Explore Rails in and around 06820

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Rails markets itself as a sustainable brand, but we found insufficient information to support this claim.

On the brand’s website, under the banner “Our Commitment to Sustainability,” it says, “At Rails we care about our environmental impact, and that is why we are taking steps towards a more sustainable future. From our products and factory partnerships to our corporate practices and philanthropic initiatives, we know that our commitment to sustainability matters.”

The company lists three main pillars on which its sustainability initiatives are built: an Eco Collection, its supply chain, and packaging. However, we sought more evidence of their strategy and policies to confirm. As is our standard practice in such cases, we contacted the brand. A partial list of our questions is included at the end of this review.

Discovering Rails in and around 06820

Darien Sport Shop, 1127 Post Road, Darien, CT 06820

Rails within ten miles of 06820

Gabbys, 70 Greenwich Ave, Greenwich, CT 06830 (10 Miles)
The Fred Shop, 236 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich, CT 06870 (8 Miles) They have pieces from the Eco Collection, but stock changes. Call first.
Togs, 9 South Avenue, New Canaan, CT 06840 (5 Miles) *They sometimes have pieces from the Eco Collection in stock. Call first.
Winged Monkey, 384 Post Rd E, Westport, CT 06880 (9 Miles)

What they sell:

Men’s and Women’s casual clothes, women’s denim, and wedding guest collection.

What we want to like about Rails’ sustainability efforts, but need more information.

On the Rails’ sustainability page, the brand emphasizes three key areas of focus: an Eco Collection, its supply chain, and packaging. While they also mention corporate practices, our primary interest lies in sourcing, manufacturing, distribution, and end-of-life solutions for their products.

Eco Collection – Sort of

The Rails Eco Collection is the only clothing category in which sustainable and/or preferred fabrics are used. An April 2024 search of the collection found 330 products for women and 63 items for men, a relatively small percentage of the brand’s total offerings. The Eco Collection contains some environmentally friendly fabrics, but many pieces are blended with environmentally harmful materials.

For example, when we reviewed the Eco Collection, a Mariah Top in ‘green texture floral’ was at the top of the page for women.

The ‘green texture floral’ top’s material content is 55% linen and 45% rayon. Traditional linen is a good option, but organic linen would have been better. We were curious about the choice of rayon, which is considered harmful to the environment unless sourced under rigorous oversight and manufacturing processes. No information on the Rails site indicated that it was other than conventionally grown and produced fabric.
We were disappointed to discover that other versions of the same style were not part of the Eco Collection. The ‘Static Leopard’ print comprises 70% rayon and 30% viscose. The viscose production process involves chemical treatments that pose significant environmental risks, contributing to air and water pollution near production facilities.
Similarly, the ‘True Black’ and ‘Amaryllis’ variations are crafted entirely from conventional cotton. Conventional cotton cultivation relies on intensive chemical inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, leading to soil degradation and water contamination. In contrast, organic cotton presents a more sustainable alternative, requiring substantially less water and avoiding harmful chemicals in its cultivation.

Packaging – Promising, but need more information

Rails claims to have eliminated single-use plastic consumption and transitioned to using recycled materials for all product packaging. However, we wanted more details.

The Supply Chain – Lack of Transparency

Rails states they work with Wrap Certified factories, but they do not make a list of the factories they work with publicly available, so there is no way to confirm this claim,

We submitted the following questions to the public relations team at Rails:

Which WRAP-certified factories do you work with? Are a percentage of your factories Wrap Certified or all?
Please describe which textiles your brand considers eco-friendly. How is the rayon used in your Eco-Collection sourced and produced?
Are there any plans to move away from conventional to organic fabrics such as cotton and linen? How is your rayon sourced and produced for the Eco Collection?
Can you provide more information on your recycled packaging program?
Do you have a publicly available CSR report?