Author: Sydney Thomas

Can a clothing brand change the world? Maybe. Initially, Ocean SF was founded to solve the problem of being cold on a sailboat. Since then it has become so much more.  Founder Sydney Chaney Thomas is an avid skier and sailor, conservationist, activist and entrepreneur. This created the perfect storm to create Ocean SF.

The story begins on a sailboat in San Fransisco Bay. It was early morning and Sydney was taking a certification course for sailing. She unexpectedly took a wave down her back and was wet and chilled for the next six hours. As a skier she knew that wool socks stay warm when wet and frost bite is avoided. A jacket made of Merino Wool was the obvious solution. Since none existed she designed and made her own in L.A. through a friend who knew a Gucci pattern maker. The first prototype arrived in a FedEx box while she was on San Fransisco Bay in a sailing race. As the idea to form a company began to take shape Sydney knew it had to include only sustainable fabrics and the products had to be locally and ethically made. Ocean SF became more than just a dream when Sydney raised $20,000 to mill her custom fabric through Global Merino in Marin County, California. Global Merino won the Eco Performance Award in 2017 in Munich Germany. They are Bluesign certified and pioneers in ethical and sustainable textiles. This is where the fabric for the jackets comes from. The jackets are then sewn in San Fransisco by Synergy Apparel. The owner Connie Pang does the most beautiful work. When Sydney is in production she’s there almost every day watching the seamstresses sew and cut her fabric. Connie has an open door policy.

“We are an elite cut and sew contractor that has been producing quality apparel products for more than 30 years in San Francisco.

Our production staff are all extremely experienced and skillful sewers.  Many of them have been with us for more than 20 years.

Our management team is comprised of a “husband-and-wife” team working seamlessly together.” – synergyapparel.net

Anyone who has tried to make ethical and sustainable clothing knows the barrier to entry is unimaginably difficult, but it can be done. There is nothing glamorous about being a clothing designer. It takes determination and the learning curve is steep and expensive. Sydney is often asked how much it costs for her to make each jacket and she will laugh and say, “About $20,000” and this is no joke. When you wear Ocean SF you are wearing your values, plus the hard work, determination and courage of a small group of people who believed it could be done.

Last week I was able to attend a dialog conference sponsored by Bluesign of Switzerland. Sadly, I was not able to stay for the afternoon session because I teach language arts in the afternoon to children K-6. In doing this I stay aligned with my values and life purpose.

The Bluesign event was fascinating as they are addressing conservation in manufacturing and are changing the world, or in this case, returning the world to its more natural form. When I started Ocean SF it was uncommon to think of clothing and the widespread use of plastic as dangerous, but it is.

I was in good company with many large brands and proponents of sustainability in attendance. I was sitting with two fascinating people involved in the science and chemicals used in the supply chain of manufacturing. I asked them dozens of questions as their knowledge was deep and this is an area that I wish to grow in.

Bluesign did a presentation on the Measurements of Impact. Emissions, chemicals, particles, gas, noise, heat, radiation and the impact of the World Health Organization in reducing waste and pollution in manufacturing. Over consumption and over production remain a notable problem as well. There is just so much to learn.

It was fascinating and impressive that one company can incite so much change. I would have loved to have spent two days learning more about Bluesign and their efforts around the world, hopefully I will have the chance again.

I’m preparing to teach a class on leadership and in doing this I am thinking about what I most value. My most pressing concerns are literacy, conservation and sustainability.

I’m excited to be a Bluesign partner and grow my line of sustainable outdoor apparel. I will also continue to work in the field of literacy touching as many lives as I can in my work at The Learning Space where I see 24 students weekly.

Sydney