At yris, we think a lot about what we wear. Not just how it looks, but how it feels, where it comes from and how it was made.
When we started creating our first collection, we knew we wanted our boxers to feel good on the skin. But we also wanted to understand what was behind the fabric we were using. That’s what led us to organic cotton — and eventually to our production partner in India.
Why organic cotton?
Cotton has always been a natural choice for us. It’s soft, breathable and comfortable — exactly what we want from something you wear every day. But not all cotton is grown in the same way.
Organic cotton is grown without the use of genetically modified seeds and with strict limits on synthetic pesticides and fertilisers. This can help protect soil health, biodiversity and the people working with the crop.
For us, choosing organic cotton felt like a simple first step towards making more thoughtful choices. Our cotton is GOTS certified, which means the entire production process has to meet specific environmental and social criteria — not just the way the cotton is grown.
We’re not choosing organic cotton because it makes a product automatically perfect or sustainable. We chose it because, when there are better options available, we want to take them.
Made in India — why it’s about how, not just where
When people hear that something is made in India, they sometimes immediately associate it with mass production or poor working conditions. But a country alone doesn’t tell you how a garment was made.
For us, the more important questions are: Where does the material come from? Who makes the clothes? How are they treated? How transparent is the production process? And how much does the brand actually know about its supply chain?
Our production partner is based in India, where cotton has been grown and processed for generations. India is also one of the world’s largest producers of organic cotton.
What we particularly value about our partnership is that the cotton can be sourced and processed directly in India and more specifically close to their production. This helps us keep parts of the supply chain close together, rather than moving raw materials across several countries before they become a finished garment.
It doesn’t make the journey impact-free — but it can help avoid unnecessary steps, resources and transport.
The people behind our clothes
For us, sustainability is also about people. Our production partner is GOTS certified and ensures that workers receive a living wage and work under fair conditions. These things matter just as much to us as the fabric itself. Because behind every pair of boxers is someone who grew the cotton, spun the yarn, cut the fabric, sewed the pieces together and packed the finished product.
We think it’s important to know as much as we can about the people and processes behind what we make.
We’re not perfect
We also want to be honest about something: yris is not a perfect sustainable fashion brand. Making clothes always uses resources. Cotton needs water. Fabrics need to be processed. Clothes need to be transported. There is no simple label that can make all of this disappear. And we don’t want to pretend otherwise.
What we can do is make thoughtful decisions where we can. Choose certified organic cotton. Work with people who share our values. Keep our supply chain as transparent as possible. Make clothes we hope you’ll wear again and again. For us, sustainability isn’t about being perfect.
It’s about asking questions, learning as we go and trying to make better choices with every collection. And that’s something we want to keep doing.
Because we believe what you wear should feel good — in every sense.