Why Sustainable Fashion Matters to Us

The global fashion industry is unfortunately a major contributor to the damage done to our planet each year. It's estimated that it takes almost 3,000 litres of water to make just one cotton t-shirt. Here at Bow and Pearl, we feel it is our responsibility to both recognise and minimise our role in this. We are constantly looking for ways to increase our level of sustainability and have a meaningful impact on the future of ethical, sustainable fashion. 

We are rethinking the way we do things; from the materials we stock, to the way we package our orders.

We believe that sustainability doesn’t have to mean giving up the styles, brands, fashion, that we love. And that’s the belief we are working from.

Our Approach

A key part of our buying process is making a conscious effort to include as many sustainable products as possible. This means curating a range of products that are ethically produced and made of recyclable materials that are of high quality and durability.

We believe that ensuring a large percentage of our collection is made from sustainable materials is one of the most effective ways of contributing to a greener fashion industry. 

Each year, thousands of tonnes of textiles are sent to landfill in Ireland. Modal is a butter-soft, man-made material that is completely biodegradable, which helps tackle the issue of the level of waste produced by the fashion industry. It is also of high-quality – it washes very well, does not wrinkle easily, and is unlikely to shrink. Investing in high-quality pieces that are designed to last is yet another way to minimise our environmental footprint. 

Other sustainable materials you will see in our collection are organic cotton (grown without the use of harsh chemicals and pesticides, leading to reduced greenhouse gas emissions), viscose (fibres derived from sustainable wood, a process which uses 50% less water than usual), and other recycled materials like polyester and wool.

Where possible, we have switched out plastic in favour of more sustainable alternatives. Our online orders are beautifully wrapped in recyclable tissue paper and shipped in either compostable mailer bags or cardboard. We also tag all of our stock with recyclable labels rather than plastic, and frequently put a spotlight on sustainable products on our social media channels.

For Black Friday 2021, we partnered with the amazing Irish charity Hometree (www.hometree.ie), and donated 10% of all sales that day to their cause. Hometree is an organisation that is fighting against the deforestation of Ireland. They are working to preserve the native woodlands, by planting trees and by encouraging education.

Causes like this one are close to our hearts here at Bow and Pearl, and we can’t wait to have the opportunity to work with more fantastic organisations like Hometree. In the meantime, we will be continuing to look for new ways to improve our environmental footprint and will be working towards expanding our collection of sustainable products.