OUR ROOTS.

TRUE NORTH was established under the umbrella of LEELA COTTON, a family-run company founded by Susanne and Kemal Bektaş, two life-long environmentalists and partners. After 30 years of organic know-how and experience in the textile industry, the family has decided to offer a sustainable alternative for the areas where organic cotton is insufficient in terms of performance. In 2019, TRUE NORTH was born.

Sustainably-made athleisure clothes with respect for our planet and society

At TRUE NORTH, we offer comfort, aesthetics and freedom of movement for your workout and transition to life afterwards. From running to yoga or even hanging out with friends or an evening out, we design for your multi-tasking lifestyle. That’s why we prioritize high-quality materials, timeless design and comfort in our products.

Our Materials

A large part of the environmental impact of clothes happens at the material stage. The most used textile fibers, conventional cotton and virgin polyester have the hugest impact on our planet. Conventionally-grown cotton requires lots of water and chemicals, contaminates soil and groundwater, and affects farmers' health. Virgin polyester is derived from non-renewable resource-petroleum, using lots of energy and releasing hazardous substances during production.

At True North, we use organic and recycled alternatives to these materials without sacrificing comfort and performance.

Organic Cotton 100% of our cotton usage is GOTS-certified Aegean organic cotton that has no harm to the soil, water, or health of the farmer and wearer. The production process is certified by Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS).

Recycled Synthetics When it comes to performance and functionality, we still need synthetic materials. They have high durability and stretchiness and, offer thermal comfort by transporting the heat and moisture from the body to the outside of the material. But instead of virgin synthetic materials, which use non-renewable sources and lots of energy, we only use recycled materials certified by Global Recycled Standard (GRS). Recycled synthetic materials save natural resources, decrease plastic waste, save energy and generate less CO² emission while having the same performance.

• Recycled Polyester: We use REPREVE recycled polyester for our products. REPREVE polyester is produced from pre-consumer fiber waste and post-consumer plastics. The collected waste enters a unique material conversion process and becomes polyester fiber, showing the same performance as the virgin version.
• Recycled Elastane: Elastane (also known as Spandex or Lycra) is a polymer derived from petroleum and gives clothes elasticity and the wearer freedom of movement. Instead of the virgin one
• we use recycled elastane for our products which has the same stretch properties but is more sustainable. Being aware that recycling is not a long-term solution for our planet, we constantly search for and use the new sustainable material alternatives available on the market.
• LENZING TENCEL™ (Lyocell and Modal) Soft, light, breathable. This is all we expect from our clothes. We offer this comfort by using LENZING TENCEL™ cellulosic fibers, derived from the sustainably sourced renewable raw material wood, and produced by environmentally responsible processes. In addition, these materials are certified as compostable and biodegradable and thus can fully revert back to nature.
• PETA-Approved Vegan: We stand against any form of animal cruelty. All our products have "PETA-Approved Vegan" certificate.
• As a longtime vegan family, we provide a vegan-friendly workplace to make it easier for our employees to go vegan for ethical and health reasons. Veganism also contributes to our environmental goals by reducing soil degradation and greenhouse gas emission.

OUR PRODUCTION

How we process the material is just as important as choosing it. Textile manufacturing is one of the world's most water-, energy-, chemical- and labour-intensive industries. To understand our total impact, we monitor every production stage and take preventative actions accordingly.

No Harmful Chemicals. We have a list of restricted chemicals that may harm the health of the planet, textile workers and the wearer. All accessories such as buttons or zippers are made from mostly natural products.

Fair Labor and Ethical Production. We only work with trusted producers so that we know how they operate closely. All steps in our processing, manufacturing, packaging, labelling and trading are covered by GOTS, which has strict ecological and social criteria.

Functional, Timeless, Long-Lasting Products.We design our products to be comfortable, functional, durable, and safe to wear. We prioritize timeless design, high-quality fabric and workmanship, keeping functionality and easy-to-use in mind. We rely on timeless designs with unseasonable colours, silhouettes and patterns. The style of TRUE NORTH is independent of changing trends yet desirable and functional.

Lowest CO² Emission. A typical garment travels all over the world before being purchased. TRUE NORTH products don’t! The entire manufacturing process is held within a very small area of Turkey. Our products travel only between 100-200 km during production stages, from raw material to the garment. After manufacturing, we ship the products to our warehouse in Bremen via sea or rail systems. So we don't cause any unnecessary carbon emissions through transportation.

Packaging & Delivery. We minimize our packaging for internal storage and delivery of finished products. We do NOT use poly bags, which cover every single garment from manufacturing to retail stores, a widespread practice in the fashion industry as an example of overpacking. Very few packages we use to avoid damage to the products are reusable, recyclable, or compostable. They are perfect to compost in your compost bin. All paper material we use, from hangtags to boxes, is FSC certified, ensuring they come from verified and responsible sources that have met strict environmental and social requirements. We use DHL Go Green and DPD Carbon-neutral services for our deliveries.

Conscious Team WWe support our team in taking alternative modes of transportation to and from the office. Located in Bremen, having many cycle paths, we cycle to work almost every day. In addition, we recycle our waste, organize regular training and periodically gather ideas on reducing our ecological footprint in the workplace and our operations.