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Round Trip Goods is a one-woman design studio based in Colorado.
Everything is hand dyed or painted with sustainable botanicals and biodegradable inks. All fabric and clothing are upcycled or second hand cotton to avoid the environmental and ethical impacts of new textile production.
Scroll down to find out more about my mission and processes. Keep up with me on instagram @roundtripgoods.
Pop Ups & Markets:
Shipping Break from Oct. 9th to Oct. 25th!
Saturday Oct. 30th from 11-4pm at Modern Nomad, 2936 Larimer St
Saturday Nov. 20th & December 4th from 4-8pm at Piante Pizza, 1350 S Broadway
Sat. & Sun. November 27th & 28th at the Horseshoe Holiday Market at 4751 Broadway, from 12-5p both days.
Why Upcycle Cotton?
New cotton production is labor intensive and requires vast amounts of water and pesticides. 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.
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.
Origin Story
I grew up in wooded neighborhoods of Kentucky, playing outside, drawing, building and making stuff. I moved out west after high school and fell into an industrial design education program as it was the right mix of art and engineering.
After graduating I worked in product and event design. A handful of years in these industries left me disenchanted with the normalcy of material waste and machismo culture while I knew deep down, I still wanted to keep designing.
I changed gears and combined my love of textiles, plants, and sustainable design to create Round Trip Goods. I am fortunate enough to work from a small studio and garage space at home in Denver, Colorado.
Designing with nature connects me to the living world and I hope to bring that plant power to others through my work.
FAQs & Good To Know Information
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: We do not do returns but are happy to exchange items if you are not satisfied with a new item in the first 30 days. We 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 it's infused colors. If you have any questions about an item, don't hesitate to email us.
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). Most plant dyes we use have almost no record of allergies but do please make sure you are not allergic to any of the plants used in our dyes before wearing our textiles on your own skin. While natural dyes are often much safer than synthetic for the skin, and can even be medicinal when worn, some people are allergic to certain plants.
LOW INCOME OPTIONS / TRADES & BARTERING : 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!
Slow Clothes
Slow clothing is the opposite of fast fashion (unethically made, waste-full, cheap material, trend driven).
From tank tops to sweaters, all clothing items are available year round rather than following seasonal trends and upcycling eliminates the harms of new clothing production. Pieces are designed for a long life of enjoyment and can even be dyed again later to give new life to an old favorite.
For us, slow fashion is a practice to enjoy, not a perfection to attain. As Vivienne Westwood says, "Buy less, choose well, make it last"
Design Philosophy
I design for multi-functionality and a low waste lifestyle while letting botanicals play a big role. Letting nature take the lead and eliminating the desire for perfection makes room for surprises while dyeing that are more rewarding than following a strict design process.
I look to continually improve my dyeing and design skills as well as my ethical and earth conscious practices through life-long learning, waste centered design, and building community.
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 while also voting with my money. 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 materials used back into production needs and 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 our relationship to the earth.
Patreon Support Makes Magic Happen
If you feel passionate about womxn 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!
Product Care
In short, "Hand made? Hand wash." Round Trip Goods 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 from pinks to reds or blues to purples.
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 all clothing, and it's quicker and easier than you think! Washing items in the bathroom sink with hand soap, then hanging on a towel rack works pretty well!
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 (think lemonade), and hot water will change your items’ colors faster
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.