September 22, 2021

Organic September is back!

It’s a key month for businesses like ours to raise awareness of the benefits of

choosing organic. Simply, choosing organic supports nature, wildlife and protects the planet. The Soil Association is encouraging brands to come together with one message ‘Nature has the answer...and the answer is organic.’

In 2020, the organic September campaign saw a range of organic businesses unite for the first time, including fashion & textiles, beauty & wellbeing, along with food & drink. It’s easy to forget that we can choose organic across all of these industries! But the power of unity helped to spread the word with one organic voice. Together, we have reinforced the link between organic and protecting the environment and signposted what to look for when shopping organic.

We believe designing ethical men’s clothing based around sustainability is one important way we can reconnect every day with the natural world we love. And as a brand, our goal is to help fellow urban folk connect with nature, for all the benefits it entails. This is why right from the start of the bear, we have always chosen to make our clothing from 100% certified organic cotton whenever possible because as we said before, it’s better for everyone – including you!

What does organic mean?

The word ‘organic’ can get thrown around a lot. It can be used to make something appear fancier than it really is, or as an excuse for a higher price tag. But when we and The Soil Association say organic, we are referring to a farming system that avoids the use of synthetic pesticides, man made fertilisers and growth regulators.

To avoid being greenwash into buying organic, look out for these symbols:

Why is important to choose organic? 

The chemicals used in conventional farming can pollute waterways and be a threat to our wildlife and biodiversity.  Choosing organic is also better for the environment because it keeps our soil healthier and more fertile for far longer.

Also, when you choose organic, you will often get a better product overall. With organic food, you can almost guarantee better flavours and it’s often a healthier option as it doesn’t contain nasty chemicals. With all our men’s organic clothing, the organic production process makes the fibres in our cotton longer, softer and more durable. This means it’s kinder to your skin and will last you much longer than a cheap T-shirt from a high street chain. It’s just one of the reasons why we love organic cotton.

Take Action Today!

As fast fashion is the world’s second most polluting industry, we need to make changes fast. Ethical and organic clothing and textiles not only help combat climate change, but they benefit people and nature too. When you see the word ‘sustainable’ on a label, it doesn’t always mean it’s organic, you need to make sure you are looking for one of the organic certification logos. Sadly, many brands, especially recently, will spin stories about how they care, yet refuse to disclose information on their production and working conditions. You can get more insight into how to become a sustainable shopper in our guide: how to shop ethically.

We are currently buying 5 times more than we did in the 1980s. It is also estimated that one-third of the clothes in our wardrobes haven’t been worn in the past year. We want to encourage consumers to buy less and to choose sustainable options that will last much longer.

Paws For Thought

It’s clear that this message is starting to reach other brands, and some are taking steps to address sustainability in their business and products. We think these steps are great and we welcome them, the more brands become more sustainable, the better. However, we want to alert our audience to the dangers of greenwashing. An amazing resource to find brands that are completely transparent is the Live Frankly Directory.

We have been using organic cotton since the beginning of Absolutely Bear when we launched the brand in 2016 and our commitment to trying to make men's fashion more sustainable is stronger than ever.

Explore our range of sustainable men’s clothing today and head to our blog for all things sustainability.