As a conscious consumer, a price tag means much more than the dollar amount. A price tag signals a deeper process of creating a garment.
In a world where the average cost of a t-shirt is the same as your morning coffee—sustainable fashion is challenging this norm. It’s important to understand why a sustainable fashion brand’s pricing looks different from a fast-fashion brand’s.
At People Of Leisure, we’re committed to creating sustainable clothing that’s both accessible and fair. Below we will walk you through the “whys” for our price point to understand where you’re putting your dollar.
Earth Friendly Fabrics
Since the beginning, we’ve been making clothing in small batches. In 2015, we made our first POL pieces from deadstock fabrics. That was our first step in being more eco-conscious.
Deadstock fabrics are leftover from fashion brands who overestimated their needs. After holding onto the fabrics for a few seasons, they may end up in landfills. Our aim from the beginning has been to rescue these fabrics before they wind up in the trash (clothing should never wind up in the trash). We then make them into something new and lasting.
As we’ve grown, we’ve introduced fabrics like hemp and organic cotton into our product line. Buying these fabrics is more costly than buying synthetic fabrics—such as polyester. These synthetic fibers are a chemical compound made of polyethylene. Which is a fancy way of saying plastic. When these synthetic fibers end up in a landfill they do not break down and will leak chemicals into the earth.
Yet synthetic fabrics are cheaper to buy and sell in large quantities. This is why the tag on a fast-fashion brand will most likely be a combination of synthetic fibers. Clothing made from organic fibers is not only earth-friendly but also skin-friendly. Meaning you're not putting synthetic plastic onto your largest organ, your skin.
Ethical Production
Fast fashion runs on a model that relies on paying garment workers less than minimum wage. The majority of the fashion industry depends on this model to keep their prices low.
Unfortunately, these standards keep the poor working conditions of sweatshops operating. Along with keeping the hands that make the clothing in poverty. To learn more about the problems within this model, watch the documentaries The True Cost and RIVERBLUE.
At POL, we pride ourselves on creating an environment that honors our garment workers. Our #ZeroSweat policy is one of the largest pillars of our business model. The policy focuses on maintaining livable wages. Along with, responsible production practices, and honoring our artisans in everything we do.
Locally Sourced
We aim to work with vendors locally in Los Angeles. When sourcing overseas, the cost goes way down and the clothing is sent in larger quantities. By sourcing locally, we’re paying higher for fabrics but also supporting our local economy. This creates a non-competitive, community-driven production model.
Small Batch Production
We create our styles in small quantities. This ensures we’re only using what we have and not wasting any fabric. Again, ensuring no excess fabric ends up in the landfill.
Maintaining this less is more mentality also means that when a piece sells out, it will most likely not come back again. Or at least not in that same fabric. This responsible production method is one way we're taking action in caring for the earth.
Clothing That Lasts
We want your POL pieces to stay in your closet for years to come. We help in ensuring this by putting a tremendous amount of attention into the fit and feel of each piece. We opt for higher quality, earth-friendly fabrics not only to protect the earth but because these fabrics withstand the test of time.
We also recommend taking extra care of your POL pieces. Hand washing and hang drying is the best way to maintain a garment's lifespan. This is also a best practice for being more green in washing and caring for clothes.
Remember, it's your dollar that supports the world you want to live in. When buying from us, you can feel confident that your money is going towards a more conscious, earth-focused fashion industry.
