3 forward-thinking menswear brands you should know about – words Al Woods
Spearheaded by the innovative work of Stella McCartney, whose luxury brand was one of the first to bring eco-fashion to a mainstream audience, green is the new black in the fashion world.
Ethically-sourced and produced fashion is all the rage, with sustainably minded brands becoming more prominent on our high streets. In this article we’ll look at some forward-thinking menswear brands you should know about if you want to look good without doing bad.
Sir Plus
Based in London, Sir Plus use surplus and other sustainably sourced materials to create first rate, modern menswear fashion. The brand has gradually branched out from solely selling men’s boxer shorts to offering a full range of clothing including shirts, waistcoats, and jackets. Sir Plus was founded in 2010 by Henry Hales, who had the idea of creating a line of printed boxer shorts. He soon realised that screen printing can be both costly and wasteful, but fortunately a stroll down London’s Jermyn Street provided the inspiration for using surplus materials (and the brand’s current, puntastic name). By 2011, Sir Plus was selling sustainable underwear on Portobello Market, where it now has a permanent, bricks and mortar store.
Talking to Gentleman’s Journal, Hales explained that the brand has earned a reputation throughout the industry for its use of surplus. “If a factory, or merchant, or mill, or a brand, for whatever reason has to sell their fabric, which happens regularly, they’ll know we would be interested,” he said. The brand sources its materials from Britain and other countries including Italy and Portugal. To supplement its surplus range, Sir Plus also makes use of sustainably sourced fabrics such as organic cotton for t-shirts and recycled cashmere for scarves.
MUD Jeans
A sustainable denim brand based in the Netherlands, MUD Jeans was established in 2012 by Bert van Son. It sells jeans, tops, and bags made of recycled materials, and also offers free clothing repairs and the opportunity for customers to temporarily lease garments, all of which helps to discourage waste. The brand is also part of Fairwear Foundation’s Young Designer Program, which helps the company assess and improve the standards at partner factories.
The brand’s main ethos is based on the concept of a circular economy which, contrary to a traditional linear economy, emphasises keeping resources in use for as long as possible. It stresses that we should get maximum use of out our resources before regenerating the materials at the end of their service life. MUD Jeans believes the mindset of the consumer should be about using clothes, rather than owning them.
Brothers We Stand
Based in Bristol, Brothers We Stand are hellbent on manufacturing stylish and sustainable clothes whilst respecting both people and the planet. Offering clothing from its own brand and other ethically-conscious brands, like MUD Jeans, Brothers We Stand’s own range is expansive, containing everything from t-shirts and jeans, to flip-flops and coats. All of the clothing is made in accordance with the Brothers We Stand standard. This range of guidelines includes high labour standards for all manufacturers, and “stand out ethical behaviour”.
The brand was launched by Bristol University graduate Sam Mabley in 2013, initially as an online store. A flagship physical store in Bristol’s Wapping Wharf opened in 2017, with every item of clothing featuring a ‘footprint’ tag attached to it, explaining its social and environmental impact. Speaking about the future of the brand to Social Enterprise UK, Mabley said: “My vision is to provide every individual with a genuine ethical alternative to what is currently found on the high street.” Don’t be surprised if he one day achieves his aim.
In the face of a world characterised by unsustainability, brands like Sir Plus, MUD Jeans, and Brothers We Stand are stepping up and striving to make a significant difference. Let’s hope brands like these earn more widespread success in the future, and change the fashion industry for the better.
3 forward-thinking menswear brands you should know about – words Al Woods
