At our company, we prioritize sustainability and ethical production in our choice to use print on demand suppliers. This method helps to reduce material waste by only producing items that are actually wanted. While print on demand is not perfect, it is a better alternative to mass production in many ways.
How we can improve
As consumers, it is natural to want to acquire new items for our wardrobes. However, we can strive to create a more mindful culture around our consumption. Personally, my closet is made up of 85% thrifted clothing in neutral colors, but I enjoy adding unique pieces to my collection that showcase my style through pops of color, unique patterns, and interesting construction. When choosing new items, I consider these qualities and try to make conscious choices that align with my values.
Although some products like t-shirts and tote bags can be easily printed on and produced using cotton, print on demand companies often rely on synthetic fibers due to their supposed superior print results. However, as a person who works in the print industry, I have seen how technology has improved over time and believe that this preference for synthetic fibers may change as consumers demand more sustainable options with a better lifecycle. While it may be easier to produce products using synthetic fibers currently, I hope to see this shift towards more sustainable alternatives in the future.
When selecting products for my collection, I prioritize the following hierarchy:
1. Print on demand manufactured
2. USA manufactured and produced
3. Natural organic fibers
4. Recycled synthetic fibers
While I am not always able to meet all of these criteria due to my current limitations, I consider them when adding new items to my collection. My primary goal is to ensure that any purchases are wanted items. I also prioritize sourcing items that are made in the USA to reduce production time and better ensure ethical standards are being met. Whenever possible, I choose products made with natural organic fibers, or recycled synthetic fibers as a more sustainable option. I have one Chinese supplier that I use for some of my catalog because they offer unique, high-quality items made with recycled fibers and claim to have strong ethical production standards. However, I am transparent about the production of all of my items and provide this information on my product descriptions for those who prefer to avoid certain countries or materials. Last, but certainly not least, this model allows for greater size inclusivity.
The print on demand companies we work with have claimed to have high ethical standards and we trust that they have properly vetted their production facilities. However, we do not have direct oversight and can only rely on this trust. While the lack of oversight is a challenge, it is not always a priority for big box retailers or well-known clothing brands. At our company, we choose to prioritize ethical standards and will terminate our relationship with any production company that fails to meet these standards or causes extreme waste due to improper oversight.
As an e-commerce store, we understand that it can be difficult for customers to see, touch, and try on clothing before making a purchase. To help with this, we provide sizing guides and offer detailed information about our products. We also encourage our customers to leave reviews to share their experiences with us and other shoppers. However, sometimes an item may not fit as expected. If this happens, we apologize and ask that you reach out to us so that we can do our best to resolve the issue.
How we're not going to improve
As a slow fashion company, some of our suppliers have longer turnaround times and it may take a few weeks for your order to arrive. While we are always working to improve efficiency, we will not compromise on the quality and sustainability of our products. We believe that it is important to take the time to produce items that are made to last and have a positive impact on the world.
Because our clothing and merchandise are not produced in large batches and are sometimes sent to different facilities based on the location of the order, there may be slight variations in color and the occasional misprint. While we do our best to prevent these issues, they can still occur. If you ever receive a product that does not meet your expectations, please reach out to us and we will do our best to resolve the issue. Alternatively, you can consider adding the item to your next pile of clothes for recycling. The company For Days offers a Take Back Bag program to help reduce fashion waste.
Our company has several goals that we hope to achieve in the future
- We hope to open a showroom in addition to our online store, so that customers can see, touch, and try on our clothing before making a purchase. This will give them a better understanding of what they are getting and increase their excitement for their order.
- We want to establish a partnership with a manufacturing facility that will work with us directly and offer print on demand options using natural and recycled fibers. We also hope to have some level of direct oversight to ensure high ethical standards.
- We hope to continue expanding the causes that our customers can support through their purchases. We enjoy partnering with organizations and using our platform to raise money and awareness for their campaigns. By offering conscious shopping options that do good, we hope to make a positive impact on the world.