Bespoke Tailored Sustainability

As you may have realised, the term “sustainability” is increasingly being used by clothing brands, which we personally are ecstatic about as this has been a long-standing issue in the fashion and apparel industry. However, it has gotten to a point where it’s become somewhat of a marketing buzzword and has the potential to lose it’s meaning. A large number of brands have been using the word “sustainability” but fail to highlight how their practices are sustainable through reduction of their carbon footprint or waste reduction. At Mirpuri Bespoke, we do our level best to keep the issue of climate change and sustainability at the forefront of what we do as a small part of the fashion industry. Here are just a handful of the practices we carry out to ensure this:

1. Fabric - All of our garments are made from natural fibres such as linen, cotton or wool. Wool manufacturing creates the highest carbon emissions at this stage as opposed to cotton or linen due to the washing, spinning and weaving of the wool fibres into fabric. However we work with suppliers and merchants where it is common practice to use natural dyes and treat these fibres with natural filtered water.

2. Production - 80% of the tailoring process is done by hand so produce very low carbon emissions, but what about waste? Being efficient in measuring yardage & cutting cloth by our team of experienced tailors creates the least amount of offcuts possible. Mass produced garments on average create 35% waste from all of the materials in the supply chain.

3. Life Span– Dependent on how often you wear it and the material it is made from, a bespoke garment should last at least between 5-8 years. We expect a business suit that is worn regularly and “well loved” wouldn’t last as long as a tuxedo, which is worn rarely in comparison. The same applies for a garment that is made from a heavier weight fabric such as tweed (as opposed to a finer cloth) would be expected to last even more than 50 years. Lastly, the construction of a bespoke garment allows for better aftercare in terms of alterations and repairs that can be carried out throughout the owner’s life.

4. End of life – Generally it is unusual to see a bespoke garment in a landfill unlike mass-produced clothes as these pieces are often considered heirlooms and passed onto children or alternatively given to charity shops to be sold on.

At Mirpuri Bespoke, we see bespoke tailoring as a craft as both ecologically and socially sustainable from a garment production perspective. It comparably creates lower carbon emissions than mass produced garments and creates significantly less waste. The tradition itself is passed on from master tailor to apprentice and additionally our clients have a direct connection to the people behind their wardrobe, therefore giving a sense of the person and the hands behind the garment itself.