Ethics
Our Standards
Compassionately Created.
Handcrafted
Handcrafted, first and always. Whether an item is one-of-a-kind, or created with a pattern designed in-house, you rarely see the same design twice. We create pieces that fit all body shapes, to showcase your unique personality.
Ethical Labour
Our founder and designer Julie creates every item. Every person in the hijulez team, from branding, to sewing, to modelling, is paid a living wage and given an opportunity to express artistic freedom. Like our city of Vancouver, BC, we are diverse, and support equality and opportunity for all.
Transparent Pricing
We respect you, by making sustainable decisions from start to finish. We document our material cost, design value, and cost of production to calculate a transparent price. Our creations are made with kindness and respect, with hours of labour dedicated to sustainable methods which are no-harm.
Intentional and Lasting
Your clothing can grow and evolve alongside you! Send any old, loved clothing, or hijulez purchase back to us, and it will be mended or re-imagined through a fresh layer of dye or new cut. Set up a Custom Dyeing Consultation to get started. We believe that our relationship to clothing should last longer than just one season. When you need a change, be part of designing that change right onto your apparel, rather than adding to a landfill! Let your legacy be re-invented clothes, rather than additional weight in a waste bin.
We abide by a principle of no-harm.
Responsibly Sourced
Using only thrifted or deadstock fabric and natural dyes, we belong to a new wave of designers who deliver style and functionality without damaging our environment. The fashion industry has historically viewed its environmental impact as an afterthought. Textile production has been one of the most highly polluting elements of the fashion industry, due to massive use of synthetic dyes with toxic by-products.
CO₂ Conscious
Our small business model minimizes our carbon footprint. Our handcrafted, artisan approach allows us to create special one-of-a-kind apparel, with minimal CO₂ impact.
Water Conscious
Where thrifted fabrics are not appropriate (such as for intimates and underwear), we work with a recycled bamboo cotton supplier. Bamboo requires little water to grow. Further, one hectare of bamboo has the ability to absorb 17 tonnes of carbon per year, so bamboo production can counteract the emissions created in traditional textile production. It can take 2,700 litres to grow the cotton needed to make a single t-shirt, which is equivalent to three years worth of drinking water!
Simple Packaging
Items are packed in recycled tissue paper, printed with soy ink. It is enough to protect your items with care but not create excess waste. Soon, we will transition to silk and cotton scarf packaging that double as accessories!
Body Acceptance
If there is ever a design that you want, but is not available in your size, just let us know and we can create a custom piece for you. Remember that we are all unique and beautiful and textiles should be shaped to fit us and not the other way around. Fashion has created issues around body image. Our pieces look good, feel good, and are designed to help you live your best life— not shrink it down to fit impossible standards!
Clothes should be made to fit you, not the other way around!