Progress Every Step Of The Way
Smashing the formula of how clothes are made means doing the hard work of small improvements for big impact.
Smashing the formula of how clothes are made means doing the hard work of small improvements for big impact.
We’re committed to protecting the environment and supporting fair labor.
It’s been seven years since we sold our first item of clothing, and we couldn’t be more proud of what we have built and accomplished. We haven’t figured it all out, but we continue to learn every day.
1,800+
Garments kept out of the landfill through our Outerworn platform
$133k
Went to improving workers' livelihoods through the Fairtrade Premium
2030
Constant improvement. Check out our 2030 Sustainability Goals!
We take pride in our accomplishments and acknowledge we still have so far to go. And we couldn’t do any of it without your support—thank you!
We always give back to non-profits that align with our values and help make a larger impact. Some organizations we worked with this year include Brother Benno, The Ocean Cleanup, Ocean Conservancy, Surfrider Maui Chapter, Surfrider Foundation, and Everytown.
95%
Our preferred fiber usage improved from 87% to 95% in 2022. The materials we use are vital to designing responsible products.
67%
We diversified our country of origin and moved 67% of our supply chain to ensure that every supplier we work with prioritizes and respects human rights.
28
In partnership with Bergman Rivera, we have committed to supporting farmers’ implementation of Regenerative Organic CertifiedTM (ROCTM) practices. Together, we’ve converted 28 acres of farmland to ROCTM, and we’re just getting started.
Materials
Our preferred fiber usage improved from 87% to 95% in 2022. The materials we use are vital to designing responsible products. We have a fiber policy and scorecard that has helped us navigate which fibers we consider to be preferred based on criteria for sustainability and circularity potential. This is why we work to increase the amount of preferred fibers (such as organic cotton, hemp, recycled cotton, responsible wool, etc.) in our products.
Sourcing
We work with two B Corp Certified suppliers and have 8 facilities running on renewable energy. We diversified our country of origin and moved 67% of our supply chain to ensure that every supplier we work with prioritizes and respects human rights.
Farming
In partnership with Bergman Rivera, we have committed to supporting farmers' implementation of Regenerative Organic CertifiedTM (ROCTM) practices, creating a positive impact on their farms and resulting in 10 tons worth of ROCTM cotton from the 2022 harvest. Together, we’ve converted 28 acres of farmland to ROCTM, and we’re just getting started.
Workers' Wellbeing
We continue to promote the highest labor standards in alignment with the Fair Labor Association and publicly shared our Fair Compensation Commitment. $133,000 and counting has gone to improving workers’ livelihoods in our supply chain through The Fairtrade Premium. Workers chose programs such as extended healthcare insurance, scholarships for their children, housing support, financial relief for extended illness, and more.
Circularity
1818 pieces of Outerknown clothing have been kept out of the landfill and in the loop through Outerworn—our resell platform for pre-loved styles.
Our partnership with Project Vermont continues as Lise-Anne and her team give new purpose to materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. This year they've rescued 960 lbs of denim, with approximately 300 lbs being used to make bags. On average, a pair of jeans weighs about 1 lb. Plus, they've recycled about 400 lbs of wool sweaters that were used to make mittens and blankets.
Sustainability is Everything
The first brand founded on a total commitment to sustainability. We are driven by a passion for responsible action, courageous change, and great clothes.
Embrace Circular Models
Design with Intention
Support our Suppliers
Champion Fair Labor
Putting People First
Putting People First
As global citizens it’s imperative to us that the people who make our clothes are treated fairly. Our Code of Conduct and Supplemental Expectations lay out the standards for our world class Fair Labor Program. We are continuously working to improve livelihoods and advance workers’ rights by building strong relationships with our suppliers, improving our responsible purchasing practices, and working towards living wages for all in our supply chain (read our comittment to fair compensation here).
2030 Sustainability Roadmap
In our 2030 Sustainability Plan, we have laid out strategies to become fully circular by 2030 while leading our industry and beyond in sustainable innovation and further champion fair labor! To accomplish this, we will design products from regenerative or recycled materials, activate ways to keep items in circulation longer, work to advance garment workers’ rights, and improve livelihoods in our supply chain through partnership and worker-inspired programs. We have begun measuring our progress towards our goals and strive to share our first progress report by year’s end.
Embrace Circular Models
By prioritizing industry-serving resale, repair, and recycling programs, we are aiming to make 100% of our products circular by 2030.
Lead Through Innovation
By 2030, we will invest in research & development of circular solutions.
Champion Fair Labor
Along with increased transparency into garment, fabric, yarn, and raw material suppliers, we will work to protect more workers in our supply chain and implement fair compensation strategies.
Join the Circular Movement.
Outerworn
Our goal is to make excellent-quality, sustainable products that last a lifetime, keeping our garments out of landfills and in circulation forever. In 2021, we took a huge stride in furthering that goal by launching a platform to breathe new life into previously owned Outerknown garments. Outerworn offers customers a chance to buy and sell pre-loved pieces. Feel good, share the love, and support a circular future.
Meet Our Suppliers
We believe true sustainability starts with transparency. We seek makers who share our values and stand behind the partnerships we’ve built. We have made it a priority to map 100% of our supply chain and strive to share every step of the journey with you. To start, we are proud to share our Tier 1 partners through Open Apparel Registry (OAR).
Bergman Rivera
Bergman Rivera manages the entire supply chain for us, from the organic cotton fields to our finished tee that’s sewn at Serflex, a small family owned shop on the outskirts of Lima. Bergman Rivera and Serflex S.A.C. are both GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) approved. This means we know where our organic cotton comes from.
VT Garment Co.
VT Garment Co is Fair Trade Certified factory and the manufacturers of your favorite swim trunks — the Apex Trunks. VT Group prioritizes sustainability through four principles they refer to as the 4 M’s of production, Man, Material, Method and Machine effectiveness and efficiently.
Saitex
Saitex embodies a commitment to continuous sustainable innovation at all their facilities. Their Vietnam facility was the first factory in Asia to become B Corp Certified. In the past few years, they launched new projects including a fully automated jeans manufacturing facility, Rekut - a social justice project, and STELAPOP a textile upcycling facility.
Tainan
Tainan was a natural fit as a partner for our Social and Environmental Accountability, a.k.a. S.E.A., program. The Tainan team practices high standards of social compliance and helped pioneer many of the HERProject initiatives. They have also invested in technology which lowers their environmental impact. You can feel good about the manufacturing practices while looking great in the S.E.A. Suit!
Partners in Sustainability
We recognize that the challenges facing our industry and the world are broad-reaching and systemic and cannot be tackled alone. To achieve the necessary change, we are partnering with additional thought-leaders and changemakers to galvanize sustainable innovation through collective action.
Fair Labor Association
Outerknown’s compliance program was accredited by the Fair Labor Association in 2015. As an FLA Participating Company, we commit to upholding the FLA Principles of Fair Labor and Responsible Sourcing throughout our entire supply chain. FLA accredits companies whose workplace standards programs are substantially in compliance with the FLA Workplace Code of Conduct.
Textile Exchange
Climate action starts at the source of the materials we choose. For real change to happen, everyone needs a clear path to positive impact. Textile Exchange guides leaders by starting at the source of textile production—raw materials and fibers.
Fair Trade USA
By working with Fair Trade Certified™ factories, we support better working conditions for the people who craft our clothes. Fair Trade Certified™ factories must adhere to rigorous social, environmental and economic standards to protect the health and safety of the workforce.
Sustainable Apparel Coalition
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s vision is of a global consumer goods industry that gives more than it takes — to the planet and its people. The SAC, together with a suite of tools from Higg helps us to gain insight into our social and environmental sustainability.
Stories of Sustainability
Every piece of clothing has a story. We’re making sure that at every stage of their journey, our clothes and the people making them are treated with respect, and in turn, respect the world around them.