Our Purpose
Bshirt & Sustainable Fashion:
Bshirt leads the charge in sustainable fashion. Over our six-year journey, we've focused on making the everyday wardrobe of women more adaptable to breastfeeding and pregnancy needs. Our ethos? Merging timeless design with ecological considerations, proving that style, functionality, and sustainability can harmoniously coexist.
The Stark Reality of Fashion’s Environmental Impact:
- Fashion's carbon footprint is staggering, responsible for 10% of global emissions. This isn't just a statistic—it's a call to action.
- Every year, a whopping 350k tonnes of garments are discarded into UK landfills. It's not just waste—it's lost potential for recycling and reuse.
- Alarmingly, the fashion world stands as the 2nd largest water consumer. It's tied to a concerning 20% of the world's water pollution, affecting our ecosystems and communities.
Our Threefold Eco-Mantra:
- Reduce: Beyond just clothes, we see a lifestyle. We champion lasting attire, urging our community to choose quality over quantity. Short-lived maternity fashion might be the norm, but we challenge that status quo.
- Reuse: Our certified PreLoved collection is more than a shopping choice—it's an eco-conscious statement. By embracing pre-loved garments, we not only save money but also champion a circular fashion cycle.
- Recycle: Bshirt is designed for longevity. And when its first journey ends, our Buy Back scheme ensures it's just the beginning. By returning their Bshirts, our customers enjoy a 10-30% reward, propelling them towards sustainable future purchases.
Our Vision, Our Shared Future:
Today's consumption habits shape tomorrow's world. At Bshirt, our mission goes beyond textiles. We aim to uplift breastfeeding rates in the UK, drastically cut down clothing waste, and weave a brighter, eco-conscious future. By supporting Bshirt, our customers don't just choose a brand—they choose a movement. Together, we're sewing the fabric of a better tomorrow.
“We are proud to be a micro brand tackling the world's big problems.”
Bshirt Co-Founders
Our Green Credentials
Bcorp Certified
B Corps are a new type of corporation which are purpose-driven, that value people and the planet. Certified B Corps, are companies verified by B Lab to meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
The Bshirt has put environmental sustainability at its core since day one. We became B Corp Certified in 2022. 80 points are needed to qualify and we scored 108.5. We are very proud of this testament to our ethical values and practices.
Fair Trade Registered
We are registered with BAFTS - the British Association of Fair Trade shops. We adhere to Fair Trade standards and our primary factory is registered with Fair Trade India. It has passed rigorous inspections to ensure the welfare of their workers. We are committed to ensuring that our products adhere to the strictest standards for human welfare.
GOTS Certified Organic Cotton
Choosing GOTS Certified Organic cotton means that harmful chemicals, pesticides and dyes aren’t pumped into the environment and water supplies while making our fabric. Choosing to buy organic clothing is good for you, your baby and the environment.
Plastic Free Packaging
We use recycled paper envelopes to ship your Bshirt and PLANT BASED garment bags, which are 100% home compostable.
Sustainable Fashion
We're a Sustainable Fashion Brand
As fashion directors, we were shocked to learn that fashion is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions!
The fashion industry:
- is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions
- sends 350k tonnes of clothes to landfill in the UK each year
- is the second biggest consumer of water worldwide
- is responsible for 20% of the world's water pollution
Reduce: Buy less, wear better
It's really simple - we all need to wear clothes. But buying fast fashion isn't sustainable or responsible. Maternity and breastfeeding clothes are intentionally designed for short term use, adding to the clothing waste disaster. We believe that Slow Fashion is the solution we desperately need in order to buy less and wear better.
Reuse: Buy pre-loved
Shop from our certified PreLoved collection to save money and reduce clothing waste.
Our Impact
Social Enterprise
We are a Social Enterprise, with a Profit with Purpose business model. This means that we hold our Social and Environmental Impacts as important as we hold making a profit. We are unique in that we are a company limited by shares, but we have a self-imposed asset lock on our profits, and a social lock on our mission. We feel all businesses should operate in this way - by considering the impact their products have on the environment, on making their customer’s lives better, as well as the bottom line.
Social and Environmental Impact
Our Impact Report will be available at the end of 2022.
Impact Measurement
We are working with Low Carbon Devon to measure our CO2 emissions. The project involves a 'cradle-to-grave' life cycle assessment of our products, it will also involve identifying carbon reduction strategies and where improvements can be made in the short, medium and long-term.
Social Impact
Our Social Enterprise has established itself as committed to empowering women to breastfeed with confidence. Our customer survey shows that:
- 84% of 1,500 customers surveyed felt more confident feeding in front of others while wearing their Bshirt.
- 79% of women we surveyed found breastfeeding easier while wearing their Bshirt.
- 68% reported reduced social isolation and improved mental health as a result of being able to breastfeed in public whenever necessary, with minimised stress and embarrassment.
- 80% of our customers report they want to be part of the Circular Economy
- 90% report that ethical clothes are too expensive and they are interested in renting as an alternative to buying for economic and environmental reasons.
Environmental Impact
- By using recycled cotton instead of conventional, we will be reducing CO2 emissions and using less water
- By renting used clothing, we will be further reducing emissions and water usage
- By recycling our garments back into fibres, we reduce the amount of clothing going to landfill
- We will partner with specialist organisations to accurately measure and report on our environmental impact.
- This will include a detailed analysis of our emissions and water usage, before and after our pivot to circular fashion.
Manufacturing Impact
The GlobalData, 2021 Thredup Resale Report included the following stats around a single garment of clothing - used vs new:
- Carbon Emissions (Ib of CO2e) are 21.1 new and 3.7 used
- Energy Demand (kw of Energy) is 38.8 new and 4.8 used
- Water use (gallons of water) is 78.5 new and 1.2 used
About Us
Our Story
Supported By
The Bshirt is proud to be supported by the following organisations.
Innovate UK
The Bshirt has Been supported by a number of Innovate UK programmes including:
- Creative Industries Fund
- Global Business Innovation Programme’s trade mission to India
- Sustainable Fashion in India Programme
- Women in Innovation Award Winner
Devon County Council – Devon Elevation Fund - Community Renewal Fund
This project supported website rebrand and support with growth.
Our Awards
Our multi-award winning products are designed by mums, for mums.
