Ragwear

To produce their collections, Ragwear works with an established producer in Shandong, China. The brand has worked with this producer for more than 15 years and is therefore in close contact with it.

Ragwear has Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification for much of its collection. This certificate checks the production process of organic cotton. It also checks working conditions and the safety of the workplace. So you can be sure that all garments made with organic cotton are made in ethical conditions.

As mentioned earlier, Ragwear is certified by GOTS. This means that the production process of the organic cotton is monitored. No chemicals are allowed to be used, less irrigation water is used in cultivation and the cotton is harvested by hand. This ensures that the material has a much smaller impact on the environment.

Ragwear also uses other sustainable materials in their collections such as lyocell, bamboo viscose, linen and hemp. Linen and hemp are natural and require fewer chemicals. Lyocell and bamboo viscose are also sustainable alternatives to conventional cotton, although there are a few reservations here. Lyocell is one of the causes of forest fires in Spain and Portugal. In the case of bamboo viscose, on the other hand, chemicals can be released during the production process.

Lastly, Ragwear also uses synthetic materials. Among the materials used in the collection are polyester, recycled polyester, elastane and polyacrylic. These materials are made from petroleum, in a process that requires many chemicals. Even in the process of recycling polyester, many harmful chemicals are used.

In the Remake collection, Ragwear uses mostly recycled materials. The collection is made of 90% recycled materials with the GRS label (Global Recycling Standard). Mostly recycled polyester is used for this, but there are also garments made of recycled cotton.

Because Ragwear often uses monomaterials in their clothes, those clothes are easier to recycle after use. Monomaterials means that only one material is used in a garment, for example 100% polyester or 100% cotton.

Because Ragwear’s collections are produced in China, the brand does not have a short supply chain. The clothes have to go a long way to be sold in Europe.

Ragwear is a completely vegan streetwear brand. The brand is even ​‘vegan approved’ by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). 

To be even more animal-friendly, Ragwear supports Hof Butenland. This is an organisation that rescues farm animals from the slaughterhouse and provides them with a loving and safe living environment.

Ragwear designs modern clothing, often basics that are easy to combine. The brand has several collections with designs for men, women and children. These include the Organic collection with organic cotton clothing, the Remake collection made of recycled materials and a children’s collection. 

Ragwear also has the Crystal collection. These are garments that incorporate specific crystals. These crystals have positive effects and are sewn into the clothes in specific places such as the neck of a T‑shirt.

In terms of transparency, Ragwear still has some work points. They share the country where production takes place, but not their producer. This makes it difficult to form a full picture of how ethical the collection is.