Woodbird

Unfortunately, Woodbird does not give much information about its production locations. Production is said to take place in Turkey, but nothing else is known about it. This makes it difficult to assess whether production takes place in safe conditions and whether workers are paid a fair wage.

When purchasing a product from the ​‘Into The Blue’ collection, Woodbird donates €1 to charity. In this way, the brand wants to demonstrate their commitment to social responsibility. However, this is only a fraction of their total sales. In this way, it mainly benefits Woodbird’s image rather than the actual cause.

Woodbird uses many different materials. They use eco-friendly materials such as organic or recycled cotton in several of their designs, like their ​‘Ourganic’ collection. 

Unfortunately, the brand does not have certificates for the organic cotton they use, so they cannot prove whether it is actually organic. A certificate such as the GOTS label (Global Organic Textile Standard) would guarantee that no chemicals are used in the production process. This certificate also checks the social conditions within which the textiles are produced. Learn more about the different certificates and the advantages of organic cotton here.

The same applies to recycled cotton. Due to the lack of information and certificates, we cannot know where this material comes from. It is also not clear whether the recycled cotton comes from production waste or post-consumer waste.

Woodbird also uses synthetic materials in their collections. Many harmful chemicals are required to produce materials such as polyester, polyamide and elastane. There is also a risk that synthetic clothes will release microplastics when they’re washed. These materials are therefore not sustainable because they (can) pollute the environment both during production and use. 

To reduce their impact in this area, Woodbird does also use recycled polyester. However, this alternative is not necessarily more sustainable as microplastics are also released from this material. The recycling of polyester also uses chemicals. 

Woodbird also has a denim collection ​‘Into The Blue’. This collection uses more recycled cotton and uses water-conservation processes. The dyeing and washing stages of denim production are especially water-intensive. That’s why Woodbird uses an ​‘Ozone washing method’ where gas is used to bleach the denim. The brand uses lasers instead of the polluting stone washing process with lasers and nano-bubble technology instead of dyes.

The circularity of a product depends heavily on the materials it is made of. Clothing made from a blend of different materials is more difficult to recycle after use and is therefore less circular.

Clothes made from a mono-material, i.e. a single material, score better in terms of circularity. If a garment is made from a natural mono-material such as cotton, and does not contains chemicals, it is even biodegradable.

Woodbird’s collection consists largely of garments made from a single material which is very positive for the brand’s circularity. Some garments, however, are made from a mix of elastane and cotton which makes them more difficult to recycle. Elastane is often needed though for comfort. 

Due to Woodbird not giving much information about their production locations, not much is known about the length of their supply chain. Production is said to take place in Turkey, but it is not clear where the materials come from. 

The three largest cotton production countries are China, India and the United States. We therefore assume that the materials used by Woodbird may have travelled long distances.

Wool is mainly used in Woodbird’s knitwear collection. Unfortunately, due to a lack of information, COSH! cannot tell whether animal welfare is a priority in the sourcing of their wool. In itself, shearing a sheep or goat is not painful for the animal. What we don’t know anything about though is the animals’ living standards. Read all about wool’s impact on animal welfare and the environment here.

Woodbird reinterprets classic styles by combining their Danish aesthetic with Scandinavian craftsmanship. Their collection consists of classic menswear and timeless designs that manage to remain modern. As they put it themselves, ​“Timeless with a twist”. Recently, they have also reworked some classics for women.

Woodbird does not go along with fast-changing trends, but sometimes gives discount offers on their products. As a result, the brand does not yet operate entirely according to slow-fashion principles.

Woodbird is not transparent in several areas. The brand gives little information about their production chain and how they ensure ethical working conditions. Also, nothing is known about the origin of the materials and COSH! questions the animal welfare of the wool used.