Sustainability

At Madcap England, we are committed to being as sustainable and environmentally conscious as possible and wanted to let you know what steps we are taking to become a more eco-conscious brand.

As a retro and vintage inspired brand, we aim to design and make garments which will be future vintage pieces (with a little TLC and proper care!) - the antithesis to fast fashion. Everything we make is intended to be worn season after season - they are classic designs which stand the test of time. We are a family owned business and we work closely with our manufacturing partners (also family owned businesses) to produce new, unique styles in very small quantities. Due to this way of working we don't have set Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter collections - rather new things are arriving all the time.

You probably won’t see our garments on your local high street - Madcap England is only available directly through our own websites and via a very small number of selected boutique stockists worldwide. We limit our production runs to minimise the chances of our clothing ending up in landfill. We're learning and improving as we go along and hope this page will give you some info about the progress we're making and what we're doing next.

Slow Fashion

As mentioned above, Madcap England is a slow fashion brand. From development to production, the lead time can often be between six and twelve months. Our designs are retrospective, classics which stand the test of time and are intended to be worn season after season to minimise the chances they will end up in landfill. Each style in our collection is carefully thought out and made with this in mind, and this is why sometimes items are very limited quantities or limited colour options.

Meet the Maker

The majority of Madcap England clothing is made in India. (A small amount of our production being made elsewhere incliding Turkey, China and the UK).

Our manufaturer in India is located in Bhiwandi, a city approximately 20km northeast of Mumbai and known for its textile industry. The factory is small but very clean and well ventilated. Workers are paid the living wage and offered accomodation as many come from remote villages and this cuts down on daily travel costs. They work seasonally so have plenty of time back with their families.

Our garments are handmade. Our manufacturer uses old pattern cutting methods and nothing is done by huge machinery. Our clothing is made in small quantities and not mass produced. There will always be some impact on the environment but we want to do the best we can and give back what we can.

Packaging

Plastic is a problem, or rather our reliance as a society on products that contain plastic. We need to get your goods to you in tip-top condition and perfectly protected from the elements while they're in transit around the world. Traditionally the plastic bag mailers have been used widely in the mail order industry as they were light but robust. We have recently moved away from the plastic mailer bag to use strengthened paper bags for delivery of your order. These bags are recyclable and can be recycled in your regular home recycling bin.

Fabrics

We're looking for and taking advice about replacing as much of our fabrics with sustainable and sustainable fabrics. Watch this space for updates about this as soon as we have them! Currently a large portion of our range (including all our knitwear) is 100% cotton, a fibre which is naturally sustainable, breathable, kind to your skin, comfortable to wear, durable and easy to care for.

Care for Clothes

With a little care and attention your clothing can last longer, cutting down on waste going into landfil. Over 25% of a garment’s environmental impact happens after it's been bought by a customer, with the average lifetime of a garment in the UK being estimated at just over 2 years and up to £140 million worth of clothing ending up in landfill each year (source) - so by thinking about how we look after our clothes we can seek to reduce this, save energy and ultimately save money. Here's our top tips for caring for your clothes:

Wash less to maintain the quality. Washing breaks down the fibres in your garments and this is particularly true of dry cleaning. Use shorter washing cycles if you can and try to wash garments only when you really need to. If an item isn't dirty and just needs freshening up, try hanging it outside for a while or in a steamy bathroom to air it.

Wash on a cool 30°C and on a gentle cycle to reduce microfibre release and CO2 emissions. The temprature on the care label is the maximum temprature you should wash at, and not the recommended temprature. You can wash it at lower tempratures and it will still come our clean and soft and this protects the colour from fading for longer too (Exceptions to this are garments worn close to the skin such as underwear or bedding and towels which may need higher tempratures).

Use eco-laundry powders and detergents. Standard detergents can contain fossil fuel-based substances, which can have negative effects on the environment as they don’t biodegrade. There are now a growing number of eco-laundry products that are made from biodegradable, plant-derived ingredients.

Wash inside out to further protect your garments and avoid over filling the washing machine as this can cause friction and damage to the fibres.

Avoid the dryer! Air dried clothing smells fresger and clothing lasts longer when line dried ( or dried on racks or hangers) as there is less wear and tear than when they are tumble dried and uses a lot of energy to run. The tumble dryer breaks down the fibres in your clothing and the heat will cause shrinkage and twisting. (Note care labels as some items like knitwear should be dried flat and not hung).

Avoid the Iron too - and get a steamer instead! Humidity helps to straighten the fibres in your clothes, and the humidity is much gentler than a traditional iron.

Store your clothing carefully. Don't hang T-shirts, jerseywear or knitwear as it will stretch out of shape and may form holes at the sleeve head. This type of clothing should be stored folded instead. Also don't hang when drying (especially knitwear!) as this will cause stretching too. Store garments with air around them, in a cool dry place and away from heat, sunlight or damp. Natural fibres need breathing room so don't over stuff your wardrobe and drawers!

Repair and rewear! There will always be some wear and tear over time, so prolong the life of your favourite garments by reattaching buttons, restitching seams, etc. Remember, a stitch in time saves nine - and saves your clothes from the rubbish heap too!

Donate or recycle. When a garment comes to the end of it's wardrobe life with you, if it's still in a wearable condition consider donating it or else recycle it wherever possible.