We’ll be transparent: Our carbon footprint will never be zero. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t weave sustainable practices into what we do. Here’s how we’re reducing our environmental impact. How we make our products is just as important as what we make. That’s why we carefully weigh our decisions and consider our impact at every step of our process. Unfortunately, just buying an “eco-friendly” T-shirt or that jacket made from recycled plastic won’t save the planet. The truth of the matter is that all clothes have a negative environmental impact. Even pieces made from 100% organic materials. Even Levi’s®. We’re not saying that brands should stop producing or that you should stop buying clothes. We’re saying that brands have a responsibility to put more thought into how and what they produce, just as consumers have a responsibility to put more thought into how and what they purchase. We make clothing; our footprint will never be zero. But this reality won’t stop us from striving to do as little harm as possible. As a company with a global supply chain, we’re accountable to the people who wear and love our clothes, the workers who make the garments, the communities in which they are assembled and the resources of this planet that we all share. It’s in this spirit that we commit to constant progress and self-assessment to ensure we're delivering quality products that people love, while leaving as little harm in our wake as possible. The equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes is burned or dumped in a landfill every—single—second, culminating in 460 billion dollars worth of clothing wasted in the span of a year. 40% of clothing purchased in some countries is never worn. With the rise of fast fashion, many people refresh their wardrobes every season in pursuit of the latest trends. We’ve grown increasingly less thoughtful about our purchasing decisions, because we can afford to do so—but can we really? Here at Levi’s®, we know that the cost of fast fashion is too high. In order to divest from this cycle of waste, we approach our design processes and business models as powerful opportunities to advance sustainability throughout the lifecycle of our products. That means creating durable styles made to last, both in terms of style and construction. It means only investing our time, efforts and materials into styles we think will transcend time and trends. It means thinking from the get-go about how we can dramatically reduce our use of natural resources and increase our use of alternative materials. It also means designing with an eye towards fully circular products, and eventually, a closed-loop economy. The clothes we wear are only as good as what goes into them. That’s why we weave careful consciousness, research and innovation into where—and how—we source our materials. While we don’t grow cotton ourselves, we’re heavily invested in how it impacts the places where it’s planted and communities it supports. In order to support better cotton systems, we’ve set a goal to only use 100% sustainably sourced cotton by 2025. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re well on our way to making it happen. We approach other natural fibers and synthetics with the same sense of consciousness, striving to source responsibly and leave behind the smallest possible footprint. One of the primary ways we do that is through innovation. Over the past few years, we’ve introduced TENCEL™ lyocell (fibers made from eucalyptus grown in sustainably managed forests), Cottonized Hemp (hemp that’s been softed to feel like cotton yet grows faster, uses less water and leaves behind cleaner, healthier soils) and recycled polyester (exactly what it sounds like) into our line. And we’re always looking to innovate and introduce more sustainable fabrics and fiber strategies into our supply chain. Every step of our process matters, and our production methods are no exception. We harness data and innovation to continuously transform every aspect of our manufacturing process. -Labor standards: Our Terms of Engagement ensure that all the factories we work with meet ethical labor standards. - Worker Well-being: We partner with suppliers and local organizations to create programs focused on financial empowerment, health, equality and acceptance. Before implementing any of these programs, LS&Co.’s suppliers survey factory workers to hear their needs first-hand. Once identified, LS&Co. and its suppliers partner with local and national non-profits and NGOs to implement programs to meet the needs of workers. - Water usage: We aim to reduce our use of our planet’s most essential resource in manufacturing by 50% in areas of high water stress by 2025. And we have saved 4.2 billion liters of water since introducing Water<Less® in 2011. - Screened chemistry: We’re committed to identifying and removing potentially harmful chemicals from our supply chain.Levi’s® is part of a much larger picture and there’s only so much we can do alone. To this end, we share our findings with others brands in hopes of catalyzing changes across the industry. A garment’s footprint doesn’t stop once it’s made and purchased. In fact, how you treat and dispose of your jeans accounts for 23% of the total water used and up to 40% of the climate impact of its lifecycle. So, here’s the bad news: Over half of all garments made are burned or buried within the span of just one year, with around 20 billion garments of clothes ending up in a landfill each year. This has to change. Luckily, we have good news too: There’s a lot you can do to reduce the impact of your clothes and we’ve made it a priority to educate shoppers on care and recycling. By wearing your clothes for an extra nine months, you can reduce their carbon, waste and water footprint up to 30%. Practices like washing your jeans less often and getting them repaired, reinforced or altogether reworked give new life to old clothes. Our Tailor Tutorials series is a good place to start. If you’d rather leave it to the experts (a.k.a. us), the Levi’s® Tailor Shop has you covered. Not all clothes are meant to be family heirlooms passed down for generations—and that’s okay. When your time with a garment is up, recycling programs (like Levi’s® SecondHand!) can significantly extend the lifetime of your garments. All clothes come at a cost. So the next time you shop, ask yourself if the cost is worth it: Do you see yourself wearing this garment year after year? Do you actually like that piece, or are you only getting it because this style is “in” right now? While improvements within LS&Co. are all well and good, they’re not enough—we need everyone, shoppers and brands alike, to do their part to affect industry-wide structural change. We've come a long way, and together we can go so much further. “These facts show how unsustainable the fashion industry is” by the World Economic Forum “A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning fashion’s future” by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation “How Much Do Our Wardrobes Cost to the Environment?” by the World Bank “There is a Textile Waste Crisis” by ThredUp “The Life Cycle of a Jean” and “Use & Reuse” by Levi Strauss & Co.THE REAL PRICE OF FASHION
DECISIONS, DECISIONS.
THE GOOD STUFF
Cotton
New Material
WORK IN PROGRESS
REPAIR. REIMAGINE. RECYCLE.
FAQs
How many pair of jeans is enough? ›
Considering these factors, a reasonable range could be around 3 to 6 pairs of jeans in your wardrobe. This would provide you with enough variety for different occasions, styles, and seasons without overwhelming your closet.
What is the difference between denim and jeans? ›Jeans are a type of garment typically made from denim fabric and are characterised by double-stitching and rivets on the seams. Denim is a fabric. It is made of firm cotton in a twill weave and dyed with indigo.
What are some solutions to the problems denim production causes? ›Adopting recycling initiatives to reduce waste, such as recycling cotton scraps or using recycled cotton fibers to create new denim products. Some brands create new products from old garments through upcycling. Using renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power, to run denim manufacturing plants.
Why is denim not professional? ›Originally Answered: Why are jeans considered unprofessional? Because "professional" means "not working-class." When they were invented, jeans were associated with blue-collar work. They were meant to get muddy and gross and take lots of abuse without falling apart, even if you wore the same pair every day.
How many pairs of clothes is enough? ›The researchers found that a “sufficient” wardrobe consists of 74 garments and 20 outfits in total. As an example, they've suggested six outfits for work, three outfits for home wear, three outfits for sports, two outfits for festive occasions, plus four outdoor jackets and trousers or skirts.
How many clothes do I really need? ›How many pieces of clothing does one actually need in your wardrobe? Actually Bare Minimum is 13 pairs of clothes. 5 pairs of Outer wear means something you will be wearing in outdoors or daily office. 3 pairs of Home wear clothes means like shorts & t-shirts / tops or anything you are comfortable in.
Is jeans better than denim? ›Durability: Denim vs jeans
To make denim more durable, it is made of 100% cotton twill. Due to their fabric construction, jeans are also strong. The processing method, however, may affect how long they last. In comparison to denim, denim is more resilient.
Denim is a sturdy cotton twill fabric woven with an indigo, gray, or mottled white yarn. Denim is perhaps one of the most well-known and commonly worn fabrics there is, from the classic blue jeans to jackets, dresses, overalls, and more.
What is it called when you wear all denim? ›The Canadian tuxedo, aka jeans and a denim jacket or shirt, has remained a fashion statement since it was first coined in 1951. After a long day hunting, American singer and actor Bing Crosby checked in at the Vancouver Hotel but was denied entry due to his double denim attire.
How much denim is wasted? ›Every year a massive 2.16 million metric tons of denim jeans is globally wasted and mostly goes into landfill. Though denim is highly rich in cellulose, its valorisation has received little attention.
What makes denim special? ›
Denim is a strong cotton fabric made using a twill weave, which creates a subtle diagonal ribbing pattern. The cotton twill fabric is warp-facing, meaning that the weft threads go under two or more warp threads, and the warp yarns are more prominent on the right side.
What are the negative effects of denim? ›Denim manufacturing results in the release of between 40 and 65 L of effluent per kilogram of denim. According to Greenpeace International, the production of textiles is responsible for 20% of the world's water pollution.
Who wears the most denim? ›It's got to be America. From Wikipedia: North America accounts for 39% of global purchases for jeans, followed by Western Europe at 20%, Japan and Korea at 10% and the rest of the world at 31%.
Why is it called jeans not denim? ›The word Jeans comes from a twilled cotton fabric called 'Genoa fustian'; often used to make durable workwear. Labourers in the United States referred to their workwear as ' Jeans', after the city Genoa, where the fabric was initially woven.
What makes denim different? ›The denim is structurally stronger than regular trouser because of the intended use of coarser yarn count and heavy gsm of the fabric. Denim is a sturdy cotton warp-faced textile in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. This twill weaving produces a diagonal ribbing effect.
How many pairs of jeans does the average person have? ›Research cited by Fashion United found that on average women own 7 pairs of jeans and that men own on average 6 pairs, but despite this, we only really wear 4 pairs that we own. So why is that so many of us have more jeans that we actually need or actively wear?
How many pairs of jeans does the average person need? ›But for most office workers, three pairs of jeans are all that is really needed to look tidy and well dressed. The three pairs of jeans that I own are: the pair I bought this year, the pair I bought last year, and the pair I bought the year before last year. Here are my actual jeans. (Not a denim re-enactment!)
How long does the average person keep a pair of jeans? ›The average lifespan of jeans is about two to five years. For the most part, the lifespan of jeans depends on how often you wear them and what you do while wearing them. If you wear your jeans every day and move a lot in them, they will probably last about two years.
How many jeans should I wear? ›Depending on your laundry schedule, you might need more than 5 pairs of jeans. But for most people, 4 to 5 pairs of casual pants, including denim jeans, are all that is needed to look stylish and well dressed. Keep in mind that you don't need to wash your denim jeans too often.