We're often asked why we chose Portugal as the manufacturing hub for Easy Mondays and to us, the answer is obvious - beyond being ideally located to access high-quality, European fabrics and other materials, they also boast a proud garment-making tradition that stems back centuries.
When first touring the factory outside of Porto that we would eventually choose to make our collection, we were immediately struck not just by the care and attention to detail of the various craftspeople who worked there, but the pride that they take in their craft. For many of the sewers, stitchers, and other garment dyers who ply their trade on the factory floor, they are but one in a long line of family members who have worked in the industry for generations. We were immediately impressed that they felt as passionate and thoughtful about the pieces they were assembling as we did.
When Easy Mondays started over three years ago, we set out to make clothing that would allow you to make one less decision on a busy Monday morning. Something made by real people, using fits and materials that felt refined but still comfortable. Sometimes there are minor imperfections in the garments due to the hand made process - but we will take that over making clothes on an anonymous assembly line with no heart. Life isn't always perfect.
We wanted to avoid the countless shortcuts available in the contemporary menswear industry - from riding every wave of trends to using cheap fabrics and labour and automated manufacturing to cut corners - to create clothing that would stand the test of time and hold up to multiple wears and washes. For us, sustainability starts and ends with our people - both the artisans on the factory floor scrutinizing the placement of every stitch and button, to the retailers who sell our clothes and the people who wear them. We take pride in making clothes that you'll feel just as good wearing as you'll look in them. That's easy.
