A new collection, a new fabric

A new collection, a new fabric. Sweet! But what exactly is it made of and why did we choose it? We'd love to explain!

What is it made of?
The Saint Basics activewear is made of 100% recycled polyamide. It’s a synthetic fibre that is strong, lightweight and doesn’t crease. It’s also excellent at preserving its colour. Because of this it’s a popular choice for sports clothing, and often mixed into other fabrics. The downside is that it’s not sustainable: It’s made from petroleum and treated with chemicals.

Tip: check out all the sustainable activewear for women and for men on Shop Like You Give a Damn.

Then how are your clothes sustainable?
Our fabric is made from cutting waste from the textile industry, which is shredded and made into new yarns. So we give new life to textiles that would have otherwise ended up in the incinerator. The production process itself for polyamide is polluting (CO2), but nothing has been produced in order to make our clothing. In fact, we’ve reduced emissions since the waste doesn’t need to be incinerated! Plus there is no need for farmland or pesticides, and water consumption is very low.

What makes your clothing better than others?
The downside to polyamide is that it’s a breeding ground for bacteria. When someone says “I constantly smell sweaty” it’s usually because they’re wearing polyamide or polyester clothing. So the good news is: It’s not you, it’s your clothes!

We’ve solved this problem by impregnating the fabric with Si-Bac Pure®, an organic salt solution that kills 99,98% of all viruses, bacteria and fungi that come into contact with the fabric. So no smells, just like our eucalyptus collection. The solution is eco-friendly and stays active for at least 100 wash cycles. It does not contain any harmful or toxic substances. 

Why not stick with eucalyptus?
Of course we’re still #1 eucalyptus fans, but we really wanted this collection to be seamless. With this technique you can knit all sorts of styles into one tube of fabric. Our active wear has mesh around the armpits and on the chest for breathability, and a special knitting for the butt part so it’s never see-through. All without a single seam, so no annoying pressure points. 

What about the plastic?
Because polyamide is synthetic it does give off microplastics when you wash it. And if you know us even a little bit you also know we take this problem very seriously. So of course we have a solution: the Guppyfriend! You can use this for all of your other clothing as well, so your waste water is completely plastic free. It feels good to be a Saint!