Charles River Apparel, Sharon, Mass., has introduced two new outerwear styles that reflect its commitment to developing sustainable products: the Lithium Quilted Hooded Parka for women and Lithium Quilted Hooded Jacket for men, both made of 100% recycled polyester, an eco-friendly fabric made using the yarn of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.
PET is a form of polyester commonly used in plastic bottles and containers. To create recycled polyester, these bottles are collected, cleaned, sterilized, dried and crumbled into small chips, then heated and passed through a spinneret to form strings of yarn that are woven into fabric.
“Our journey into more eco-friendly fashion started in 2015 with our Radius Vest and Lithium Jacket, and then our Women’s Wrap Cardigan made from organic Supima cotton,” said Alice Lau, vice president of supply chain for Charles River Apparel. “Now, we’re excited to expand on our environmental efforts with the new Lithium styles.”
The Lithium Quilted Hooded Parka and Jacket feature a full-zip design that’s both stylish (with diamond quilting on the body and hood) as well as functional (with a recycled, down alternative PrimaLoft fill for added warmth and room for the Radius Vest to zip inside and create a three-in-one jacket). The piece is available in black for both men and women, plus a new navy color for the women’s style only.
“Sustainability has always been on our mind as a company,” Lau said. “We continue to move forward with plans for sustainable packaging, partnerships with sustainable factories, and the use of eco-friendly fabrics made from nature with minimal use of chemicals and toxins. We are also committed to finding greener ways of textile dyeing and finishing with chemical-free dyes that are kind to our environment.”
The parka and jacket are released with Charles River Apparel’s Fall 2021 Collection, which features new styles, colors and prints. Distributors and retailers can learn more about the new Lithium styles and browse the rest of the fall collection on the Charles River Apparel website or by downloading the digital catalog.
For more information on Charles River Apparel, visit www.charlesriverapparel.com.
