should you buy TALA? | sustainability & ethics deep dive

[@koyabean4081]

Please make this into a series. You're literally one of the main reasons I even looked into sustainability of fashion and now I'm completing my degree on textiles processing and hope to work on sustainability in the future

[@inspiroue]

Ahh this means the world to me - appreciate your support so much 💛 Love that you're pursuing a career in sustainability (we need more of it) x

[@responsibleregalia]

aakriti m Wow thats amazing.

[@izzleinatizzle]

I've been following Grace for years, and I've purchased a pair of leggings from the brand. My leggings haven't ripped, but I can't say that they're the highest quality or the most flattering, really (could be my fault for not buying black lol). My problem lies mostly with the fact that anytime anyone asks Grace or the brand a question about a launch, why they do so many launches, other questions about sustainability and inclusivity at the brand, it's immediately a block and/or a call-out on instagram stories about 'negativity'. I think that Grace started with a great idea and had the influence to make this brand work and make some great sustainable products, but the good intentions stopped there... I think that above all else their focus is scaling their brand (this is all Grace talks about recently) and acting as a slightly more sustainable version of their other fast fashion counterparts. They also had an issue recently about underpaying / not paying their microinfluencers, and tried to push it all under the rug when they were called out -- which never sits well with me. I think next time I would purchase from somewhere else for sure.

[@Emily-pr9rj]

Great insight, 100% agree! This is why I'm personally more inclined to shop somewhere who may not frame themselves as sustainable - as Tala does - but has the quality and consistent stock which means I don't 1. rush to buy in case it goes out of stock and 2. will last me a long time once I do buy, so I don't have to repurchase. I would rather buy 1 piece/year from Gymshark than multiple replacement pieces/year from Tala.

[@mathidangamsiripol1570]

I love how this video is not about "calling out", rather "calling in". It's lovely to see that we can still hold brands accountable without shaming them!

[@inspiroue]

Yes!! So happy that translated - I'm always worried about viewers taking it the wrong way (esp those that don't watch long enough). Appreciate ya x

[@momofish2069]

Thank you! This was a great breakdown on how to determine if a brand is sustainable or not. Would love to see more of these kind of videos!

[@inspiroue]

Yay so happy to hear! Let me know if there are specific brands you'd want reviewed x

[@Notzhu]

I would love to see more videos like this! I used to be a massive tala fan since I'm a uni student and girlfriend collective isn't available here where I live so I did buy Tala stuff when it first came out. After a few years I can honestly say I will not buy from them anymore. I have been reading about them and everyone elses experiences with the brand. So many girls say their leggigns rip after 3 wears. For a brand that says they are sustainable they aren't even actively trying to fix this issue. They delete instagram comments that ask them to reply to their emails about the broken leggings. I just think it's not acceptable from any brand to send out stuff and have it rip after wearing it for a few times. They don't reply to their customers and they actively hide that from their social media. Now the reason I think a lot of people bring their issues to their socials are because they dont reply to emails in the first place and I've seen so many messages saying they have sent emails to them and its been months. On top of that I'm very sure Tala is actually run by genflow. Now I don't think there's anything wrong with that but the fact that b_nd (also a brand by Grace) is run by them and she has not made this clear at all. They say x% of employees are y race but you only see the same 4 white women on their stories. That to me is a massive red flag. They're probably adding all of the genflow people in to their numbers even without acknowledging that b_nd is run by genflow. But from my own exprience I have bought tala shorts that have held up for a year now and they are still in good shape. I wanted to support this brand but with all of this and on top of all the launches they have (which just screams fast fashion to me. Why make styles that will not last and won't go out of style. That would actually be sustainable) I just can't support this brand.

[@inspiroue]

Ou this is super insightful and helpful for anyone considering buying -- from other comments, it just seems like too many red flags for me to ever condone haha esp when there are such better options like girlfriend x

[@honeypotfilms6066]

sorry this is unrelated but this bg is SOO aesthetic - honeypot films

[@inspiroue]

Haha THANK YOU! I tried so hard for the setup so I'm glad it translated hehe x

[@sarahjanecox8568]

This was great, please make it a series! I love your videos and I've learned SO much. You've really inspired me to look beyond (what appear to be) ethical brands and refrain from purchasing, thrift, or at least do my research and make sure they're not greenwashing. Thank you for all of the thoughtfulness and research you put into your videos!

[@jillrodriguez5772]

Right on time! I've been eyeing their products lately mostly because they're more affordable. And in the Good On You app they're rated "Good". I guess Girlfriend collective and Organic Basics is still much better on the sustainable aspect but what Tala is doing is a step in the right direction. And there's always room for improvement so hopefully they'll be more transparent in the future.

[@antadiakhoumpaad]

Inclusivity is something that’s still very neglected in (sustainable/ethical) fashion. Even when talking about Organic basics, they don’t have any representation for people with disabilities. They recently started adding models of colour (which is great, but they had to be called out on it to start working on it).Regarding size inclusivity, organic basics isn’t doing much either, also stopping at an XL. I have reached out personally to ask if it’s something they’re working on, they answered by saying that they’re taking note of the demand. To me this pushes the idea that being being more sustainable is only for straight sized people, and I’m quite tired of this narrative... I just find it very frustrating, inclusivity should be the minimum!!! (sorry for this little rant) I really loved the video and I really hope you’ll do a full series! All the love x

[@antadiakhoumpaad]

And a little addition is that unfortunately, because of the lack of sizing there’s also a lack of plus sized influencers! Which makes it even harder for plus sized people to feel represented, get inspired to do better and also find trustable sustainable brands!

[@inspiroue]

Agreed! All brands need to be doing so much more to be truly inclusive. I'm glad you asked Organic Basics about extended sizing - I've pushed them on it as well and they directed me to this survey (organicbasics.com/sizing-survey). Transparently, they've gifted me items and I saw it as an opportunity to have a direct line of communication and be able to press them to do better for diversity, inclusion, and to keep accountability. I definitely think they need to do more (and that's why Girlfriend is always my #1). Torn on how to navigate situations like this too. And never apologize for ranting - this shits frustrating and this is an open space to share it!! How else will we learn and do better! Appreciate your support always x

[@antadiakhoumpaad]

inspiroue , I also understand that as a sustainable/ethical influencer you want to shed the light on brands that are doing great, and organic basics like others are doing great but they are nowhere near perfect! So it’s a tricky situation to be in, on one hand to want to support a brand that’s is doing great (in terms of materials and labor), on the other they don’t check all the boxes! I am so happy about girlfriend collective, I think they’re really showing that brands (fast fashion brands too) have the possibility to make a difference but they actively choose not to! One last thing I thing it would be interesting if you could do a video about the brand “nu-in”, it claims to be sustainable but it really isn’t!

[@kategriggs1676]

You have honestly become one of my favorite youtubers! Im not subscribed to many people, but everytime a video of yours comes out I watch it so quickly ❤️ thank you for your content and you effort with the sustainable and ethical fashion community and movement! 💗

[@inspiroue]

Thank you 😭💛 Appreciate you and hearing this so much! x

[@Laura-xd1ng]

I'd love to see a video on Organic Basics and Hara The Label! LOVE your channel and your through research... thank you for what you do. :')

[@inspiroue]

Aw appreciate your support a ton x I have a video on organic basics/girlfriend but will maybe do in depth ones in the future on all of them!! x

[@blessedwithcolour]

I recently bought from TALA so I was hesitate to watch this but I’m glad I did because I wasn’t aware of some of these points

[@jazmynnv5831]

This would be an awesome series and would be cool to also see you do an update video 6months to 1 year down the line to see if they have improved and if your opinions have changed!

[@madelinea2406]

I love this series, it kind reminds me of Hyram's brand eval videos. I think it would be cool to see reviews of super greenwashed brands, to help illustrate the spectrum of sustainability from worst to best!

[@inspiroue]

Ou I've never heard of Hyram but I will check them out!! And yes such a good idea! I'm getting a lot of messages about fast fashion/mass market brands having sustainability lines or being 'carbon neutral' and I find it so hilarious lol will def add it to my list! x

[@sweeettart0991]

Thank you for your thorough investigation! I would love for you to make this a series ❤️

[@inspiroue]

Yess just trying to figure out what brands I want to do next x

[@mandyhackman9740]

Thank you for your detailed research! My thoughts as someone who has to wear activewear as their work uniform and who has a non-standard shape: Even though I prefer GF collective's practices, I struggle to buy from them because of the *shape* of my body. I think their size inclusive work is really important and definitely worlds better than most, but I have a big rib to chest differential and I can't fit myself in any size or any style of their tops (I'm literally returning one as we speak because it seemed like it might work for me and . . . nope.) As much as I'd love to support them, I don't need leggings at the moment and I'm not going to buy something I can't wear. The same goes for most of the usual sustainable activewear contenders - even as a straight-sized human, 9.5 times out of 10 I can't fit in any of their styles because they won't hold me in. Because Tala is explicitly making things for my *shape*, I will probably look to them next time I need a workout bra because it might actually fit and it's better than the brands I feel forced to buy in the meantime. It's really disheartening to do bunches of research and end up back at a big-box store because they are the only brand that will fit on your body, for something that I can't get around because it's part of my work uniform -- I can't imagine how much more so for folx who are not straight sized and are boxed out of this space that much more. I had hesitated on TALA until I saw your breakdown of their practices - so far, it seems like they give more shits than other brands I personally have the option of buying, even if it's not as much as we'd hope. Thanks again for this deep dive - please do more!

[@7volleyballgurl]

What great timing, I was legit about to order from them!!

[@inspiroue]

Crazy timing haha hope this can help! x

[@alexiarondeau]

Super happy to follow you through how you determine if a brand is ethical and sustainable! Was wondering where you got your earrings, they are so cute! Are there jewelry brands you recommend? Thank you!!! 🥰

[@inspiroue]

Yay so happy to hear! And oops updated the description with them - they're the Gia hoop by Wolf Circus (ethically made, recycled brass, vancouver based, woman owned and led)! I'm researching sustainable/ethical jewelry brands for a future vid so will share when I have a more researched list x

[@jess2533]

Ana Luisa are a great brand for jewellery! They use recycled gold, lab-made diamonds and are produced ethically by small artisans.

[@caitlinutt6254]

Great content, thank you! A series would be fantastic, could you evaluate Reformation?

[@inspiroue]

I talked about them in my 'brands I no longer support' video re: their problematic ceo (who's now stepped down) and team (which I've still seen shady things about in terms of diversity/anti-racism/inclusion), greenwashing, scale of production-- lots of tea out on IG and online etc

[@caitlinutt6254]

Thank you so much! I will definitely watch that!!

[@Mynameis_jonique]

I’m VERY excited for this video! And thank you for showing us your process! Thanks Cynthia!! Hope you’re doing well :)

[@inspiroue]

Aw yay!! Makes me so happy to hear you're excited for this type of content - hope it can help everyone assess brand's sustainability! Hope you're well too 💛

[@moz101]

Thank you for putting this together; this has been so informative! I’ve not been sure how to feel about Tala for a while now, especially relating to the amount of new launches and the increasing number of quality/longevity issues with the items being released. I do think it’s a shame that introducing a full recycling scheme to close the loop isn’t a priority, especially given that many people have said their leggings get holes in them pretty quickly. That said, I remember reading somewhere that they want to focus on a scheme to recycle the clothes that are returned, so I guess that’s something? Still, I’m not sure that being more sustainable than Gymshark is enough to justify calling Tala sustainable.

[@inspiroue]

Thank you! And agreed with all these points! Cool to hear they mentioned a recycling scheme somewhere (didn't see this when doing research but I may have missed it), especially if their leggings don't last a very long time :\ Tala is definitely not sustainable, and I'd hope to see them change their phrasing to say 'conscious' or 'sustainability-minded'. As mentioned in the video I would personally support Girlfriend (a brand doing better in all these areas)!

[@takentoinfinity]

I love this video and would love to see this a series!

[@NilupulieSumanasiri]

I just recently found your channel and I LOVE your content.! I am a textile specialist and we need more creators like you.! However, from what I have studied so far, Natural fibres does cause environmental issues. We do use heavy and long sets of chemicals during the production and finishing stages of natural fibres and their waste is one thing. (Even we do use "standard" treatment processes the waste can still be contagious and toxic to some extent). Also I need to mention that even some natural fibres do emit toxic gases during decomposing stages which could be harmful to the environment. Since both synthetic and natural fibres are of some damage, I think regenerative fibres are the best in terms of sustainability. We can develop regenerative fibres to biologically degrade.

[@inspiroue]

Ahh thank you so much - appreciate you! And yes I say that super generally but I should stick to saying regenerative, oeko-tex certified, biodegradable fabrics haha (just a mouthful to repeat over and over). And yes love to hear that about regenerative fibres - also didn't know some natural fibres emit gases in the decomposing stage. Thank you for teaching me! x

[@TheMerdog]

May I suggest a KOTN review? Thank you for your enlightenment. This should be a series. So informative.

[@jess2533]

Definitely create a series out of this! 💕

[@JB-el6le]

I love your channel I have only just found it! Love your outfit too! Do you have a video on the best online sustainable brands? 😊 xx

[@roseymetz698]

What brands do you actually think cross of these bulletpoints? Its really hard to find brands. I was wondering if you could make a blog post about all the brands you buy from

[@leannajade3824]

Can you do this review on Wolven active wear (Wolven Threads)

[@annakatherine4410]

any advice on struggling with strong guilt about shopping fast fashion in the past? i’m more conscious now about my buying habits, but i’ve spent a lot of money before on fast fashion and it makes me feel terrible :/

[@inspiroue]

I know it's not this easy but don't feel guilty! I definitely went through a guilt phase when I quit too - the important thing to remember and emphasize is that you're aware of how bad it is, and that you're committing to doing better and buying better. The fashion system (and world, interconnected-ly) is so corrupt and oppresses so many - and we as consumers are kinda cast into it without realizing from a young age. We need better education, regulation, etc and that's not 'on consumers' to bear the full burden of though sometimes it feels that way x

[@yowzayammm]

Girlfriend's take-back program is the main reason they're now the only active wear brand I buy from (not that I buy from them often). Not just activewear companies, I think all companies need to begin take back programs- clothes, shoes, furniture, electronics, etc. There are so any existing organizations, at least in the US, that are waiting to be utilized by these companies but brands dont want to pay for their services. As always, money >>>> everything else

[@byfeyisayo]

Thank you so much!!

[@SophiaGoh]

We need more people like you :)

[@inspiroue]

aw thank you so much x

[@brittanymcmcmc9730]

How do we feel about synthetic fibers that already exist? Like, vintage nightgowns for example. Is it better to keep buying those, and using them, since they wont break down into the earth? Or does that encourage people to buy more synthetic things...

[@ccsophie_]

Could you review ready made jewelry

[@LunaEscobar18]

Great video girl.... I tried to order from tala a couple of times but every time I want to order something is sold out I had the same thoughts about maybe they not producing enough but also Grace who started the brand has a good amount of following of mainly young girls as well so I am sure she might get a huge amount of orders.I love the idea of making this a series, there is a brand called AYM from the UK maybe you can take a look into that one I really like the way they produce clothes. I also wanted to ask you something maybe you can help me with some dilemma I have :) I wanted to buy a couple of tops from a sustainable brand the top retails for 43 euros and is made of 95% polyester and 5% elastane, now my question is I know you can easily find a top with the same fabrics for half of the price especially if is a small crop top but not necessarily from a "sustainable brand" so what are your thoughts on this? I believe the labour behind one top is cheaper and just the brand name gives a different price but when is about sustainability and fabric quality maybe the brand is not as sustainable as they claim to be? I hope that makes sense

[@inspiroue]

Thank you! Virgin polyester is a red flag already - not a sustainable fibre (unless it's recycled polyester). I think I'd do more research to figure out if the 'sustainable' brand is actually sustainable - look for ethical labour certifications, sources of their fabrics, how they dye/produce etc x

[@Kelistar84]

Series please.

[@inspiroue]

Okayy! Let me know what brands you'd be interested in x

[@Kelistar84]

@@inspiroue Word! Patagonia, Sezane...I am not a huge shopper of new clothing, usually I like the hunt and tailoring of clothing in second hand stores...when I do want a new winter coat or boots...I would love to have an arsenal of places I can shop sustainably.

[@leannajade3824]

@@inspiroue Wolven yoga/ activewear!!

[@PrinceSarah1]

I think you hit the nail on the head why I don't want to support Tala- they're still operating with the idea that we have to consume more in order to tackle the problem. Not just that, but the reviews of the pieces themselves don't seem to indicate that they last for extended periods of time. We need to consume LESS, not just buying a ton of things from "sustainable" brands.

[@inspiroue]

Yes yes yes! We can't buy our way into sustainability. When we decide to buy, we should buy better too x