Sustainability and Black Friday: Can the two co-exist?

An American Import, Black Friday appears to have firmly ensconced itself within UK retail culture, whether we like it or not.

A beacon of gluttony and consumerism, Black Friday is seen by many as incompatible with sustainable fashion. It is, after all, a day (or in Amazon’s case, a whole week) in which people are encouraged to make the most of the all the ‘incredible’ discounts and offers, by spending large sums of money, in a peculiar attempt to save money. 

sustainable fashion menswear wool sheep

 Can Black Friday be sustainable? 

Between the cheap materials used for many mass-produced products, the pollution caused by an increase in deliveries and the mountains of packaging that piles up after each shopping frenzy, we’re not so sure.

Since the UK inherited Black Friday back in 2013, we’ve never taken part. Our belief is that consumers should be buying less and buying better, which is especially relevant when considering sustainability - after all, if you buy cheap, you buy twice!

 Our approach to sustainable men’s fashion:

The bulk of the fabrics we use - silk, wool, linen and cotton - are naturally occurring meaning they’re renewable, biodegradable and carbon neutral, i.e. they’re very good for the environment! They’re also good for you, the customer, as they provide a higher quality garment than synthetic fabrics.

We ensure our transport emissions are minimal by sourcing and manufacturing our fabrics within Europe. In instances where we’ve not made a particular product ourselves, we use companies based within the UK for this same reason, for example: 

     

     

    Belts

    The ultimate finishing touch, our belts are —and always have been—made right here in London
     

    Socks 

    We love Pantherella socks, made in Leicester since 1937 using fine Egyptian cotton
     

    Cufflinks

    Our cufflinks are handcrafted by Philip’s brother here in the UK
    		 
     

    Ties

    Bow tie or otherwise, our ties are made from silk woven in Suffolk, and manufactured in Tunbridge Wells

     

    Moreover we take great care to ensure there is no waste material left and that any left over stock is put to good use, e.g. our recent up-cycling collaboration with Vin + Omi.

     So if you’re out bargain hunting on Black Friday, we’re not the store for you. But, if you want quality, natural fabrics that have been sustainably manufactured and designed in-house, visit our Shoreditch store or shop our collections online.

    Paris