Product Review: Garments from the Nau Spring Line
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 03.31.08
Thanks to the mild climate of Sydney I luckily spend three quarters of the year wearing shorts. And I try to cycle commute. This results in embarrassing wear points developing where buttocks meet bike seat. I patch my shorts for as long as is feasible (see pic after fold), but sooner or later new shorts are required. So when Nau launched their spring line, including the Confidant Shorts with a reinforced seat the shout went up. Hallelujah! Clothing for the real world. A review of these and other Spring garments after the fold.
Confidant Shorts are made from a unusual merino wool fabric. Merino has blitzed the outdoor market in recent years with its ability to feel comfortable over a wide range of conditions. But mostly its been in knitwear (Icebreaker, Ibex, Patagonia, Smartwool, etc). Here Nau challenge that expectation and have also crafted it into a high grade, woven cloth. It’s soft, non-scratchy and airy enough of a fabric to have even been used for shirting. But with the appropriate reinforcing in the seat, we trust it will be more than up to the task of bike commuting.
I should point out that the reinforcing is not the thick chamois-style pad common in full-on cycle knicks, but is a second layer of cloth on the inside of the shorts. So you can walk around normally, without feeling like there is a thick sock stuffed down your shorts. As usual the Nau detailing and finish is excellent, though I wonder if a zip fly wouldn’t be more practical, in this light fabric, than the stud closures.
After squeezing into the tent after a two hour walk in drenching rain and stripping off my overpants, my partner said ‘What’s that smell?’ We narrowed it down to my shorts. They smelt like a wet sheep. Wool actually creates a chemical reaction when it gets moist, which has the unique property of keeping its wearer warm even when wet. Luckily my merino shorts dried with surprising swiftness, and the aroma dissipated.
One of my patched up shorts that, alas, didn't have a reinforced seat.
And, as I’d never replaced the Gore-Tex Paclite jacket I’d had stolen whilst working on a land conservation project, I also lashed out on a Nau Succinctshell. This lightweight rainshell is another first. Its 100% recycled polyester ripstop fabric is bonded to a recyclable polyester waterproof/breathable film, which is turn is printed internally with a slightly raised pattern. This is known in the industry as a 2.5 layer fabric. It improves breathability, while protecting the inner film from abrasion, without resorting to the stiffer full three layer construction. [With 2.5’s you also gain lighter weight and compactness, but trade some durability.]
The Succinctshell packs down into a tiny bundle and weighs but 355g, so you never need be without eco-benign weather protection. The hood, whilst battened down for storms, still readily moves when you turn your head side to side, never obscuring your vision. A feature I always look for in rainwear. Though I wish the hood’s front seam, where the visor is, was seam taped like the rest of the jacket. The front zip and the underarm vent zips are coated water-resistant zips. An amazingly detailed rear pleat provides extra arm mobility. The spacious, zippered, hand pockets are lined in mesh, whereas my personal preference would been for the waterproof fabric used on the exterior.
My last purchase of a polo shirt was about a decade ago (when Patagonia went to organic cotton), so figured I could afford to buy one of those too. The Nau Two Faced Polo thinks outside the square.
On the exterior is a luxuriously soft organic cotton, yet on the inside is an eyelet mesh version their corn-based PLA fabric.* The two are combined in a bi-component knit, with the PLA pulling moisture off your skin and passing it, via a capillary structure, to the absorbent cotton waiting on the outside of the shirt. This means your skin feels dry and comfortable, even when exercising. I like collared shirts because they help protect the neck from sunburn and this collar has just enough body to stand up for that role. Seams are positioned away from pack hipbelts and shoulder straps, though I’m in two minds about the look of the exposed raw edge seams. Very comfy to wear.
* [Yes, their PLA is Ingeo, which might come from genetically modified corn. Because America’s corn crop is so contaminated by GMOs there is no real way of knowing. So Nau also fund a conventional corn crop, equivalent to the quantity needed to make their garments.]
I’m not in need of any jeans, with my patched-up Levis still providing service after 24 years! (pic here), so, unfortunately, I had no justifiable excuse to investigate the new denim that Nau just released this spring. Available for both guys and gals their denim is, of course, from ring-spun, 100% certified, organic cotton. But whilst you get the usual Nau attention to detail, like angled belt loops and softer inner waistbands, it’s just as intriguing what you don’t get. “No distressing. No whiskering. No chemical sprays. No resins. No sanding or abrasion. No embellishments. No bleach. No stone washing. No silicone softeners,” is how the company put it. Their denim legwear also gets some unconventional nomenclature, with styles known as the 'Lean Jean', and 'Loose but not slutty'! Women get a denim skirt too. How did they neglect to include a denim kilt for the male of the species?
And just as the aforementioned shorts save me the hassle of reinforcing the seat, Nau also make it easy for you to contribute to worthy non-profit organisations, with 5% of every sale going to the org you select.
All up I very pleased with my spring purchases. They're very functional, as well as snappy looking. Sewn from quality recycled or renewable materials. That’s not to say the garments are perfect. They have their foibles, (don't we all?) but they are exceedingly well made, so if they can give me the longevity I’ve come to expect from quality outdoor gear*, I’ll be more than happy. ::Nau
* [Aside from some campfire spark burn holes my first fleece jacket looks as almost good as the day I bought it — 27 years ago!]
nice stuff! I might buy some of those pants. They look stylish, comfortable, and like they'd last forever. I just wish they weren't made in China....
Not only is it appalling that Nau uses Chinese labor, but they continue to give a portion of their profits to Heifer International. And to make matters worse, they have the nerve to list them in the "Environmental" Partners for Change. Heiffer International is NOT GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT or the people who live in it.
It is hugely disappointing that Treehugger continues to give Nau free publicity when Nau uses a portion of their profits to support a so called "charity" which harms the environment, its recipients and of course the animals which they misguidedly send to death and torture.
@ Atom,
I'm sure that your entire home is free of all things made in China. Nau does have strict guidelines in place and does frequent audits of their factories to ensure the level of standards they have outlined.
And the customer decides where their charity proceeds are directed, Nau is just the facilitator.
It's hugely disappointing that people will give such a young ambitious company—who is trying so much harder than all of the others to do good—so much crap over minutiae. They can't be perfect, just as I'm sure you're not.
For the record, the label inside the above mentioned shorts actually says 'Made in Turkey.' And on their website Nau suggest the fabric is also sourced from there.
Some of their line is made in China. But then some is also sewn in Canada.
Two of the above comments raise important questions. We at Nau appreciate readers taking the time to post them, and are especially grateful that people are engaged in questioning corporate practices. Such dialogue is critical to making improvements both in the apparel industry and in our societies’ choices about equity and resource use.
Regarding manufacturing, we have chosen to manufacture our clothing overseas because, in many cases, suitable production facilities that can make the quality of fabric and garments we require simply do not exist domestically. While the realities of being a start-up company lead us to work within the existing supply chain, that does not mean we must compromise our values. Our manufacturing partners (whether in Turkey, China, Canada or anyplace else) comply with a stringent Code of Conduct to ensure the wellbeing of workers and the workplace environment. To make sure our standards are met, we work with Verité, a third-party non-profit monitoring firm which audits manufacturers against our Code of Conduct. For a more thorough discussion of our global sourcing decision, please visit the Grey Matters section of our website.
Regarding Heifer International, while on the surface we recognize that their work can raise questions about animal welfare and environmental stewardship, we have done extensive research to understand their programs and the safeguards they maintain to ensure humane practices. In addition to providing animal husbandry training as a prerequisite for receiving an animal, Heifer also provides community-based sustainable agriculture education (such as contour farming, pastured poultry which helps aerate the soil, and the use of manure as soil enrichment as just a few examples) to individuals, families and whole communities. Our research has not revealed practices that victimize animals or harm the environment; rather, we have found their programs provide a more sustainable means of sustenance and, in many cases, a way to break the cycle of poverty.
But if Heifer International is not your cup of tea (or glass of milk) there are many other choices in our Partners for Change program. We ask each customer, at the time of purchase, to choose the organization that receives 5% of the price of his or her order. In all, we have partnered with 31 organizations working for positive social and environmental change on the global, national, regional and local levels, so you can choose the organization that most closely reflects your interests and values.
Thanks for the dialogue.
Jil Zilligen
Nau, Inc.
Does anyone know if their stores carry sale items as well as the new stuff?
Smanda-
It's been a little while since I was in there Bellevue WA store, but they did have sale product. It is limited do to their unique inventory planning but it is possible to purchase items listed online as marked down. If you have a store close to you I would definitely recommend checking it out. They have interesting garment designs, are trying to develop the retail business by experimenting with supply chain procedures, and try to take their business beyond simple dollar profits. Although I don't personally own any of their garments, I can say that they appear to be very well made quality garments.
-Atom-
Seriously? Why bother wasting everybody's time with your comment? I would say more, but I would rather keep this civil.
Rex's Dog,
I bother "wasting everyone's time" with my comments because it is the height of hypocrisy for a site such as Treehugger to continue to shill for a company such a Nau. If you feel reading these comments is a waste of time I suggest that you don't bother to read them rather than whining about those of us who choose to spend time revealing flaws.
There is no question that raising animals for food is bad for the environment.
If you'd rather not google it, here is a link for you:
http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/3956
"Written by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),the report is the latest research linking meat-eating with environmental destruction. According to the FAO, the arm of the UN that works on worldwide hunger-defeating initiatives, animal farming presents a "major threat to the environment" with such "deep and wide-ranging" impacts that it should rank as a leading focus for environmental policy."
It is especially disappointing to me because the general of idea of Nau is so encouraging. Sustainable outdoorsy clothing is something I'd otherwise be very excited about.
I feel like although it's totally valid to not support Heifer from a vegetarian or vegan standpoint (and I'm a vegetarian myself), the organization isn't talking about mass animal farming here. I think most of the environmental degredation you read about from animal farming occurs in affluent countries where animals are being raised en mass (and inhumanely) for excessive consumption without thought to where the meat is coming from, and what the cost is.
This argument takes on a completely different set of criteria for me when I think about the third world countries that Heifer usually works in, where often it's hard to come by any sort of nutritional substance at all, much less a good source of protein. It's easy for me as a western human being to be a vegetarian, because I have a simple and easy way to get non-meat protein sources that will sustain me. However, my friends and I have travelled to plenty of countries where this isn't true, where it's an incredible insult to turn down meat because it's so hard to come by and so expensive that you're dishonoring your host by refusing this food.
I think it's important for me (and others if they're willing) to step into the shoes of someone who has no resources, who isn't planning on starting a hideous factory farm, who is simply trying to raise a family or feed themselves and is receiving a precious gift that helps them do so. That being said, I usually choose a different organization to support when I shop at Nau (there are so many outstanding local ones!), but I would never condemn someone for choosing Heifer because I've seen the incredible things they do for people who don't have the basic resources to even start helping themselves.
I tend to agree with Atom. I got really excited reading this article but minute I saw "made in China' I went into full boycott mode. I DO have things in my house that are made in China; they're just things that after extensive searching I was forced to buy because nobody stocks alternatives with different countries of origin (point in case IKEA wooden skirt hangers). However, for things I can choose between I wil ALWAYS buy the non- made in China versions. For outdoor clothing Chalkydigits from New Zealand is a great choice, its ethically made in NZ and they have organics products in their catalogue.
What it boils down to is this:no matter how much the company insists on ethical treatment of workers, non polluting processing and so on and so forth the fact of the matter is that they wouldn't manufacture it in China if the Chinese had the same civil, human and environmental rights available to human beings in the West/ in democracies. I.e. companies exploit China's lack of civil, human and environmental laws (among others) to make profits. If they treated their Chinese workers EXACTLY the same as they did their Western counterparts the cost of wages and environmentally safe production plus the cost of transporting goods from point of origin (China) to point of sale would be PROHIBITIVE.