This L.A.-based sustainable clothing brand wants you to buy less and wear longer
“Shop Small” is a series where we speak to founders of small businesses discussing how their products and services address the needs of the members of the communities in which the founders identify.
People are becoming more conscious of the ways they consume, but some brands believe we should go beyond that. Sustainable clothing brand Back Beat is a Los Angeles-based brand working to cut down apparel waste while treating and paying workers fairly.
Back Beat, the brainchild of Isadora Alvarez, and is a clothing brand that carries laid-back, low-impact clothing made from fabrics like cotton, hemp, organic cotton and tencel. While working for a corporate retail company, Alvarez witnessed the industry’s wastefulness in the buying department.
“I just saw that basically, it was all about profit and never about the people or the planet,” Alvarez tells In The Know. “The things that they would put out would disintegrate after a couple of months on the shelves and not even being used.”
Alvarez explains that when designing for Back Beat she mostly focuses on “easy basics,” such as sweaters, tees and a “really strong jacket category.” Recently, Back Beat started designing socks and Alvarez says there is a genderless collection coming soon to the brand.
“We take into consideration trends, but we also take into consideration ‘what does a Backbeat person, or girl or boy do?'” Alvarez explains. “I’ve always wanted clothing that would let your skin breathe and it’s also much better for the environment because natural fibers biodegrade much faster.”
Take a look at some of Back Beat’s most stylish (and sustainable) pieces.
Shop: Organic Cotton Wave Sweater, $139
Shop: Tencel Seersucker Slip Dress, $97 (Orig. $108)
Shop: Tencel Cropped Shirt Jacket, $115 (Orig. $150)
Shop: Recycled Cotton Puff Sleeve Sweatshirt, $88
Shop: Organic Cotton Reversible Crop Bra, $38
If you liked this story, you may also enjoy BRWNGRLZ Jewelry, the brand bringing representation to WOC everywhere.
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