Denim has stood the test of time, it’s a fantastic fabric: durable, stylish, versatile. But denim production is damaging the environment. And why is it so hard to find jeans that are actually comfy? If you’re on the hunt for jeans that are sustainable ✅ super stretchy ✅ and comfy ✅ you’re in the right place.

It’s 1694. The warm sun rises over the town of Nimes and the Mediterranean breeze blows in through the windows of the fabric factory. Inside, the weavers are trying to create a new fabric. They’re trying to replicate the one that came in from Genoa a few weeks earlier. A tough, hard-wearing cotton fabric. And finally, after experimenting with a twill weave, they had something that was close, and possibly even better…(or was it?) 

Fast forward another hundred years or so, and in the 1800s, Levi Strauss used this fabric from Nimes (‘de Nimes’ > denim) to create sturdy workwear, reinforcing the seams with metal rivets.

 It was a hit with miners, who loved this sturdy workwear.

 And it wasn’t just the miners who loved denim. Industrial workers were wearing it, cowboys were donning the denim. It became a symbol of youth and rebellion. John Wayne, John Lennon, John Travolta, even people who weren’t called John were wearing denim.

Unlike legwarmers, shoulder pads and shag bands, denim has very much stood the test of time. (Even my Dad can pull off a bit of denim.)

Sturdy, trendy, timeless, versatile… could denim be the ultimate fabric of all fabrics?

Turns out, from an environmental perspective, it’s not great at all. In fact, for a fabric made of natural fibres, it’s as guilty as they come when you look at its carbon footprint.

Denim production has a HUGE impact on the environment. From the fabric it’s made with to the unique dying and washing process that gives it that classic casual look.

The environmental impact of traditional denim

Let’s start with the fabric. Denim is traditionally made with cotton, a cash crop that is damaging the environment.

As only 1% of cotton is grown organically, so the majority of cotton crops are awash with pesticides and chemicals that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (Nitrous oxide in fact, which is 310 times more powerful than carbon dioxide).

 What’s more, cotton is a thirsty crop. Way thirstier than I am after getting lost on a multi-pitch climb in the middle of the summer. Now just imagine how much water you’ve drunk over the last 5 years…it’s probably somewhere in the region of 5400 litres. And that’s roughly how much water it takes to grow enough cotton for a pair of jeans.

Denim traditionally undergoes a dying and washing process - that’s where its characteristic colour and fading comes from. The indigo used for dying the threads isn’t water soluble, so stabilizers are added. Toxic stabilizers in fact. And another 50-100 litres of water for one pair of jeans...The waste water from this process is often released back into the environment, along with residues of the toxins.

So, does this mean it’s time to say adieu to denim? 😱

Not exactly. It’s definitely time to ditch destructible denim.☠️

There is such a thing as sustainable denim.😅 Not just sustainable, but super stretchy, made-to-move denim jeans.

It’s what you’ll find in your 3RD ROCK denim garments, from the skinny-it ultimate mover Marple to super-stretch take-on-anything Gaia.🕺🧗🤸

Organic cotton - First of all, this means no nasty chemicals on the crops or in the ground. (A cocktail of chilli, garlic and cow pee is used to deter any cheeky insects). It’s more sustainable for the farmers too as they can command higher, more stable prices and don’t have to spend loads of money on chemical pesticides and fertilizers.

The dyes - we use aniline-free dyes ← that means no toxins. Zilch. Nada.

The process - Our denim is finished using the awesome Jeanologica production process. The facility we use is one of only 6 (!) in the world that offers this green denim technology. They recycle 20% of waste materials and plant 5000 trees a year.

Depending on whether you’re a dark wash denim person or prefer light or raw wash, the finishing processes are slightly different. But they both have a Green EIM score (Environmental Impact Measurement). If you want to find out more about this process (and what makes all our fabrics sustainable), check out our Sustainability page.

3D ROCK jeans are not the kind you’ll be peeling off with a great sigh of relief at the end of the day.  

All of our denim jeans and shorts are: 

• Designed for movement. The super-stretch fabric and diamond-cut crotch give you naked-like freedom of movement. (Without the awkwardness of actually being naked at the crag)

• Mega comfy. The 4 way stretch (with recycled elastane) and super smart diamond cut crotch means you’ll never want to take them off.

• Durable. Our ecomorph denim is highly durable, so your new favourite jeans don’t get trashed on their first outing on gritstone.

• Jeans you can wear any day, anywhere. Climbing ✅ Eating pizza ✅ Doing cartwheels on the beach ✅ (Only problem is, what are you gonna wear when they eventually need washing??)

The hard part is choosing. Here’s an intro to our 3 most popular designs:

Gaia super stretch eco jeans
Mega comfort, these high-waisted stretchy jeans have a loose fit with a tapered ankle and elasticated waistband. These will move with you, on the rock and off the rock. We just love the rolled-up look! Best for: cool and casual vibes

Marple skinny fit ultimate mover sustainable jeans

Super stretchy second-skin comfort. These are jeans that will move with you, even (especially) on those high foot climbing moves. Best skinny fit jeans for ultimate movement

Mercury maximum movement darkest indigo jeans

Dress them up, dress them down. These ones are great for wild adventures, but they look pretty swish for more tame use as well :). Best all-rounder jeans

Almost as important as being sustainable…all our jeans have deep pockets you can actually put stuff in.

This is high tech sustainable denim right here, right now. Our denim is designed for movement and comfort. It’s sustainable, stretchy and ready for your next adventure.

It’s time to ditch destructive denim and say yes to sustainable denim. Who’s with us?

Check out our EcoMorph denim 4 way stretch jeans range

Resources/references

https://www.trvst.world/sustainable-living/fashion/environmental-impact-of-cotton/

https://ccgga.org/cotton-information/much-cotton-take/

 https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-023-00476-z

 https://news.uga.edu/scientists-find-eco-friendly-way-to-dye-blue-jeans/

https://www.oxfam.org.uk/media/press-releases/making-the-jeans-owned-by-brits-produced-co2-equivalent-to-flying-around-the-world-more-than-2300-times/

https://www.hawthornintl.com/history-of-denim

https://www.levistrauss.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/A-Short-History-of-Denim2.pdfhttps://www.makefashionbetter.com/blog/the-environmental-impact-of-the-denim-industry#:~:text=Dyeing%20and%20washing%20processes%20are,in%20most%20denim%20producing%20places.