FAQ Ecological
Here you will find all information about our ecological approach and materials we use to produce our jeans.
1. Natural Materials : We have succeeded in making our jeans entirely from 100% natural materials: cotton (GOTS, Regenagri, BCI or non-certified depending on the chosen fabric), linen thread and Corozo buttons. No synthetic fibres, no metal buttons, rivets or zippers.
2. Denim Cotton :
- Italian Denim : The denim we use is 100% cotton. From Italian mill Candiani,
- we offer two types: Regenagri cotton (regenerative farming, physically traceable but not organically certified) and BCI cotton. Please note: BCI does not guarantee that the cotton in your specific pair of jeans physically comes from a BCI farm (mass-balance system).
- Japanese Denim :We also use Japanese denim in two weights: a standard and an extra heavy weight. The standard weight is woven from cotton purchased by our supplier as GOTS-certified. Godfrieds Jeans is not itself a GOTS-certified processor. Purchase documentation for the certified fabric is available on request. The heavy weight is non-certified. The specific fabric and weight are shown in the product configurator.
As a small business, we have limited influence over denim mills. It is up to them to choose certified cotton programmes and responsible production processes. We purchase the materials we trust most. Belgian linen would be ideal — locally spun, dyed and woven (a future ambition).
3. Pocket lining : The pocket lining is 100% cotton with no polyester blend, reducing the risk of microplastic shedding during washing and at end-of-life disposal.
4. Stitching thread : For the stitching thread, we use 100% linen (UK) that was originally used in the leather industry. This yarn is stronger than the usual polyester yarn, which can also cause microplastics. For seams that do not have to withstand extreme forces, we use 100% cotton thread or Lyocel thread ....or EcoRegen thread by Coats. EcoRegen is made from lyocell — a fibre derived from sustainably managed wood, produced through a closed-loop solvent process in which more than 99% of the solvent is recovered and reused. The thread is biodegradable and contains no synthetic fibres.
5. Buttons : Our buttons are made from Corozo, also called vegetable ivory , which was used long before the advent of plastic buttons. These knots are made from the nuts of the Phytelephas .
6. RAW Jeans : We deliver our jeans unwashed, RAW. We do not wash or chemically or mechanically process our jeans to imitate wear. It is irresponsible to deliberately weaken good jeans to create an imitation that often doesn't even look like a natural wear. This link explains RAW . The real wear occurs after intensive use for one year, which provides an authentic and unique look.
7. Customer Care : We promote washing raw denim jeans "as little as possible", which makes the authenticity of the natural wear even more beautiful and pronounced over time. At this link, you can learn how to treat your jeans.
8. No Stretch Fabrics and the Stretch Dilemma : We do NOT offer stretch fabrics at this time. Elastic fabrics are widely used in clothing, including denim. Most elastic fabrics contain elastomers (such as Lycra), with an elastomer filament spun into each thread (picture below). This raises the question of where your jeans end up after disposal and whether they contribute to microplastic pollution.
We strive to keep our jeans completely free of these materials, to minimize our impact on the environment. It is not yet clear how this will be separated in recycling processes.
At Godfrieds Jeans we take concrete steps to reduce our environmental impact: 100% natural materials, made-to-order production only, no synthetic fibres, and a repair service for longer product life. Read our full materials breakdown above.