Why is sustainable fashion so expensive?

Why is sustainable fashion so expensive?

Let's chat about why sustainable fashion often comes with a hefty price tag. We're big on transparency at Transcend, so today we are pulling back the curtain on our pricing.

Why Sustainable Fashion Costs More

Fashion industry is this giant machine cranking out clothes at lightning speed to make as much cash as possible. But here's the deal - that machine isn't exactly great for the planet or the folks making the products.

Three Big Reasons Our Prices Aren't Cheap

Small Batch Production: Unlike the fast fashion giants, we're not pumping out thousands of the same dress. We take a conservative approach to our inventory forecasts and produce in small batches! Inevitably, production cost per unit is higher for smaller quantities since we don't have economies of scale.

We're Material Snobs (In a Good Way): Polyester? Nah, not our thing. We're all about natural, eco-friendly fabrics like hand-woven cotton, silk and linen. Yeah, they cost more, but they're way better for the planet. 

Ethical Supply Chain: Ever wonder who's stitching up those cute jackets? Real people, my friend. And we make sure they get paid living wages for their creativity and hard work. Sadly, paying living wages is not the norm in the industry which is a big reason why fast fashion is inexpensive. The industry has trained the customer mindset to expect ultra-low prices and intentionally kept their supply chains hidden so customers are not even thinking about who is really paying the price for cheap fast fashion. 

Making Sustainable Fashion More Accessible

Now, we get it - the higher price tag makes sustainably made fashion inaccessible to many. To address this, we created a dedicated "SALE" section on our website. From time to time we will drop select styles on this page at a sweet discount. The discounted prices are not permanent, meaning we may decide to revert to original prices at a later date so if you see your favorites on sale, go ahead and grab them.

NOTE: Any discounts we offer here, are purely taken out from our margins and do not impact the production payments to the artisan communities and suppliers we work with. 

 

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