In Stroud, they say Pants To Poverty

As part of our campaign to stay as far away from Jubilee celebrations as possible, we took a trip out to rural Gloucestershire, and the pretty market town of Stroud. Stroud has a great reputation for food and a thriving market in sustainable, locally produced goods. I can heartily recommend Mill's Cafe, who do a fine bacon and mushroom quiche - baked by the life partner of the guy that runs an Aladdin's cave of a cookshop across the way.
But we're here to talk about fashion, and in particular, pants. A visit to the Stroud on Water festival, taking place on a refurbished stretch of the Stroudwater Navigation led us, almost by accident, to a stall staffed by two enterprising young lads called Sam and Moses.

They run a franchise of Pants To Poverty, an English company who specialise in ethical underwear. Their pants and socks are made from cotton farmed by a collective in Hyderabad, and manufactured in a factory nearby that prides itself on its low-impact environmental policies and close work with their workers and the community in general. PtP takes their mission, to get the best pants possible into the hands and onto the asses of people worldwide, very seriously.
The pants aren't cheap, but then they are extremely high quality. 95% organic cotton with a touch of elastene for support and stretch, they are very soft and very comfortable. I speak from experience. I'm wearing a pair as I write this. Here at The Pier, we believe in putting our money where our mouth is, and we weren't about to leave Sam and Moses hanging.

Pants For Poverty products are available online, and at many discerning independent outlets across the country. For more, check out the website.
Thanks to Sam and Moses for indulging the strange, excitable chap with the camera. Hope I didn't freak you out too much, lads.
Photos by Clare at Clarevision.
Pants To Poverty