Matt and Nat is a company selling cruelty-free and ethically made products marketed at affordable or competitive prices. They seem like a dream come true for ethical consumers and have many vegan products and products made from recycled materials. All made ethically.
But sometimes, a dream come true has some catches to it. Do Matt and Nat live up to the hype? What are the pros and cons of this brand, and is it worth the buy?
Read on to find out more about Matt and Nat’s company and their products to find out for yourself if they are worth the buy!
Matt and Nat in Summary
The name Matt and Nat comes from the words “material” and “nature” and was created out of “passion and [in] awe of the world around us.”
The company is based on the motto “live beautifully,” which inspired the company to appreciate the humanity and positive parts about us. Their values are upholding excellence, inclusivity, authenticity, integrity while learning about the world and remaining socially responsible.
Part of their biography includes taking inspiration from nature when designing the colors and textures of their products, which fuels them to protect nature as well.
Matt and Nat is also a vegan brand, so they use no leather or animal products in their items. They use various recycled materials or parts of their products, like a 100% recycled plastic bottle bag lining, and say that they are always on the hunt for methods to improve the brand’s sustainability.
They say that the brand has a strong connection with the factories that produce all their products and ensure safe and ethical working environments for the factory workers!
Essentially, Matt and Nat stand for ethically-made bags and sustainable business methods to increase production while simultaneously trying to help protect the environment.
Matt and Nat Products
Pros of Matt and Nat Products
Matt and Nat sell a wide range of products, including many styles of bags, accessories, shoes, outerwear, knitwear, and men’s items! They have plenty of different colors and designs to pick from, making it easy to find something that fits your closet.
There are more women’s products than men’s products, but there are still quite a few categories designed for men like messenger bags, wallets, briefcases, footwear, backpacks, and more.
Matt and Nat also have many collections that you can browse to make it easier to find what you are looking for on their website based on the aesthetic or items you need.
Of course, all their products are made without animal materials and include recycled materials. Their designs are trendy and modern but retain an air of timelessness in the simplicity of the design.
Matt and Nat’s prices may seem somewhat steep for some people, but these prices are pretty competitive for vegan products. Plus, most of the products are around the same price as non-vegan products from similar retailers who run online stores and work with boutiques.
Matt and Nat have also gained a huge following. Not only are their products available on their website, but in over 800 boutiques across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and Germany! The majority of their customers are thrilled with the quality of the products, the customer service, and the design of their items.
Cons of Matt and Nat Products
While there are some fantastic talking points about the vegan products produced by Matt and Nat, we need to talk about what the products are made of instead of leather.
Even though there are plenty of sustainable and recycled materials used by Matt and Nat, which deserve to be commended, they also use a lot of polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl chloride plastic (PVC). If you do not know what PU and PVC are, let me fill you in.
PU and PVC are extremely bad and toxic to the environment and the nature that Matt and Nat claim to protect. PVC alone is one of the most damaging pollutants and plastics globally. PVC is made from petroleum and chlorine and uses up many resources to be manufactured into bags and shoes.
PVC releases a cocktail of environmentally toxic chemicals during the manufacturing process, including phthalates and dioxins. Both phthalates and dioxins have been studied and are connected to the development of health conditions such as some cancers.
Greenpeace has called for the global discontinuation of the use of PVC production and manufacturing. That is how bad this stuff is. Matt and Nat say that they often use slightly less toxic PU over PVC when they can, but this revelation does not exactly help them live up to their standard.
Since it is a human carcinogen, PVC is also dangerous for factory workers to be around. We do not know precisely how much PVC and PU are used in Matt and Nat products because the same materials used in the products are not listed, but for a brand that has ethical working conditions as one of their core values, using PVC in factories with their workers is not a great look.
Conclusion
Matt and Nat is a relatively young brand, only starting in 1995. They have their goals and ideals in the right place, utilize creativity, and have a substantial following of eco-minded individuals who want what is best for the planet.
While they have some growing and changes to use PU and PVC in their products, they have always remained true to their ethical code of veganism and trying to stay socially responsible.
They say that with each new design season, they take one more step towards becoming more environmentally conscious and sustainable, so here is to hoping they solve their materials issue in the coming fashion season!
Matt and Nat was a forerunner during the explosion of vegan and sustainable fashion, and they have helped to bring vegan fashion around the globe.
To learn more about living sustainably, check out all of our articles here.