From idea to product: How we manufacture our clothes in Portugal
The idea behind SHAPING NEW TOMORROW
In 2015, SHAPING NEW TOMORROW started as our founders wanted to solve a problem they were experiencing too often in their everyday lives. When buying clothes, they felt like they were forced to compromise on either style or comfort, which sparked the idea to make classic menswear more comfortable. Essentially, they wanted to do this by implementing smart features from sportswear into more classic styles.
Our goal is to create products with a timeless design that can be worn season after season, surviving the ever-changing trends in the market, and equally while also contributing to better, more sustainable consumer habits. This means that the quality of our products is a core focus to make sure they are durable over longer periods of time.
The essence of SHAPING NEW TOMORROW can be drawn from our name, which is to do everything we do today a little bit better, tomorrow. This is especially true for our manufacturing – we want to constantly improve on processes and find sustainable ways to make our products, creating something that is truly unique. That is why we collaborate with the best Portuguese manufacturers.
Close collaboration with Portuguese manufacturers
In order to ensure that we deliver top-quality products, we are working with family-run manufacturers in Portugal. They have over generations developed unique skills within the textile industry. Seven years and still going strong, we are constantly developing innovative materials with them, and we visit them as often as we can.
Developing and manufacturing garments can be a complex process, and we constantly test and retest our processes and materials, with emphasis on for example pilling, weaving and colors. Based on the results and customer feedback, we make the changes necessary to ensure we always have the best products possible. An example of this: 94 people worked on the Classic Pants before they reached our stores.
We believe that taking responsibility for your carbon footprint and striving to be a sustainable business is no longer a choice, but a necessity for retail brands. This is why we make sure to have a fully transparent supply chain, always aiming to find new, sustainable ways to make our clothing, as well as encouraging our customers to buy better and fewer products.
Innovative fabrics making everyday life easier
SHAPING NEW TOMORROW is a tech brand, not a fashion brand. We develop innovative and technical fabrics, and our garments are made with a functional purpose, all the way down to the fibers. Curious about what some of our most frequently used fibers are? The most essential ones are cotton, elastane and recycled polyester.
Cotton is our most used, natural fiber, as it's breathable, absorbent and easy to care for. Cotton can also easily be recycled and made into yarn, in addition to being biodegradable. Some of our products are made from organic cotton, which is grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, reducing its ecological footprint.
Elastane is a synthetic fiber, and although there’s only a very small percentage of elastane in our products, it's crucial for us to live up to our promise. Elastane is what creates the stretch, providing that comfortable feel that our clothes are known for.
For polyester, we actually recycle plastic bottles to create polyester fibers. In fact, to make a pair of our Essential Pants, 14.5 plastic bottles are being recycled and repurposed. This means that when you buy a pair of Essential Pants, you’re actually recycling as well – win, win!
If you’re interested in learning more about the world of fabrics and especially polyester, you can read more about it here.
Perfection is the journey, not the destination
We want to make perfect clothing, but we don’t see perfection as a destination, but rather a never-ending journey. This is why we are constantly developing and improving our products together with our suppliers in Portugal, trying to find new, sustainable ways to make our clothing.
Read more about our sustainability initiatives here, and have a look at our collection if you want to upgrade your wardrobe. Interested to see how it all comes together in Portugal? Check out “The Journey” here.
