Arvin Socks was founded in 1995 by a pair of North Carolina fashion designers, Laura Schmit and her husband, Bill Deneault. They created their fashionable socks with recycled material such as denim from denim mills and other non-denim products like wool. The resulting product, called Arvin’s Best, helped make it to the Oprah Winfrey Show and the runway. Since its release, Arvin’s Best has expanded to include many different types of clothing including booties, slippers, hats, and even boots.
Although the goal of recycling textile waste is always to re-use whatever is left after a fashion item is worn, not all items are eligible. Some popular items that aren’t recycled are: wool, silk, rayon, and cashmere. Those three items are typically more expensive than denim, so companies that create new designs in those fabrics may try to save money on the lower priced denim socks by using the less expensive wool and silk blends. Sometimes companies that recycle textile waste combine wool and silk together to create a unique sock, such as Arvin’s Cashmere Slipper.
Before you throw out your old pair of jeans and wool socks, consider reusing them as well. Not only will you save money on the cost of brand new clothes, you can also help reduce the amount of garbage produced by companies that produce new items. If you recycle all of your clothing and other recycled products, you will be doing your part to help protect the environment. Consider Arvin’s socks as part of your wardrobe that incorporates recycled fashion.