Erstwhile

All Erstwhile clothing is produced in Portugal, with a few exceptions that are produced in Italy. Very European you could say! This way the clothing does not have to travel far to Flemisch designers or maybe to you, the European buyer.

This means that Erstwhile has to take the European worker’s legislations into account. Next to that, almost half of their collection is certified by the Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS). This certificate has requirements about biocotton and also the working conditions. 

About the non-certified materials of Erstwhile we do not have to worry either. This is Portuguese organic cotton, and since this cotton is cultivated and processed we can again assume the working conditions are okay. The same goes for the cycling shirts of polyester that are made in Italy.

Next to guaranteeing fair working conditions Erstwhile does research about cancer as well. They do this because everyone knows someone who is confronted with this. This also goes for the founders of the brand. They have a special collection of which the profit goes directly to cancer research and for every sale of the ​‘Erstwhile Vélo Klub’ cycling shirt, the brand donates 10 euros to ​‘stop intestinal cancer’.

A little bit over half of the shirts and pullovers are made of GOTS-certified organic cotton. This certification has, besides biological and ethical requirements, also requirements about chemical materials. You can be sure that there are no harmful chemicals necessary for the production of your t‑shirt. Also, about the non-certified materials, we do not have to worry.

The other cotton products are made of 100% organic and pre-washed Portuguese cotton. The cycling shirts are the only piece of clothing in which synthetic materials can be found. They are made of 100% recycled polyester. The disadvantage of synthetic materials is that they are not biodegradable and that microplastics are released when the clothes get washed. However, we do understand that this material is used for this product. Polyester is a material that we often see in sports clothing because of its quick-drying and light characteristics.

Another thing that stands out is that the brand is made of mono materials. Every piece of clothing consists of only one material, which makes the products very easy to recycle.

Those who love sports will not get tired easily of the shirts and pullovers of Erstwhile. Even people who dislike sports would not mind seeing or wearing the clothes. Next to the figuratively portrayed cyclists and runners that can be seen on their T‑shirts and pullovers, they also have products with a retro design. In their colour palette, we find basic colours like black, white and grey, but there are also pink, green, yellow, purple or blue items for people who like colour.

Erstwhile states that they work together with companies that share the same philosophy and that happy people are the centre of their company. Their website also states that they are as sustainable and transparent as possible by using fairtrade and organic cotton and producing in Europe. Every product states in which country they are made, but an exact factory name or general list with factories and suppliers is nowhere to be found. COSH! would like to see more transparency in this field!