All our clothes are made in Türkiye, in a factory located in Istanbul. Beyond the personal connection we at LEFTOVERS have with this city, here is why we made this choice in line with our upcycling approach.
Concrete environmental benefits
Manufacturing in Turkey significantly reduces the carbon footprint of clothing, particularly for European brands. Thanks to its geographical proximity to the European Union, logistics routes are shortened, thus limiting transport-related emissions, unlike production outsourced to Southeast Asia. Turkey has also been investing for several years in cleaner and more efficient technologies in the textile sector: water treatment plants, waste management standards, and manufacturers are committing to certifications (such as GOTS for organic cotton or Oeko-Tex for dyes that are non-toxic to the body and the environment).
And what about LEFTOVERS? Furthermore, since the recycled fabrics are already on site, and all stages of production (cutting, embroidery, and tailoring) of our clothing are carried out in the same factory, the impact of transport is greatly reduced.
More socially ethical production
Contrary to the stereotypes often associated with low-cost textile production, Turkey has much stricter social standards than many Asian regions. The country is a signatory to several International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions and imposes a legal minimum wage, a minimum working age, and rules on working hours (40 hours per week). For example, the average salary of a skilled tailor in Turkey is €750, compared to €140 in Bangladesh.
Geographic proximity also makes it easier to visit factories, interact directly with teams, and build long-term relationships of trust. This human proximity fosters more respectful practices throughout the value chain.
What about LEFTOVERS? In addition, the factory that manufactures LEFTOVERS clothing is independently audited annually by Intertek . The audit carried out is the SMETA developed by Sedex. Recognized worldwide, this audit assesses labor, health and safety, environmental performance, and ethical standards.
Recognized know-how and quality guaranteed
Turkey has been a major textile hub for decades, renowned for the quality of its fabrics and its expertise in manufacturing thanks to modern infrastructure and a highly skilled workforce. Turkish factories and workshops master all stages of the manufacturing chain (knitting, dyeing, finishing, cutting, accessories, marking, manufacturing, etc.) and are capable of producing both quality pieces and limited editions.
And what about LEFTOVERS? This flexibility allows us to avoid unsold items due to excessively high production minimums, combined with quality that leads to more sustainable products, thus reducing the overall environmental impact of our clothing.
Why not produce in France?
At least for two reasons. First, the cost . Indeed, producing clothes of this complexity (patchwork with many panels) requires a longer cutting and tailoring time than for "standard" clothes. Also, if the cost of labor is among the highest among ready-to-wear producing countries, it is nevertheless lower than in France. Produced in France, our clothes would cost about 3 times more. Manufacturing in Turkey is therefore a compromise between price acceptability and social responsibility.
Second, in order to produce clothing through upcycling, we need to go to where the fabrics to be revalued are (end of rolls, scraps, dormant stock). And Turkey is a major textile country where the fashion industry neglects these materials. Recovering these fabrics to send them to another country where wages are higher does not seem to us to be a good solution from an environmental point of view. However, we are aware that it is not a perfect solution for a totally responsible fashion, and we try to find the compromise that seems to us to be the best.
