Our Brothers We Stand plain T-shirts are proudly made in Bangladesh. The manufacture is overseen by a sourcing agent who help emerging designers source sustainably and ethically. Our T-shirts were cut and sewn by one of four factories the agent works closely with in Dhaka, Bangladesh. These factories have been selected because they are amongst the best in the country. The agent has its own team on the ground in Dhaka who visits the factories daily to monitor working conditions and ensure that nothing is subcontracted out to un-regulated factories.

In addition to these policies each of the factories is independently audited by the Fair Wear Foundation and GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard).

As in many countries, in Bangladesh, the legal minimum wage is not considered sufficient to allow workers a decent standard of living. This is a complex issue with the Bangladeshi government setting the minimum wage at a relatively low rate to maintain the country's competitiveness in the garment industry. Factories are encouraged not to exceed this to avoid civic unrest!

In light of these circumstances our sourcing partner has explored creative approaches to seek to ensure workers are remunerated fairly for their work. Since 2020, they have supported Fair-priced Grocery Shops for almost 38,000 workers in Bangladesh, where essential food products like rice, lentils, salt and sugar are sold at an almost 50% discount. In 2022, they started a project in India to install a water pump in a remote community to provide access to safe drinking water all year round. They will continue these kinds of initiatives until a systemic solution is found to formally establish a living wage.

The tees are posted out by MailOut fulfilment centre, a social enterprise providing training and employment opportunities for adults with a learning disability and autism. All staff are paid at the London Living wage or above. Trainees are gaining skills and qualifications and are classed as in vocational training.

Our basic T-shirts are made from 100% organic cotton. The GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certificate means that all stages of production from growing to knitting and sewing of the T-shirt meet organic standards and don’t use any harmful chemicals.

To reduce textile waste, cutting waste from the production of our t-shirts is collected from the factory floor and used to create recycled yarn.

The label inside the neck was printed with Permaset Aqua inks—water-based, vegan, and among the most eco-friendly on the market. These inks surpass the Oekotex Class 1 standard by an impressive 60%, ensuring both sustainability and safety.

We send our tees out in grass paper mailing bags which are fully recyclable with no plastic packaging.

Today in Bangladesh, the living wage is estimated to be twice the current minimum wage. As well as the various initiatives mentioned above in the People section, our sourcing partner directly engages with factory owners and managers on closing the gap between the minimum wage and the living wage. In line with this commitment, they have set a goal to develop a strategy and roadmap to contribute to a living wage in their partner factories.