Our non-GMO cotton seeds are saved from the previous season's ginning process. The two family-owned organic cotton farms in Chiclayo and Pisco, Peru are chemical free and healthy. We keep the soil thriving by practicing complimentary farming. That means in the off season the land is used to grow quinoa - a crop that's ideal to keep the soil balanced all year round with the right minerals and ph. The Incas knew this in ancient times and it still works today!

Unlike lesser quality cottons, our premium organic Pima cotton is harvested entirely by hand. Not only is it more environmentally friendly, it also ensures the cotton fibers are not damaged by industrial harvesting machines which can tear the fibers. By keeping the cotton fibers fully intact, the garment will be noticeably smoother and softer and, importantly, stronger over time too. Quite simply, Pima cotton creates garments that will endure much longer.

Ginning is the process of separating the cotton fibers from the seeds and other parts of the plant. The cotton gin was invented in 1794 and revolutionized the production of cotton by vastly reducing the time spent on seed separation. The seeds are then gathered and sent back to the farm for planting the next season. The circle of life!

A typical short sleeve t-shirt has 5 pieces that are sewn together - the front, the back, 2 sleeves, and the neck trim. If the t-shirt comes in 5 sizes, there are 25 different puzzle pieces to cut out of a panel of fabric to make one run of t-shirts. How to arrange and cut those pieces most efficiently is an art and a science, with the goal being to waste as little fabric as possible. Our cutting engineer accomplishes this with a combination of software and years of experience. His final result tell us exactly how much fabric we need to make!

Before adding color, we take this extra step of passing the fabric rolls through a gentle enzyme bath. These natural enzymes dissolve tiny stray hairs from the cotton fibers giving the fabric a noticeably smoother feeling. It's then thoroughly rinsed. The final fabric is as pure and natural as you'll find. In cases where a t-shirt will be offered in an undyed color, a portion is sent directly to the workshop for cutting.

This is one of the steps we take that sets our clothing apart. By washing the fabric before it's cut, we take out the vast majority of shrinking early. Not only does this prevent it from shrinking in your wash (very minimal with proper care), it also helps the seams stay smoother. When clothing makers skip this step (they usually do) the fabric puckers or curls around the seams. That's because the fabric shrinks more in the wash, but the seam threads don't.

When most people think about making clothes, this is what they think about. Stitching the arm to the body, hemming the sleeves. Sitting at a sewing machine for a full workday is hard work. Julia and her husband Oscar own a 10-person workshop that has transformed the lives of neighbors who can now put their skills t work. Each of them deserves to be rewarded justly for their labor. We owe them such gratitude for literally putting shirts on our backs.

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Each piece of clothing gets a gentle hand steaming, is placed into our biodegradable polybags, and then packed into shipping cartons. This is often where unnecessary waste is added in the clothing industry. We made the conscious decision not to affix labels or hang tags to our garments. Daniel is smiling because this also makes his job much easier! You can read more about our environmentally friendly polybags here.

16 months, at least 97 pairs of hands, and lots of TLC later, the shirts are ready for you to try on, hopefully fall in love with, and wear enthusiastically for years to come. The fair price you pay supports the supply chain of traditional organic farming, ethical fair trade production, and a small independent clothing brand. You can truly feel great about what you're wearing.