Materials
The French clothing brand develops its own exclusive fabrics, aiming for as much organic cotton as possible for its hats, t‑shirts, sweaters, fleeces and jerseys for men.
All T‑shirts are made up of 100% organic cotton. The simple sweaters have in addition to 95% organic cotton, also 5% polyamide incorporated. The modern pants have in addition to 97% organic cotton also 3% elastane. Polyamide and elastane are artificial substances that contain microplastics, less sustainable but can improve comfort and thus extend the life of the garment. Bask in the Sun uses them in the smallest possible quantities, which is testament to its sustainable vision.
In total, 80% of the production at Bask in the Sun consists of organic cotton. Still, they cannot use the GOTS label for all pieces since the manufacturer is not GOTS certified (despite the fact that the cotton fabric is).
Bask in the Sun also has a percentage of the collection made up of less sustainable materials. For example, the keiko vest contains 58% polyester and 42% regular cotton. The weedy t‑shirt is 65% regular cotton and 35% linen. For its denim t‑shirts and shirts, Bask in the Sun uses a blend of Tencel, the more sustainable version of viscose, with regular cotton and elastane. Its wool sweaters are made of 75% wool and 25% polyamide. Bask in the Sun is making good strides, but could certainly be more sustainable in its choice of materials.
All fabrics are certified with the Oeko-Tex® Standard 100 label, which prohibits the use of harmful chemicals. So no toxic dyes in the Bask in the Sun clothing.
Ethical production
All clothing is designed in Guéthary in the Basque Country and stitched 800 kilometers away in the north of Portugal. All clothing production takes place in Portuguese family farms. Since Western Europe provides minimum wages and labor regulations, you can assume that all clothing is produced under good working conditions.
However, we at COSH! are still curious about where the cotton comes from, and under what conditions it is grown. We certainly have our doubts about the share of non-organic cotton and cannot yet count Bask in the Sun among the pioneers.
Circular Economy
Due to the mix of artificial and natural materials in the garments, recycling will be more difficult than if the clothes were made of one material.
But Bask in the Sun takes steps to reduce its waste as much as possible. For example, the packaging of the clothing is reusable and biodegradable. In addition, unsold garments at Bask in the Sun do not end up in the incinerator. The brand donates the clothing to charities.
In addition, for more than 10 years the employees of Bask in the Sun have also been volunteering for associations that work around ocean protection and climate change.