White Papers

The following white papers were created by Know Your Clothing and TS Designs with featured collaborators as a way to raise awareness about the challenges within the apparel industry. We invite you to explore these white papers, join the conversation, and be part of the movement towards a better way of making clothing—one that prioritizes the well-being of people and the planet over short-term profits.

Black Walnut Project: A team of Sustainable Innovation MBA students from the University of Vermont, Gibbs Eddy, Brian Lamoureux, & Georgia Lambrakis teamed up with Know Your Clothing for their Practicum Project. They led independent research and inte

Black Walnut Project: A team of Sustainable Innovation MBA students from the University of Vermont, Gibbs Eddy, Brian Lamoureux, & Georgia Lambrakis teamed up with Know Your Clothing for their Practicum Project. They led independent research and interviews with potential collaborators to aid in developing a system to leverage black walnuts commercially in North Carolina.

Going Glocal: "Glocal,” a portmanteau term built on globalization and localization, emphasizes that the two concepts exist not in polar opposition but in mutual interdependence in a globalized world. Typified by the slogan “Think globally, act locall

Going Glocal: "Glocal,” a portmanteau term built on globalization and localization, emphasizes that the two concepts exist not in polar opposition but in mutual interdependence in a globalized world. Typified by the slogan “Think globally, act locally,” people understand the significance of globalization when it affects their local environment.

Putting the Farmer First: The farmer is the most important person in the cotton supply chain, but they have no say in the price they are paid for their crop. The financial insecurity they face is at the root of many social and environmental issues in

Putting the Farmer First: The farmer is the most important person in the cotton supply chain, but they have no say in the price they are paid for their crop. The financial insecurity they face is at the root of many social and environmental issues in the textile supply chain. Authored by Nancy Demuth and Peter Fagin of the University of Vermont’s Sustainable Innovation MBA program.

Hemp for Textiles: If developing the industrial hemp industry would benefit farmers, manufacturers, and sustainability-driven consumers, why not start churning out hemp apparel made in the US tomorrow? It's not as easy as it sounds.

Hemp for Textiles: If developing the industrial hemp industry would benefit farmers, manufacturers, and sustainability-driven consumers, why not start churning out hemp apparel made in the US tomorrow? It's not as easy as it sounds.

Fibershed: If we are to create textiles within a framework of ecological balance, we will have to create from a very old place—an honest place where design for decomposition leads, and ego and profit take a back seat.

Fibershed: If we are to create textiles within a framework of ecological balance, we will have to create from a very old place—an honest place where design for decomposition leads, and ego and profit take a back seat.

Is Commodity Pricing the Best Model We Can Give Cotton Farmers?: In a multi-billion-dollar global industry, farmers have become invisible. Though they’re integral to world markets — and thus essential to every aspect of our daily lives — they’re oft

Is Commodity Pricing the Best Model We Can Give Cotton Farmers?: In a multi-billion-dollar global industry, farmers have become invisible. Though they’re integral to world markets — and thus essential to every aspect of our daily lives — they’re often forgotten.