Buyers Guide: Custom Slow Fashion

Guide to Slow Fashion Corporate Apparel

In recent years, consumers have become more and more aware of the environmental impact of the corporations they do business with. In 2024, one of the biggest culprits is the fast fashion industry. Fast fashion focuses on producing cheap, low-quality clothes to meet fast-cycling trends. According to Forbes, Americans buy a new piece of clothing every five days and throw away 90% of their clothing before it is necessary. This quick production-and-disposal cycle is detrimental for the environment, as it utilizes unsustainable materials and methods and contributes to landfill waste. Many brands, however, are embracing a “slow fashion” model, which prioritizes quality, durability, and sustainability, while producing apparel that transcends flash-in-pan trends.  

Some of the most effective logo-branded gifts are clothing items that will be worn for years to come; therefore, slow fashion is a smart investment. Below, we’ll explore some of our favorite slow fashion brands and share clothing items that make high-impact corporate gifts.

 

 

What is Slow Fashion?

Slow fashion is a return to days when “people would buy durable clothing that could serve them for a long time,” according to Good On You, a website that rates fashion brands based on sustainability. Slow fashion focuses on reducing unnecessary production and waste, by producing timeless apparel that will last for many years.

Slow Fashion Corporate Apparel

By purchasing from slow fashion brands, you can ensure that your corporate apparel will be durable and high-quality. When you buy custom merch that people can wear for years to come, your logo will get maximum visibility. You can shop with these slow fashion brands as a starting place for ethical, sustainable corporate apparel.

Patagonia

For outdoor brand Patagonia, “Quality is an environmental issue.”  The company has a rating system for its products that follows a ten-point system:

1. Is it functional?
2. Is it multifunctional?
3. Is it durable?
4. Does it cause any unnecessary harm?
5. Is it repairable?
6. Does it have aesthetic appeal?
7. Does it fit?
8. Is it easy to care for?
9. Is it globally relevant?
10. Is the product and line simple?

In essence, these standards ensure that each Patagonia product will be used again and again, rather than ending up in a landfill. In that spirit, they even offer comprehensive guides to product care and DIY repairs, as well as in-store and mail-in repairs at low or no cost.

This slow fashion outlook makes custom Patagonia apparel a great choice for your corporate merch. Here are a few of our top choices for customizable apparel from Patagonia:

• Custom Patagonia Women's Birch White Better Sweater Quarter Zip 2.0
• Corporate Patagonia Men's New Navy Better Sweater Vest 2.0
• Branded Patagonia Men's Black Nano Puff Jacket

Tentree 

Eco-conscious brand Tentree is named after their central promise: that the company plants ten trees for every purchase. That’s just the beginning of their dedication to sustainability, though. They consistently push back against the fast fashion practices of worker exploitation, non-biodegradable materials, and excessive chemicals. 

Tentree creates their “designs with longevity in mind” and makes apparel that is “timeless and versatile, transitioning effortlessly between seasons and standing the test of time as staple pieces in your closet year after year.”

 

Add in the Tentree’s use of natural and recycled materials and their commitment to ethical manufacturing, and you have a sustainable slow fashion brand that you can feel good about supporting.

With their wide variety of apparel and accessories, Tentree has plenty of options for your logo-branded gifts. Here are a few great choices:

• Custom Tentree Men's Olive Night Green Organic Cotton Short Sleeve Tee
• Branded Tentree Women's Meteorite Black Classic Hoodie
• Corporate Tentree White Organic Cotton Cable Blanket

 

Adidas

As a mainstream sportswear brand, Adidas doesn’t fully fit the model of slow fashion. However, the company is making strides in sustainability that should turn the head of any responsible consumer. Adidas has made two pledges to end plastic waste:

• By 2024, they will use recycled polyester instead of virgin polyester, wherever possible.
• By 2025, 9 out of 10 of their articles will contain sustainable material.

According to Forbes, Adidas’ pledges are a game changer:

“Sustainable fashion has primarily been relegated to niche fashion brands—Patagonia, Everlane, Rothy’s, Toad & Co, Eileen Fisher—and to narrow product categories within the industry. It has yet to be adopted widely by the mainstream and across the full product spectrum. That surely will change and change fast as Adidas steps out with [this] bold new initiative.”

 

When you choose Adidas for your logo-branded merch, you are supporting the shift of mainstream clothing brands towards slow fashion sustainability. These are a few suggestions or Adidas products that Merchology can customize with your corporate logo:

• Custom adidas Golf Men's Black/White Climalite Basic Sport Shirt
• Corporate adidas Collegiate Navy/Black 35L Weekend Duffel Bag
• Branded adidas Men's Black/Black Climastorm 3 Stripe Jacket

 

 

Marine Layer 

Marine Layer prides itself with offering apparel that is “so soft it’s absurd.” But the company doesn’t take any shortcuts to comfort. Founder Mike Natenshon spent over a year developing the brand’s first t-shirt fabric, and the “fabric-obsessed” company has grown to develop over 100 custom materials since then.

Marine Layer’s impact report shows a strong commitment to sustainability. The company focuses on low impact and recycled materials and ethical manufacturing. Perhaps their most significant commitment to slow fashion, however, is their recycling and reselling initiatives:

 

• Through Re-Spun, customers can turn in their old t-shirts (from any brand) for a $5 Marine Layer credit. The company recycles the materials to make more clothing or, in the case of some synthetic fabrics, for other uses such as housing insulation.
  
• Marine Layer donates excess clothing to non-profits like Delivering Good, making sure their overstock apparel goes to people who need it instead of being thrown away.
• One of the major goals of slow fashion is to reduce clothing production. Second-hand shopping is an integral part of that goal. With ML Vintage, Marine layer partners with a vintage clothing store to offer high-quality, gently used apparel.

With their commitment to the environment and ethical production, Marine Layer is a responsible choice for your corporate slow fashion clothing. These are just a few of the custom Marine Layer gifts that you can order through Merchology:

• Custom marine Layer Men's Faded Navy Afternoon Hoodie
• Branded Marine Layer Women's Light Heather Grey Re-Spun Signature Crew
• Corporate Marine Layer Men's Heather Grey Sport Jogger

 

 

Feat

Athleisure brand Feat, which started in 2015, works under the core belief that “Everyone deserves to be comfortable.” When founder and CEO Taylor Offer left his career in finance, he wanted to create clothing to help people break free of restrictive work clothes. Feat has developed fabrics that won’t stretch and lose their shape, so you can stay cozy while still looking put together. This durability is a staple aspect of slow fashion, since you won’t have to throw out your Feat clothing after a few washes.

 

Feat also has a commitment to sustainability. They are working to increase their use of organic and recycled fabric, with the specific plan to replace 70% of all polyester used in their products. They have also set a goal to “reduce, eliminate or offset 100% of our carbon footprint related to shipping by the end of 2023.”

If you’re looking to order some comfy logo-branded clothing for your in-office or WFH employees, consider some of these products from Feat:

• Corporate Logo Feat Unisex Oatmilk BlanketBlend Hoodie
• Company Logo Feat Men's BurrBlue BlanketBlend Short
• Custom Feat Women's BlueLotus Solace Legging

Marmot

Outdoor gear brand Marmot focuses on across-the-board sustainability and ethical production. Their sustainability page lists four key pillars:

• “We reduce consumption by making only high-quality, durable, long-lasting products.”
  
• “We reduce water, energy, and other resource usage through innovative product design, manufacturing, and logistics.”
  
• “We avoid the use of chemical treatments wherever possible, choosing forward-thinking alternatives.”
  
• “We champion change by participating in industry-wide initiatives to improve the sourcing and manufacturing processes.”

 

And these basics are just the start of their efforts. Marmot has specific responsibility standards related to recycling, fabric dying, animal welfare, down use, fair labor and working conditions, and more.

Marmot is an excellent choice if you’re looking for logo-branded outdoor clothing that fits the values of slow fashion. Here are some of our top picks:

• Custom Marmot Men's Black Rocklin Fleece Vest
• Corporate Marmot Men's Steel Onyx Rocklin Fleece Half-Zip
• Branded Marmot Women's Artic Navy Dropline 1/2 Zip Sweater Fleece Jacket

 

Contact Us

With these slow fashion brands, you can be certain that your corporate apparel is long-lasting and sustainable. Contact us at Merchology today to find ethical, slow-fashion products for your logo-branded clothing