Of the Oceans (hemp jeans for men)
Of the Oceans is a sustainable menswear brand based in Leicestershire. It offers a nice selection of blue jeans made from hemp, an eco-friendly fabric that launders safely, without releasing microplastics from washing machines in to the sea.
For any clothing containing synthetic fibres, launder in a microfiber filter.
Hemp can be grown in Europe (so has less ‘fashion miles’ than cotton). Only distantly related to cannabis (these jeans won’t make you high!), it grows organically, removing heavy metals from the soil. It can be used to make other goods like rope and paper, and the seeds are full of nourishing omega acids, they can even be made into vegan ice-cream!
Many of us live in jeans for a good part of the time, they are easy to put on, and go with most other items of clothing. But as one of the world’s favourite items of clothing, there are huge sustainability issues.
It’s recommended to launder these as infrequently as possible, although of course you can, but you’ll ended up with faded jeans very quickly! To preserve colour, wash them inside out in cold water with a mild detergent on a delicate cycle, and air-dry them.
Why choose hemp jeans?
- Some use real leather patches on the back patches, often made in countries with poor animal welfare laws. A few brands are now adding ‘Jacron’ (vegan paper patches that look like leather) instead.
- The blue chemical dyes run off into rivers, even changing the skin colour of street dogs, who have turned blue from drinking the polluted water.
- The jeans industry is very wasteful, with masses of chemically-dyed cotton jeans going to waste (cotton farming is responsible for a good portion of the world’s pesticides, which also harms farmers).
- Many brands are sold in plastic packaging, with plastic tags.
You can also buy jeans made from organic or recycled cotton, another good choice.
Cost per wear: paying more saves money!
Although these blue jeans cost more, you have to balance this with cost per wear. A quality pair of jeans that are worn over 100 times, ends up costing less than a cheap pair that lose their shape and tear after a few months. Then you have to go and buy another pair.
