I never thought I’d write a blog post promoting a product made from bamboo fabric, but here I am.

I swore off bamboo for years (roughly between 2018 and 2020) after writing a blog post for The Green Hub about bamboo and doing a lot of research. At the time, bamboo fabric was being promoted as the most sustainable fabric on the market, yet there was little discussion around the chemicals used to turn such a sturdy, strong plant into a soft, buttery fabric.

I still don’t believe bamboo is the best fabric to exist, but with my parallel research around the impact of micro plastics in our oceans (largely attributed to the washing of synthetic clothes, including those that are made from recycled plastics), I broke my bamboo boycott.

I’m so pleased I did.

Some of my favourite socks are made from bamboo. Tim’s favourite underwear is made from it too, and now some of our most worn activewear too.

Tim (my husband) and I are excited to introduce LETE.

Cue: dramatic stretching poses.

Use the Code: ETHICALLYKATE for 15% off storewide!

LETE were the first company to halt my bamboo boycott - mainly because of their transparency and drive to know better, do better, and not claim to have all the answers. Also: their activewear is beautiful. The colours are exactly what Tim and I wear, and I was stoked when LETE passed the performance test too (I hate when something looks great, but doesn’t actually work for what you need it for - especially activewear).

When I say transparency, I absolutely mean it. LETE sent me their OEKO-TEX certifications, their latest audit results from BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative), and the names of all of their suppliers (including fabric dyers, fabric manufacturers, clothing manufacturers). To make things even more transparent, the factory audit wasn’t perfect. The factory where LETE’s garments are produced still have several things to work on (this factory makes clothes for many different places, not just LETE) and LETE are a big part of pushing them to do this.

When it comes to any clothing brand, it is incredibly rare that the company is comfortable with sharing their suppliers with me or anyone else. The excuse is usually ‘confidentiality reasons’ which I understand to some extent, but the openness from LETE to communicate everything with me was encouraging.

I believe we have to start somewhere, we have to acknowledge our downfalls, and holding purchasing power in spaces where change isn’t happening, is huge!

Reading the audit, I learnt there are 48 employees in the factory. They are paid for overtime hours, paid fairly with no discrepancies between men and women, and paid hourly above minimum wage. Although the living wage hasn’t been met, this has been considered - and I hope to see more change!

LETE garments are made from a mixture of bamboo and recycled elastane. Although this isn’t ideal, plant based elastane has been rumoured to be in developments by a few companies in the textile industry, so I am hopeful that one day the entire garment will be plant based and break down in my home compost! Removing elastane altogether reduces the performance of the garment, and would make it not suitable for exercising and moving.

Our review of the gear…

Bamboo Motion Tights | Lichen Green

These tights are best for yoga and chill exercise (that’s what they were designed for), though I have successfully run short distances (5-10K) in them too. I love how they feel on my skin; tight, but not compressed. They’re silky smooth and easy to slip on in the mornings when it’s dark and I don’t want to wake Tim up. Unfortunately, they show water marks really easily so I cannot spot wash them, but this isn’t often needed anyway. I’ve worn the tights regularly since March, and there is slight pilling in the inner thigh - nothing major, but something to note.

You’ll be pleased to know they pass the squat test, though they are not as high waisted as I expected and sit just below my belly botton. Keep in mind I am 177cm tall!

Native Bra | Lichen Green - Code: ETHICALLYKATE for 15% off storewide!

This is my favourite LETE product. This bra exceeds any other sports bras I have tried in both performance and looks. One key thing I love is how many wears I can get out of it before washing it. Because of the breathable bamboo fabric, I wear the bra around 4-5 times a week and only wash it every few weeks or sometimes even once a month.

Flow Top | White

When it’s hot, I like to work out with just a sports bra. However, when I am in public I don’t generally feel comfortable doing this. With that in mind, the flow top is ideal for those moments. It’s a super light fabric, breezy to keep me cool, but with enough coverage for me to feel comfortable.

Waipu Singlet | Black

I didn’t release Tim wore this so much until he started getting undressed for our LETE photoshoot. As he took his shirt off to reveal his singlet, he told me he wears it every day under whatever he is wearing! He wears it everyday because he loves how it feels on his skin, and washes it only once a week. Tim loves the deep hooped armpits that avoid holding sweat, and the dark colour means it goes well with all of his colourful shirts.

Omaha Shorts | Lichen Green - - Code: ETHICALLYKATE for 15% off storewide!

Gone are the days where Tim wears ripped gardening shorts to do yoga. I didn’t expect him to wear these as much as he does, but they’re what he jumps into most evenings after work. The shorts are loose fitting, great for yoga and lounging.

“They’re just so stretch and comfy. I like doing impromptu stretching, and they mean I can.”

Piha Fitted T-Shirt | Black

Tim likes this shirt so much that we ended up buying a shirt each for his parents; they’re huge LETE fans now too! Tim mainly wears his shirt for yoga and light exercise, but he has worn it to work a few times as well. Tim says “it is activewear, but it doesn’t necessarily look like activewear.”

Overall, we are really proud to work with LETE and grateful they exist. The owners of LETE, Dan and Paulina, are local to us, and are working hard to educate around sustainability through their epic LETE Hub too.

If you’re after some breathable, performance ready yoga/active/loungewear…

Shop LETE. - - Code: ETHICALLYKATE for 15% off storewide!

As a rule, I only work with brands I love, use, and can whole heartedly back. I send the brand a large list of questions to answer first, and trial the product properly before saying yes to anything. This is a sponsored blog (I can't pay my electricity bill with free products), but 100% my own words, photos, and opinion.