The Problem
As a consumer and a designer, I was conscious of the damage fast fashion has created. Providing cheap, throw-away items that last a few washes and then head to landfill. We buy more clothes per person in the UK than any country in Europe. Around 300,000 tonnes of used clothes are burned or buried in landfill each year. (source: Greenpeace)
Even worse – a huge percentage of this incinerated clothing has never even been sold or worn. It’s retailers or manufacturers disposing of unsold stock in the most ‘cost-effective’ way possible.
There are lots of reasons why our leggings cost £85, here are just a few explained:
We care about our impact on the planet
When researching fabrics, production and packaging, we have chosen recycled, recyclable and eco-conscious companies to work with. This all comes with a higher price tag, which in turn is reflected in the cost of our products.
We are a slow fashion brand, which means that we won’t over-order and only keep in stock a small amount per size to avoid waste. This also means that the cost of production is higher as we order our garments in small batches from our production studio.
We are looking at options to grow production and the range, but our intention is to stay in Europe/UK and retain our commitment to environmental impact, quality of product and integrity of the Well Fit brand.
We care where our product is made
Our fabric is made in Italy using a recycled ocean plastics yarn. We buy in bulk to help get better economies of scale, but as a small business, we cannot purchase large enough quantities to get a ‘cheap’ per metre price.
We want the best-performing fabric for our leggings and tops so that they last for years, not months, keep the shape of the garment and can be washed over 100 times. The fabric we chose is technical recycled nylon, specially designed for activewear with benefits such as breathability, UV protection, chlorine resistance and no pilling – so whatever activity you’re doing you can rest assured your leggings are built for performance!... having a technical fabric that offers all this, impacts the price of our leggings.
Our production studio can offer repairs of well-loved Well Fit and can also provide recycling services where the garments are turned into scrunchies, repurpose good condition garments or worn-out garments can be taken to specialist recycling centres.
Our production studio is based in the north of England and is an ‘above living wage employer’. The team of female seamstresses set their own rates and work in a beautiful studio in the heart of Jesmond.
The choice to make Well Fit in the UK stems from our commitment to be environmentally conscious whilst also supporting the slow fashion movement on home soil! Production in the UK is vastly different from bulk buying from China, Vietnam, and Pakistan where fabric and labour are much cheaper. All of this impacts the price we sell our garments for.
As we grow, we will look to engage with suppliers and buyers that share our mission to provide alternative options for activewear that women will love, but don’t destroy the planet. That’s a promise.
We care about our customers
The very first range sketches were all sized 18 and above and were purely for plus-size women. Following regular research over the last few years, we noted that very few (a tiny percentage in fact) of retailers offered clothing above a size 18, with activewear lacking in options from even some of the biggest brands. There are only a handful of brands available to UK customers who offer activewear over a size 18 and we are proud to be one of them. We offer leggings up to a UK size 30 and want to be fair, as a small brand, averaging out the fabric usage across all sizes so that everyone pays the same.
Some questions we have had from friends, followers and customers:
Will you be adding colour and pattern to the range?
We would love to. We are looking at producing our leggings in some classic colours like navy and patterns such as leopard print. These will be limited edition production runs as the whole point of being a slow fashion brand is that we don’t overstock and don’t become part of the problem.
Are there any discounts available?
Yes! There are a few option, you can sign up to our newsletter to hear about exclusive offers and be the first on the list for pre-orders of new colours/styles/patterns, you can follow us on Instagram where we often put on offer codes or drop us a message and we can let you know what the latest offers are.
Do you offer a payment plan?
We have introduced Klarna’s flexible payments across our product range, so that you can pay in 30 days or in 3 instalments. The pre-order process will still be 6-8 weeks currently, so please bear that in mind when using Klarna as a payment option.
Have a question? Drop us a message.
Learn more about our commitment to the planet: https://wellfitactive.com/pages/our-impact
