Ethics

ETHICS POLICY

We saw the shift in the market coming from miles away. Consumers want to buy quality clothes again. We're tired of the fast-fashion machine churning out new trends every quarter. We're done with supporting factories where they utilize slave labor. We're through with paying luxury prices for plastic clothes.

As the founders of Sun On Shade, we wanted to fill that void. Our goal is to make timeless garments out of quality fabrics utilizing the most ethical sources we can find. It wasn't always the easiest or cheapest way to do business, but it's the right way to do business.

So we're putting all our cards on the table. We're showing you our factory, our fashion industry consultants, why we're passionate about natural fibers (even though our swimwear is recycled synthetics!), and the why's behind it all.

XOXO, Macy + Lexi Pennington, Founders

OUR FACTORY

We worked with the incredible fashion industry consultants at Alice James Global out of Austin, TX to find the best factory in America, and they lead us to California Rain Co. Inc., aka LA Made.

View Their Website

WHY LAMADE?

MADE IN AMERICA

We always knew we wanted to make our clothes here in the USA. We wanted to support our country's economy. On average, a dollar spent in your local economy is spent 6 times within that local economy. By spending money here, we're helping support our neighbors chase their own American Dream.

See Who's Making Your Garments

OKAY BUT WHAT ABOUT YOUR SOURCING?

ETHICAL SOURCING

We're freedom-loving Americans, so it makes no sense to source materials from countries practicing slave labor to then slap a "made in America" tag on it. This is why we work with fashion industry consultants; to make sure we're sourcing everything from the factory to the textile mills are ethical, sustainable, and have GOTS/OCS certified fabrics.

What The Heck Is GOTS/OCS?

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL WITH NATURAL FIBERS?

BETTER FOR YOU & THE PLANET

Natural fibers, such as linen, wool, cotton, or hemp, all come from God's green Earth. Synthetic fibers, like polyester, nylon, and acrylic, are all made from petroleum, aka plastic. Natural fibers degrade in soil within 6 months. Synthetic fibers take over 200 years to break down and then they fragment into microplastics. Still not convinced? Check out what happens when scientists put dogs in polyester underwear...

Click Here To Find Out

BUT YOUR SWIMWEAR IS POLYESTER?

If we could create a swimsuit out of natural fibers that also performed well, we would! The biggest benefit of synthetic fibers is that they're stretchy and water resistant, two major things swimwear needs. So we went with a recycled polyester as the more sustainable option. We are looking into alternative swim fabrics and synthetic/natural blends and hope to incorporate them into future designs.

How Do We Feel About Wool Swimwear?

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

We knew if we wanted to do this right, we needed help. Luckily, we found Alice James Global Fashion Consulting right in our backyard. This all-ladies team brought their A-game to every meeting and hyped us up the whole way to the finish line. We knew by their business ethics that we could trust their contacts and knowledge of the fashion industry when searching for the most sustainable and ethical options. 10/10, would recommend!

Fashion Fairy Godmothers