Welsh jeans manufacturer closes down website for Black Friday

Stephen Price

An acclaimed jeans manufacturer from west Wales has closed down its website this Black Friday in protest at ‘throwaway culture’ and its impact on the environment.

Taking to their social media Platforms, Cardigan-based Hiut wrote: “For Black Friday we have closed our website for 24 hours.

“As a small maker, we come in each day to make the best jeans we can, not the most jeans we can. We charge a fair price for them, enough we hope to keep us going as a business.”

“But for us, Black Friday feels like a battle to see who can be the cheapest. Lots of people buying things they don’t really need with money they don’t really have. All resourced from a planet that really can’t keep up.”

They added: “And the result, a throwaway culture when the planet needs us to make things to last.

“This year is on track to be the hottest year since records began, our planet doesn’t need a day dedicated to our overconsumption. We will reopen tomorrow, when common sense returns.”

Devastating impact

It’s estimated that more than two tonnes of clothing are bought each minute in the UK, more than any other country in Europe. That amount produces nearly 50 tonnes of carbon emissions, the same as driving 162,000 miles in a car.

In one month alone, the carbon footprint of new clothes bought in the UK was greater than flying a plane around the world 900 times.

According to Oxfam, the world’s poorest people have contributed the least to the climate crisis, yet are suffering the full force of its impacts: increased flooding, droughts and storms destroying lives, homes, jobs, livestock and crops.

Fast fashion relies on cheap, disposable clothing that is produced quickly and sold at low prices, encouraging consumers to buy and discard clothing at an alarming rate.

As a result, landfills are overflowing with discarded clothing, and textile waste is piling up.

Much of the fast fashion we buy is made from plastic too, and the impact of plastic fibres on the environment cannot be ignored. These tiny particles are polluting the oceans, entering our waterways and contaminating our food chain.

However, plastic fibres are not the only environmental issue caused by the fashion industry. Wastewater contaminated with toxic dyes and the use of harmful chemicals also contribute to the industry’s devastating impact on the planet.

Hiut aren’t alone in wanting to reduce the impact of fast fashion is a growing trend, with many people buying vintage and second hand clothing.

This is backed up in Co-op’s report Twenty Years of Ethical Consumerism. Before the coronavirus pandemic, charity shop sales had increased four-fold from £133m to £732m in 20 years.

‘Making jeans again’

The town of Cardigan used to be Britain’s largest supplier of jeans, employing 10% of its local population through the manufacturing of denim products.

In 2001, Cardigan’s factory closed, leaving 400 people unemployed.

10 years later, Hiut Denim Co was founded, providing jobs for many of the town’s experienced workers and quickly establishing a global reputation for its high-end sustainable jeans.

The company and its team follow a simple mantra: “Do one thing well.”

By focusing solely on the production of quality denim products made by experienced professionals, Hiut has brought the tradition of manufacturing jeans back to its home town.

Follow Hiut on Instagram or visit their website for more information.