Uskees interview

I like looking at jackets, and the first lockdown provided me with loads of time to do so. I was looking at all sorts - spending hours on eBay and all that sort of thing.

One of the brands I came across that stuck with me was Uskees. Not only are they based in nearby Manchester, but they make really nice overshirts and workshirts; better still, it's all sustainably made.

In a time when cheap versions of something one of the Kardashians has worn can appear on websites like Shein just hours after being seen on Kim, Khloe or Kourtney, Uskees' stand against fast fashion is not only commendable but absolutely needed.

I slid into their DMs to ask what could be done to try and move away from this model of cheap materials and clothes that go from an influencer's feed to a landfill in no time at all.

What tips do you have for people looking to buy more sustainably?

Read up on causes they care about, learn more about what matters to them, and then find brands or people who are offering some sort of solution. There’s no one-stop-shop, and the core problem of sustainability is enormous, so sadly, there aren’t any quick fixes. That said, shopping more consciously, choosing things that aren’t going to be replaced in a few weeks, and considering the bigger pictures of materials, shipping and distribution all come to mind.

How has the brand been accepted in fashion and by consumers - have you faced any challenges and, if so, how did you overcome them?

So far, things have gone down really well. We have an open conversation with many of our followers and stockists on what works for them, what doesn’t, and how we can improve.

We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel by any means, and we’re certainly not perfect, but we’re trying to learn and improve as we go on. So far, we’ve been accepted and people seem to be responding to our offer - but it’s a long road and we’ve only just started.

Yourselves aside, which other sustainable brands would you recommend to live more sustainably while dressing well?

The biggies come to mind. Patagonia, Finisterre, etc - although I’m sure there are hundreds of smaller brands like us trying to do something a little more conscious. We’re big fans of Lucy & Yak and what they’ve achieved whilst keeping their principles at heart.

Organic Basics are cool. We like a lot of blogs too and look towards them. There’s a really good local one to us called Know the Origin, which does a lot of good.

You offer free repairs to clothes people have purchased from you. How important is this in working sustainably, and can you see more brands doing the same in future?

Yeah, it’s a fundamental part of Uskees. Nobody can truly claim that their clothes will last a lifetime, but by offering the chance for free repairs, servicing and help - we can at least try to stem the tide of fast fashion. I imagine many smaller brands are doing similar things, and it does feel like something our side of the industry should (and likely will) take up.

When it came to it, we wanted to make sure every detail was right...

Where do you see fashion going in the future, with regard to sustainability and in terms of fast fashion?

That’s a big question. There needs to be huge, systemic change on an industry-wide level. A small brand like ours isn’t truly going to stem the tide, nor can the burden be put on individual customers.

We have to look at the bigger picture and question the absolute ground rules of the fashion industry - endless product ranges, unethical manufacturing and worldwide distribution all bring up gigantic issues individually. When seen together as part of the whole offering, you can see quite easily how difficult the issue is. Again, that is maybe a small part of the wider problems digital shopping will bring to the fore, but they are all issues we need to tackle together.

We have to make people aware that the culture of fast fashion, the idea of disposable clothing, the ‘wear once and get a new one’ trend has to stop. Without that awareness from consumers and without the industry accepting that as fact, the problems will not go away.

It’s clear from the materials you use that every last detail has been well considered and planned - how long did it take from having the initial idea of making clothes to the first line coming out?

We’ve always worked in clothing and retail, so we’ve seen a lot of the good and bad sides of the industry first-hand - for a long time.

The idea to make something really good-looking, but also good in the greater sense, has been there for decades, so I guess elements of the planning for Uskees have been in the pipeline for a while too. When it came to it, we wanted to make sure every detail was right, from the colours to the materials and buttons.

We didn’t want to make any rash decisions. In terms of the core range, from design to production, it's difficult to be exact, but in the region of two years for our current range. The most important element, which took the most time, was finding a manufacturer who fits in with our values.

What can we expect to see from Uskees in the future?

We’ve got a lot of things in the pipeline. We haven’t even run a ‘campaign’ of any sort yet - it’s very early days - so we’ll be working on something to show more people what we have to offer very soon. We’re already designing new lines and feature ranges, but we’ll be keeping our overall collection pretty streamlined throughout.

More than anything, we want to keep improving as a brand, keep putting better principles into practice, and keep offering an affordable alternative to what’s out there. So more of the same, in essence, but with constant improvement. That’s the goal.

Explore Uskees' latest collection or discover more about the brand in their blog.

Thanks to Keith from Uskees for answering the questions and helping me (and hopefully you) buy a bit more sustainably.

You can find Uskees here and on Instagram @Uskees_clothing.

(I initially spoke to Uskees in June 2020.)