WHAT MAKES FREE LABEL ETHICAL AND SUSTAINABLE

There is a growing urgency amid these tumultuous times (still?!) for Canadians to prioritize supporting Canadian Business. The community is showing a sense of solidarity that we haven’t seen since the pandemic days.

But I often worry people love the idea of supporting Canadian-made more than actually buying it, because there’s usually a higher price tag. But there are so many benefits to buying local that make that cost worth it.

FAST FASHION – CHEAP AND HARMFUL

When you’re buying fast-fashion, you’re able to get those clothes so cheap because the workers who make the garments are being exploited; people are working in unsafe conditions for very little money, and often in a system of modern slavery.

THE BENEFITS OF SLOW FASHION 

When you’re buying from a slow fashion business, you’re buying into a system where the people making the clothes are being compensated fairly, working in a safe environment, and are choosing to be there of their own free will.

For Free Label’s, everything is made Vancouver, BC. Our factories are a 10 minute drive from our office – so we're involved in the process from start to finish and can ensure there’s no quality or production errors. We're also collaborating with people who have a ton of skill and experience which makes the garments even better because we together so frequently. 

Finally, when you’re buying Canadian-made slow fashion, you’re investing in the Canadian economy. All that cash is going back to the local community because all the people who make the clothes live and work here. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Plus, the great thing about making everything locally is we can bring you along with us to see the process! 

THE PROCESS OF CREATING A GARMENT
The slow fashion way

Conceptualize a design
We think about what our customers want, we sketch, and plan out the design for our pattern maker 

Create the sample marker
Our pattern maker design makes the technical pattern and prints a sample marker which is a print out of every panel of fabric that goes into the garment. 

Sew the samples
We sew the garment. Fit test. Make adjustments. Sew it again. We’ll do this as many times as we need to make it fit right.

Grade the pattern for all sizes
Once we’re happy with the fit, we use the grading rules we’ve established (there’s a lot!) to grade the pattern into all 9 of our sizes. 

Create the production marker
Once we’re happy with the final sample, we’ll make the production marker. This is like a big puzzle of pieces to cut the fabric. This is an art in itself to waste as little material as possible.

Order the fabric
It could be custom-milled fabric from Canada or China, or in-stock fabric from Canadian suppliers. Our custom bamboo fabric is milled right in Toronto – Canada doesn’t have many fabric mills so it's a big deal! 

Order the notions
Things like elastics, buttons, fusing, liner, thread, etc. We always try to source locally – even our labels are made right in Canada! 

Production begins
We lay the fabric and cut it. Then sewing begins! It takes roughly 8-12 weeks to cut, sew, and pack your garments. 

Run quality checks
Since they’re just down the road, Tagnéa is able to stop by our factories and make sure everything is running smoothly.

Photoshoot time!
We always photograph our garments in multiple sizes so you can see yourself in the clothing. Those images land on our website and on social media. 

Package and barcode the clothes
Before sending the clothes to our local fulfilment center, each garment needs to be packed in compostable bags and barcoded so we reduce shipping errors as much as possible.

The entire process takes a bit longer, and it costs more money, but it’s worth it to make clothes that we can be proud of. 

. . . . .

We’re hopeful that this passion we’re seeing for Canadian goods will remain high and help many of us small businesses come out the other side. That being said, I never want you to feel like the weight of a business is on your shoulders, because it isn’t. One person’s purchases alone cannot keep a business afloat. 

But there are some things you can do right now that would be huge for our small business that has nothing to do with buying our products. 

HOW TO HELP SMALL BUSINESS

• Share us on social media. 

• Tag us anytime you take a photo wearing our pieces

• Tell a friend about us (we made you a note template to use below!) 

• Tag us on posts asking for Canadian-made recommendations 

• Share in group chats and reddit threads 
  

SHARE FREE LABEL WITH A FRIEND
Share or personalize this message to get the word out about us.

Hey! There is a small Canadian Clothing brand I’ve been following called Free Label. They make all their clothes in Vancouver. They prioritize comfortable, loungy fits that are sustainably made and size inclusive. Their wireless bamboo bras are the best! Check them out: freelabel.com