Is With Jean Fast Fashion? An Expert Breakdown!
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Sustainable brands are hard to come across in the fashion world because this is the era of fast fashion. Fast fashion has taken the world by storm and it usually does not consist of ethical practices. However, the demand for sustainable fashion is increasing every day and brands are trying to bring positive changes into their supply chain to satisfy the customers.
With Jean is an Australian brand that was established in 2017 by two best friends, Sami Larking-Tanner and Evangeline Titilas. They hit it off at their first meeting and found out that they shared many common interests including fashion and the dream of one day opening their brand. Traveling the world made them realize that they wanted to fulfill this dream as soon as possible. They began to plan and only one year later in 2017, they were able to launch their brand, With Jean.
With Jean features products that the two owners love and have always wanted to wear themselves. The idea was to make cute tops that would go with the jeans that they produce. Their ideas matched so perfectly with each other that the collections seemed harmonious and elegant. With Jean cannot be categorized with the likes of a high-luxury brand, it can also not be called a street-end fashion brand. Its clothes are good quality and exude elegance that is hard to find in street-end brands.
It has bold and gorgeous pieces that scream for attention. The brand’s ideology is quite women-centered with significant positions being held and important decisions being taken by women. It strives to inspire confidence within women and help them shine. However, that doesn’t mean that the brand does not offer anything for people with minimalist preferences and casual day outs. Though it may be hard, you will be able to find something for yourself among the various collections of beautiful designs.
Sustainability Rating: 6/10
Category: Clothing, Accessories
For: Women
Products: Dresses, Skirts, Jeans, Tops
Style: Vintage, Formal
Quality: Medium
Prices: -
Size: -
Fabrics: Polyester, Organic Cotton, Spandex, Viscose, Elastane, Linen, Leather, Nylon
100% Organic: No
100% Vegan: No
Ethical and Fair: Yes
Recycling: No
Manufacturing Countries: Not Transparent Enough
Certifications: Not Transparent Enough
In only a short period, With Jean gained immense popularity with the likes of Bella Hadid wearing its clothes. The owners were flabbergasted at the response and the reality finally hit them when clothes kept getting sold out as soon as they were launched on the website. This had the brand realizing that it had reached the “It Girl” status with its unique and vintage designs.
Moreover, the owners were resolute on having a direct-to-customer model from day one which proved to be quite successful for them. The brand sells only through its website and there are no retailers or third parties involved in any process. This helps the brand save costs and also allows it to keep a closer eye on each process that takes place. What’s surprising is that the owners travel to the factories to ensure that ethical practices are being followed and suitable materials are being used.
With Jean has always believed in leading an ethical and sustainable brand because the owners were conscious consumers even before launching their brand. With Jean has factories in China but as mentioned before, the owners visit the sites themselves to make sure that everything is being produced ethically and by using sustainable materials. Although the stereotype of unethical production is associated with China, there are some good cases where the brand takes the necessary steps to avoid such situations.
With Jean proves that it is not a fast fashion brand by stating that it does not mass produce or partner with sketchy third parties that get the work done through suspicious means. It maintains direct contact with the factories and customers which allows it to maintain the quality of its garments. The owners were able to achieve this by relocating to Bali where they were always in direct contact with the people who made the clothes. The brand has a team of sewers and creators in Indonesia who work in comfortable environments and inspire the owners to learn and appreciate the traditional way of manufacturing clothes. The brand has built a friendly connection with its employees to foster a good environment.
Sustainability is a prime focus of the brand and it wants to bring a positive change in the fashion world by creating fashion without causing harm to the planet and environment. One of the steps that it has taken in this journey is eliminating the use of plastic in its supply chain. It uses biodegradable plastic for packaging and produces clothing that is meant to last for a long time.
Fast fashion clothes are usually only wearable a few times because they are made from cheap materials that easily fall apart and lose their shine in a short time. But we know that With Jean does not fit in this category because it has taken great measures like moving to another country to make sure that its clothes are made to last.
With Jean also donated all of its profits to the relief fund for the damage caused by Australian fires. It wants to give back to the community as much as it can. This lends the brand an ethical image that endears the customer to the brand.
With Jean has stated that in the coming years, it is going to focus more on its water and chemical usage, and how it can utilize energy in an eco-friendly manner. It admits to lack in many ways but the brand’s enthusiasm for being 100% sustainable is what draws us to it. With Jean does not only talk about caring for the environment but takes actions to prove it too.
The brand is not yet rated by the GoodOnYou directory or by the Fashion Transparency Index but it can be because it is a fairly new brand and it might take a couple more years for it to firm itself as a major competitor in the industry. However, we are quite satisfied by what we’ve found out about With Jean and we highly recommend it to eco-conscious buyers.
With Jéan | About Us (withjean.com)
With Jean Review: Is the Cool Gen Z Brand Worth It? (editorialist.com)