There's no easy answer when it comes to sustainability in apparel.

There are different perspectives regarding what constitutes "sustainable" and many folks in the industry agree that the term has become ambiguous to the point of sounding contrived. Similar to the term "organic" many brands have paid their way to have certain labels without embracing the essence of what it means to be truly sustainably-minded.

Our pursuit of sustainably is rooted in quality and has been a pillar of the company since we launched in 2015. The bottom line is that the longer a tee is worn the more sustainable it is. With the rise of thrifting and vintage, we see tees recirculating decades after their production date which is simply a beautiful thing. So the first thing is first: when we design a piece of branded apparel for our clients the first priority is to create something that will be cherished for generations.

A personal story that illustrates this goes back 6 years before I started at Brist MFG. While shopping at my favorite bottleshop in Bellingham, Washington, Elizabeth Station, I noticed that they added a majestic flannel to their merch line. My usual expectation of breweries was tees, tanks, a couple of trucker hats, and maybe a hoodie, and seeing this tastefully designed flannel absolutely blew my mind. I bought it without question, and it has remained in consistent circulation in my wardrobe, and I expect that'll continue for years to come.

Beyond designing for longevity Brist MFG goes the extra mile and is constantly researching and developing alternate blanks and materials that empower our clients to produce eco-friendly branded apparel lines. In 18 months we've added these options in every product category, which can be found in our sustainability catalog. Check out our journey to eco-friendly custom products below.