Anything but basic: why one designer took two years to make the perfect white T-shirt

---

Síofra Caherty embarked on a mission to create a basic white tee with complete traceability and discovered the intricate yet rewarding world of ethical fashion. The simple white T-shirt, a staple in many wardrobes, with over 2bn sold globally each year, is predominantly made from 100% cotton. However, when Caherty, a sustainable bags designer from Belfast, decided to introduce a line of fully traceable, 100% cotton white T-shirts under her brand Jump The Hedges, she encountered unexpected complexities in the process.

“My bags are crafted from reclaimed materials like truck tarpaulin, waste leather, and aeroplane seatbelts sourced across Ireland,” she explains. “Each piece is handcrafted in a small workshop in north Belfast, and I wanted the same level of traceability for my T-shirts.” This seemingly straightforward task evolved into a two-year-long passion project for Caherty. With her background as an outdoor clothing designer for Adidas, she was adamant about ensuring traceability and reducing waste throughout the production process. Caherty realized that understanding the full origin of the fabric used is uncommon, often lacking information about where the fiber was grown and by whom.

After extensive research, Caherty managed to secure a traceable European-grown fiber, non-GMO Greek cotton, which could be traced back to the field where it was grown using an efficient drip irrigation system. The yarn was then transformed into fabric at a family-run factory in northern Portugal. Despite the challenges faced during the project, Caherty is now contemplating the addition of sweaters made from regenerative cotton to her clothing collection. “Someone recently asked: ‘Does anyone care where their clothes come from?’ I believe they do. Every pair of hands involved in making these T-shirts has been acknowledged, accounted for, and respected,” Caherty asserts

Read the full article on Positive News here: Read More

---