Organic Cotton Sweatshirts

Organic cotton sweatshirts are a great ethical uniform option for a business or organisation, our range at Cotton Roots offers great choice and high quality, and many of our garments are also certified Fairtrade.

We have a huge range of sweatshirts in stock colours which we can match to your branding and we can also add your logo with print and embroidery options.

Pantone Matched Sweatshirts

If you have a very specific Pantone colour which we don’t have a stock match for.  We can make Pantone dyed organic cotton sweatshirts bespoke from a minimum of 100 units.  We provide a Pantone dyed lab dip swatch of fabric for you to approve and then we go ahead and dye the fabric before it is made into organic cotton sweatshirts.  This doesn’t have to be a one colour garment it can be a mixture of contrast colours.

If you select a one of our stock organic cotton sweatshirts you can have Pantone matched logos and branding added to the clothing.

Some examples of Pantone matched clothing is below.

Branding your clothing

We can add logos, texts and images to clothing if you provide artwork.  We will advise you on the best way to do this.  We can match to your Pantone brand colours with print and embroidery thread.  We always sample an embroidery on a swatch of fabric for you to see before we run your order and if you are having print we set up a print proof so you can see the position and size.

If you would like to look at our range of stock organic sweatshirts, please see here. We can provide you with fabric swatches or garment samples if required.

If you would like more information on Pantone dyed bespoke sweatshirts then contact us by phone on 01908 511051 or email sales@cottonroots.co.uk or you can find more information here.

Sustainable Hoodies

There is a lot of debate about sustainability and and eco friendly and what it means within the textile industry. The best way to reduce the impact on the environment is to use less, make less, buy less. But that is often not possible when it comes to uniform because it wears out and staff change over.  So offering options which help to alleviate textile waste issues can be a compromise.  For sustainable hoodies there are many options to choose from.

Organic Hoodies
Sustainable Hoodies

Organic Sustainable Hoodies

These are made from cotton which has been grown without the using synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or GM (genetically modified) seeds. This is good for the soil and nature as it doesn’t strip it of all it’s goodness and good for the people who grow it so they don’t have deal with harmful substances. This all helps to reduce the impact on the land and environment. Clothing can be made 100% organic cotton or a mixture.

Organic in conversion

This is a great way to help cotton farmers to move from conventional farming to organic while being able to charge a fair price. It enables farmers to charge more in the few years that the farm is converting from convential methods of farming to organic methods.

Recycled Sustainable Hoodies

Using recycled fabrics like regenerated cotton or recycled polyester are a way of reusing waste fabrics or used plastics for a new purpose. 

Circular fashion

Something that is also growing is circular fashion, this is where the manufacturers develop a service where they can accept old clothing back to be recycled into new fibres for new clothing, mattresses or insulation. If made into closing this completes the circle as the garment has been completely gone full circle into a new piece of clothing. If a hoodie can be produced and recycled in this way then it can really be called sustainable hoodies.

At Cotton Roots we supply a range of high quality organic cotton hoodies, organic cotton and recycled fibres and completely recycled fibres, you can see our range here.

Sustainable Workwear UK

Companies are increasingly keen to improve their eco friendly credentials and reduce their impact on the environment, whether that be through reduced packaging, recycled materials, more efficient electrical equipment.  Greener heating and lighting or moving to electric delivery vehicles. The UK government is providing funding to help businesses to do this.

As a sustainable workwear uk supplier we have noticed an increase in the requirement for environmentally friendly and ethical clothing, this has also been reflected in the offering coming from uniform manufacturers.  Many of them now have options for organic cotton t shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies, recycled jackets, sportswear.

Recycled Polyester Softshell
Softshell jacket made from recycled polyester

Around 15 years ago Cotton Roots started a Fairtrade organic clothing range so that they could be one of the first companies to supply sustainable workwear uk. Since then there have been many more brands who supply Fairtrade and organic options. Fairtrade certified means that people have treated fairly throughout the whole supply chain.

Options for you

At Cotton Roots we can help you to find a range of clothing that suits a practical need as well as give you the look and colours to suit you brand.  We can do this all from an extensive range of ethical clothing so that you can meet the green targets with company uniform as well as other areas of the business.

Get in touch with us about sustainable workwear uk by emailing sales@cottonroots.co.uk or calling us on 01908 511051.

Restaurants and sustainability

Looking after our planet is becoming more urgent day by day and industries are look at how they can change their practices to become more sustainable, partly as regulations change and laws come in, but also in response to consumer pressures.

Food

When it comes to restaurants and sustainability the first thing which often springs to mind is the food. Locally sourced ingredients, organic ingredients and local independent suppliers.

Packaging

Packaging and food is a huge problem, nearly everything sold in a super market or wholesalers is in some kind of plastic in both the trade and retail markets.  In addition to the packaging the food comes in, there is also the packaging that is used for food when it is sold, particularly for takeaways.  Single use plastic in the form of polystyrene and plastic-coated card is really difficult to recycle. 

Positive news is that 1st October 2023 UK government banned single use plastic, which has had a huge impact on takeaway packaging.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/single-use-plastics-bans-and-restrictions

Uniform

One of the items less thought about when it comes to restaurants and sustainability is uniform.

Over many years polyester has been a highly use fabric in the production of clothing in the hospitality industry.  It’s hard wearing and can be laundered at high temperatures, so it is suited to hot, messy environments such as kitchens.

However, the problem comes when the uniform is no longer needed, staff change, branding is updated, or uniform is tired and worn out.  What do you do with the waste?

Donating to a charity shop is fine if it’s not branded and is in a suitable condition to be sold.  If it’s branded or worn out, then there are little options other than it going into landfill.

Sustainable Options

The good news is that along with the changes in packaging, uniform options are becoming much more sustainable.  This is an area which is growing all the time, from recycled fabrics, organic, Fairtrade and fair wear. This applies to suiting, aprons, chefs’ jackets, t shirts, polos and shirts and blouses. This means that more and more restaurants and sustainability are starting to go hand in hand.

Recycled polyester apron
Contrast recycled apron

If you are looking for sustainable hospitality uniform please get in touch

What is Cotton in Conversion?

Cotton in conversion or transitional cotton, is cotton which is on a journey to being organic.

Organic cotton is grown under strict regulations, such as no use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides or genetically modified organisms, which allows it to be certified as organic.

Selvedge of organic fabric

Organic cotton must be grown on land which is clear of these chemicals for usually 3 years.  Historically, this meant that farmers couldn’t use the chemicals when growing cotton, for 3 years, but would only be able to charge for standard cotton prices.  Cotton in conversion is a bridge which allows farmers to charge an intermediate price while they are converting from conventional farming to organic farming. 

The demand for organic cotton fibres in the clothing industry is rapidly growing so the conversion process is essential for meeting the future demands.

If you would like more information on organic clothing please contact us here

Clothing from Flour Sacks

I was talking to a group of ladies at a local sewing group and they told me all about how women used to repurpose flour sacks into dresses and clothes in the 1930’s during the great depression, when money was very tight.

The flour companies heard this was going on so they decided to start printing the flour sacks with patterns so that the clothing looked pretty. Some of them even came printed with instructions which would then wash out. You can read more about this and see images here.

When the clothes wore out, the fabric was reused again by being cut up and used for quilts.  When the 2nd world war began cotton was rationed for soldier’s uniforms so flour was packaged in paper bags and still is today.

At Impact Trading and Cotton Roots, we manufacture aprons and we have made them for customers from coffee sacks. Another great way to upcycle waste fabric. You can order coffee sack aprons from here.

Starting a Fashion Brand

We often get enquires from customers who are looking to start their own fashion brand. Sometimes they want ethical clothing such as Fairtrade or Organically certified products.
Often, they start with a small quantity of ready made, rebrandable items which can be labelled, printed and embroidered with the brand designs. This is a great way to start
At Cotton Roots we have tried to make this process simple by having a small selection of items which the customer can choose from look at the range here.

The minimum order level is 100 items which means you have options for a few items in a range of colours and sizes. The prices include the sewing in of a label which the customer can supply or can order direct from us here. For any print or embroidery on the garments, we can quote for this once the artwork has been supplied.


This process simplifies the first steps of starting a fashion business, we can then supply repeat orders of the same or increase quantities, at this point a customer may decide to start manufacturing clothing from scratch.

We love our Bakers’ Couches…

….but what are they, and what do you use them for?

They are an essential but simple tool to help you produce stunning baguettes.

A couche (pronounced koosh) or baker’s cloth, is simply a “bed” or “resting place,”. It is a piece of thick canvas or linen that provides support for boules or baguettes during the proofing phase. Couche cloths are sometimes placed into baskets to support round boules, or they can be folded around baguettes.

Cloth is pleated to help shape the dough



When dusted and folded between lengths of dough it helps support and shape the dough. It also absorbs a little of the dough’s outer moisture to help develop a skin, hold the final shape and develop a crisp crust.

Did you know that Bakers’ Couches are best left unwashed. This way the yeasty, floury surface on the cloth is kept and helps to give the bread that unique crust that baguettes are known for.

We make our Baker’s Couches from 100% unbleached organic cotton, they are hand made to order by our skilled team in our farm-based factory.

Couche cloths can be branded


If you would like more information, contact our design team on 01908 290482 or email sales@cottonroots.co.uk

Made to Order Fair-trade & Organic Workwear

Does your organisation want to purchase “bespoke” polo shirts, t shirts, hoodies or aprons made with Fairtrade certified, or organic cotton?  If so we can help.

As Fairtrade licensees we are specialists in manufacturing Fairtrade and organic certified clothing. We enjoy working hand in hand with our teams in India to ensure your orders are great quality, delivered on time, hassle free.

Perfect for larger orders of 500 plus we manufacture for you Fairtrade certified bespoke polo shirts, t shirts, hoodies, aprons and sweatshirts. Delivery is around 14-16 weeks from our two Indian factories.

Fairtrade Fashion and Farmers

Fairtrade certification Mark for Cotton

Fairtrade certified clothing can be fashionable, fitted, baggy, traditional, stylish, durable, warm, cool, colourful, neutral. The list is endless.

The farmers who produce the cotton are the key focus in the cycle of manufacture.  The whole chain, farmers, spinners, weavers, dyers, sewing, embroidery and printing can be traced.  Every single part of the cycle must be a licensee with their own FLO number.  

In a nutshell – Ethics plus everything else!  A perfect combination.

Complete trace ability. Completely do-able. No excuses.

  • we offer advice on the correct knit and weight of fabric for your garment
  • pantone dye the fabric to the colour specification you give usMade to order clothing organic
  • arrange for “lab-dips” of the fabrics and colours for you to approve
  • create a sizing set of the garments so you can check and approve
  • every stage of production is always approved by our customer
Fairtrade Cotton for our T Shirts India

Here we are spending time with the cotton farmers in  – proudly showing us their organic cotton plants.

Cotton grown by Pratima Organic Growers Group

 

Contact us to discuss your project.

Telephone 01908 511051

Please Note: We are a corporate clothing and supplier specialising in company uniform, unfortunately we are not able to assist with fashion enquires. 

Buy Once, Buy Well

Over the last 50 years in the UK, buying habits have dramatically changed.  Buying an item of clothing, furniture or homeware used to be after much deliberation, something that was researched, considered and saved up for. 

For many reasons this changed, possibly with the introduction of credit which enabled instant gratification and the introduction of mass produced cheaper products. This meant that the general population could buy new things without much thought or consideration.  Often, once the initial excitement is over; and maybe the fashion has moved on, this will be discarded and replaced with the next latest product.

Waste is a huge problem for the world, and one which has been created largely by this shift in purchasing.  Educating people in the wisdom and satisfaction of saving up, considered purchases for a better quality, longer lasting product is one of the ways we can help to reverse the trend.

Have a look at our range of ethical uniform and workwear click here

Men’s Jacket Made with Recycled Fibres