All for cleaner underwear
Hey, it's Saint Basics' birthday! Exactly 10 years ago we went to the Chamber of Commerce with an ambitious mission. Not to make a profit, but to supply the world with Cleaner Underwear and to change the textile industry a little from within. That mission is not fulfilled yet. But fortunately, more brands have followed our example. And we're very happy with all the people who have made our brand stronger throughout the years. Thanks for being a Saint!
November
Our first collection is produced in Bangladesh. All products are GOTS certified.
December
Our first web sale. Thanks Roelof Geijteman, you were our very first Saint!
2010
January 
Volkskrant Magazine writes about Saint Basics as the first sustainable basics brand in the Netherlands. More people get to know us.
November
We answer to many requests for women's basics. Also, we experiment with basics for babies.
2011
August
Together with Urgenda we swap dirty underpants for clean ones at the Lowlands music festival.
2012
March
We're building brand awareness. From the beginning, part of our turnover goes to the 1% Club.
November
We develop a new style for more impactful storytelling.
September
Portugal, here we come!
October
We're at the Dutch Design Week and take a trip to Washington!
May
In Paris we introduce Dutch PM Mark Rutte to our world of sustainable shirts and shorts.
June
We receive our own GOTS certificate.
June
Saint Basics says Marhaban.
October
Chalkman draws a smile on the streets.
November
Good story by our Saint Katharina!
March
Ever seen a ship full of sustainable Saints? We have!
2018
January
In the meantime we keep making good basics, about 95% more sustainable than ordinary ones.
March
We also like working for companies with a humanitarian purpose.
September
We tap into a new creative network in Portugal, with sustainability at heart.
2019
Cleaner Underwear
Saint Basics embarks on a mission to make underwear without the usual sh*t: free from child labour, sweatshops, unfair trade, pesticides and other toxins, and water waste. We call it Cleaner Underwear.
Made in Bangladesh
Our first collection is designed by Marjolein van der Spoel: 8 boxer shorts and 3 T-shirts for men. Production takes place in Bangladesh. All products are GOTS certified.
Building consumer awareness
In 2010, sustainability was not as much of an issue for consumers as now, especially not for clothing. Saint Basics starts building consumer awareness (link through Google Translate). Slowly but surely, orders start coming in.
Building brand awareness
As far as budget allows, we advertise in Dutch newspapers and magazines. From the very start, we donate part of our turnover to the 1% Club, a crowdfunding platform for humanitarian projects.
Closer to home
Bangladesh is a logistic disaster for a small brand like Saint Basics. We move our production closer to home in a country with a rich textile culture, Turkey. We get our organic cotton from Aydin now, by the Aegean Sea.
A new style
We feel the urge to tell our story more powerful. Together with DEAR we create a visual style with strong colours and captivating symbols. Our models are Candy Rae Fleur and Yunuz Tuzkapan.
Running for dry underwear
Together with JMA, we organize the first Underwear Run in Amsterdam to draw attention to water waste in clothing. Did you know an average pair of non-sustainable boxers contains 700L water? More images here.
Across the ocean
At the Dutch Design Week in October, we team up with Dutch designers like Piet Hein Eek and Tejo Remy. We're invited to participate in an Dutch Design expo on Capitol Hill in Washington, in December. We didn't say no of course!
A real change
At the start of April, we crowdfund a large sum for our new eucalyptus colour collection, in only 11 days. It went incredibly fast. For us, this was a signal that a real change in the clothing industry really matters to people.
A Saint for the prime minister
In May we showed Dutch PM Mark Rutte around a Dutch Design expo on the Seine rivers banks. Afterwards, we offered him a set. According the PM, it was the first time he got underpants as a present. And clean ones at that!
No GOTS, no glory
Up till 2015, we worked with the GOTS certificate of our suppliers. But in June 2016 we received our own certificate. GOTS guarantees that your product is made in an environmentally sound way, under safe and fair circumstances. We get audited every year. Read more.
Saint says Marhaban
In June we launch the Marhaban T-shirt, together with CARE Netherlands. The shirt welcomes refugees in their own language. It raises about €30.000 aid for refugee camps in Greece.
Saints on Lesbos
Charlotte Gorsira and Roos Kolfschoten were real Saints by handing out approx. 3500 of our underpants and 200 baby sets to refugees on Lesbos.
Shirts for good
In 2018 too, we produces shirts for socially responsible companies. Like IKEA Foundation, who helps families in developing countries. Since 2015, IKEA Foundation sends its teams all over the world in Saint Basics shirts.
Sustainability at heart
In the North of Portugal, we not only produce our clothing, but also build a young creative network with sustainability at heart. Click here for some more images!
