Product

Denim made better

Denim. It’s a wardrobe classic.

But from the first seed to last stitch, making a pair of jeans involves a bunch of processes with different environmental impacts, especially around water use. That’s why we collaborate with experts and suppliers to bring in innovations that go easy on the H2O. The result: hundreds of our latest ASOS DESIGN jeans use approximately 50% less water in the washing, ageing and finishing process than before. Let’s dig into the deets.

1. It starts with more responsible cotton

Almost all jeans are made pretty much exclusively from cotton – and guess what? Hundreds of ASOS Design denim pieces are produced using more sustainable cotton, which for ASOS means through the Better Cotton Initiative, recycled, or organic cotton. (Want to learn more about how we're working to source more responsible cotton? Head here.)

2. Finishing (aka washing) your jeans

After they’re sewn together, the jeans are finished (or washed) in laundries, which is important for a few reasons. Firstly, it removes starch (bye, stiff fabric), fixes in the dye and pre-shrinks the jeans before they hit your washing machine. Plus, it gives denim its classic distressed look and feel.

This is where your plain jeans start to take on their own character. Finishing is not just one stage, but several different processes specific to each jean. And traditionally, these are water-intensive – whether stonewashing, rinse washing, bleaching or other techniques. That’s because the fabric is rinsed after each finishing step.

But we’re trying to change that. We collaborate with experts and suppliers to bring in innovations that go easy on the H2O. The result: hundreds of our latest ASOS DESIGN jeans use approximately 50% less water in the washing, ageing and finishing process than before.

And it’s not just water. New technologies and techniques are transforming denim finishing. Some of our suppliers have started using lower-impact processes that reduce the use of chemicals and energy as well – like ozone and enzyme washing, and laser distressing – which can digitally imprint an effect in just 90 seconds. This means no chemicals, less energy and only one rinse is involved in the finishing process. Jeanius. 

3. There’s no sustainable without ethical

We can’t talk about our jeans and sustainability without acknowledging the people who make them. As well as our policy restricting the use of any hazardous chemicals, we aim to protect workers’ rights by putting transparency first, working closely with our suppliers and collaborating with organisations around the world to improve the lives of the people who make our clothes. Want to know more? Check out our blog on how we support garment workers’ rights.