Let's talk Buddy Tees.

The Auckland based brand Buddy are old friends of ours, and we've been kicking about in Buddy tees since it's inception so we're stoked to finally be stocking them at GAG. Some might say that a plain tee can only get so good... but we reckon the people who say that haven't had the pleasure of owning a Buddy.

All Buddy tees are made with the precise and excellent combination of 45% Organic Cotton and 55% Hemp - and this has resulted in well, the best plain tees ever.

Hemp is actually one of the oldest fibres in the world. It's been cultivated in China since roughly 8000 BC. China is still the largest producer of Hemp in the world and are experts in cultivation and treatment. That's why Buddy tees are made in China. After lots of research and conversations with many mills and manufacturers, they settled on one company which handle the entire process from growing to sewing. Cotton can be grown without harmful chemicals and the organic cotton in your Buddy tee is no exception to this.

The factory which are in charge of the weaving, cutting, sewing and shipping of Buddy tees are predominantly powered by solar energy. You might think this info is somewhat trivial but then also, when you look at the grand scheme of how things are made, where they come from, who makes them and the impact every step of this process has on our planet - all of this stuff certainly does matter when you really think about it. And Buddy cares - so they've looked into all of these individual steps and haven't compromised on anything. That's why it took them a solid 2 years from creating the idea for the brand to the actual physical tees arriving. Do it once and do it right.

The factory where the tees are made are also a member of the Fair Wear Association, an independent non-profit organization that works with factories to improve labour conditions for garment workers and conducts regular audits. The company provides medical benefits, safety insurance, regular salary raises, vacation days, and community building. If you want further info on these standards and associations check out these websites:

www.textileexchange.org

www.global-standard.org

www.fairwear.org

Buddy also chose China as the location for their tees to be made as they had the facilities and manpower to produce the quantities they needed, and all processes could be performed in one place, minimising emissions created by shipping stock or fabric around the world. The final order is shipped by sea freight, the most carbon efficient form of transporting goods, from China to the Buddy team in Auckland, New Zealand. They choose to use hemp for a number of environmental reasons including, but not limited to: its carbon sequestering talents, its lower use of water needed to grow, its need to be washed less due to its antimicrobial properties (it doesn't get smelly!), and its strength of fibre, meaning it will last far longer than other fabrics. The Hemp/Cotton blend is absolute magic - Wearing is believing!

Tessa from GAG has had a couple of Buddy tees for over 2 years now and they still feel and look pretty darn close to the fresh ones hanging on the racks in the shop - it's actually insane how well these last. Your average-joe kind of tees are notorious for wearing out fast - it's really problematic when you think about it on a macro level. So actually, Buddy tees are a fucking revelation and a total game-changer in the pursuit to achieve a more sustainable wardrobe.

Not only are the threads top quality but the fit of these tees is also impeccable. Compared to the ill-fitting silhouettes on the blank tee market, the Buddy tee is a universally good fit for all sizes and genders. We can't rave enough.

Shop Buddy at Good As Gold HERE

Follow Buddy on instagram HERE

Follow Good As Gold on instagram HERE