Taylor Stitch's Recycling Program Has Already Saved More Than 1 Million Gallons of Water

Photo: Taylor Stitch

Plenty of brands give lip service to the idea of reducing fashion waste, but a growing number of Bay Area companies are putting real effort behind the concept. Rothy’s turns plastic bottles into comfortable flats, Marine Layer upcycles old tees into cute new tees, and now Taylor Stitch is refurbishing and reselling pieces through its Restitch program.

While accidents can befall even the best-made clothes, Restitch is a testament to the durability of Taylor Stitch’s garments. To source the collection, the brand collects pre-owned items from customers as well as defective garments from Taylor Stitch factories. Customers who drop off their old TS items at the store receive a $25 credit per item. Those pieces are then cleaned, repaired, and prepped for resale in a program run by Yerdle—another Bay Area company focused on sustainability. Customers get awesome clothes at a steep discount, and the Earth gets a break from all the waste. While experimenting with the Restitch concept, Taylor Stitch collected more than 600 pairs of pants and 600 button-down shirts to be resold, and saved more than 1.5 million gallons of water, according to Fast Company.

How do Restitch prices compare to retail? A Taylor Stitch Jack style longsleeve shirt sells for $98 at presale or $125 regularly The Restich Jack style sells for $47.04-$58.50, depending on the condition. Shoppers can select from Good As New, Lightly Worn, and Well Worn options.

Founder and CEO Michael Maher told Fast Company the ultimate goal is to make clothes from sustainable materials that last without repairs, but the fashion industry still needs ways to repair and resell used clothes. “You talk to The North Face and this type of platform is such a natural fit for its consumer–it’s like it’s helping protect their playground,” Maher said. “We’re trying to shift that into the fashion space for the more everyday person, because we have a strong belief that this is something that needs to happen.”