Our clothing is made for slowing down; Consume less, feel more. This is everything we believe, and everything we do to back it up.
01
Materials
Made for and with nature
We always start our design proces with the question: "What can nature do for us?" We find techniques or partner with suppliers that found a replacement for a (harmful for nature) chemical proces. Or look for ancient techniques that have been replaced with harmful cheaper ones.
The fashion industry is a major contributor to the global plastic problem. From synthetic fibers to single-use plastic packaging, the environmental impact is staggering. Microplastics pose even greater dangers, contaminating our air, water, and food systems, affecting lungs and sperm quality. Urgent action is crucial. At Achilles and the Tortoise, we take a firm stance against the reliance on plastic, even in its recycled form. Fashion brands must prioritize bio-based materials like organic cotton, hemp and linen, as well as embrace innovative recycling technologies. By making conscious choices and adopting circular approaches, the fashion industry can combat the plastic crisis and safeguard our planet.
Despite the fact that many synthetic textile dyes are carcinogenic and play a big part in water pollution, they are still used today. AATT cares about the health of people and nature. That's why we use natural-based dyes, derived from natural waste products of the agriculture and herbal industries; leaving the edible part still available for food consumption.
Our Essentials collection is colored with EarthColors®. This process makes our fabrics super soft, with a wild splash of colour. EarthColors®, are patented, high performance natural waste- based dyes synthesized from non-edible agricultural or herbal industries waste such as palmetto fruits, leaves or nutshells.
Our sweaters are coloured using pigments derived from algae — a next-generation technique that needs no synthetic chemicals, no heavy metals, and produces no toxic wastewater. Algae grow fast, absorb CO₂ as they grow, and produce a rich spectrum of natural pigments. The result is colour that is alive in a way synthetic dye never can be — slightly variable, honest, and fully biodegradable.
That lived-in, washed-out finish most brands achieve with bleach — we get it using CO₂-based bio-enzymes. The process breaks down the outer fibre layer naturally, creating a soft vintage feel without any toxic compounds. The enzymes are derived from organic sources and are fully biodegradable. CO₂ replaces the chemical baths conventional stone-washing requires — using a fraction of the energy.
The reason our clothes feel broken-in from day one is a finishing treatment using enzymes derived from coconut. They smooth the fibre surface at a microscopic level, creating that distinctive softness without coating the fabric in silicone. Silicone softeners — used by most of the industry — are a form of microplastic. They coat the fibre, wash off into waterways, and accumulate. Coconut-derived enzymes biodegrade completely.
Every garment is a 50/50 blend of GRS-certified recycled cotton and OCS-certified organic cotton. No virgin polyester. No nylon. No elastane. Nothing that can't eventually return to the earth. Hemp and nettle are on the roadmap — fibres that need almost no water, no pesticides, and actively improve the soil they grow in. A collection where the growing of raw material is itself regenerative.
02
Longlevity
Made to be loved forever
Most clothes are designed to be replaced. Ours aren't. We build every piece to outlast the trend cycle — starting with the weight of the fabric itself, and ending with a warranty that never expires.
GSM — grams per square metre — is the single most honest number in fashion. It tells you how substantial a fabric is before you've even touched it. The industry standard for a "premium" sweatshirt sits around 300–380 GSM and a t-shirt goes as low as 60 GSM for fast fashion products. Our sweaters start at 500 GSM and our shirts at 300 GSM. this is old school practice. Remember those 80s sweaters that people still rave about? That's us now.
That weight means less pilling, better shape retention after washing, and a drape that improves over years of wear rather than degrading after months. It's the material argument for buying less.
If a material defect appears in any Achilles piece — regardless of when you bought it — we want to know. No time limits. No proof of purchase requirements. If the material fails, we take responsibility.
This isn't a marketing claim. It's what happens when you genuinely believe in what you've made. We wouldn't offer it if we weren't confident the fabric could back it up.
When you're ready to let go of an Achilles and the Tortoise piece — whether that's in two years or ten — return it to us and receive 10% of the original purchase price back. Like returning a bottle. The garment re-enters the cycle.
We repurpose the fabric into new pieces. Nothing disappears. The policy applies to every product, at any price, no matter how long ago you ordered. There is no expiry date on care.
03
Production
Made well, made close
To ensure healthy working conditions, living wages, short delivery spans and guaranteed quality, the complete production takes place within the EU-zone. From recycling post consumer textile, cutting waste and unsold stocks to the production of ready-to-wear garments.
Knowing who made your clothes — their names, their conditions, their craft — shouldn't be radical. For us it's the only way to make something worth wearing.
A €175 sweatshirt sounds expensive until you understand what it takes to make one that lasts a decade, is dyed with algae, finished with coconut enzymes, sewn in Portugal, and backed by a lifetime warranty. We don't mark up for brand purposes. We mark up because the real cost of responsible production is what it is. We'd rather be honest about that than pretend a €80 sustainable sweater is possible.
Most fast fashion labels do not include their environmental costs in their prices. If they were to show you the real price, they would have to include all the environmental and social costs associated with the production of fast fashion clothing in the price. Think of the costs of all the microplastics released by synthetic fibers, exploitation of natural resources, the pollution of water and air and the violation of human rights. Still consider buying a €10 tee?
We produce in limited runs. Not as a marketing tactic — as a waste-reduction strategy. Overproduction is fashion's original sin: making more than will ever be worn, then discounting or destroying the surplus.
Pre-orders let us produce precisely what's needed. When a piece is gone, it's gone. That's not scarcity marketing — it's manufacturing honesty.
We produce in Barcelos — a textile town in northern Portugal with a centuries-old tradition of fabric craft. Our partner factory operates under EU labour law: fair wages, safe working conditions, audited supply chains.
EU production also means a shorter supply chain — fewer shipping legs, lower transport emissions, and the ability to visit and check on quality ourselves. Distance from the factory is a form of opacity we've chosen to eliminate.
We produce with Fabriek Fris in Ede. Fabriek Fris stands for sustainable clothing production, local in the Netherlands, where people with a refugee background get a fresh start.
Discover Fabriek Fris
03
Care
The life of a garment
Washing less, washing the right way and storing your clothes neatly are all important actions that can extend the life of your garment. Not entirely unimportant, because extending the life of clothing has a huge positive impact. Therefore wash less!
How you care for a piece is part of its story. Small rituals that extend a garment's life and quietly push back against the throwaway logic of fashion. What you do after you buy it matters as much as what we did before. These tips help cover the basics:
Spraying vodka is an extremely effective way to get your clothes sweat-free and odor free. 1/3rd Vodka, top up with 2/3rd water and spray!
If you do want to wash, ALWAYS go for hand wash, with tepid water of a maximum of 29 degrees. Hot water breaks down fibres faster than almost anything else. Turning the garment inside out protects the outer surface — the part you see — from friction and fading.
Washing less is also part of this. Natural fibres air out well. Most of the time, a garment that's been worn once doesn't need washing — it needs airing.
Heavy knits and sweaters should be folded, not hung. Gravity stretches the shoulder seams of heavier garments over time — folding preserves the shape. Store in a cool, dark, breathable space to protect natural dye integrity.
Organic cotton and natural dyes respond to light and air differently than synthetics. Prolonged UV exposure can shift the colour in ways that — while often beautiful — are unintended. Darkness is their natural habitat.
A loose thread or small hole doesn't mean a garment is finished — it means it needs attention. Visible mending has a long history as both craft and philosophy: the Japanese practice of kintsugi repairs with gold to make the damage beautiful.
We're working on a repair service. In the meantime: a basic running stitch, a patch, a darning kit. The garment has already done a lot for you. Give it a little back.
05
Impact
What it saves
Every Achilles and the Tortoise garment saves measurable resources compared to conventional cotton production. These are not estimates — they are independently calculated figures based on certified material data, per size L garment (LCA).
1,210L
Water saved per garment vs. conventional cotton
1.47kg
CO₂ equivalent reduction per garment
11.6MJ
Energy saved per garment
49%
Less land use — 1.77m² per garment
Conventional cotton is one of the most water-intensive crops on earth — up to 10,000 litres to produce a single kilogram of fibre. Organic cotton requires significantly less, and recycled cotton requires almost none at the growing stage.
Our 50/50 blend cuts water consumption by 1,210 litres compared to a garment made entirely from conventional cotton. That's roughly two months of drinking water for one person.
Context
Ours 50/50 recycled + organic blend — minimal growing-stage water use Conventional Up to 10,000L per kg of fibre — intensive irrigation, often in water-scarce regionsThe CO₂ saving comes from two sources: recycled fibre (no agricultural carbon footprint from growing) and EU production (shorter transport legs, stricter energy standards in manufacturing). The algae used in our dyeing process also absorbs CO₂ as it grows — adding a small but genuine carbon sink to the production chain. Every process we use is chosen partly for this reason.
Where the saving comes from
Fibres No agricultural footprint for recycled cotton; organic avoids synthetic fertilisers Production EU manufacturing + shorter logistics chain vs. Asia sourcing Dyeing Algae absorbs CO₂ during growth — a carbon sink in the dye chainEnergy savings come from recycled materials and efficient EU manufacturing processes.
Details
OUR PROMISES
Claiming to be a slow fashion brand is a bold statement that must be substantiated. As far as we are concerned, Slow Fashion goes further than an environmentally friendly production process, fair prices and excellent working conditions. In particular, it concerns the production of sustainable clothing of very high quality.