PACT is Kind to the Planet- and Your Bottom!

Posted by: Kara Ashe on: December 12th, 2010

Category: Random Talk Tags: BIkini, Boxer, Boy Short, Brief, Egedeniz, Jason Kibbey, Jeff Denby, PACT, Sustainable, Thong, Underwear

PACT is a fair trade, eco-friendly intimate apparel brand which launched in 2009 to save the world from socially negligent underpants. The brainchild of Jason Kibbey and Jeff Denby – entrepreneurs who met at the Haas School of Business at UC, Berkeley – PACT produces stylish men and women’s undergarments. They’ve got thongs and boy-shorts, boxers and briefs, and everything in between.

When you tuck your privates into PACT garments, you’re not just cocooning yourself in ethically produced, organic cotton skivvies. You’re also supporting nonprofit organizations focused on issues like environment and sustainability, adult mental disability, and literacy. How? PACT designers—like world renowned Yves Behar—create collections inspired by the work of their nonprofit partners. Those partners in turn receive 10% of the proceeds generated from the sale of those designs.

Underwear that’s long-lasting, looks incredible, and supports art programs and the environment? Yes please!

So, why underwear? “It’s a product the world by and large needs,” says PACT co-founder, Jason Kibbey. He adds, whimsically, “Lots of people tell you, you don’t need to wear underwear…but they’re washing their jeans more often.” Aside from being a universal necessary evil, underwear is a healthy business choice. According to Kibbey, there’s a big industry opening in value-based intimate apparel. At this juncture, PACT’s biggest competition is the mainstream brands, whose business models are not always sustainable, ethical, or mission-minded.

PACT underwear is made in Turkey. You may be thinking, “Turkey? How is that sustainable?” According to Kibbey, making the undergarments in the US just wasn’t viable—the costs were high but the quality wasn’t, and the environmental impact wasn’t worth it. In Turkey, they found Egedeniz, a “vertically integrated manufacturer, where [they] could see the whole supply chain.” The entire production process, from cotton harvesting to textile weaving and product creation takes place in a 100 mile radius. To ensure that the entire process is fair trade, their textile provider is partnered with a fair trade cotton project.