Sustainability & Material
TIGERBOB: THOUGHTFULLY MADE FOR EVERYONE NOW AND IN THE FUTURE
Our garments are not only unique in their design, but also because of our commitment to producing apparel & objects that aligns with our goals of sustainability and circularity.
Gossamer designs and creates apparel in a thoughtful way, informed by Gossamer’s knowledge and appreciation in the slow processes of hand knitting, hand weaving, hand sewing, and mending.
FAST FASHION WOES
A linear economy, most of the fashion world is purposefully designed to maximize the production and consumption of goods. This linear economy focuses on the excessive use of resources (often petroleum based) to create products that are intended to be used briefly (trends come and go, and garments are not designed to last) only be thrown away.
This process continues infinitely, and it's clearly left a mark on our planet. Unable to be recycled or broken down organically, most discarded garments end up in landfills or are incinerated.
Thankfully, a number of brands and manufacturers are rising up against this model and more and more options are available both for customers and for individual artists, like Gossamer, who wish to create apparel in a mindful way.
SUSTAINABILITY & CIRCULARITY
Sustainability is all about meeting your own needs without compromising the ability for future generations to meet their own needs. The term has roots in social justice, conservationism, internationalism and other past movements.
Going beyond sustainable practices, circularity focuses on producing goods in such a way that cause little to no harm to the planet. The idea is that all parts involved can be reused, and no virgin resources are extracted at the start.
We do our best to demonstrate our commitment to sustainability & circularity by being thoughtful about our supplier choices, our material selections, and our in-house processes.
We’ve chosen to be fully transparent in our sources, materials, and processes so we can empower other brands to follow in our footsteps. Read more on our Sources page.
MATERIAL MATTERS
Our commitment to sustainable & circular practices also means that we are particular about the materials used in our products; in particular, we strive to choose the highest quality materials we can find, so your garment is not only comfortable but can also last a lifetime.
CASHMERE BLENDS
At the core of our knitwear is cashmere, one of the softest, rarest, and most comfortable wool available. Wonderfully light, fluffy, and smooth to the touch, we have chosen to blend our cashmere with the highest-quality merino wool for cooler weather, and USA-grown SUPIMA© cotton for warmer weather.
Both blends have a touch of cashmere that feel luxurious without the additional price, and both blends do well as layering pieces in the weather they were designed for - regulating moisture & temperature to keep you comfortable. Our cashmere yarn is sourced through a number of certifications including but not limited to the Responsible Wool Standard and the Good Cashmere Standard.
Learn more about our cashmere yarns on our Sources page.
COTTON BLENDS
In particular, our cotton socks are produced from a cotton blend of fine yarn sourced from South Korea. Sturdy and comfortable with added stretch, this material has shown to stand up to the heavy use you'd expect from a good pair of socks.
Learn more about our cotton socks on our Sources page.
GRS RECYCLED POLYESTER
When Gossamer set out to produce a plush toy, it was pertinent that a recycled polyester could be sourced to produce it. We are proud that our plush toys are produced from Global Recycled Standard (GRS) recycled polyester.
The GRS is an international, voluntary full product standard that proves the content of recycled materials and compliance with chemical restrictions, environmental criteria, and social criteria in the material's entire production chain. The goal of the GRS is to increase the use of recycled materials and reduce or eliminate harm caused by material production.
Learn more about our plush toys on our Sources page.
EDUCATION & MORE
We understand that our current line of materials and processes can be much more sustainable. We are actively exploring ways we can incorporate high-quality recycled cashmere, wool, cotton, and more into our apparel. We also strive to follow the footsteps of brands who can recycle old and used clothing on their own.
Lastly, we encourage our customers to buy exactly what they know they want to keep as long as they can, and for people to mend, hand down, or gift their garment so it can continue to be loved and used during its lifetime. We will be hosting workshops at our flagship store in Brooklyn, New York to creatively teach our customers how to mend and appreciate their garments through all stages of its life.
Learn more about our in-store workshops on our Locations page.