Fashion is totally subjective. What I love, others may think is crazy or ugly or just not worth the time. That's OK! In my opinion, that's what makes fashion fun!
So, take it or leave it, here's a #fairtrade fashion brand I've recently purchased from and loved.
Yes, Friends - www.yesfriends.co
Does fair fashion always mean higher price tags? No, it doesn't! Yes Friends whole concept seems to be that by producing on a larger scale, they can do things better for just a few pennies more per item. Their website says,
"But how is this madness possible? There’s a myth in the fashion industry that goes like this: “It’s way too expensive to pay workers well and treat the planet well and run a successful business”.
But the truth is, with a little bit of scale it's possible to pay workers well, use sustainable materials and be affordable. Ethical doesn't have to mean artisanal. Did you know: if high street brands paid a few pennies extra per T-shirt they could have paid their workers a living wage 😲"
Their factory is solar and wind powered so they produce 90% less carbon compared to the production of other tees. The cotton is organic which means it's pesticide free, and they water it primarily with rain water. The workers are paid about 50% higher than some. And to top it all off, the designs are "timeless" (as opposed to trendy), so that you can wear them forever.
I had to test the quality for myself, so I ordered 2 t-shirts and a hoodie. The total, including shipping, came to $55!! That's $12 for each tee, and $35 for the hoodies plus $6 shipping. I admit, I was skeptical about these actually being high quality or soft or wearable. ... I was so WRONG.
The tees are super soft - maybe the most soft ever. There's no itchy tag. The sleeves are exactly the length I like and they're not too loose or too tight. The fit is great - the tees actually fit around my hips, unlike many unisex tees.
The hoodie is soft and fluffy and warm. It's actually pretty thick! The hood is even functional. TBH I bought the hoodie in black because I figured I'd give it to one of my sons after I tried it, but nope. She's mine. I'm keeping her.
Oh, and did you see they have jeans, too? For $41!?! I haven't tried them yet because they're currently all high-waisted "Mom jeans" - which ironically are not so flattering on my Mom-body.
Things I wish I could buy from Yes Friends that they currently don't offer:
* Mid-rise, straight-leg jeans (speaking of classic and timeless...)
* Sweatpants as cozy as the hoodies
* More color options of tees
(I'm sure the limited options currently available are directly related to their philosophy of keeping prices down by scaling up production. I guess that means that we need to make them so popular that they need to produce more, so they can offer more options. I'm on it!)
In conclusion, these are now my go-to tees and hoodies for myself and my teenagers. I can't think of a single thing I don't like about them. The prices are fantastic even without taking into account their fair trade-ness. Two thumbs WAY up for Yes Friends. Yes to Yes Friends!
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