Where are your garments made?

One of the questions we get asked on a regular basis is; “Where are your garments made?” So we thought we’d write a quick blog for those who feel they need to know.

When creating our products it takes a long time to bring them to life because we want each item to have a strong association with coastal heritage from times gone by. We achieve this by researching and in some cases spending time with historians and people who share the same passion as we do for what has gone before, because without that none of us would be here today.

The next stage is probably the hardest and that is finding the right manufacturers and suppliers we can work closely with. We would love to be able to employ a work force to manufacture and knit all of our products downstairs in our Chapel Street Store in Robin Hood’s Bay, but this is simply not possible in terms of the skill set required for the complexity of our garments, the range we are offering and for the price we retail our products at.

Many years ago the general consumer started demanding a product at a cheaper price they could wear for a short period, then replace and fast fashion was born. Some retailers were lost as they couldn’t afford to stay in business, competing with larger organisations and the ones who managed to survive moved their largest operation overseas to benefit from substantially cheaper labour costs.

Years later we are educated on the effect this has on the planet, landfill masses, rivers of unwanted clothing and unethical ways of manufacture. We have gone full circle because consumers now are understanding and appreciating quality, want sustainability again and demand value and the background of what they are purchasing. This comes at a cost. Now the difference is the consumer is still expecting to pay what they have been paying for a throw away product, not almost double the price, which is generally the case when garments are British made due to our much higher labour costs.

This is a hard obstacle to overcome and takes considerable time. Nevertheless, we are very proud to have sourced British manufacturers and suppliers whom we work closely with to bring our ideas and visions to life, whilst achieving a retail price we feel is fantastic for the value of the products we are offering.

We are not the cheapest by far and we don’t intend to be because our garments are very special, with a great heritage background. Our key factors we pride ourselves on are:-

• Highest quality

• Sustainable, made to last

• Linked to our fabulous coastal heritage

• Using British suppliers

This is easier to achieve on some products, but the importance for us is building our brand on these key factors and working hard to keep you guys, our customers, loving what we do, whilst maintaining what we stand for.