Sustainability in fashion is a slow process, and we're the first to admit we're not there yet. But we work on it every single day. To show you where we stand, we use the Sustainable Design Cards: a universal tool that maps what we already do and where we want to go next.

What are sustainable design cards?

Sustainable design cards help brands make their design and production choices visible. Each card stands for a way to make a product last longer. Together, the cards that a brand fulfills, form a diagram called the compass.

Think of the compass as a Venn diagram with three areas: functional, emotional and technical. Every card lands somewhere between these three, depending on how it adds to a product's lifespan. Take a custom-made binder: you'll feel a strong emotional connection to it, and it fits your functional needs perfectly. That makes it a piece you'll keep wearing for a long time.

And that's the whole point. The longer a product lasts, the less often it needs replacing. Repairing items and wearing them for years means less production, a smaller carbon footprint and less waste.

Our sustainable design cards

As a team, we sat down together and went through all the cards to decide which ones really fit UNTAG. That way, everyone on the team knows where we stand, and now you do too. These are the cards we're proud to fulfill, each one showing how our design process helps our products last longer.

•        Aesthetic lifetime: We don't design around trends. We choose materials and design methods that last, so our pieces stay timeless and you'll want to keep wearing them.

•        Co-creation: We design with our community, not just for them. We sit down with community members and work on designs together, so their input shapes the final product.

•        Customisation: We make custom binders, like the one we sewed for a customer's wedding. Dreaming of your own? Get in touch at service@untag.com.

•        E-shop: Our website is our biggest shop. Selling online makes UNTAG accessible to more people and avoids the footprint of running a physical store. Our website also has a dark theme, which uses less energy on many screens.

•        Embedded storytelling: A product with a story means more to you. Gender-affirming clothing already carries a lot of meaning, because gender-affirming care is so important for trans and non-binary people and the wider LGBTQIA+ community. We make that bond even stronger by sharing our customers' stories in our blog posts.

•        Formal alteration and modification: Need a binder that's a little more you, but not fully custom? We alter our binders on request, for example by making them shorter or adding a zipper. Just contact us at service@untag.com.

•        Formal sharing and heritage: This card is about sharing and donating binders, giving them a second life and helping people who need one. We donate binders we can no longer sell, like returns that had to be machine washed. They go to people who can't afford a binder themselves and to organisations that share them within their communities.

•        Information: The more you know about your product, the better you can take care of it, and the longer it lasts. That's why we share care info and tips on our social media, website, emails, newsletters and blog.

•        Labelling: Clear labels keep us accountable. Our products have QR codes that tell you what your product is made of, where it was made, and how to wear it safely. Wearing your garment the right way is better for you, and it helps it last longer too.

•        Production on demand: Besides custom binders, we also make non-custom binders on demand. We've run several pre-orders, like the first drop of the Lace Binder and the Tank Binder Reversible made from deadstock fabric, and only produced what was ordered. The Lace Binder turned out to be such a hit that it joined our permanent collection.

•        User understanding: Your needs come first. We collect feedback at every step of our production and look for ways to put it into practice. Comments on social media or in person, at events like Comic Con, about how to improve our products? We take every single one seriously.

•        Informal alteration and modification: This is when you alter or make clothing yourself. On our website we share how to make your own binder, and on our Pinterest you'll find tips for altering or creating your own gender-affirming clothing.

•        Informal sharing and heritage: This is all about passing products on from one person to the next. We actively promote binder donations, so find a donation location near you.

•        Maintenance: Good care makes your products last. You'll find care instructions through the QR code on your garment, in our newsletters and on the FAQ page of our website.

•        Mono-material: Most of our products are made entirely of the same polyester and elastane blend, with no mix of different fabrics within one garment. By keeping the number of material types as low as possible, we make recycling easier. Exceptions are products with extra functional layers, like the absorbent layer in our Period Packing Boxers.

•        Multi-functionality: Our garments do more than one thing. You can wear them every day, and you can swim in them too, not just in our swim collection. Think of the Built-in Singlet Binder or the High Waisted Tucking Thong. And our Lace Binder? It makes a great top on its own.

•        Re-use: We give things a second life whenever we can. We donate binders we can't sell anymore, like laundered returns, and turn our fabric waste into something new, like merchandise. Our products don't get thrown out easily.

•        Zero-waste: We keep waste as low as possible during our design process, especially cutting waste. We place our pattern pieces as close together as possible on the fabric, like a puzzle, so there are fewer offcuts. And the offcuts we do have? We've used them to make our Packing Pouch.

•        Up-cycling: When a product isn't performing well, we turn it into something new. Tucking Panties that didn't sell well, for example, became packing undies. We use up all our fabrics so we don't create deadstock, and we buy deadstock fabric ourselves to make limited items.

Our compass

Now let’s find out how all these cards look combined. Here you can see the design cards together on the UNTAG compass. Each coloured blob is one design card, placed between technical, functional and emotional depending on what it improves. Turns out we've made quite the rainbow!

Our wishlist cards

There's always room to grow. These are the cards we're actively working towards.

•        Repair: We're working on instructions for repairing your products at home, because according to the card, repairs can be done by a specialist or by you.

•        Product honesty: This card is about being open about the technical details of our products, through QR codes and care labels. We'll be adding more of this information to our website.

•        Technical durability: This card is about making sure materials last as long as the product is meant to, backed by standardised tests like ISO abrasion and tear tests. We're currently collecting data from our own testing to see how we can improve.

•        Ethical supply chain: We don't work with anyone who supports unethical labour practices. Our next step is to guarantee that every worker in our supply chain works under fair and sustainable conditions.

•        Local production: We keep things as close to home as we can. We design everything in Amsterdam and produce in Poland. Some of our fabrics come from Belgium and some from outside Europe, and some of our accessories are made outside the EU. Wherever we can, we make informed choices about where and how our products are made.

•        Modularity: Modularity means that parts of a garment can be replaced. We're looking into selling haberdashery separately, such as zippers and hook-and-eye closures, so you can repair your own garments.

Where we go from here

The Sustainable Design Cards show us where we're already making a difference and where we still have work to do. Sustainability in fashion is never finished. It's an ongoing commitment to being open, taking care and finding better ways. By sharing our compass, our cards and our wishlist, we hope you get a clear view of the values behind every product we make. Together with our community, we'll keep working towards garments that last longer, more responsible production and gender-affirming fashion that's good for people and the planet.