Girlfriend Collective

Girlfriend Collective works with a Taiwanese factory where all recycled polyester fabrics are made. Girlfriend Collective visited the factory to learn more about the recycling process of PET bottles. This way, the brand was also able to check the working conditions in the factory.

The clothes are produced in Vietnam. This manufacturer has the SA8000 label. This means that workers’ wages, safety and working conditions are monitored by an independent organization.

Most of the Girlfriend collection is made of recycled polyester. Old PET bottles are recycled into new material in a chemical process. This is used to make fabrics for, among others, the leggings in the Girlfriend collection. Unfortunately, the recycling process of polyester requires a lot of chemicals. 

The material Girlfriend Collective uses has the OEKO-Tex standard 100 certificate to show that no chemicals are present in the clothing. All the fabrics used also meet the high environmental requirements of OEKO-Tex. Moreover, the factory’s waste water is filtered so that no harmful substances can be released into the environment. 

Another recycled material in the collection is Econyl. This is a recycled nylon made from old fishing nets and waste from oceans. This material is used in Girlfriend Collective’s maternity collection, among others.

Girlfriend also uses Tencel and recycled cotton in their collection. These materials only make up a smaller part of the collection. The pyjama outfit and jogging trousers use these materials. Finally, Girlfriend clothing also contains elastane to ensure it fits your body nicely.

Using synthetic materials has the risk that microplastics can be released during washing. To prevent this, Girlfriend Collective advises their customers to wash their clothes accordingly and install a microfibre filter on their washing machine. This way, the brand wants to help tackle the plastic problem.

Girlfriend Collective is working towards a more circular fashion industry. They do this by using recycled materials such as recycled polyester, nylon and cotton.

To be completely circular, the old Girlfriend clothes need to be recycled back into new designs. That is why Girlfriend Collective is working with Unifi to collect and recycle old clothes. They do this with the ReGirlfriend project, where you can send in your used clothes in exchange for a discount. Currently, this project is only active in the United States.

The Girlfriend collection is produced in Vietnam, the materials are sourced from Taiwan. So the distance between these producers is fairly limited. Unfortunately, the garments do have to travel a long distance to be sold in Europe.

Girlfriend Collective uses no materials of animal origin in their collection. And by recycling ocean plastics the brand helps ocean ecosystems.

Girlfriend Collective designs are modern and minimalist. The colourful designs will give your bikini, cycling or running outfit a sporty look. Besides their women’s collection, Girlfriend Collective also has a men’s and unisex collection, so everyone can sport in a sustainable outfit!

Girlfriend Collective does pretty well in terms of transparency. The brand shares information about their producers, materials and certificates.