Comfortable clothes enthusiasts now have a creative way to reduce their fashion footprints.
Fabric made from melted recycled plastic chips gave a curious, nature-loving couple in Arizona a new idea. With fiber made from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles and fishing nets, in 2015 this duo created high-quality, sustainable garments that support people, the planet, and all aspects of the yoga lifestyle.
"At Yoga Democracy, yoga isn’t simply physical movement. Yoga is meditation and mental health. Yoga is flowing through life. Yoga is holding space, for others and ourselves. Yoga is harmony between the outer world, and the inner world. At the end of the day, we create clothing to support every aspect of yoga, and those that practice it," says co-founder Travis Byfield.
"We’re made for free-range humans," he adds.
Yoga Democracy's (YD) co-founder, lead seamstress, and creative captain Haley Byfield personally begins the sewing process on every single product they produce, which include leggings, shorts, sports bras, T-shirts, and crop tops.
YD clothes are made from 79% recycled plastic (P.E.T.) and 21% spandex.
"As part of our eco-friendly processing, we don't do any kind of pre-washing or silicone washing. This saves water and eliminates chemical runoff," explains Byfield.
Holly Cannon, YV Yoga Democracy Active Wear partner, says the company's team takes every scrap of material that passes through their shop and turns it into something of use and beauty.
"And we're proud to be a USA Made product," she says.
Supporting and empowering women also is an integral part of the foundation of this sustainable, active wear alternative company.
"We aim to produce 95% of our products using recycled fibers and a low water impact in our production and supply chain. We are almost 100% vertically integrated from design to dyeing to sewing to order fulfillment; all carried out under one roof," says Byfield. "Our tight supply chain allows us to keep waste to a minimum while connecting makers directly to the customers who wear the products." YogaDemocracy.com