Words by Smiley Team
Two sisters living on opposite sides of the world launched a new underwear business – the world’s first underwear brand made from deadstock T-shirts.
Amanda and Katie first launched a Kickstarter, to see if people would like their products, and within one day had reached half of their target. They went on to launch their small sustainable business, with all Pantee sets made from either deadstock T-shirts or deadstock T-shirt fabric.
"A few years ago when my sister and I learned about the sheer amount of waste produced by the fashion industry, we knew we had to do something about it," Katie McCourt tells Smiley News. "So, we came up with the idea to launch Pantee.
“After receiving so much love and support from our community and noticing such high demand for our comfy yet stylish and eco-friendly underwear, we were excited to have closed our first investment round, which will help us grow the business and spread the comfort far and wide.”
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Deadstock fabrics and garments are those that for whatever reason do not get used for their original intended purpose. There is a huge amount of overproduction that occurs in the fashion industry, and as a result a mind-blowing amount of clothing/fabric goes to waste.
It’s hard to know exactly how much due to lack of transparency within the industry, but some studies suggest that as much as 30% of clothes made are never even sold.
Some deadstock will be sold on via secondary markets, but the reality is that a lot of it will end up in landfill or incineration.
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By using deadstock fabrics, Pantee are able to extend their lifespan and reduce their impact as a result. It also reduces the demand on new made-to-order fabrics that can be incredibly water and waste intensive to create, by using those that are already in existence.
Now Pantee has gone from using deadstock T-shirts to deadstock rolls of fabric, to further its impact.
“With our underwear being made from deadstock fabrics, each colour drop is super Limited Edition," the sisters said. "The beauty of it is, we never really know what we're going to get and when we do it is likely we'll never find the same again.”
Additionally, in April 2021, Pantee became a proud members of the 1% For The Planet community. They fulfil their 1% commitment by planting a tree for every order with One Tree Planted. To date, they have planted over 600 trees and supported reforestation projects in The Amazon, British Columbia, England India and Uganda.
Pantee are launching new styles in the Spring, and continue to work on their sustainability goals, with industry recognised accreditations at the top of their list.
BUY: Buy sustainable clothes that actually make a difference. Shop Pantee.
DONATE: Donate to 1% for the planet, which increases their ability to continue their work.
SUPPORT: Recycle Now makes sure less waste heads to landfill. Find out more.
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