What is deadstock fabric and why do we use it for Fferal?

What is deadstock fabric?

I've seen first-hand that garment factories often hold a large number of fabric rolls that are destined for landfill or incineration. These rolls are called "deadstock" - leftover fabric from a discontinued range of garments. Sometimes these textiles have been made for retail samples that didn't get approved by the fashion brand they were made for, and so the fabric never even reached any customers.

Crazy right? And yes, incredibly wasteful. According to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, "less than 1% of textiles and clothes are genuinely recycled into new textiles and clothes." 

And there's the small matter of the planetary impact. Fashion Revolution estimate that 20% of all freshwater pollution comes from textile treatment and dyeing. Along with the erosion of biodiversity and soil health as forests are felled to make way for textile farming, and the inevitable CO2 emissions from the production process, it's a huge sustainability price to pay for fabric that doesn't even see the light of day.

How do we utilise deadstock fabric at Fferal?

I began producing Fferal clothing with Fernando and his team at their Portugese factory in 2018. I'd worked with Fernando previously and knew he had fantastic quality deadstock cotton that would be ideal for neck gaiters and beanies. Our beanies were repurposed from ribbed cotton leftover from jogger waistbands and cuffs.

Deadstock cotton was an ideal choice for Fferal's ethical mission. As well as utilising fabric that is already manufactured, it works well for small runs of clothing, reducing the risk of overproduction of garments. Using deadstock fabric means we've used different colours each time we've done a run of our beanies and neck gaiters, so if you like any of the colours we're currently offering, catch them while you can!

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