Our principles

We wear clothes everyday without considering how they were made. And we should not daily. Yet, occasionally, it is good to realise that cheap clothing not originates out of thin air. Cheap clothing is only possible if we forget the producers, as well as compensation for environmental impacts and therefore the consequences for future generations.
Ethical Classics wants to offer clothing by which the customer no longer needs to worry about poor working conditions and negative impacts on the environment. Ethical Classics has done that already. That is why we work along four principles, which constitute the basis for ethical clothing. These four principles are explained below.

Human friendly

Ethical Classics opts for fair working conditions for all the people involved in making your ethical clothing and bringing them to you. We buy the organic cotton from suppliers who also invest in the communities of cotton farmers. We only buy from suppliers who can guarantee their working conditions are safe and fair and in line with international agreements for working conditions. We offer opportunities for people who are now on the fringes of the labour market. We believe that disabled people do not have to be restricted to sitting at home. Despite their limitations, these people can make beautiful things and they produce various products of the Ethical Classics collection.

Eco friendly

Cotton may sound natural, but conventional cotton is one of the most polluting agricultural products in the world. Therefore, Ethical Classics only uses organic, renewable materials, such as organic cotton, wool, nettle, hemp and real shell buttons. These materials do not require the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. The production incorporates a more sustainable use of water resources. By diminishing the numbers of ‘clothing miles’ – the transport miles during the production of the clothing – we try to save energy and CO2 emissions as much as possible. Some clothes have travelled half the world before they are sold in shops. We will produce close to where you live, so we produce our clothing in the Netherlands, Germany and Scotland. It is impossible not to produce any CO2 emissions while producing clothing, therefore we compensate these emissions by investing in solar energy, biogas and forestry. By doing so, we strive towards climate neutral clothing. By collecting and reusing the fabric of our clothing we use the raw materials as long as possible.

Fashion differently

The fashion industry holds us false hopes of hyper slim people and the need to renew our wardrobe every season. Ethical Classics choose to make a difference. Fashion is not about size, but about attitude. The clothing of Ethical Classics is designed to be comfortable and to last for more than one season. The designs are meant to be classic basics: simple, elegant, timeless and optimistic.

Corporate social responsibility

Doing business is an exciting journey of discovery. During this journey laughter is of major importance as Anita Roddick of the Body Shop often said. Doing business is a challenge to show that we can make a positive impact on the people we work with and on our environment. This is also known as corporate social responsibility, CSR in short. At Ethical Classics we are striving for a balance between 'people', 'planet' and 'profit'. 'People' stands for the social side of our business with a focus on the consequences for people, both inside and outside the company. 'Planet' stands for the eco-side of what we are doing by reducing the impact of the clothing industry on the natural environment as much as possible. Finally, 'profit' stands for the economic side, the condition for continuity of the business; the profit motive is not only focused on making money, but also to gain for the people and the environment.