Written by Menswear Style in Interviews on the 19th January 2022

Having worked in the menswear and tailoring industry for a combined 40 years, co-founders Cormac and Anthony knew things had to change. They wanted to re-establish what a modern menswear brand should be. A brand with a purpose, focused on the things that matter: quality, fairness and the environmental impact of what goes into our garments. The clothing industry accounts for over 10% of global carbon emissions. In addition to this, brands have altered consumer attitudes through fast fashion, prioritising profit margins over ethical production. We have lost transparency of where our garments are made and the conditions our workers have to endure. Alder & Green is about slowing down, about investing in one or two key wardrobe pieces and knowing where your garment has come from and how it has been produced. Whether it be your special wedding shirt or your go-to professional shirt for the new hybrid working week, they want you to feel like a true Alder Man - one who looks sharp and feels sharp.

In a recent episode of the MenswearStyle Podcast we interviewed Cormac Folan, Co-Founder of Alder & Green about his industry background and how he launched his sustainable shirting brand in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our host Peter Brooker and Cormac talked about responsible manufacturing, raising capital, the importance of search engine optimization, BIOFUSION organic cotton, the importance of size profiling, brand loyalty, and their new London pop-store.

“Alder & Green is a responsible menswear brand. We have just launched, and we’re focused predominately on shirts such as men's formal and casual shirts. Our focus is around a great fitting product, so we have a wide variety of sizes and fits available. We also source all our fabrics as 100% organic cotton and we manufacture as locally as possible. I'm slightly obsessed by fit and I think most men are, especially for shirts and in this category. We have a wealth of knowledge over what the size profile looks like, and we believe we cover nearly every type of a man’s body shape. We're also offering a service called local fit across London to start with. This is a post purchase alteration service so if you’re not happy with the fit, we will come to you, we will measure the product and make sure it fits you perfectly. We'll take it away, alter it and quickly return it back to you. That's our commitment to fit.”

This is a shortened transcribed edit of episode 149 of the MenswearStyle Podcast with Cormac Folan, Co-Founder of alderandgreen.com. You can listen to the full version below or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast player.

We sit down with Cormac Folan of Alder & Green to talk about Men's Shirts, Formal Shirts, Casual Shirts, and the brand's Post purchase alteration service.