals. We use reactive dye to colour the clothes. It is the kindest dye to people and planet. Our sweatshirts dye is certified by GOTS and the skirts dye by Oeko Tex. By using non toxic dyes we keep our customers and workers in factories safe and protected.

Often as one of the finishing steps garments are washed in a softening wash treatment in order to make the garment softer to touch and wear. Even if this could be a nice feeling we do not use it since we believe it contains unnecessary chemicals and uses unnecessary resources.

We use clean, non-toxic dyes certified by GOTS and OEKO-TEX 

8. Packaging

This has been a journey. We wanted all our packaging plastic free, produced close to home and also made out of recycled materials. Because it does not make sense to pack and ship in virgin material right? When the garments are shipped from the factory they have to be individually packed in something to be protected from humidity etc. The standard is to pack it in polyester bags. We have chosen recycled polyester bags. It was the most sustainable option we could find. We tried with compostable plastic bags made out of corn starch, but apparently these starts to biodegrade after a few months so it is not suitable for slow fashion brands. We also tried with resin bags which is in our opinion is the best option, but they have a huge minimum order quantity which does not work for a start up like us.

So to be sure the plastic does not end up in nature after we have sent it to you, our customers, we remove it and replace it with tissue paper to protect the garment during shipping to you. The tissue paper is certified by sustainable forestry initiative. The stickers are 100% recycled paper. And the shipping bags is made out of 100% recycled paper and FSC certified, made close to home in a factory in Germany.

Recycled and plastic free packaging

9. Microplastics 

This is a nasty one and a matter we take very seriously.

We strive to be completely plastic free. We do not use materials made out of plastic like polyester, acrylic or polyamide, not even recycled material. Why? Because these fibers are made out of oil – a fossil fuel we have to get rid of, or use in garments that really need it. Also, and maybe even more importantly, because every time you wash a garment containing these fibers microplastics are released into the water. The plastic particles are too small to get filtered away and end up in our oceans and animals. And finally in us humans. Recent studies has shown microplastic in every human organ and it is unclear yet how it affects our health.

The threads and the labels in a garment are almost always made out of polyester. We have changed those details to natural materials for the same reason. Here we believe the clothing industry is very far behind, and we hope that by leading with example we, together with other brands taking this seriously, hope to affect change in the industry.

We do not use Silicone washes, which is a type of softener for the same reason – to not contribute to microplastics in oceans, animals and humans.

Oil based fabrics can never be a sustainable option

10. Transportation

Consumer transport to and from the shop accounts for  11% of the clothing’s climate impact. With E-shopping we can reduce that emission.  When we shop online couriers and companies can coordinate transports instead of when each and every person takes the car to go shopping. This is a win win situation for the climate.  Another reason why we have chosen to produce in Europe is to shorten the transports. We also ship by truck and not by flight to keep emissions down as much as possible.