We are big fans of premium denim. This is an undeniable, roll-your-eyes-it’s-so-obvious kind of fact. What’s probably a lot less obvious is that we’re big fans of the environment too. In honor of Earth Day, we’re celebrating some of the ways Jean Theory and the brands we carry work towards a better tomorrow.

We’ll spare you the details of our led lighting, shopping bags made from recycled materials, etc., and jump right into the good stuff.

 

 

  

Most of you are familiar with our Inherited Jeans Collection. We love finding new homes for your not-so-perfect fits, but that wasn’t the only inspiration for this collection. One of the biggest reasons we offer a way to sell your gently worn denim and buy new-to-you jeans is that it’s an environmentally conscious way to shop. If you’re buying Inherited Jeans, you can rest assured that no new materials were used and that you’re shopping in the most environmentally friendly way possible.  Learn more about trading your jeans and shop our Inherited Collection.

 

In addition to our own ways of contributing to a healthier planet, we also seek to partner with brands that are doing the same. Here we’d like to highlight a few of them and let you in on some of the things they’re doing to keep their footprint small.

 

Let’s start with jeans, shall we?

 

In the premium denim world, a few things are big focuses when it comes to sustainability: working domestically, lessening water use, using recycled and/or earth friendly- fabrics, dying with natural dyes, and doing work by hand when possible. Almost all of the denim we carry is made in L.A. This may sound like a small thing, but it has a big impact. Purchasing products made locally means they have less distance to travel in order to get to you, which means fewer fossil fuels being burned for shipping, which in turn reduces the carbon footprint of the item. So, by buying American-made products, you’re supporting local industry as well as helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Some brands that are doing things we think are particularly cool: DL1961 has an on-site water recycling plant. J Brand uses nano bubbles in the majority of their wash process, which reduces the water required to wash denim by 90%. They also opt to age and distress their jeans with reusable manmade eco stones instead of mined pumice stones, which gives their denim a better look and is more environmentally responsible. Moussy is dedicated to doing work by hand to lessen how much machine power, gas, and water are used (it also gives their jeans that distinctive vintage high quality look).

 

Moving on to clothing and everything else because you know we’re not just about jeans, but all things necessary to complete your look:

 

Nation, a clothing brand whose hippie chic clothes make us swoon, is dedicated to using recycled and earth-friendly fabrics. They use recycled cotton spun from recycled garments, unprocessed and sustainable silk, and baby alpaca in lieu of cashmere. Where it takes four cashmere goats to make a single sweater, it only takes one alpaca to make four sweaters! Learning this made us fast fans of Alpaca!

 

Machete’s killer line of accessories is made by hand from cellulose acetate, a natural plant based and renewable alternative to petroleum-based material.

 

Just like Machete, Krewe sunglasses are made with acetate. They’re also packaged with fully biodegradable and recyclable materials to make ordering and delivery that much better for the environment.

 

Urbana Sacs also uses plant based fibers for their washable paper bags, which means they’re durable like leather, but vegan. Their formula is a special blend of virgin pulp fibers and recycled polyester felts that is manufactured through cultivation, not deforestation. They’re accredited by both the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) and Oeko-Tex, professional bodies which ensure that the material is conscientiously-sourced and produced.

 

If you do want something leather, Maximum Henry’s belts are made with vegetable dyes, which are much less toxic and abrasive on the environment than chemical dyes.

 

When it comes to shoes, Kork Ease are made with cork (so they’re perfectly natural), aren’t treated with abrasive chemicals as most shoes are, and each pair is hand (not machine) finished. Zuzii clogs, another favorite of ours, makes their shoes by hand and also makes a point to use sustainably sourced rubber for the soles of their shoes, which helps protect important forests.

 

In need of a little pampering? Saya skincare is 100% plant-based, vegan and cruelty free and uses recycled and compostable packing for all of their products. A totally guilt free clay mask experience if you ask us!

 

Shop all of these brands in our Sustainability Curated: Collection. 

The more we can do, the better the planet will be and these big and small steps toward a better environment are what we’re celebrating this Earth Day and every day.