Global Sourcing

Without a doubt, the Grey Matters question we are most frequently asked has to do with where we manufacture our clothing. More specifically, "Do you make your clothes in China?"

The popularity of this question is a testament to many factors, including people's increased attention to where their clothing comes from and a heightened awareness of workers' rights and conditions globally. The topic of a global sourcing and manufacturing approach is more complex than can be done justice in this short space, but we are trying to offer more visibility into the choices we make and the reasons behind them. At the end of this piece, you will find links to more in-depth explorations of this topic. We encourage you to read more, and continue to engage with us around this topic.

Widespread public opinion still contends that a company's decision to source and manufacture goods in Asia-and more specifically in China-is solely based on a desire for cheap labor. The truth, though, is often much more complicated and nuanced. Not only have Asian manufacturers become the experts in working with the most modern textiles and technologies, but they also produce some of the highest quality workmanship at competitive prices. Combine those factors with recent improvements in workers' conditions and the use of third party monitoring of social and environmental conditions, and it becomes clear that there is room for new perceptions of offshore manufacturing.

Where We Stand
We manufacture our clothing in four countries—Canada, China, Thailand and Turkey—using fabrics from China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Thailand and the USA. One reason we manufacture many of our products in Asia is because many of our cutting-edge textiles originate only in Asia, and one of our goals is to have our production facilities as close as possible to where our fabric, hardware and fixtures originate, in order to reduce the environmental impact of shipping.