Clothing materials and manufacturing

Tricot products

The cotton used in Utua tricot products is GOTS certified. GOTS, or Global Organic TexTile Standard, is a textile and ethics certificate that takes into account the entire life cycle, from the cultivation of the raw material to the final product.

The cotton for Utua's tricot clothes comes from Turkey, and the knits are made from yarns in Portugal. Further processing of knitwear, e.g. dyeing, printing, cutting, sewing and packaging, also takes place in Portugal. The clothes are sewn in a Finnish-owned factory, whose working conditions are largely the same as in Finland. Further processing of knitwear, e.g. dyeing, printing, cutting, sewing and packaging, also takes place in Portugal.

The printing and dyeing in Utua's clothes are done with methods equivalent to the GOTS certificate. The printing house that dyes and prints the knits used in our tricot products is a Bluesign partner, which means that their operations comply with the requirements of the GOTS certificate. This guarantees that only products and dyes are used in the dyeing and finishing process that have been properly tested and approved and do not contain substances harmful to humans or the environment.

Knitwear

All Utua knits are made from responsible Mulesing-free merino wool. Merino wool is a versatile and ecological material, e.g. due to its good operating characteristics, maintainability and longevity. It is a warm and breathable natural fiber that works in both cold and warm conditions.

Merino wool is antibacterial and therefore only rarely needs to be washed - mostly just airing is enough. This makes merino wool an environmentally friendly product, as most of the garment's environmental load comes from product maintenance. The less a product is washed, the smaller its carbon footprint.

Mulesing-free merino wool is a more responsible material than regular merino wool, because in its production, the mulesing procedure, which is painful for sheep and prevents infections caused by parasites, is not used. Mulesing-free merino wool causes additional costs for sheep farmers, which is why it is a slightly more valuable material than regular merino wool.

All products of the Utua knitwear family are manufactured under responsible conditions in the EU. Some of the knitwear in the collection is made right down to the knitting in Finland, such as the Fanni poncho and all beanies and knitted scarves. All products made in Finland are made from certified, European yarn, responsibly and sustainably.