The background to your favourite denim jeans
First of all, don't try making them yourselves. You'll spend a lot of time and money struggling with thick fabric. Unless you're a professional it's best to leave things to us. If you're determined to get down into the details of sewing, here's a great video on how to sew denim.
Sourcing the denim is the most important aspect to consider. Where it comes from, how it's made and who does the sewing is all important. For the sake of the environment and the people in the factories it's a good thing to do some research before you buy. Some of the cheaper brands use unethical practices such as sweatshops and child labour. Nobody wants to be walking around in a pair of jeans with that kind of reputation.
Buying ethical denim
Because of the high standards we have at Corfu Jeans, we source our denim from ethical mills. We only use factories that we have visited to check the conditions with our own eyes. We buy super-soft, premium denim that harms the environment as little as possible. Another thing we do is to make sure all the materials that go into our jeans are top quality. The point of jeans is that they are hardwearing and long lasting. The last thing you want to happen is to have to throw out a pair you love before they're worn out just because the stitching isn't up to standard.
Denim for the planet
Growing cotton is taxing on the environment. However, when you choose denim instead of flimsier fabric, you're giving Mother Nature a rest. Denim will last many times longer than light cotton and means your carbon footprint is lighter. For that reason it's also worth buying for a quality fit than will stand the test of time in terms of fashion. Find a fit that works for you and stick with it. You can change up your look with accessories.
A staggering 1.2 billion pairs of jeans are made every year. From the moment the cotton starts to grow, to the moment you throw away (or recycle) your jeans, they take up 10,850 litres of water and produce 32.5 kilos of CO2. The water is part of the growing, dyeing and washing process. The CO2 comes from processing, finishing and shipping.
That sounds like a terrible thing, but when you consider that other clothing has a similar footprint, and you wear jeans much longer, denim jeans are the ethical choice.
We're also developing new technologies that reduce the need for water and keep workers healthy. These days, we can avoid run off of toxic dye into rivers through the introduction of waterless and foam based dyeing. For the health of the workers, we can also now use lasers rather than sand blasting to get the distressed look so many people love.
The rise of denim jeans
As Australians, we've all been guilty of buying into the activewear trend. We get it. Especially during COVID, it's been hard to step out of those comfy leggings. HOWEVER, activewear isn't a natural fabric and isn't recyclable. All those man-made fibres come with a cost to the environment and they don't last nearly as long. As a result of the move away from man-made fibres, there has been a huge rise in searches for sustainable denim. Websites selling denim jeans have increased their page views by over 180% over the course of 12 months. It's a trend that is bound to continue as people look for more responsible ways to live their lives.
