Sustainable Socks

In 2020, some of my socks and tights actually had so many holes that they could no longer be repaired.  While I always go for second hand items when I can, socks and underwear are more of a challenge. Therefore, where to find socks, or more specifically, sustainable socks?  And what does sustainable actually mean for this kind of product? The Cambridge dictionary indicates that something is sustainable if it uses a process that “causes little or no damage to the environment, therefore able to continue for a long time”.  This is definitely a challenge in most textile manufacturing because of the resources used to produce clothing items as well as the environmental impact of producing clothing.  Much like Kermit, everyone wants to be green.  As a result,  every company selling us clothes wants to be sustainable.  And if they are not, they want you to believe that they are (it’s called greenwashing).  How do you know if a brand is sustainable? As the song goes, it ain’t easy.   There are a number of questions to consider here.  

First, is the brand producing quality products?  As you surely know, quality items will last longer, which means that you will be able to wear for a longer time before they have to be discarded.  If you think of brands like H&M and Zara, quality is not top of mind and as a result, the likelihood of these kinds of companies being sustainable is very low.

Second, what is the brand’s approach to fashion?  Do they sell trendy items that change every season?  A brand that is not sustainable will want you to discard your old clothes to buy new fashionable ones.  This is a slippery slope because companies want you to buy more clothes.  Sustainable brands will focus on consistently selling the same products year after year because they do not want you to follow a trend. Again, if you consider a brand like H&M or Zara, their business model is built around new clothes coming in their stores every 2 weeks.  Clearly this is not a sustainable approach. 

Third, does the brand offer transparency on where the clothes are being made?  Do they say on their website the conditions and pay that their workers receive.  Again, some companies will say that they work with a certain factory but do not disclose the working conditions that the workers have, whether or not they are paid a living wage, whether they use child labor or not.  If you consider a brand like Everlane which promotes “radical transparency”, you don’t see much information about the working conditions for their workers or if they are paid a living wage.  An ethical manufacturer considers these things.

Fourth, what kind of materials is the supplier using?  Certified organic cotton?  Recycled materials?  Sustainable fashion means utilizing materials that minimize the impact to the environment.  This should  always be part of the equation.

Where does this leave me on my journey to find sustainably made socks?  Fortunately, some of my favourite you tubers have done the work for me.  In particular, I would recommend that you listen to Erin at My Green Closet about her evaluation of sustainable brands:

And Shelby at Shelbizlee:

I ended up buying socks from two different retailers:  Kotn and Organic Basics:

Between the two, the socks from Kotn were made of thicker and softer cotton.  I prefer them but all the pairs I bought were of excellent quality.  They appear to wearing well after washing a few times.   I would recommend both companies.

I also bought a pair of tights from Simon’s, a local retailer here in Quebec, who is making an impressive effort to supply sustainable clothing. The tights are from Swedish Stockings and these nylon tights are made from recycled fishing gear.

While the tights from Swedish Stockings are expensive ($32 CAD), they are made of thick nylon and are very strong.  I have been wearing them for several months and they have no defects yet.  Some of the cheaper tights that I used to buy would get holes in them after only a few wearings.  In addition, Swedish Stockings has a recycling program.  When you have collected 3 or more pairs, you can return them and they will recycle them to make new tights.  Organic Basics has also recently launched recycled nylon tights.

It is very encouraging to see more truly sustainable fashion companies.  As consumers, we need to continue to purchase only what we truly need and when we do, seek out truly sustainable brands.