Hello! My name is Elouise, and I am the co-founder of Bamboo Body. I grew up in Kiama on the South Coast of New South Wales and now reside in the Sydney seaside suburb of Cronulla. 

 Bamboo Body is a clothing label specialising in classic, comfortable and versatile wardrobe essentials made from blends of bamboo fabric. My sister and I started the business back in 2005. We have always been very focused on ethical production and sustainability, and that ethos has been built into the core of our business. 

We noticed a trend for customers seeking locally and ethically manufactured clothing and this trend dramatically increased through the Covid pandemic.  Many of our customers prefer to wear high quality Australian made garments, so we decided to offer them that choice within the Bamboo Body collection. It is imperative that all factories we work with provide a safe work environment and treat their employees with respect.   

The benefits of manufacturing ethically in Australia include a shorter production timeline, fewer shipping delay risks, and the ability to manufacture smaller batches. The challenges of manufacturing in Australia include reduced manufacturing capacity and a limited choice of suppliers.

We were specifically looking for a factory that was accredited with Ethical Clothing Australia and those that are accredited are very popular and often booked out many months in advance. 

It is important for us to know that any business we undertake is safe and ethical. When we decided to manufacture in Australia, we sought Ethical Clothing Australia certified manufacturers.

We decided to get accredited with Ethical Clothing Australia Ethical Clothing Australia because we wanted to ensure that both the factory and our head office operated in an ethical manner. A third-party assessment is useful in providing an alternate view of our operations, which can help us to grow and improve.  

We are very happy that we undertook the Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation. While there were some challenges along the way, the accreditation has helped us to become a more professional and organised business, especially around staffing.

Traditionally we had a very flexible approach with our employees, however Ethical Clothing Australia has helped us bring structure to the business. Clearer documentation provides more clarity for all, and less chance of misunderstanding. 

We have a wonderfully diverse customer base for our ethically Australian manufactured garments. From teens to great grandparents, it doesn’t really matter what age or size or shape a person is, the common thread that unites our customers is knowing that the garments they are wearing have not caused harm to people or planet.