Impact Methodology
Blouse Roumaine Shop — EST. 2013
Our Model, Our Innovation
We are not a company of targets and dashboards. We are a bridge: connecting people to artisans who never abandoned the slow rhythm of fashion. In this connection lives our sustainability — quiet, elegant, and true.
Proof in the Garment
Since 2013, Blouse Roumaine Shop has not “measured” sustainability — we have embodied it. Each blouse is its own manifesto: woven on a hand-loom without electricity, embroidered by hand over time, and born of natural fibers. We did not invent sustainability; we revealed the people who kept it alive.
“We chose fewer garments, more meaning. Not speed, but care. Not seasons, but generations.”
— Blouse Roumaine Shop
0 kWh
Grid electricity for hand-loom & needlework (per blouse)
~60% ↓
Linen water need vs. conventional cotton (cultivation)
Up to ~1.1 t
CO₂ potentially spared vs. mechanized loom (literature)
40–70 h
Artisan hours devoted to one blouse (indicative)
Values are indicative and context-dependent; our model privileges hand-work and scarcity over mass production.
The BRS Model
Our innovation is access. We connect contemporary audiences to authentic makers. Blouses are realized in linen, cotton, and woven-from-scratch cloth on hand-looms, then embroidered by hand. Coats are made with outer fabrics chosen by the artisan; We do not chase trends. We curate living heritage and let scarcity protect value.
| Dimension | BRS Blouse (hand-loom + hand embroidery) | Fast-fashion blouse (mechanized) |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | Human-powered; ~0 kWh grid | Machine-powered; kWh tied to grid mix |
| Materials | Linen / cotton / hand-woven cloth; no synthetics in core build | Synthetics/blends common; microplastic shedding risk |
| Water | Linen advantage in cultivation; minimal wet finishing | High irrigation for conventional cotton; industrial finishing |
| Waste | Small batches; repairable; heirloom lifespan | Overproduction risk; short use; landfill pressure |
| Social | Named artisans; value retained in community | Opaque chains; wage/safety risks |
| Cultural | Motifs preserved; authorship respected | Uncredited borrowing; erosion of memory |
Annex — How We Understand Impact (without formal reporting)
System Boundaries
Included: raw materials (linen, cotton, hand-woven cloth); artisanal processes (hand-loom 0 kWh, hand embroidery 0 kWh, hand stitching); packaging (paper/card/bio); transport artisan → hub → client (road/air).
Excluded/estimated: infrastructure/tools; indirect travel; customer use & end-of-life where data is absent (considered via scenarios).
Data Logic (Per SKU/Lot)
- Materials: type, weight, origin.
- Process: hours on loom, hours of embroidery, any occasional kWh.
- Packaging: type & grams.
- Transport: distance, mode, weight.
- Social: hours paid, artisan remuneration, % of retail price, women-led coop (Y/N).
- Durability: fabric density, repair services, estimated lifespan.
Calculation Approach
Carbon: CO₂e ≈ materials + process + packaging + transport. Hand-loom & hand embroidery ≈ 0 kg CO₂e (0 kWh grid).
Water: linen typically ~60% less irrigation than conventional cotton; minimal wet finishing in artisanal builds.
Energy: blouses ~0 kWh grid; coats depend on artisan-sourced outer fabrics; we provide only the lining (silk).
Social: % retail to artisans; average artisan hours; % women-led cooperatives.
Context & Limits
Figures are indicative and vary by farms, local energy mixes, dye/finish choices, and routes. Literature on hand-loom suggests potential savings up to ~1.1 t CO₂ vs. mechanized baselines; we treat these as guiding context, not as corporate targets.
