Hiya,
Wow it’s been a busy week and hopefully you didn’t forget about us! There was the Superbowl, the Winter Olympics, a new Euphoria episode, and Valentine’s Day– which means we got to fangirl over Snoop Dog, Shawn White, Zendaya, and (most importantly) our own Valentines ❤️. But we’re discovering a new love this week, and we’re ready to go public with her (and she is SO cute!). We are so proud to introduce you to our new mascot, she’s an adorable little globe with the need of a name– maybe you can help?
Hopefully, this will be a better companion than realizing it’s only Wednesday✨ See you here, every Wednesday.
P.S. Just a heads-up, you’re the first to know that we are having a Spring Sustainability Sale this week!
Jaclyn + Michelle, Founders
The Latest: New Products from our Consciously Cool Brands
1. Oxalis’ Feel Good Potion: For headache, fatigue, and stress strugglers– leave the ibuprofen in the cabinet and try this.
2. Tortuga Living’s Versus Boards: Charcuterie anyone?
3. Rowan’s The Leave-in Conditioner: For pet-lovers, get your best friend their silkiest-sofest hair.
4. Able’s Nera Sneaker: Who doesn’t love a gorgeous sneaker, locally made by women?
5. Blume’s Milky Fade: For acne strugglers, say goodbye to scars.
Busy Doing What? Our Founders Keeping it Real
Jaclyn’s Busy…
- Feeling excited that I can finally get my hands on the coveted mushroom leather! (Yes, I’m talking about Lululemon) ????
- Asking myself about the sustainability of the superbowl, is the NFL doing enough? ????
- Loving that Michigan’s tampon tax has been eliminated! ????
Michelle’s Busy…
- Thinking about slugging– which, yes, is slathering your skin in Vaseline. ????
- Applauding this company that saves fashion an arm and a leg (and some torsos too) by recycling old mannequins.????
- Learning about the behemoth that is Jeff Bezos’ yacht– and how the citizens of Rotterdam plan to egg it. ????
ICYMI While You Were Watching the Superbowl…
1. We unveiled the secrets behind our vetting process
2. We got candid about inclusive sizing with Nomads Swim’s founder, Taylor Long
4. We unveiled our latest mascot (help us pick her name!)
5. We’re giving out a last call to any one who wants to help us change the future of conscious shopping by filling out our short survey (please!)
Diving Deep: Something you didn’t know about PCR tests, and how they’re being used to trace cotton.
By now, you’re probably over-familiar with the PCR test (it’s pretty hard to forget your nose getting assaulted like that). But, what if a simple, inexpensive PCR test could do more than tell you if you have COVID? Well, that’s the story here. Scientists are now discovering and considering the possibility of using PCR test technology to trace the origins of cotton.
Companies Applied DNA Sciences and Oritain are using genetic and chemical fingerprinting to trace cotton back to its source. All the companies would need is a single fibre sample and BAM, any fashion brand out there could find out the origins of their material. Therefore brands that SAY their cotton is non-GMO and from Egypt (as the bedding industry does) can actually back up their claims– making it easy to avoid scandals like the 2016 bedding one.
Applied DNA conducts a tracing-test that will look at the climate the cotton was grown in (altitude, rain, soil) to back-trace the cotton.
Of course, this theory is met with challenges. For example, cottons blended with synthetics will be harder to trace, or materials that use multiple cottons from multiple sources. The issue is also that the cotton may be grown in a non-GMO environment but then processed in an un-ethical factory.
But as of now, these are incredible first-steps for traceability and verification within the fashion sphere. As of now, The Verticale vets all materials under our Responsible Materials value, which looks for government certifications like Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) Cotton, Cotton Made in Africa (CmiA), and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified Viscose, among others. Therefore it will be incredibly important and exciting to be able to track and trace material’s origins in the near future to allow for more conscious purchasing decisions from consumers and brands alike.
