Sustainability is an important factor in shaping how we run our business. From the brands we stock to the in-house practices we foster; we’re committed to a more considered approach to style.
We understand that no business can be 100% sustainable. What matters to us is making a genuine and tangible effort to improve our processes and operate in an ever more sustainable way. It’s a constant and iterative endeavour and one we are committed to getting right.
We work closely with our brands to ensure that they’re on the same page, too. The goods we carry are made ethically and to the highest standard by skilled and well-paid workers. We want you to get the most out of those goods long after you’ve bought them from us.
We strive to make conscientious, sustainable decisions throughout our business, including:
- Choosing fabrics with low environmental impact where possible
- Specialising in clothing that lasts a lifetime
- Saving gallons of water by choosing low-wash materials
- Supporting designers, craftsmen and makers who offer fair wages and suitable working conditions
- Investing in carbon neutral delivery options
- Guiding our clients to repair and reuse where possible
A sample of Samurai’s homegrown organic cotton, taken at the brand’s flagship store in Osaka, Japan. The cotton is hand planted, tended, and harvested in Hyogo Prefecture’s Sasayama City, without the use of pesticides or chemical aids of any kind.
We’re committed to becoming climate leaders.
We’re becoming a Net Zero Business
At Rivet and Hide we have joined with other forward thinking independent retailers in signing up to the SME Climate Hub. This global initiative marks our commitment to cutting our carbon emissions in half by 2030 and reaching ‘net zero’ by 2050. These plans are in line with the Paris Climate Target, to keep global warming below 1.5°C. We have signed up to a target with the United Nations SME Climate Hub to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040. This goal is ten years ahead of the UN target.
We’re providing Carbon Neutral Delivery
The high quality, ethically-sourced products that we sell have environmental benefits. However, it’s true that our endless search to find you the best global products results in a lot of mileage. To ensure that we address this impact head on, we have partnered with DHL. We signed up to the DHL Go Green initiative to formally commit to eradicating the carbon footprint of our logistics and delivery.
Rivet & Hide are among the first wave of pioneering businesses to join Go Green. In doing so, we will support DHL’s aim to reduce carbon emissions and remove any remaining emissions from the atmosphere.
DHL has always led the way in using innovation to reduce the carbon impact of logistics.
Their carbon reducing strategy includes an ever-growing fleet of electric vehicles and the use of green energy. Alongside their existing strategy, DHL will also invest in high-quality climate protection and emission reduction projects. These investments will neutralise the CO2 emissions of every parcel sent by Rivet & Hide.
The sustainable choices we make as a business have no impact on the quality of the goods or services that we offer. We simply hope to enhance our offering. As customers, you will now receive your packages in the knowledge that you’re helping us to lead the way to a more sustainable future.
Read our full shipping and delivery details.
Our raw denim has a lower environmental impact
Is raw denim more environmentally friendly than regular denim?
As with many environmental issues the answer is not simple. Not all denim is the same, nor does it have the same environmental impact. The worst denim will be high in chemicals, cause pollution, take water from scarce sources, and require energy-intensive manufacture. The best denim is quite the opposite. Manufacturers of the sustainable denim do everything they can to significantly reduce these points of impact whilst also caring for their workers.
We partner with those eco-friendly producers to ensure the denim we stock is the best quality, as well as the most ethical and sustainable.
Samurai’s small-batch organic cotton is used in many of their heavyweight selvedge denim jeans. The denim is built to last and can easily be repaired when needed for an even longer lifespan.
Our selvedge denim is also produced on a much smaller scale.
Our selection of selvedge denim is made in small quantities to an extremely high standard. The sustainable denim brands we stock use precise, hands-on methods of production. These methods are far less resource intensive than standard denim manufacture. In fact, the vintage shuttle looms used in traditional denim production simply cannot make raw denim on a large industrial scale.
One of Pure Blue Japan’s selvedge denim fabrics being woven on a traditional G3 Toyoda shuttle loom. The G3 Toyoda loom was one of the very first looms to be used in Japan, some 70 years ago. Those still in operation produce extremely small amounts of selvedge denim - making mass production impossible.
Our selvedge denim is built to last.
The low-yield, old-school methods that go into producing selvedge denim give the fabric a quality that cannot be beaten. Selvedge denim is harder to produce but all the tougher as a result. Our selvedge denim will hold up to years of use and abuse and look all the better for it. We also subscribe to a ‘repair and reuse’ mantra. Our team of experts in store all work by this same ethos and can advise you on denim repair. We also work closely with local tailors who are well trained in bringing your denim back to life. Roughly 350,000 tonnes of clothing are thrown into landfills each year in the UK alone. Opting to repair and reuse old garments could see up to a 20% reduction in our carbon, water, and waste footprints.
A new pair of raw selvedge denim jeans alongside a well-worn pair. You can see how heavy use only serves to bring out the true character of the denim. Selvedge denim stands up to wear and tear in ways that regular denim simply cannot.
Our selvedge denim requires less water to keep clean.
Raw denim’s sustainability doesn’t only relate to its production. The greatest environmental impact that clothing has relates to how often it must be washed over its lifespan. Raw denim requires less washing than processed denim. When cared for properly, raw denim can last months between washes. In fact, the fabric can actually benefit from infrequent washing, especially if you seek a high contrast fade.
Read our guide to looking after your jeans to increase their lifespan.
We work with brands that pay fair wages and promise safe working conditions for garment workers
Of course, sustainability doesn’t only apply to natural resources. We must also consider how sustainable our supply chain is in terms of any human impact.
At Rivet & Hide, we only work with brands whose products are made under good working conditions and for a fair wage. We enjoy close, transparent relationships with all the brands that we stock. We meet with the workers personally and we witness their production processes for ourselves. It’s no exaggeration to say that we’re able to trace every stitch that goes into the making of the goods we sell.
Explore our selection of quality products and invest in something timeless that will serve you well for years to come.
Or get in touch to discuss how you can make sustainable fashion choices with your clothing.