MATE The Label
MATE is an athleisure clothing brand that is proving that sportswear does not have to be synthetic to perform well.
MATE is an athleisure clothing brand that is proving that sportswear does not have to be synthetic to perform well.
“MATE is on a mission to clean up the fashion industry, one garment at a time,” says Founder Kayti Carr. This female-founded company with a fully domestic supply chain. All garments are cut, sewn, and dyed within a 17-mile radius of headquarters in Los Angeles.
Most of MATE products are made from organic cotton and low-impact dyes, and most of their raw material comes from Maharashtra, India, except for the linen sourced from flax seeds in Belarus and tencel made in Lenzing, Austria.
Some Mate products contain spandex, tencel, or recycled cotton certified by Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). Its mildly intensive exercise gear carries 92% organic cotton and 8% spandex. MATE is also developing a line of intensive activewear that will include 8% elastane. The company has switched from plastic to natural pearwood buttons.
MATE prides itself on clean dressing and favors organic yarns and non-toxic dyes. You won't ever find polyester, nylon, or polyamide in these garments. The company has also decided to limit its production by making seasonless quality pieces that can be worn every single day, year-round.
Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (I)
Renewable Energy. No data
Climate Neutral. The company is currently working toward its 2021 certification for carbon neutrality.
Local Supply Chain. All goods are knitted, cut, sewn, and dyed in LA, within a 17-mile radius of our headquarters in order to reduce carbon footprint.
Support for nonprofits. The company partnered with 1% For the Planet and donated over $95,000 to environmental and social justice organizations in 2020.
Circular economy. The company has partnered with New Denim Project, a family-owned industrial textile group in Guatemala that will recycles fabric scraps into new MATE products.
Recycled and compostable packing slips, tissue paper with no extra branding material.
Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (II)
In the wake of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, Mate made a number of concerted efforts to address the issue head on. Here are a few of our favorites:
Mate The Label is also a woman-owned company.
Retirement fund & profit Sharing. The company offers 401K, profit sharing, and paid volunteer days. The company matches its employees’ charitable donations.
Partnerships with factories and farms. We love that MATE gives credit to its factory partners by featuring them on the site: Mola Inc, Ghlee Apparel, Inc, GTLA Apparel, Inc. Thienes Apparel, Inc and Bergin Logistics, Inc. cut, sew and dye their products.
The company has also joined the California Cotton & Climate Coalition (C4) to promote California-grown cotton and regenerative farming practices in partnership with California farmers.
1.5x paid for overtime. Employees who perform overtime work will be compensated at 1.5 times their non-overtime rate. Employees cannot work more than 6 consecutive days to ensure time for self-care and recharging their bodies.
MATE pledges to maintain “safe, comfortable, and fair working environments.” The company supports worker self-care practices through Headspace, meditation training & yoga memberships, a monthly group exercise.
Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (III)
Mate has created its own Product Impact Test to determine how each garment weighs in against the environment. The company also publishes its goals for improvement in its annual Impact Report.
The company publishes an annual Impact Report regarding improvements toward sustainability in the supply chain as well as in its company culture. Mate has even published its internal Code of Conduct.
We’re always on the lookout for interesting brands. If you are a brand or business owner on a mission, get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!
Work With Us