We all love Mountain Khakis, and we all love doing right by the people who work hard to fabricate our clothing. So, good news today as Mountain Khakis, one of our leading brands for casual pants, trucker hats and t-shirts, announces new clothing that will transition to Fair Trade Certified™. They some of our other favorites like Patagonia clothing and prAna yoga and casual clothing in achieving this certification. The new styles will launch with the spring 2016 line, and will expand to additional styles in fall 2016.
What is Fair Trade Certified™?
By partnering with Fair Trade USA, Mountain Khakis is doing far more than just adding a cool logo and label to their best-selling clothing. They’re showing that, as Fair Trade USA’s tagline explains, “Every Purchase Matters.” The certification process means that in every step of the process from the farms where the cotton is grown for example all the way to the factories and into the stores like Rock/Creek that sell the product to you, someone’s watching the supply chain and helping ensure a fair and positive impact for your purchases. FT USA explains: “We’re a nonprofit, but we don’t do charity. Instead, we teach disadvantaged communities how to use the free market to their advantage. With Fair Trade USA, the money you spend on day-to-day goods can improve an entire community’s day-to-day lives.”
“Mountain Khakis is committed to responsible apparel manufacturing, and our partnership with Fair Trade USA is an important step in our continuing efforts,” said Ross Saldarini, President of Mountain Khakis. “Having the Fair Trade Certified™ label on our apparel lets the consumer know that MK is committed to workers earning fair wages, investing in their communities, working in safe conditions and protecting the environment.”
For every certified style, Mountain Khakis will pay a portion of what Rock/Creek pays them into a fund that will be managed by the employees actually making the garments. They then choose the best way to use the funds, called Community Development Premiums, to improve their community’s quality of life, often in the realm of health care or education for example.
“Today’s shoppers now have the opportunity to make a real difference in the world with their purchases of apparel from companies like Mountain Khakis,” said Maya Spaull, Director of Apparel & Home Goods at Fair Trade USA. “More and more consumers want to know that their clothes are being made under safe, fair, transparent conditions. Fair Trade makes that possible—just look for the label.”
About Mountain Khakis
Rugged. Authentic. Reliable. Timeless. What started as a casual conversation at the Shady Lady Saloon in Jackson Hole, WY has become a top-performing mountain-inspired lifestyle apparel brand. Established in 2003, Mountain Khakis quickly became a staple in the wardrobe of everyone from ranch hands to golf pros, those who travel by jet, as well as those who travel by thumb. The Mountain Khakis brand story continues to resonate as it connects to the enthusiast who believes that freedom and rugged adventure is a way of life.