Giving your worn-out clothes that first-time-wear affection is a fantasy finally made true. With the help of the clothing store Marine Layer, discovering a new feel from an old fit becomes a lot less complicated with the help of their Re-spun Program. Finally, we now know what to do with our middle school P.E. shirts.
The sustainable clothing line features stores in major cities across the U.S., including one perched just a few freeway exits away in La Jolla. In an email interview with The Point, the San Diego Marine Layer Team said their Re-Spun Program has a special capability of combining both sustainability and creativity with the help of their community.
Anyone is able to bring or send in their old tees to the store. Then, the process of your new-born shirt begins. The tops road trip north and take a quick pit stop in San Francisco in order to be sorted and redesigned.
“We then ship them out to a factory in Spain with the most advanced textile recycling technology in the world,” said the San Diego Marine Layer team. The used shirts are then broken down by the fiber level and combined with recycled water bottles to create their unique yarn.
No water used. No added dyes. No new materials.
The company offers to recreate your now new tee into one of their many style choices.
“All of our stores combined have received over 300,000 shirts, aka that’s a wholeee lotta ‘90s tees,” emailed the clothing team.
A part of the program also allows customers to receive $5 store credit for each t-shirt donated. You can only receive store credit up to $25, but there is no cap to how many shirts someone may donate to the store.
According to former PLNU student and now a Parson’s fashion design and sustainability major Carly Bizzack, all of these elements in a clothing project are vital for loyal and reliable clientele.
“The thing that typically deters people from buying sustainable clothing is and usually will be the price,” said Bizzack. “Yes, these clothing items are going to be more expensive, but it’s important to realize the ethical work, wages and quality of these brands far surpasses any fast-fashion company.”
The San Diego Marine Layer Team let The Point know they are constantly trying to improve fabrics and updated fits according to customer feedback.
“We also publicly publish a sustainability report so customers and those interested in the brand can learn more about our efforts with sustainable fabrics and materials,” said the team. “We’re progressing to make our storefronts more sustainable and eco-conscious.”
Marine Layer prides itself in their brand and their eco-conscious efforts, but they believe one more thing about their clothes really sets them apart.
“When we say our stuff is soft, we really mean it,” says Marine Layer on their website. “It’s not like ‘oh, this feels nice’ soft. It’s ‘holy sh#% how did they make this I’m never taking it off’ soft.”
Katie Kepler 
Steve Anderson 
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