Tenter is focused on producing detail-oriented, elevated utility clothing. Hard-wearing, high-quality, long-lasting garments with a little bit of quiet luxury about them. We work hard to make all the pieces in the collection slot together so that you can build a functional wardrobe, regardless of season. 

The name Tenter references the traditional frame used to stretch and dry fabric. Held taught with hooks, the fabric dried naturally in the sun. This spawned the phrase ‘on tenterhooks’ - a state of nervous or excited anticipation. We love the idea of our name reflecting the tension of the creative process; we believe this is where the magic happens. This is also reflected in the things we have long admired - how mods mixed tailoring with functional military pieces, how architects use utilitarian materials to make elegant buildings, or the way that hiphop combines samples and rhymes to create something entirely new. 

Sustainability in clothing production is a complex subject. Whilst doing our research as a start up, we were given lots of advice, the most difficult of which to take was - don’t even start a clothing brand. We decided to go ahead with a commitment to producing in the most sustainable way we can, to make constant improvements and to be 100% transparent regarding the issues with our customers. We will always ‘come clean’ about how we produce our clothes and commit to learning about how to make our offer more sustainable.

We know how important it is to be conscious about our own purchases. We buy less stuff, but invest in better quality items that last a long time and that we can wear to the end of their life. We wanted to create a brand that is worthy of that mantle - clothes that people love so much they wear them for years.

We use three factories based in India that have been fully audited to SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit). This ensures that they adhere to the four pillars of sustainability which are labour standards, health and safety, environmental assessment and business ethics. Our cotton is certified Better Cotton which is committed to ensuring cotton producers survive and thrive while protecting and restoring the environment.

We flew our shipment from India to the UK. Being a relatively small shipment with a requirement for a quick delivery time we felt this was the best choice in the circumstances. We have attempted to personally (and partially) off set this by consciously limiting our leisure flights. We hope to receive our next collection by ship and have learned the timings associated with having slower shipment times.

Many garment bags are plastic and will take hundreds of years to decompose. Those marked as compostable or biodegradable are usually neither. Our garment bags can be dissolved in hot water for immediate disposal. They are also fully biodegradable, home and industrially compostable, recyclable, and marine friendly.

Our delivery bags are repurposed traditional potato sacks, they come from Lincolnshire and are made from natural 2-ply kraft paper which is sewn at the base. Strong enough to re-use time and time again.