Noctu, The Fashion Brand That Makes Nightwear From Pure Organic Cotton – Here Is The Impact Of Their Practices On The Environment

Without fashion designers, the world will not be quite as exciting as it is since they make one of the most essential things for life – clothes. Various fashion designers make various types of clothing items for everyday living, from those that make corporate outfits to those that make casual wears, party wears, underwear, swimwear, nightwear, and so much more. 

The Noctu fashion brand, founded by sisters Zoë and Milly in 2009, is one that specialises in the design and production of organic cotton nightwear and loungewear for men, women, and children. The brand was launched with the aim ‘to create a comfortable nightie, one for women, and one for men.’

Our aim, to create really comfortable lounge and sleepwear which feels amazingly soft against your skin, with really simple designs which flatter and feel good.

Travelling to India and seeing the destruction the cotton industry was causing, the sisters decided to look into organic cotton and understand its benefits on people’s lives. Knowing that they wanted to use soft organic cotton for all of their nightwears, the sisters set off on a mission to source the best organic cotton they could find. 

The brand uses a factory that prioritises fairtrade, the use of organic cotton, workers rights, and a good, fair working environment. All the organic cotton used by Noctu are GOTS (Global Organic Textiles Standard) approved. 

What we saw changed our view of the fashion industry and got us thinking about the concept of ‘Slow Fashion‘ – quality goods that are made fairly and well, using the best possible materials. 

All of the pieces Noctu produces are not only comfortable and functional but are also quite stylish.

Apart from nightwear and loungewear, Noctu also manufactures hot water bottles, duvet and pillow sets, socks, candles, and toothbrushes.

Noctu, Sustainability and the Environment

Since all the cotton Noctu uses is GOTS certified, it means that the cotton is 100 per cent organic. This means that the cotton is completely pesticide-free, has no harsh chemicals used in any part of its production process, uses less water and causes minimal damage to the soil and environment.

It also ensures that all workers work under strict guidelines for fair trade including, workers rights and unions, absolutely zero child labour, fair wages, and good working conditions.

All the cotton the fashion brand uses is also ‘Standard 100 Oeko-Tex®’ Certified. This ensures that no harmful chemicals were used in any process of the cotton production cycle, from the raw cotton seed to the knitting and dyeing process. They also manufacture all their pieces locally, in the UK, to reduce their carbon footprint. 

As a way to give back to society and save the environment, Noctu supports the World Land Trust (WLT), an organisation dedicated to creating reserves and giving permanent protection to habitats and wildlife.

Pros of Organic Cotton

1. Fewer Chemicals

The production of organic cotton requires less synthetic chemicals. This means that the soil has better health due to the lack of toxic pesticides and fertilizers used. The chemicals used in conventional cotton farming is not only harmful to the soil but is also harmful to human health and pollutes the drinking water of people living around. 

2. Less Impact on The Environment

Since growing organic cotton does not include harmful chemicals, less toxic runoff, air pollution, and overall greenhouse gas emissions occur from its production. It also often has less of an impact on wildlife, ecosystems, and the health of individuals that work in the cotton industry. 

3. Better Working Conditions

Growing organic cotton often means better and fairer working conditions for labourers because less harmful chemicals are required for its production. 

4. More Sustainable Production

The entire process of growing and producing organic cotton for use in outfits is much more sustainable than producing regular cotton. Organically grown cotton has less of a negative impact on the environment and it does not pollute water or destroy lands. It also contributes less to global warming.

5. More Durable and Better for the Skin

It is believed that regular cotton is damaged by the chemicals used in its production which leads to lower quality textile. For organic cotton, however, this is not so and this results in the cotton fibres having stronger connections with each other. This makes organic cotton more durable and better in quality.

The absence of harsh chemicals in the production of organic cotton also makes it better for the skin and health. It is considered to be one of the best materials for skin because of how safe it is. It is also safe to wear for people with sensitive skin and asthma.

Cons of Organic Cotton

1. Requires More Land

Organic cotton produces lower yield and, therefore, more land is required to grow it. This means that to grow organic cotton, a certain level of deforestation is required. And with deforestation comes global warming, biodiversity loss, and a bunch of other issues. 

2. Requires More Water

In the long run, organic cotton requires more water to grow because farmers will be watering the same amount of plants for less cotton. Because cotton requires a lot of water to grow, the plants must be watered often.

3. Natural Pesticides can be Harmful Too

Organic cotton farmers use natural pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers. Even though they are organic, they can be harmful too. Some of these might be even more toxic than synthetic ones.