Features
Ethical retailer of the week: Braintree
Braintree is an ethical clothing company that focuses on ecological fabrics, fair work conditions and sustainability.
The company was founded in the mid 1990s in Sydney, Australia, but has now moved to London. Its creators wanted to make affordable but high-quality clothes that would respect people and the planet.
For this reason, Braintree uses eco-friendly fabrics such as bamboo, hemp, organic cotton, rayon and recycled polyester. It proudly claims that all of its garments “are fashioned from sustainable fabrics, and always will be”.
It sells women and men clothes, socks, underwear and accessorizes like necklaces, bags, hats, earrings, belts, scarves and even shoes.
The company said that the materials it uses are not only good for the environment – as many of them require no pesticides to grow or are recycled – but they also make fashionable and original clothes with their own personality.
Fashion firms have came under scrutiny recently, after an investigation by Greenpeace revealed the presence of hazardous hormone-disrupting chemicals in children’s clothes manufactured by high-street and luxury brands.
In addition to use environmentally-friendly fabrics, Braintree has also committed to improve working conditions for those working in its supply chain through a Code of Conduct, to ensure workers get living wages and a safe environment. It is a member of the Ethical Fashion Forum, a platform aimed at the fashion industry to encourage sustainable and ethical practices.