Two things that constantly stump conscious shoppers: ethically made jeans, and New Zealand made fashion.

Tonic & Cloth have both.

Tonic & Cloth are a Palmerston North based clothing brand, founded by Jodie Woods. I first discovered them at New Zealand Fashion Week 2018, and since then my wardrobe has accumulated two Tonic & Cloth pieces: the Girl Boss Jeans and The Jumpsuit.

Here are some words I’d use to describe them… groovy, funky, bold, classic.

Before you go jumping into their shop site to browse their ethically made staples, organic denim jean collection and unique ‘wow’ dresses, it’s important you know exactly who you are supporting when you purchase garments that are going to stay in your wardrobe forever.

Shop. Empower. Simple.

The Makers

Let’s start with who makes the clothes and why I believe Tonic & Cloth are an excellent role model for other brands in the fashion industry.

Two groups of people make Tonic & Cloth clothes: women in New Zealand, and women in rural India. Each garment description lists where the garment is made.

The unique, one-of-a-kind pieces are made in the Tonic & Cloth store and studio in Palmerston North. They’re usually made by Jodie herself - with a cuppa tea and great music blaring. Jodie outsources the sewing to independent seamstresses around Wellington, and a factory in Auckland too. At the moment the products made in NZ are the Belle Merino, Urban Camou’ Coat, Grace Shirt and Palazzo Pants.

The rest of the designs, including my fabulous jeans, are made in rural India in Holi Boli’s production house. This production house is led by a New Zealander, Ana, who employs 14 women in an ‘often aggressively paternal society’. Holi Boli exists to fight poverty and empower women through meaningful and safe employment.

All women who design and create Tonic & Cloth garments are paid fairly for their exceptional work, work in a family orientated environment, and are given the opportunity to develop their skills and further their education. I had the privilege of meeting a few of the women from Holi Boli on Skype in 2019; I saw a glimpse into the truly close and loving environment they work in. You can read more about the production house here.

The Fabrics

Tonic & Cloth use a range of GOTS certified organic cotton, linen, silk, eucalyptus TENCEL, and organic denim to create their thoughtfully designed garments. They are conscious of fabric waste and try their best to minimise waste however possible. This looks like using up leftover fabric to make one-of-a-kind pieces and turning offcuts into stuffing for cushions.

The Design

One of my favourite things about Tonic & Cloth, is that I can recommend them to my mum and her friends with great confidence. I’m very aware that ethical fashion can often exclude some age groups or sizes, but Tonic & Cloth are all about clothes that are ‘gentle on the body’. Gentle means designs that don’t hug in places no one wants to accentuate. Gentle means shirts that don’t cling to your tummy or sit tight under your underarms. Gentle means clothes that are made to work with you.

My Review…

Girl Boss Pants

The Girl Boss jeans I am wearing are essentially what would happen if a pair of jeans and a pair of beautifully tailored pants got to together and made a baby. They are 98.5% organic cotton and 1.5% elastane (which isn’t ideal for the environment, but the stretch is crucial for wear and eco-friendly elastane is hard to come by). They are thick and durable, making me think they will be the type of pants I might see my grandchildren wearing.

I am wearing a size 10, which is my usual size. They fit perfectly, even better than I expected.

The waist is the main measurement to get right when choosing your size, as the fit of the jeans is quite roomy around the butt and legs. As you can see, I roll up the bottoms for a more casual look, but rolling them down and rocking them with heels will be something I dabble in when the opportunity arises!

The tailored fit means your butt will look marvellous, and you won’t want to put on a pair of skinny jeans after wearing these beauties because they are just so damn comfortable.

Shop Tonic & Cloth here.

Code ETHICALLYKATE will help you with 10% off any garment you chose.

As a rule, I only work with brands I love, use, and can whole heartedly back. This is a sponsored blog (I can't pay my electricity bill with free products), but 100% my own words, photos, and opinion.