About
MISSION STATEMENT
We celebrate the great outdoors and an adventurous spirit, and we endeavor to inspire a sense of stewardship through earth-friendly products and practices. We pledge to use our time, talents and proceeds to work toward the preservation of the wild places and waters of Washington state, and to help advance the health and welfare of wildlife in the Pacific Northwest.
CREATING CONNECTION WITH NATURE, SEEKING WONDER
Welcome! My name is Tracy and I’m the Owner/Founder of Barefoot Eco Outfitters. That’s me and my daughter/partner/adventure buddy Skyler in the photo above. We are captivated and inspired by the incredible natural beauty of our home state of Washington, and passionate about our desire to protect the wild places and wildlife that make The Evergreen State so very special!
This mission-driven business is a family affair; my two sons Trevor and Keegan, have also been an integral part of this journey, and the photos on these pages are essentially snapshots of our life. We have survived domestic violence together, and sought solace and refuge in the heart of nature. Our connection to the great outdoors remains a sacred part of our bond, and a major inspiration for this venture. You can read more about our story and the inspiration for this business in the blog post, “You Will be Welcome.”
Tracy Strandness
Skyler Strandness
Trevor Strandness
Keegan Strandness
Growing up, my every summer vacation was spent camping in the great Pacific Northwest, and I continued that tradition with my own children. Back in the day, my siblings and I thought that was the coolest thing ever; in hindsight, it was probably all our parents could afford with four young kids! But all this time later, the memories of those years are still as evergreen-scented and vibrant as when they happened. Why is that? We believe there is something sacred about nature that brings you back to your authentic self. It doesn’t matter who you are, nature accepts you. Nature doesn’t judge. Whether we know it or not, we are all deeply connected to our wild places, and spending time outdoors refreshes our joy and energizes our purpose.
We want to celebrate those feel-good nature moments! We want to be empowered by the confidence, connection and exuberance offered by the great outdoors, and we want to give back, because we’ve overcome challenges in our own life that have given us an attitude of gratitude; this above all else propels us forward!
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We’ve thoughtfully created authentic designs that resonate with us and include elements that we hope will stir some happy memories in you too. We hope that our products will make you feel both part of a larger whole, and also aware of your own uniqueness and ability to shape our collective future. Ultimately, our hope is that it will encourage you to get out there and make some memories of your own, and in the process, create a love affair with nature that inspires stewardship. From trail to sea, the wonders of our wild places invite you to find joy and respite. We’re excited to be on this journey with you!
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WHAT WE DO
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Education around sustainability, conservation, climate change, social & ethical responsibility, and earth-friendly alternatives to conventional apparel
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Model stewardship through removal of trash from the beaches, rivers and lakes of Washington state with our water cleanup initiative, Seventy-One Percent
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Build relationships/establish partnerships within the goals of environmental/eco awareness & wildlife & marine life conservation
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Organic, recycled, sustainable apparel
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Authentic, thoughtful designs celebrating the great outdoors
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Earth-friendly accessories
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OUR COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT
Nature has long been our personal refuge, our respite and our most inspiring source of recreation. We are committed to honor that in our products, practices and partnerships, and we hope to be a force of positivity and change through our donations to environmental/wildlife causes. When you purchase our products, you can be sure that they are kind to the planet. There are lots of ways to be earth-friendly! For example, we feature tees made with 100% organic cotton, RPET (made from plastic bottles), bamboo, hemp, and upcycled cotton, all ethically made in the USA.
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We are also committed to shipping your products in packaging you can feel good about! Our recycled poly mailers are made from 100% waste, and are fully recyclable, yet sturdy enough to get your products to you safely and with confidence. Our clear product bags are 100% recycled, recyclable, and earth and archival-friendly. In addition, Any insert cards or paper are 100% recycled, and we hope that you will carry on the effort by re-using or recycling all of your packaging. That’s an extended partnership that is kind of cool to think about! You + Us = Change.
HOW WE’RE ECO-FRIENDLY/ETHICAL AND WHY IT MATTERS
The fashion industry is sadly rife with human rights and safety violations, as well as environmentally irresponsible manufacturing practices. Barefoot Eco Outfitters is committed to only providing apparel/products made in socially compliant facilities using eco-friendly materials. We are concerned about workplace safety and human and labor rights, as well as having a minimal impact on the environment, and you can be assured that the products you purchase here meet those standards.
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It’s pretty common knowledge now that standard farming/manufacturing processes are having an alarming effect on the environment. We believe it’s important to take a stand in promoting and utilizing responsible methods and materials for a sustainable future. The facility in New York that produces our garments complies with applicable environmental laws and regulations. Only low impact, fiber reactive dyes that are not harmful to the environment are used in our garments. This means that the dyes do not contain any heavy metals or toxic substances. Recycled water is used in the dye facilities as well.
Some of the features of our apparel:
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Organic Cotton: farmed without insecticides, pesticides, & chemical fertilizers
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Sustainably Grown Materials: bamboo & hemp both grow exceptionally fast, use less water, are naturally insect resistant, and have long lasting durability
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Low Impact Dyes: reduce water quality impact of manufacturing
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RPET: A soft fiber created from discarded plastics. Recyling 1 ton of RPET containers saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space
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Water Recycling: reduces consumption and cuts down on water treatment and waste water
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Upcycled cotton: from the cutting room floor of factories, this makes use of scraps that would otherwise go to waste
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
This is why we do what we do. Since our inception, we have been honored to designate four different local conservation organizations as donation partners, with a portion of every purchase being used to lend support to their efforts of preserving the wild places and wildlife of the State of Washington. But for us, donations are only part of the equation; we wanted to be hands on in protecting the environment, and so we started our own water cleanup initiative, Seventy-One Percent, that takes us to the rivers, lakes and beaches of our state to clean up trash. From salmon streams to the San Juan Islands, we are committed to keeping our waters and wildlife healthy and thriving. You can find out more about some of our cleanups here.
Our focus most recently has been on the health and welfare of the marine life and waterways in our home State of Washington. Sea life in The Evergreen State is in peril. Our iconic Southern Resident Orca population in the Puget Sound and Salish Sea, is dwindling due to malnutrition, pollution and other concerns. Chinook salmon, the primary food source for our resident orcas are also struggling, and their life cycle is dependent on clean, clear and protected rivers which flow from our mountains and forests. The health of one ecosystem affects the health of the others, so from trail to sea, we seek to support local efforts to preserve and protect our marine wildlife and public lands in our home state.
OUR GUARANTEE
We are committed to making your experience with us a memorable one! We’re sure that you’ll love our high quality, earth-friendly super soft and comfy apparel, but if for any reason you are dissatisfied with your purchase, you may return it within 30 days for a full refund, no questions asked! We will respond personally to every email, and listen to what you have to say (find out how to reach us here. We look forward to meeting you and hope that our relationship will be a long and happy one!