What Does It Mean to Be GOTS Certified?

In recognition of Earth Day this coming Saturday, we want to share how we are designing change through sustainable practices in our holistic program, process and production. We do not take lightly the work it takes to offset the damages cause by the textile industry. The rise of “fast fashion” has made the global textile and apparel industry one of the most resource-intensive industries in the world – resulting in toxic pollution, unethical labor practices and mounting waste.

As the term "eco-friendly" is becoming more mainstream we as consumers need to be careful with what we are purchasing. Looking for certifications can be a big help to make you a better conscious consumer. Anchal believes that by sourcing recycled material, organic fibers, natural dyes, alongside creating quality handcrafted textiles, we can begin to offset the damage to people and our planet.

Did you know that our Narrative Collection only uses 100% certified organic cotton? So what exactly does it mean to be GOTS certified anyway?

GOTS stands for Global Organic Textile Standard and it is an internationally recognized certification - you can read more about it here. GOTS requires that textile manufacturers follow very specific environmental criteria and social criteria. For example, no chemicals can be used which have been shown to harm humans or the environment at any stage of the production process. Also worker safety and worker rights issues are a top priority - no child or slave labor and a certain minimal level of safe working conditions must be met. To carry the GOTS label "organic" a textile must must contain at least 95% certified organic fibers (ours are 100%).

We recommend that when you are shopping for organic pieces, do you best to make sure that the product has a GOTS certification. This will help insure that what you are buying is truly organic.

The more you know, the better decisions you can make. As a consumer, we have an incredible amount of power with our purchase decisions.  Will you join us in #desigingchange this Earth Day and every day?