when a choice
becomes a chance
A PERSPECTIVE SHIFT
The conception of &OR came at a moment in history when every human on the planet was forced to take a pause and stock of our life’s choices, as the planet indirectly and/or directly screamed at us all to reconsider everything.
Coming out of lockdown we knew no one was ready to forgo their comfy sweats in lieu of a rigid pair of jeans or a stiff client-ready button-up. At the same time we also saw the effects of a gentler footprint on our earth: clearer waters, fresher air, stiller minds, slower living. The powerful combination of the two was our seed for change:
To create clothing designed to be worn from sun up and/or sun down, for morning drop-offs and/or evening cocktails, with ease and/or effortlessness. But more than that, clothes designed to stand the test of time, outlive trends, and not compromise on quality.
OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Our mission is to guide you on a conscious journey, fostering a chance for the revival of our planet. We invite you in on our guiding principles, which we hope will inspire your own exploration of better ways of living.
To hold ourselves accountable we’ve set out from day one with a strong set of guiding principles. From here we won’t stray:
1. Always transcend trends for timelessness.
2. Establish a unique capsule wardrobe.
3. Seek out the best options, always.
4. Reduce waste at all cost.
5. Responsibly source natural materials.
6. Share learnings, shun competitiveness.
7. Embrace the collective mindset.
How we &OR
STYLE
Our style mantra is simple: start with a versatile canvas and begin to infuse it with you. The &OR wardrobe is one designed for the multiplicities of your life. We don't focus on basics; instead, we curate elevated ‘anyplace’ essentials that effortlessly complement the modern wardrobe. Why? Because the market is saturated with basics, and our planet doesn't need another brand offering the same. Chances are, your closet is already brimming with them.
Our style approach revolves around special pieces that have the power to enhance any outfit. Think of the perfectly draped shirt jacket that effortlessly pairs with leggings and sneakers or trousers and heels – it's a garment that truly embodies your individuality. We prioritize elevated staples with unique touches that make each piece cherished and coveted, ensuring they become your go-to choices time and time again.
Each of our designs is intentionally created to be mixed and matched, enabling you to build the ultimate minimalist capsule wardrobe. Our pieces are characterized by their versatility, they are not too athletic or overly casual without being overly complex or limited to specific occasions. We steer clear of bold prints or vibrant colours, instead favouring neutral tones that harmonize with one another and pay homage to the beauty of Mother Earth.
By embracing the capsule wardrobe mindset, you can reduce the clutter of excessive clothing choices.
Mastering the capsule wardrobe mindset is an art in itself. The key lies in investing in quality, versatile garments that can be mixed and matched, allowing you to create a multitude of unique outfits while streamlining your closet.
INNOVATION
An estimated 92 tonnes of textile waste is produced globally each year, with 87% of leftover materials and fibers used to make apparel heading straight to landfill. We’re addressing textile waste by leveraging an innovative manufacturing technology - technical knitting. This technology enables us to consume only the yarn required to produce our garments, dramatically reducing our pre-consumer textile waste from ~30% to less than 1%. This production technology also uses less energy than traditional approaches and while each design is digitally programmed, enables us to produce less, yet higher quality samples, reducing our overall impact and streamlining the design process.
SOURCING
With the support of our manufacturing partners, we source and select bulk yarns that are either natural or made of recycled synthetic materials. With our natural yarns, today we use only GOTS-certified organic cotton and mulesing-free, RWS-certified sheeps wool and alpaca. As we expand the collection, we maintain our promise to source only earth and animal positive products. For synthetic bulk yarns, we’re committed to using only recycled materials and working to reduce our use of synthetics over time. Some of our pieces are also plaited with lycra to enhance their wearability, durability, and recovery. We're actively pursing recycled or biodegradable alternatives to infuse in future collections.
CIRCULARITY
To improve the impact of fashion on the environment, enabling a circular economy is imperative. As a zero-to-landfill brand, we ensure that all of our garments can be recycled via our partnership with SuperCircle. To enable more responsible recycling of garments as a whole, we'll also cover the cost of recycling for select non &OR pieces and give you a credit towards your next purchase. This program will be active as of July 11, 2023.
FAQ
Get to know us better, and understand more about our more responsible approach to fashion and manufacturing.
GET IN TOUCH
How are you acting sustainably and ethically?
How are you acting sustainably and ethically?
Our mission is to challenge the current fashion ecosystem, thinking like a modern-day brand that considers its impact at every step. That being said, we’re not perfect – but we are committed to always progressing and learning. Our designs are always thoughtful and practical, so they fit within your wardrobe and suit many occasions, enabling you to buy less and wear your pieces more. We work closely with our manufacturers to source ethical and responsible yarns, and manufacture using a technology that drastically reduces textile waste. We’ve partnered with SuperCircle to enable circularity within our business model, ensuring our garments are responsibly recycled, upcycled or re-sold.
We only partner with manufacturers and suppliers who are committed to ethical treatment of workers and aligned with our sustainability principles.
How do you select yarn?
How do you select yarn?
We work closely with our manufacturers to source ethical, organic, and yarns, favoring natural fibers (cotton, wool) to reduce the overall impact our products have on the environment.
Where do you manufacture?
Where do you manufacture?
Currently, we have two manufacturing partners. One is based in the USA and the other is in Turkey.
What is different about the manufacturing technology?
What is different about the manufacturing technology?
We utilize a production method known as flat-bed knitting or technical knitting, which reduces textile waste from ~30% in a traditional cut-and-sew method to approximately 1-2%. Our designs are digitally programmed and optimized to reduce textile waste, resulting in a garment that feels durable, elegant, and produces less than 2% textile waste.
What is involved with &OR’s recycling partnership with SuperCircle?
What is involved with &OR’s recycling partnership with SuperCircle?
SuperCircle is a market leader when it comes to powering circularity for fashion brands. Through their responsible recycling program, they sort garments based on their composition and deploy them to various partners who responsibly break down the fibers and re-spin them into new yarns. &OR enables customers to responsibly recycle both &OR and other brand’s garments to ensure they’ll be saved from polluting in landfill.
How do the garments get recycled?
How do the garments get recycled?
Garments are sorted based on their composition and shipped to various partners who break down the fibers, and either re-spin them into new yarns or create new fabrics and textiles.
How do I best care for my &OR garments?
How do I best care for my &OR garments?
Our intention is to always design garments that you reach for again and again, pieces that take pride of place in your wardrobe. In order to keep them looking their best, we recommend following the wash instructions indicated on the care label or specific product page. However, if the guidelines suggest hand or machine washing, here are some general guidelines to follow:
- For all machine washable pieces, we recommend using a gentle detergent.
- Always wash with the coldest water possible to reduce energy consumption as well as ensuring
- A gentle cycle is recommended for all pieces, turning the garment inside out, or hand washing.
- Air drying ensures minimal energy consumption and helps to preserve your pieces. For heavier pieces (like Skirt 01), we recommend laying flat to dry over hanging to dry to maintain shape.
How are your products made differently?
How are your products made differently?
Our products are all currently manufactured using an innovative technology known as technical knitting, or flat-bed knitting. It is unique to a traditional process in that the designs are digitally programmed, optimized to reduce waste and redundancies, and the design is translated to the knitting machine. The knitting machine itself only uses yarn required for the garment, drastically minimizing the amount of textile waste to below 1%, whereas in a traditional process, textile waste can be upwards of 30%.