Why Choose the GOTS Standard?
If you’re like us, then you care about the true cost of the items you bring into your home - for the planet, for the people that make them, and for the long term health of you and your family. Maybe you’ve already embraced slow fashion, and you try to buy ecologically and socially conscious clothing where possible.
When it comes to slow fashion, just because something claims to be ‘organic,’ that doesn’t always mean it is. That's why concerned shoppers should always look for clothing that carries the GOTS logo. Example below:
Why Choose Organic Cotton?
When we say cotton is ‘organic,’ we mean that it is grown without toxic or persistent pesticides and/or synthetic fertilizers. And that’s a good thing!
Perhaps you already know that organic cotton is safer, more breathable, and much more sustainable than conventional cotton and other clothing. Compare it to studies of conventional cotton socks, for example, that found that 9 out of 10 pairs for children aged 0-4 contained traces of Bisphenol A (also known as BPA) and Parabens. And that’s just scratching the surface - learn more about the trust cost of fast fashion here.
Basically, organic cotton is better for the planet and the people who grow and process it, and it also leads to healthier and typically higher quality clothing. Talk about a no-brainer - in theory. In reality, it can be challenging to find clothing that is as ‘organic’ as it claims to be.
Why Choose GOTS-Certified Products
Ahhh, humans. We love to ruin a good thing, don’t we? That’s certainly true when it comes to the clothing industry. Yes, organic cotton is fantastic—and that’s why lots of companies lie about it.
Maybe you’ve heard of ‘green washing,’ where companies try to come off as more environmentally friendly than they are. Sadly, this concept applies to lots of clothes now, too.
Ultimately, there are financial incentives to claim to be organic cotton, without much (or anything) in the way of legal repercussions.
Moreover, cotton requires a great deal of processing to be usable. Cotton can be grown on an organic farm (and be called ‘organic’), but still be subjected to aggressive processing that is harmful for both workers and the environment. In this case, its organic labeling is misleading at best.
All this means that you can’t trust the label on clothing, even if it claims to be ‘premium’.
The only way to ensure you are getting cotton that is actually ethical and organic is to look for certain trusted, global certifications. The best certification to use for clothing made from natural textiles is the GOTS certification, because it covers every step of the growing and manufacturing process and has wide global recognition.
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is widely recognized internationally as the leading processing standard for all textiles. When clothing is GOTS certified, you can be confident that it uses organically produced raw materials, and that strict social and environmental standards are also maintained in all levels of manufacture and processing.
Not only does this label give you assurance that you are choosing organic cotton clothing, the label will also give you a licensing number, which you can enter into an online public database, to ensure it’s legit.
In other words, in a world that is sadly full of dubious marketing and unethical products, looking for the GOTS logo (and cross-checking the licensing number), is the best way to ensure that your clothing is actually ethically made with completely organic cotton.
Learn more about why GOTS is the best choice for sourcing your cotton clothing here.
The more you dig into the world of clothing (like we have), the more you learn that your choices matter. That’s why we only use GOTS approved materials in our cotton socks for adults and children, and in all of our cotton products. Yes, organic cotton makes our clothes waaaaayyy more comfy (in a ‘got-to-touch-it-to-believe-it kind of way). But more importantly, it’s the right thing to do—for our children, for the planet, for our customers, and for all the people who make the materials we rely on.
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