PLEB Magazine recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Jake Whittall, the founder of STIX, an emerging, sustainable menswear e-commerce store. We dove into all things fashion and business, exploring what it takes to bring sustainable menswear options to consumers.
What inspired your personal passion for sustainability, particularly in men’s fashion?
I have always loved nature since I was a kid. I loved being outside, I loved the drama of mountains, of the sea. I found animals fascinating and beautiful. It was my happy place! As I have grown older this love of nature has morphed into a passion for sustainability – a desire to protect it. This has only heightened since I became a Dad – I want my son to be able to see what I have and to inherit a healthy world.
My journey into sustainable fashion started with a podcast! A few years ago during the pandemic, I started a sustainability-focused podcast called the Greenscore (you can still find us on Spotify!). It was about how we could all make small changes in our everyday lives to be greener. We’d take a consumer item each episode, get an expert on it, and look at what was a bad choice for our planet and what was a good one!
One of our first episodes was with a sustainable jeans company called MUD Jeans – it was on there that I learnt that it was not just Fast Fashion that was terrible for our environment. It was Fashion generally. Ever since then, I wanted to do something about it!
Can you share the story behind STIX? What inspired you to start an online marketplace for men’s sustainable fashion?
So I knew fashion was now bad, I wanted to shop for sustainable men’s fashion with the information I had learned. But the problem was finding it. I had to scroll through pages and pages of Google. And even if I did find brands, how did I know if they were really sustainable? In fact, what did it mean to even be sustainable fashion?
It was too complicated and inconvenient. People were not going to change if it was that tricky. So I decided I’d set up STIX – I wanted to define what we thought was sustainable, find brands that matched that, put them all in one place and therefore make it simple and convenient for people to buy stylish, quality AND genuinely sustainable men’s fashion.
What are the core values that drive STIX, and how do you ensure these values are reflected in the products you offer?
Our core values at STIX are honesty and transparency. When I started STIX I saw a great line about how the best thing for our planet was to be naked. It made me laugh, but it was true – it is very difficult to be 100% perfect for our planet in anything.
Our values mean we are clear with our customers about why our collections are more sustainable for our planet. But we are also clear why they are not, and what we and the brands we work with need to do to get better. We only work with brands who share that ethos of honesty and desire for constant improvement.
Our aim is to get to a point where our collections are 100% free of any plastic, and where everything is fully circular. Until we do, there is work to be done, and unlike the mainstream fashion players, we are clear about it!
How do you select the brands or designers featured on STIX? What criteria must they meet in terms of sustainability and ethics?
We’ve got 3 sustainability principles at STIX. The first is that every item is made from at LEAST 95% recycled (plastic, cotton), organic (hemp, bamboo, linen), natural (wool) or regenerative (TENCEL) materials.
The second is that ALL STIX-listed brands use suppliers that pay workers a living wage, are treated fairly and work in a safe environment.
The third is we will never engage in a race to the bottom (unlike many in the fashion industry!). Our prices will always be fair to everyone involved: our customers, our suppliers and producers – to preserve both product quality and ethical production practices.
Every brand selected must fulfil the first two criteria. And because we only work with sustainable fashion brands, their focus on quality and ethical production practices naturally makes them more premium and encourages customers to buy less but buy quality.
In your view, how has the men’s fashion industry evolved in terms of sustainability over recent years?
So until last summer, I’d never worked in fashion, so I’m not sure about long-term trends! But what I have seen in just my short time I find encouraging.
With the industry itself, there are a lot of people across the world, ranging from NGOs to Suppliers to Brands trying to do something to make fashion better for people and planet. Through sourcing our collection at STIX, I have spoken to so many amazing people who are trying to change the industry, a lot of whom are working in menswear. Even some of the worst offenders, like Shein, are “trying” to do something – most of it’s greenwashing but it does show the power of the sustainability movement.
I also think there is an increasing shift on the consumer side too. The rise of second-hand peer-to-peer sites like Vinted shows a desire to be more responsible. And the support we have had from our customers at STIX shows there is a real appetite among consumers to wear clothes that are made with the planet in mind.
What do you see as the biggest challenges in making men’s fashion more eco-friendly, and how does STIX work to overcome those challenges?
Great question. I think there are some things out of our control and some in our control that need to happen.
Sustainable fashion is more expensive because of its focus on quality and ethical production. We’re still in a cost-of-living crisis right now – until that eases it will be tough. This is such a huge problem that there also needs to be governmental action too – I’ve seen some encouraging signs from the EU and some US states but more is needed.
The other 2 things are around material science and circularity. For the former, we need more innovation so we can replace plastic/fossil-based materials that are usually used because of elasticity (so think about the band around your boxers for example that keeps them held up!).
For the latter, it’s a question of how do you get consumers to return their clothes which is tricky!
Achieving these is really tough and they are both interlinked. Our plan at STIX is to continue to work with our brands to discover and implement innovations in both areas (for example helping them adopt tech solutions to drive more circularity). And long term, we want to look at producing our own range of basics so we can directly work on how things are made and develop our own take-back schemes.
How do you stay motivated and innovative in an industry that can sometimes be resistant to change?
I have no choice! I can’t walk away from trying even if I fail. I have to know I tried to do something and do my part to change the world for the better. And while it is hard, the good moments – whether talking to a supportive customer; talking to someone who is like “I had no idea it was that bad”, and then watch them change their behaviour; talking to a brand working their butts off to find an innovation to cut their carbon footprint down even more – it all makes it worth it.
I think also many people struggle with climate change generally because you feel powerless. I know it’s tough – if you look at the bigger picture it’s daunting. But by taking ownership, by doing something, I feel more in control, I know I’m doing all I can, and it gives me some inner peace.
How do you inform your customers about the importance of sustainable fashion, and what role do you think consumers play in driving demand for eco-conscious products?
Unlike many things in the world of sustainability, fashion is awesome because it’s where we ALL have direct ownership and control. What we choose to buy directly affects what the industry will make. If tomorrow everyone stopped buying from Shein because they decided Fast Fashion was not worth it, Shein would die. The industry would die. That’s how much ownership we all have.
So at STIX the first thing is reminding people that they have the power, that ownership!
The second is just continually reminding people how bad the industry is. I have found a lot of people are like me before I did that podcast – they know Fast Fashion is bad. But they do not realise how bad the general industry is. So we just continually give them the information they need to (hopefully!) make a more sustainable choice.
Thirdly, one of the things we found was that people thought sustainable clothing meant compromising on things like style. This is obviously not true, but I understand why it’s so prevalent. It’s why we are always always at STIX talking about our collection as being stylish, AND sustainable. You can have both!
What sets STIX apart from other sustainable fashion marketplaces? How do you differentiate yourself in such a competitive space?
We are one of the few who only focus purely on men’s sustainable fashion. And that will continue to be our focus.
What has been the biggest challenge in growing STIX, and how have you navigated that?
Wow where to start! I think naivety is both a good and bad thing – I did not realise how hard this was going to be when I started!
The biggest issue is how do you build an audience when you have no budget. Me and my CoFounder are doing this around day jobs – we are self-funding it and haven’t raised any money yet, so have no real budget to do any paid marketing. It all has to be organic, through social media, word of mouth, working on your SEO and doing things like speaking to you here at PLEB!
It’s tough, it’s slow, and you are going against companies and brands with truly massive budgets who can throw money at influencers, paid ads, SEO experts etc etc.
But you just have to keep going, and what we have found is that even though our following is small, those who do are really committed!
How do you approach marketing STIX? What strategies have you found most effective in reaching eco-conscious consumers?
Well, it’s a constant learning process of testing, seeing what works, and moving on. And I don’t think we have cracked it so far.
What has worked best is humanising who STIX are. STIX is really me and Jamie. For the first year, I believed we needed to be in the shadows and build the brand. But really at this early stage, the brand is me and Jamie’s passion. We are the brand! So getting out there, talking about what we do, being centre stage has been really effective at helping us build an audience so far. That and just attending as many events as we can and talking about STIX to as many possible people as we can!
Many women purchase clothing for the men in their lives, whether for gifts or everyday wear. How do you see women influencing the shift toward more sustainable fashion choices for men, and how does STIX cater to that audience?
So about 50% of our orders have been from women, not men! So yes women have a massive role to play.
Generally, men (in the UK) can be pretty lazy. Many of us don’t like shopping. Even if we do enjoy shopping for fashion, we tend to find a brand, or even a specific piece from a brand, and buy from that over and over again. Once again this is a big generalisation, but I find that women are much more adventurous as well in trying new brands, new pieces etc.
So getting men to buy from brands they don’t know is tough. Women have a big role to play – many buy for their partner, son, husband etc and they are also more willing to explore new brands. Getting their support will be crucial to getting men to change their habits.
What are your plans for the future of STIX? Are there any new initiatives, partnerships, or product categories you’re excited to introduce?
The long-term goal for STIX is to make our own clothing. And specifically to make the foundational pieces of a man’s wardrobe – so pants, socks, plain tees, etc. This would then be complemented by the feature pieces from our partner brands.
Why do we want to make our own? Well if we take ownership then we have more direct control of how they are made. It means we can directly push the boundaries to make the most sustainable clothes possible. And it means we can set up our own take-back/buy-back schemes to drive circularity.
How do you see the men’s sustainable fashion space evolving in the next 5-10 years, and what role do you hope STIX will play in the future?
As the climate crisis gets worse, and the consequences of it become more and more visible, the percentage of men (and women buying for men!) demanding their clothes are made with sustainability in mind will only grow. The brands that don’t embrace this, will increasingly be left behind.
The industry will see a lot of changes too. Research will see increasing innovation in the materials space which will allow greater recyclability of clothes and also the decarbonisation of the fashion industry as plastic-based materials are replaced. And there will also be an increasing deployment of circular solutions to ensure that we build a more closed-loop system that reuses the materials put in.
Ideally, in ten years, I’d love to see every bit of menswear bought coming from sustainable brands, all free of plastic and all fully circular. But even if not there then, I think we will be on the road to that!
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs or fashion brands who want to build a sustainable business model?
People won’t buy on sustainability alone.
When I started STIX, I just assumed everyone was like me and that sustainability would be the number 1 criterion for how they shop. But I’ve found this is actually a very small proportion of consumers.
Most people are going to purchase on a combination of quality, style, convenience and price. People will tell you sustainability is their number 1, but it’s usually not true.
Whatever service or product you are building, it needs to be some or all of the above. You need to build internally with sustainability in mind, but to customers, you need to emphasise other things. In some ways, it’s like changing their behaviour through the back door – make something so awesome they want it, and then reveal that in addition, it’s good for the planet!
For consumers looking to make more eco-conscious choices in fashion, where should they start?
Haha well shop at STIX!
No but here are 5 rules you should follow:
1. If it’s Temu, Shein, BooHoo or Primark, just don’t
2. If there are only fluffy words, and no concrete examples (you will know) of WHY the range is sustainable, be suspicious
3. There should be clear information on WHERE they make the clothes and HOW they ensure workers are paid fairly
4. There should be clear information on WHAT materials are used and WHY they are sustainable
5. If the range is all super cheap, be sceptical. Sustainable fashion is still more expensive
It is tough – brands are brilliant at greenwashing. But the more you try, the more you will see patterns emerge that allow you to start to see through any BS and shop with the brands genuinely doing right by our planet.
Website: stixstudios.com
Instagram: @stixstudios_fashion
Co-Founder: Jake Whittal
Contact: [email protected]
Location: UK
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