Materials: Vintage and modern

Vintage: use of conventional cotton and polyester.

Now: only organic certified cotton or recycled polyester.

Conventional cotton simply means: cotton grown in the traditional, common way — without special sustainability requirements.

Here's what it entails:

What is conventional cotton?

  • Grown with synthetic pesticides, insecticides and artificial fertilizers.
  • Often uses a lot of water during the growth process.
  • There are no requirements for soil health, biodiversity, or water management.
  • There is no guarantee for social conditions or fair production.

Difference from organic cotton

Organic cotton is grown without chemicals, with less water, and with strict rules regarding soil conservation and biodiversity. Social standards are also included.

In short:

Conventional cotton = standard cotton production with high environmental impact.
Organic cotton = more sustainable, cleaner, and responsibly grown.

Our Vintage items may contain conventional cotton for a very simple reason:

Because almost all clothing before the sustainability revolution of recent years was made from conventional cotton.

Well into the 2000s, certified cotton was hardly available in the fashion industry. Almost all brands — including us — used standard cotton because:

  • Organic cotton was not yet widely certified then.
  • Production processes were strongly focused on high volumes and low costs.
  • Consumers paid little attention to sustainability, which meant demand was low.

Therefore, it makes sense that many vintage items are made from conventional cotton: it was simply the norm at the time.

Why this is still sustainable

Even though the material may be conventional, wearing vintage is much more sustainable than buying new, because:

  • no new raw materials are cultivated,
  • no extra water or chemicals are needed,
  • and the garment gets a longer life, preventing waste.

In one sentence:

Vintage can contain conventional raw materials because it comes from a time when that was the standard — but reusing it is precisely the sustainable choice.