When you search the catalogue you'll sometimes see a toggle marked “Cast the net wider”. That toggle flips between two groups of brands I trust, but in different ways. Here's what separates them, and why both exist.
Tier 1 is the “don't think, just buy” tier. Every product is:
If a brand falls short of any one of these, it cannot live in Tier 1, even if it's clearly a great brand. That's the whole point: Tier 1 has to mean something.
Tier 2 is for brands that are genuinely vetted but don't hit the full organic bar. To qualify, a product must meet one of:
These products are materially safe and responsibly made. They're often a much better choice than the Tier 1 equivalent if the Tier 1 option doesn't exist yet for what you're looking for.
Every product surface shows a letter grade (A+ → F) and a tier state. Here's what each one is based on, and how strong the evidence behind it is. If a badge is ever unclear, this is the page it links to.
Source: the brand's own product page (composition) plus the issuing certifier's public register (licence). Evidence: the per-SKU fibre / ingredient breakdown is confirmed, AND the certification licence number has been checked against the issuing body's register with scope covering this product type. This is the strongest state we award.
Source: product page + certifier register. Evidence: a valid, in-scope certificate is confirmed, but the composition is either a blend (e.g. 97% organic cotton, 3% elastane) or sits below the top organic threshold. Certification is confirmed; the fibre mix is why it isn't Tier 1.
Source: the brand's own product page plus at least two named traceability sources (mill, supplier, farm, or supply-chain document). Evidence: composition is genuinely natural (100% natural, or ≥93% with the remainder named), and the supply chain is documented, but there is no certification licence number to check against a register. Honest about the missing certificate.
Source: certifier register at brand level. Evidence: the brand holds a valid certification, but we haven't yet confirmed that certificate's scope covers this specific item. Rather than assume it does, we hold the badge back and label the state honestly until the per-SKU check is done.
Source: whatever the product page states (or fails to state). Evidence: the item is either below the natural-fibre / ingredient threshold, or the evidence needed to grade it fairly is incomplete. Excluded items are never named as recommended swaps; held items are re-checked when the missing evidence surfaces.
Confirmed vs inferred, at a glance: A+, A and the brand-scope state depend on a certifier register we can point to. B depends on the brand's own composition disclosure plus named third-party traceability, not a certificate. C/D/F reflect either honest gaps or a composition that doesn't clear the natural-fibre bar. We never treat reputation as evidence.
Because honesty matters more than a single big “approved” badge. If I lumped everything together, Tier 1 would quietly drift downward over time and you'd lose the “buy without thinking” option. If I only showed Tier 1, you'd miss genuinely excellent brands, and you'd sometimes end up empty- handed for categories where no fully-organic option exists yet (merino base layers being a perfect example).
Two tiers lets me hold a strict line on Tier 1 while still showing you the responsible middle when you ask for it. The default view is always Tier 1 only. Tier 2 is opt-in via the “Cast the net wider” toggle.
Tier 2 isn't a consolation prize. It's often the most honest answer for where the clothing industry is right now. The bar is moving, and Tier 2 is how I show you the brands moving it.