Who made your clothes?

A Painful Fashion Revolution

Thoughts on Sustainability in the Fashion World

It’s Fashion Revolution Week, and here at TUUB, we’re reflecting — even more than usual — on what it really means to compete in a world where clothes are sold at prices that barely cover the cost of poor-quality fabric, let alone fair wages or decent working conditions. Some of these platforms are even part of political influence games — part of a no-rules war. How can we keep producing in a way that respects people, animals, and nature? And what happens to our products when they’re worn out and ready to be tossed?

To the first question, we have a relatively clear answer: we strive to make things with as clean a conscience as possible and raise awareness among our customers.

We in the Western world like to think of ourselves as advanced and intelligent. But does that justify buying clothes made by people on the edge of starvation, produced with serious harm to the environment and health, and designed to fall apart after a few wears? The answer is a hard no. We need to think and ask more:
Who sewed, knitted, cut, packed, and shipped my clothes? Every step matters. Are these garments safe to wear? Are they made to last? If so, they’re better for the planet too.

TUUB’s Way of Doing Fashion Ethically and Sustainably — And the Challenges We Face

Ethical Production

We produce everything in Estonia. All our materials come from well-established European manufacturers.
That means: no child labour (unless you count teaching our own kids the value of hard work :)), no violence, no dumping dye behind the house.

Microplastics

Besides merino wool, our second-favorite material is a high-performance fabric made from ECONYL® yarn — regenerated nylon made mainly from industrial fishing nets drifting in the ocean. You can read more about it [here].

When nylon floats in the sea, it quietly releases microplastics. We’ve all heard the warnings about how harmful this is. Our fabric does shed some microplastics in the wash — but much less than traditional synthetics. So we can honestly say: TUUB’s products are not a major part of the microplastic problem.
Sure, there’s a little. But life is full of compromises.

Here’s why we still feel good about it:

• Collecting all that waste from the oceans? A big win.
• Our fabric is incredibly durable — so you don’t need to keep buying more.
• The yarn is continuous, and the surface isn’t brushed (like fleece), which cuts down microplastic shedding even more.

Bottom line: not all synthetics are created equal.
Something made from crude oil in China is not in the same category as our fabric. TUUB leggings made with ECONYL® and Lycra score high on the sustainability scale.

Worried About Microplastics? Here’s What You Can Do

You can easily reduce the amount of microplastics your clothes release:

• Wash at lower temperatures and use fewer spin cycles.
• Use a special microplastic wash bag — available in Estonia from Hemtex [link].
• Install a microplastic filter on your washing machine — one that fits any model, available [here].
• Buy high-quality synthetics made by conscious brands — and yes, we’re proud to say TUUB qualifies.

But What Happens to Clothes When They’re Worn Out?

Tough question. The whole world’s still figuring it out.

Yes, some textiles can be recycled into new fabric. But it’s complicated:
You need to sort by material, remove zippers, buttons, labels, seams… it’s a lot.
Filling materials exist and are slowly expanding, but there’s no full-scale global solution yet.
The good news? Smart people at universities and companies are working hard to find one.

What To Do When Your TUUB Wears Out — or You’re Just Over It

Bored of it?

Simple!
Give it to a friend, sell it on the second-hand Estonian design market on Facebook, or drop it off at Krunnipea in Solaris Centre, Tallinn — they now run a second-hand rail for local design alongside their new pieces. Love that!

Worn out?

We’ve got a plan.
We’ll collect worn-out TUUBs and send them — like our production offcuts — to Ukrainian women, who weave camouflage nets to protect their soldiers.
Yes, it’s more work to cut up finished clothes than plain scraps, but we’re up for it.

What Is Fashion Revolution and How Did It Start?

It seems the world often needs a catastrophe to wake up.

On April 24, 2013, the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh collapsed.
Over 2,500 people were injured. 1,138 people died.
It was the fourth-worst industrial disaster in history.

That tragedy sparked the birth of the Fashion Revolution movement.
Founded by young activists in the UK, it’s now a global campaign exposing what’s really behind the fashion industry.

The message?
That cheap T-shirt may have cost someone their health, their dignity, or even their life.
We need to stop feeding this system with careless purchases and start demanding safe, fair conditions for everyone, not just ourselves.

Have you ever wondered about the woman who sewed the button on your jeans or the collar on your T-shirt?
Does she have enough to eat? A safe home? Are her children OK?
Maybe… maybe not.

So ask yourself sometimes:
Who made my clothes?
And ask the brands you buy from, too.

Thanks to the Fashion Revolution movement, that question has become a viral call to action — “Who Made My Clothes?”
Let’s use our voice to ask for better. Let’s consume less, but better.

We also highly recommend watching “Out of Fashion,” a hard-hitting documentary by our very own Estonian fashion activist, Reet Aus.

Some of our 2019 and 2020 TUUBs were made with care and precision by the fantastic women at BonBon Lingerie.
Tiiu Roosma and Kadri Vahe are pictured wearing pieces made by the ethical local brand Reval Denim Guild, plus second-hand store finds (a great way to reduce your fashion footprint).

Want to Get Involved in Fashion Revolution?

There are so many ways to take part in this brilliant movement.
Find out more straight from the source:
👉 https://www.fashionrevolution.org/blog/