Made in Asia still holds a long established stigma of sweatshops and child labor from exposés in the 80s and 90s. The simplified solution presented over the years has been Made in America, Made in UK, or Made in Italy is the only safe way to produce ethically made clothing. But are factory standards as simple as an address? The answer is NO. With sweatshop factory conditions and illegal pay violations found continually in America and throughout Europe, we need to start recognizing that garment factory standards go deeper than location. ​

Taking on new brands is a lot of work for a factory because it is labor intensive. Product development alone can take months and yields very low profit margin. Garment factories working with emerging brands can spend a lot of time setting up this new working relationship hoping your brand will become successful and grow with them, but that is not always the case.  In fact, most new brands reach out with a gmail account, no tech pack, and no idea what production costs or how long it takes. This is why many garment factories are reluctant to work with emerging brands. Here's how to get the attention of any new factory. ​

PLM Systems are ​Product Lifecycle Management systems but are more fondly thought of as Pitiful Lifecycle Management because they are clunky, expensive, outdated, and not synced to all your suppliers! Who has time for that? So when we began building our factory database we thought...this could be better. So we built it in! No brand or factory should have to struggle with communication or production updates. That’s why we’re upgrading and making things easier for you. Check out how your production management can get an upgrade now.

Deadstock fabric became a popular sustainable fashion resource a few years back as Reformation grew in popularity and educated the masses on the opportunity of using leftover fabric for sourcing. In fact, your desk is probably situation right against bins of old rolls of fabric, cute if it weren't for all the fluorescent lighting. Deadstock fabric often comes from large fabric minimum orders from mills and not as much product made that season. The good news is, since it wasn't made into clothing it is primed for new life now. However, many brands struggle to find ways to use it since it's often deadstock fabric is too small a quantity to turn into a new product you can sell many units of, hence why it's leftover. Here are some creative ways fashion brands can use deadstock fabric no matter how small the yardage.

Sourcing fabric is a huge hurdle and if you are trying to source sustainable fabric, it's even harder. We often recommend inquiring with your garment factory to source fabric because they often can be a huge asset to making this process quick and easy, here's why.

One of the most important aspects of sustainable and ethical fashion is the supply chain.  Ethical Factories have certifications that ensure that they are using ethical practices, but we often find these factories go above and beyond to support people. THR3EFOLD has worked hard to gather the best community of factories who are doing great things to uplift their community through the production work you provide, here are a few stories to inspire your week.

There are incredible factories all around the world who are making quality products while supporting their staff and improving their communities while they do it. We know because we've been in them. And soon, you will get to start working with them too. But getting in at the launch will be your best deal - here's 5 reasons to join the THR3EFOLD Ethical Manufacturing Platform by launch day.

You may have seen signs of support for the cotton farmers protesting in India in the last several months but not gained access to much more information. Today we dive into the world of cotton farming in India and the hardships that come along with it. It is clear some changes need to be made to protect and improve the lives of farmers, but what those changes are have yet to be discovered.

Single use plastics are damaging our planet in a big way.  Some brands are finding ways to combat this by using more sustainable fabrics. Recycled Polyester which you may also know as rPet, eConyl, and Repreve is a way to give plastics a second use. The fabric like normal polyester is very diverse and can look and feel many different ways.  Brands like Patagonia and Reformation have been using recycled polyester for years.  But is it a good sustainable option? Let's see how it's made and why you could consider using it.