why

Sustainability

Know the Origin was born from the idea that shopping ‘better’ should be easier. Easier to access, easier to navigate, easier to understand.

Our goal

We don’t feel that wanting to shop better and live a more sustainable lifestyle should mean the fun is taken out of everything. Let’s be honest here, at the end of the day we are still going to shop. We are still going to be inspired by exciting designs, we are still going to keep fit and enjoy our lifestyles. We just want to do it in clothes that have been made better, that last longer, and that do less harm to the planet.

We aren’t here to tell you how to shop. We aren’t here to preach about what a terrible impact the mass consumer’s shopping habits fueled by fast fashion are having on our planet (we all know that already!). We aren’t here to tell you what sustainability should mean to you, and unfortunately we aren’t here to tell you that we have all the answers (we wish we did, although it would most likely include a planet without humans!)

"5/5 Sustainability rating"

Rated by Good On You

Why we're here...

It’s very simple. We believe that a lot of little changes make a big difference, and we’re here to make those little changes easier for you to make happen.

We want people to make better choices. Be it people behind the brands we buy from, or people shopping for their next needed item.

Burgundy seamless active sports bra organic basics ethical activewear

How do we make better choices?

In our opinion, the key is to first understand that sustainability means a different thing to every single person. 

For those of you that don’t have the time or energy to try to understand the in’s and out’s of every pro and con to each product, or fabric, or process, you can shop as you ordinarily would, but knowing that the products you are looking at have been made, in some way or another, that bit better for the environment. 

For those of you keen to learn more, to question and to delve deeper. We understand that it’s a total minefield, and we want to help. We provide accessible, easy to understand breakdowns of what any sustainable credentials linked to the product actually mean. Our information pages offer balanced information for you to interpret how you want to.

Badges of honour...

You’ll find these pages linked to each product via their ‘badges of honour’. So whether you want to learn more about the different types of cotton farming, the pros and cons to recycled fabrics, how alternative natural fibres such as hemp, bamboo, Tencel Lyocell or cork are sourced, or the hoops a brand has jumped through to become B-Corp, or what Sedex means, we’ve got a page that will tell you.

"Your sustainable journey is unique, not perfect"

Know the Origin