Ethical & Gender Free One of a Kind Clothing
Round Trip Goods clothing items are locally sourced second hand cotton, hand dyed and painted one at a time. Items are genderless in a wide variety of styles, with measurements stated for clear sizing.
Items can even be dyed again later to give new life to an old favorite and custom work is also available.
UPDATES:
$1 for every clothing item sold this June will be donated to the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, advocating for black trans lives since the Stonewall Riots.
Origin Story
I grew up in Kentucky, playing outside and enjoying art class in school. At 21 I moved to Colorado with no plan, just dreams of adventure. After several years working in food service and traveling the world when I could, I decided to study industrial design, hoping for better employment.
The professional product and event design industries left me disenchanted with the normalcy of material waste and machismo culture, while I knew I still needed to design to be happy.
When I discovered plant dyeing, everything clicked together as I was able to combine my love of textiles, art, sustainable design, plants and thirfting. I am fortunate enough to work from an office and garage space at home and spend long happy days in creative solitude fueled by tea and cookies.
Why Plant Dyes?
Synthetic dyes, (usually a petroleum byproduct) are often single molecules with no other purpose but to color a textile. They also create toxic waste that gets into watersheds.
Colors from plants carry the properties of the plant with them into fabric. Dyes from plants like indigo and madder root have a human history, an aliveness, and a quality of color only the natural world can provide. Some botanical dyes are even said to be medicinal to the wearer when absorbed through the skin.
Ethically sourcing dyes is very important to me- the plants I don’t responsibly forage for, I source from Botanical Colors in Seattle who build relationships with farmers and source responsibly.
Why Upcycle Fabric?
New textile production, whether it's growing cotton or producing a synthetic fiber, is labor intensive and requires vast amounts of water and waste. Because cotton fabric and clothing is easy to find second hand in big cities, I use this abundant material rather than contributing to new textile production. This also helps curb shipping, packaging, and makes the final product more affordable for you.
Bypassing new fabric production eliminates supporting unethical labor and environmental inequalities so common in fast fashion and new textile production.
I wash, scour, dye, cure, and wash fabric again before it gets to you, using a fraction of water and resources in the process.
Design Philosophy
I look to continually improve my skills as well as my ethical and earth conscious practices through life-long learning, waste centered design, and building community.
Trying new things is also integral to my approach to my work.
Letting nature's colors play a big role connects me to the living world, the seasons, and I hope to bring that plant power to others while helping to detoxify and degender fashion.
Patreon Support Makes Magic Happen
If you feel passionate about women entrepreneurship or sustainable practices in fashion and art and have as little as $3 a month to spare, consider becoming a Patreon Member.
Members help me survive in a very real way by contributing what they can monthly.
Patrons see new products first and get a copy of the quarterly zine mailed to them every season!
Pricing, Trades, and Bartering
Pricing is based on time spent and materials required for each item. Working with second hand cotton enables a lower price point than new clothing fabric would, making one of a kind fashion more accessible than other brands.
Because money isn't everything and I believe we all have skills and gifts to share, I happily do trades and barters for goods and services. I have traded my wares for pottery, stained glass, tai chi lessons, and clothes from other makers. Feel free to email me if you want to make a trade!
Product Care
Items are embedded with living plant dyes and will change with you over time. This is natural and part of the journey of the fabric and plant infusion. Some colors darken, some lighten, some shift.
The best way to keep your items from fading is to hand wash them inside out in cold water, with a gentle soap. Hang dry or dry inside out in dryer. This is an earth friendly laundry habit that can be applied to any clothing and it's quicker and easier than you think!
Ironing items after they dry works great at getting cotton back to a smooth finish. Store away from direct sunlight when not in use.
Pieces are treated and dyed with great care to be lightfast and washfast; even so, long exposure to sunlight, harsh soaps, citric acid (like lemonade), and hot water will change your items’ colors faster.
Reducing Waste & Rethinking Systems
Shopping second hand, small business, and local first rather than supporting big companies for all studio needs is one of the ways I help reduce my environmental impact. Minimizing the consumption of new materials, shipping costs, packaging materials are tangible everyday practices that add up.
Our shipping envelopes are pre-used from packages we have received in the past. The dyes and binding string are made of safe, biodegradable materials. I divert the vast majority of scrap cotton back into product creation and constantly work to minimize my landfill contribution.
Education regarding sustainability is integral to my work, as I know that there's always room for improving my relationship with our precious earth.
FAQ
SKIN SENSITIVITY: I use only biodegradable, non-toxic, planet safe soaps and fabric softeners to make sure our fabrics are safe for all skin types (our favorite is 7th generation products). While most plant dyes have almost no record of allergies, please make sure you are not allergic to any of these plants before using our textiles on your own skin.
SHIPPING : Items in stock will ship out within 2 days unless I am traveling. If I am away from my merchandise, I will have a notice at the top of the page of the next soonest ship date.
RETURNS: I do not do returns but am happy to exchange items if you are not satisfied with a new item in the first 30 days. I strive to show items accurately and with enough detail to convey each items' qualities. Proper care of products will ensure a long life of the item and its infused colors. If you have any questions about an item, don't hesitate to email me.
Make the Round Trip
Our items are designed to be unisex, user-friendly, and multi functional to encourage creative interactions and a long life for the product. Hopefully you use your Round Trip Goods until they are worn out from love and daily use. We encourage you to repair, and repurpose your products if you think it’s at the end of their life cycle. We would love to hear of ways you reuse old textiles of any kind. Post on social with #maketheroundtrip to share ideas.