Slow-Fashion Spotlight: Organic Basics | Product Review + Discount Code
There was a time recently when I would look at the prices of slow-fashion brands and clothing and scoff- ‘they want me to pay what for this t-shirt?’
In my mind, I understood the prices were higher because of the higher ethics involved in the production chain, but until I watched The True Cost documentary, I didn’t understand the urgency of the situation in my heart.
Fast-fashion, and its cheap cost for consumers, comes at a high price for those involved in its production and supply chains. It is a beast. Fast-fashion is the second largest polluting industry in the world, and contributes to the slave-like lives many women and children endure in countries where their rights as workers are not considered, let alone valued. I’ve recently written a blog post discussing fast-fashion, which you can find here. If you are not familiar with what fast-fashion is, I highly recommend you check that out.
Now that I’m aware of all the problems that fast-fashion poses, I am determined to do all I can to avoid contributing to it, and avoid buying new items as much as possible. I always try to first find any pieces I want secondhand. If I can’t do that, then I have decided I will either do without (because I never actually need more/new clothes), or I will invest my money in brands that I can take pride in supporting, that create quality clothes and ensure that they show respect and kindness not only to the people they employ, but to the resources they utilize for each piece of clothing.
One brand I have discovered as I have progressed on my slow- fashion journey is Organic Basics, and I am so excited to share about their vision and mission with you all, provide a product review for you, and give you all a discount code that you can utilize to get 10% off your order.
What is Organic Basics?
Organic Basics is a clothing business based in Copenhagen, Denmark that prioritizes sustainability and ethical practices in every part of their operations, and produce clothing items that are basic, but timeless styles, and essential pieces in most wardrobes.
They only choose fabrics that care for our environment, and partner with trusted and certified factory partners that care about their impact as well. These factories also ensure that their workplace is free of child labor and forced labor, their workers are treated with respect and surrounded by a safe working space, paid a living wage, and are offered employee perks like free lunch and childcare.
They have factories located in Turkey, Portugal, Austria, Italy, and Scotland.
Transparency is important when you’re looking for businesses to support. Organic Basics ensures that any and all information about their supply chain is available to customers, so you can have peace of mind knowing that your money is supporting your values. View their 2019 Impact Report here to find out how they strive toward sustainability and how they will continue to improve through 2020.
Durability and responsible sourcing are essential qualities to consider when choosing the materials our clothes are made of. Organic Basics only chooses materials that utilize the most responsible fabric material and technology available.
That means natural, renewable, recycled, biodegradable and/or low-impact textiles only (through 2020, they aim to incorporate even more low-impact and recycled materials):
organic cotton
Organic Basics uses GOTS (Licence number: USB TEX 2015) certified organic cotton, hand-picked and chemical free, grown on the coast of the Aegean Sea. The GOTS standard also guarantees that the workers involved are paid living wages and treated like humans.
recycled nylon, wool, and cashmere
Organic Basics’ premium Italian recycled nylon is GRS certified and it’s basically stronger and more durable than the highest standard conventional nylon. It’s made from pre-consumer textile waste that would otherwise go to the landfill, or worse. Plus, it takes 80% less water to make and creates 90% fewer CO2 emissions in comparison to the virgin fabric. Their nylon is breathable, lightweight and best of all, moisture wicking.
Virgin wool has a costly environmental impact – from the vast amount of land it takes to raise sheep, to the water and chemical usage during production and dyeing. But recycled wool is fortunately a heck of a lot different – that’s because Organic Basics completely cuts out the dyeing process, saving water and chemicals and eliminating nasty wastewater entirely.
Cashmere has a soft, warm and light feel – but it takes a hard toll on the environment. Organic Basics uses GRS certified recycled cashmere produced in Italy from worn out cashmere garments. In order to make the recycled cashmere yarn, the old garments are shredded and then re-spun back into new yarn, almost always without the use of new dyes. This process saves incredible amounts of water, chemicals, energy and CO2.
technologies like TENCEL lyocell, SilverTech, and Polygiene
Aspen and Birch trees grow fast and thick on low-grade land in central European forests, using 80% less water in comparison to cotton plants — making TENCEL™ Lyocell super environmentally responsible. The trees are responsibly thinned out, rather than cut down and then the wood is turned into a pulp. The wood pulp is dissolved in a closed-loop process with a non-toxic organic solvent, then the solution is forced through tiny holes in order to create a magical biodegradable fiber that feels softer and lighter than cotton.
Over 2/3 of the environmental impact of clothing is created during the wearing phase. Organic Basics uses real, natural silver for the SilverTech™ Everyday collection: basically, this means they completely cover the polymer fibre in the silver and then blend it with organic cotton to make soft, odor-controlling, heat regulating underwear, socks and tees. They don’t use nano-silvers as these can be washed off the fabric over time.
Polygiene® is a safe, bluesign® approved permanent fabric treatment made from recycled silver salt that keeps the fabric fresher for longer between washes. Basically it inhibits the growth of odor causing bacteria and it remains permanently on the fabric. This allows you to do more and wash less – saving you time, energy and water. It is used on the SilverTech™ Active collection – which means that you’ll stay fresh class after class. Polygiene® does not contain any nano silvers.
seamless knitting
Seamless knitting means no weak points in the fabric, and provides better stretch and comfort when you wanna stretch. Most importantly, seamless knitting also reduces fabric waste during the production phase.
(This information was taken from the Organic Basics page on sustainable practices. Some has been summarized, some is used directly as written.)
I love that Organic Basics lets nothing go to waste. Utilizing recycled textiles preserves so much water and energy, and truly supports the idea that the most sustainable options for clothes involve using what has already been created. Treating certain items with technologies that allow you to wear them longer and wash them less also contributes to the saving of resources, and ensuring longevity of life for each item in your wardrobe. Use it up, wear it out, make-do, or do without.
Product Review
I ordered a couple items from Organic Basics myself, so that I could share a product review with you, and allow you to learn about the brand and then decide if their products are something you would want to try yourself.
I purchased these items to review because I’d been wanting to try them for a while, and wanted to share about the awesome brand that Organic Basics is. I want to ensure that the brands I’m sharing are producing quality items that are worth investing in, and so want you to know that any brand or product I review is something I have personally tried myself.
The two pieces I ordered from Organic Basics are the Triangle Bra in Rose Nude, and the TENCEL Lite Tank Top in White.
The first thing I noticed about these pieces was their quality. The fabric for both are super soft, and they are thoughtfully constructed. They’re sturdy while also being super comfortable.
The Triangle Bra (in Rose Nude) is lovely.
Two things I really like about this bra: the thick band and three-hook clasp, and the triangle shaped cup pieces.
The thick band and sturdy clasp allows for a really secure fit, but is still comfortable and flexible. And the triangle cups are nice because they don’t give you that uni-boob shape that happens when you wear something, like a sports bra, that just has a single panel smooshing everything. Because there is no padding in the cups, you don’t get the typical shape as when you wear an underwire bra, but there are darts sewn in to add some structure.
The Rose Nude color is very nice, and is not especially visible under an average top; of course, white tops are fussy, so if it is visible, you know what I mean when I say that’s more the shirts fault:)
I purchased an XS (I am 5’2″, and about 120 lbs.), but am sure a small would have worked out just as well, adding extra coverage if I preferred it.
The TENCEL Lite Tank Top is so soft and comfortable. The material almost feels like a slippery, jersey/nylon material but it’s Lyocell (made from a wood pulp, read above picture).
Like the bra, the construction of this tank is very well done. I especially love the method Organic Basics utilized for attaching the hang-tag: they sewed in a small loop of fabric at the seam of the strap to tie it to, rather than a plastic tag holder that you’d have to throw away (see below picture). In fact, there is no plastic used for any of their packaging, which I always appreciate!
If I were to order this again, I’d probably choose a Medium, rather than a Small. The Small is not tight or too small, but it does fit closely to my body, and I was expecting a slightly looser fit. It works out fine, though, because I will almost always be layering this top under other pieces anyway.
One thing I will note, this tank is quite sheer- I’ve noticed that when I wear it, I can see the freckles on my torso through the fabric. If this is something you’d like to avoid, I would look to purchase a cotton tank instead.
Overall, I am very pleased with my pieces from Organic Basics. I would recommend them to anyone looking for quality staples to add to their wardrobe. They are pieces that will last forever if cared for properly, and I look forward to incorporating them into my outfits more as the seasons change.
While their higher prices may be hard for you to swallow at first, I encourage you to consider what that cost is covering, and the people and businesses it is supporting around the world. Also, consider that when you invest in your clothing, you’re more likely to take better care of it, wear it more, and appreciate it more because you want to ensure your money was well-spent.
If you would like to try Organic Basics for yourself, you can use the discount code below. They have wonderful customer service if you have any questions or concerns. Do keep in mind though that there is a bit of a time difference, so replies may not come in the middle of the day.
Get 10% off your order from Organic Basics through May 28 by using the code OBGRACE at checkout.
This post contains affiliate links which means I make a small commission when you sign up or make a purchase through my link. I only ever share companies and brands that I truly stand behind, use myself, and absolutely love. This creates no additional cost to you, but simply provides a way for me to continue creating quality content like this. Thank you for your support!
Great recommendations, thank you for sharing:)