Sustainability

Sustainability is always on my mind. Here are some things I'm doing at Take My Hand to reduce my carbon footprint: 

• I use OEKO-TEX Standard 100 modal, which means that this fabric is free from harsh chemicals. The fabric I've chosen is made from sustainable beechwood trees, does not use harsh chemicals, and is made using closed-loop production, which means that the water used during production can be recycled.
• I manufacture in the USA as much as humanly possible. Overseas factories require large minimums, which is why companies wind up so overstocked and caught in a constant cycle of marking products down dirt cheap. Manufacturing locally means I don't need to overproduce--I can utilize small-batch manufacturing, rather than mass producing overseas.
• Also, domestic manufacturing means that finished goods do not have a long commute before they reach me.
• All packaging is either compostable, biodegradable, recyclable, and/or made from recycled materials.
• All products are made from the highest quality materials, and sewn by highly talented seamstresses, competitively recruited. Higher quality products last longer, reduce the need to repurchase, with the ultimate goal of reducing consumption.

So why don't I market Take My Hand as an eco-friendly or sustainable brand? 

Because the terms "eco-friendly" and "sustainable" are overused and doesn't mean anything. Any time a brand uses the term, I am immediately suspicious and think it's greenwashing. A lot of brands who use bamboo viscose (often disingenuously marketed as simply "bamboo") call themselves eco-friendly while obscuring that bamboo viscose is almost always processed with chemicals that are harmful to our planet, that the process wastes massive amounts of water, and that, while easy to grow, bamboo can at time be an invasive species that causes long term damage to ecosystems when mass grown for clothing. As a consumer, I find the greenwashing frustrating and don't care to be associated with it.

The truth is, sustainability and eco-friendly production are complex subjects that can't be boiled down to a marketing soundbite. Those of us who have been in the fashion industry for a long time have had to have a reckoning--this industry that we love is going to destroy our planet if we don't start consuming less. 

What that has always meant for me is producing better. I only want to create products that are made to last, that are hand-me-down quality, that your family will use again and again, before passing on to another family with young kids to enjoy. 

Reducing consumption means caring for clothing by washing with care, patching holes rather than throwing away, and passing along clothing that you no longer use to someone who can wear it. It means recycling packaging. And, I'm sorry to proselytize, but this also means minimizing fast fashion buys. We don't need to be purists, but supporting fast fashion is supporting overproduction and overconsumption. I occasionally buy from Zara when I see an irresistibly cute outfit too, but it's about balance. Wardrobes should not be disposable. Also, I never buy from the worst offenders and I hope that you will think twice too: skip Shein and Temu. When clothing is priced that cheaply, someone, somewhere, is paying for it. And that person is probably a child or forced laborer. 

I am always researching and thinking about ways to improve my sustainability practices. You can drop me a line at julie@takemyhand.baby if you've got any suggestions.