What Is Deadstock Fabric? Pros, Cons & Sustainability

Over the years, we’ve noticed a shift within the fashion industry towards sustainable and ethical practices. From selecting high-quality, sustainable fabrics to transparency in the supply chain, brands are making changes. In this light, there has been a rise in the use of deadstock fabric.

For deadstock fabric, brands buy offcuts and excess fabric from other fashion houses. Doing so, in turn, saves these fabrics from ending up as waste in the environment and releasing toxic chemicals into our waterways.

However, the question remains, is deadstock fabric as sustainable as it appears? In this article, we’ve broken down information on what you need to know about deadstock fabrics.

What is Deadstock Reclaimed Fabric?

Deadstock fabric refers to surplus, leftover fabric and offcuts from a fabric mill or fashion houses. Usually, these textiles end up in landfills or burnt. Instead, small ethical companies and designers buy them as a sustainable alternative to create new fashion pieces. 

This kind of interaction serves as a business transaction. The fabric producers with leftover fabric are sellers, while the often smaller designers are the buyers. The process entails reclaiming or saving textiles that would otherwise end up discarded. As such, the practice prevents waste.

It’s not news that the textile and clothing industry generates a ton of waste. Not only do these come from unused fabric and textiles, but also due to the overproduction of fabrics and clothing. 

Burning luxury fashion

In 2018, the designer brand Burberry came under a lot of heat for burning unused products. The business revealed that in July 2018, it had burned 28.6 million pounds, about $37 million worth of products. It turns out this practice had become widespread in the industry. 

Following the backlash, this fashion house decided to put an end to this practice by embracing new sustainability efforts. This situation serves as an example of which excess new fabric and clothing from factories, mills, and companies end up causing environmental issues.

Further, other labels have followed suit to reduce or even eliminate deadstock fabric from their supply chains, and where it does exist, make sure it finds a good home elsewhere as someone else's more sustainable materials.

Different types of deadstock fabric

Ultimately, deadstock shows up in different forms. Sometimes in the form of excess fabric from clothing factories. Other times they are textiles that have been damaged or don’t meet the quality standards of the designers.

When a small sustainable, and ethical brand purchases deadstock or reclaimed fabric, it creates something new. Some of these can even be hand-made or blended with vintage clothing to create upcycled fashion. From mixing materials to form a new pattern to generating new designs, unique pieces spring up. 

How is Deadstock Fabric Made?

Sometimes fashion brands overestimate how much fabric and material they need. As a result, factories tend to have leftovers for these companies. Also, after cutting, sewing, and stitching materials to form items, there’s usually the question of what to do with the offcuts.

The rolls of excess fabric then form what we know as deadstock. When we examine the numbers, we can see how much of a negative impact these practices have. In the USA alone, over 11 million tons of textiles are sent to landfills yearly. Additionally, the fashion industry generates 20% of the world’s wastewater.

Related: Take a deeper dive into fast fashion facts and statistics.

Through the business of buying these excess materials, small companies help to revive or reclaim them. These conscious brands provide fashion-conscious customers with guilt-free clothing with the benefits of reducing excess waste.  

Reclaimed fabric from different sources

To provide a proper breakdown of how companies generate deadstock fabric, we’ve highlighted some ways brands create such fabrics:

• overestimate their fabric and material needs
• overproduce specific textiles
• discontinue production, which leads to a significant quantity of leftover fabrics
• toss aside fabrics that are considered not up to par
• discard damaged materials that they cannot sell

Many times, these big brands sell deadstock fabric to jobbers. These people are fabric suppliers who on-sell these excess products to small fashion businesses. When small designers access these textiles, they can experiment with different color types and materials to create new items. They do this while engaging in best practices that help contribute to a cleaner and safer world, to an extent.

Moreover, acquiring deadstock fabric can prove a real benefit for smaller brands as they may not need to reproduce certain materials. This, in turn, can also provide customers access to limited collections. 

History of Deadstock Fabrics

The pioneering upcycling fashion brand, From Somewhere, introduced the idea of ‘Reclaim To Wear.’ Orsola de Castro and Filippo Ricci kick-started his movement in 1997.

The Reclaim To Wear concept centers around creating garments from remnants and disposed of materials. These include materials and fabrics such as designer surplus, vintage, stock, second-hand clothing, and off-cuts.

Reclaim To Wear offers solutions to change our environment and world by upcycling clothes blended with design. It also embraces the shift towards a less wasteful and more sustainable future. The reclaim-to-wear process involves transforming and re-designing discarded clothing and surplus textiles. By so doing, we prolong the value and life cycle of pieces. 

How Sustainable is Reclaimed Deadstock Fabric?

Is deadstock fabric sustainable? Although deadstock fabric in itself is not necessarily sustainable, acquiring it to divert it from becoming waste is sustainable.

Reclaimed fabric is often a go-to option for early-stage brands seeking small quantities of fabric for their lines. With deadstock fabrics, new designers do not have to subscribe to purchase a minimum order quantity. They have the opportunity to experiment with these excess fabrics from the bigger fashion houses.

In this light, the biggest win for deadstock fabric is that it helps to divert waste fabric. A product made from deadstock may also prove considerably cheaper compared to buying fabrics first-hand. As a result, brands can source excellent quality fabrics rather than producing their garments with fabrics of half the quality.

Emerging marketplaces for reclaimed fabrics

As the world is constantly evolving, something new is always emerging. Various resource shops collect fabric scraps, such as Fab Scrap. This business is based in the USA and serves as a popular resource for reclaimed fabric.

The team works with companies and designers to collect fabric and other materials that mills and manufacturers would otherwise throw out. Fab Scrap, and other similar fabric marketplaces, provide access to a wide range of fabrics.

Asides from this resource, small shops, and businesses (like Etsy shops) offer reclaimed deadstock selections. So if you’re an individual looking to acquire such fabrics while supporting a small business, Etsy provides a marketplace.

On the flip side, there’s the tendency to put the work of clearing up deadstock or waste on small businesses. This can be unrealistic as these businesses cannot really completely divert all materials from becoming waste.

Also, we cannot always turn deadstock fabric into useful things. Something that has apparent damages, for instance, may not find a second use. A range of other issues can also render excess fabric useless, from soiling to the sizes of offcuts, through it not finding a buyer. At the end of the day, we cannot rescue all deadstock items. 

Pros and Cons of Reclaimed Deadstock Fabric

Pros

• Reduces Textile Waste: Using deadstock is a way to curb waste. This is because it gives a second life to something that we would otherwise throw out. We can also view the process of acquiring this type of fabric as a way of purchasing second-hand. This is because it reduces the process of producing new materials. (Read more: environmental impact of textile waste)
• Can Reduce the Emission of Greenhouse Gases: Since small businesses and shops can now acquire these fabrics, it helps to reduce new production. Manufacturing clothes is a significant contributor to greenhouse gases, especially when the processes are unsustainable. 
• Usually Comes With a Discount: Purchasing these fabrics comes at a much lower price than producing new textiles. This discount is a selling point for small designers that don’t have a lot of startup capital. They can acquire a variety of fabric patterns and colors at a reasonable price. 
• Good For New Clothing Businesses: New businesses can benefit from the upcycling of discarded pieces. Whether they order from the big companies directly or order through marketplaces, there’s always access. From the low-price investment to limited pieces, designers have the opportunity to get creative. 

Cons

• Lack of Traceability: Buyers can find it challenging to get specific details on the manufacturing processes of such fabrics. This is prominent in cases where they sell fabrics in large outlets. A buyer could be blindly purchasing a material without knowing the properties and qualities of such fabric. 
• Deadstock Doesn’t Equal Sustainable: Just because a designer purchases deadstock does not mean it is sustainable or comprises eco-friendly materials on its own. Some of these fabrics still come from synthetic fibers such as nylon and polyester. These fabrics are not eco-friendly. 
• Can Encourage Overproduction: When factories, mills, and big companies know there’s a market for this, it can encourage overproduction. Some can view this as a business model to make more money. This can also lead to creating price models solely for profits. 
• Can Lead to Greenwashing: There are so many components to sustainable practices. It goes beyond the way designers acquire fabric for use. In this case, beyond just buying and using reclaimed fabric. Choosing an eco-friendly fabric compared to a synthetic one is one way. Or genuinely reusing or championing vintage clothing. Other practices include fair treatment of workers, certified factories, avoiding toxic chemicals, and minimizing waste. It’s easy for a brand to claim to be all-around sustainable just by purchasing and using reclaimed new fabric. Unfortunately, not all of these are even natural fabrics. 

Brands that Use Reclaimed Deadstock Fabric

In this section of the article, we’ve made a list of some designers and brands using deadstock materials. 

Christy Dawn

For your sustainably sourced deadstock fabric dress, Christy Dawn is the designer for that. This brand offers timeless, sustainable, and ethical dresses and accessories. The brand creates each product with either GOTS-certified organic cotton or deadstock fabric as part of its sustainable efforts, giving deadstock fabric new life. The cotton collection is in partnership with Oshadi Collective in Erode, India.

Shop Christy Dawn

Reformation

People know this company for its popular line: “Being naked is the #1 most sustainable option. Reformation is #2”. This clothing brand limits its fabric selection to those that have less impact on the environment.

These sustainable and recycled materials include deadstock, certified silk, linen, recycled cotton, vintage clothing, and recycled cashmere. When next you’re looking to shop for a pretty dress or comfortable pair of jeans, this brand offers something to complement your style. 

Shop Reformation

Anekdot

Anekdot sources surplus pieces from deadstock product, production leftovers, offcuts, end-of-line, and vintage trimmings. The brand then transforms these pieces into functional and deliberate essentials. Anekdot creates handcrafted underwear and lingerie pieces in limited editions.

Shop Anekdot

Looptworks

Looptworks, an upcycled clothing brand, creates zero-waste pieces using 100% upcycled materials. This company specializes in repurposing and upcycling abandoned deadstock fabric textiles into eco-friendly, limited-edition products. Looptworks’ products reduce carbon emissions, divert waste from waste dumps, and conserve water. The brand offers backpacks, duffels, totes, and apparel.

Shop Looptworks

Sustainable Fabric vs. Deadstock Fabric

For lasting change to occur as part of the industry’s efforts, companies need to embrace using sustainable fabrics. Fabrics like organic cotton, mechanically processed bamboo fabric, and the Lenzing Modal fabric are eco-friendly options. Sustainable clothing brands also tend to have standards and practices in place to prevent overproduction.

Although purchasing deadstock fabric helps divert fabrics from landfills, many more excesses end up as waste. Also, a lot of these reclaimed textiles are synthetic and, therefore, still toxic to the environment. 

Conclusion 

This article serves as a guide to understanding deadstock fabric. There are many ways to key into sustainable and ethical practices. Patronizing deadstock products and reclaimed fabrics is only one way. Although, for several reasons, it isn’t always the most eco-friendly way for the apparel industry to achieve sustainability.

Overall, the journey to making the fashion world cleaner and safer starts with each person. So grab a friend and engage in progressive discussions and actions toward a better world.