The well-known jeans brand G-Star Raw has designed a special habit for the Trappists of Koningshoeven Abbey in The Netherlands: One made of sustainable denim.

G-Star Raw entered into a collaboration with the Trappists because both parties have sustainability high on their agenda, the company said in a statement.

“For example, recycling of water and raw materials is important in the production process of the monks’ beer. G-Star also applies this circular approach by, for example, working with recycled materials and designing for reuse.”

A Trappist monk wears a denim habit at Koningshoeven Abbey in The Netherlands. (Credit: G-Star Raw.)

The habit is made entirely out of Cradle to Cradle Gold Certified® denim. This fabric contains 100 percent organic cotton, is dyed without the use of harmful chemicals and is washed without wasting a single drop of water. Even the cutting pattern is sustainable: Because it is carefully pieced together, the amount of residual material is as small as possible.

G-Star’s designers were inspired for their design by the ancient pattern of the habit as recorded in a handwritten book eighty years ago. The company is thrilled to collaborate with the monks, said Gwenda van Vliet, CMO of G-Star Raw.

“Just like the monks of La Trappe, craftsmanship and sustainability are a part of G-Star RAW. And we love unexpected collaborations, especially when we can spread a beautiful message. The sustainable denim habit symbolizes exactly that.”

Brother Isaac, prior of the Dutch Trappist abbey and director of the La Trappe Trappist brewery, also thinks the cooperation is successful.

“As far as we are concerned, these habits and the sustainable fabric they are made of, stand for respect for the planet and the people who inhabit it. That is fully in line with our monastic way of life, in which doing good for people and the earth is pivotal.”

The prior feels that the Trappists and the jeans brand have a shared vision, he says in a promotional video: “We think it’s incredibly important to pass this world on to the next generation.”

“I find the fact that this is made from something that doesn’t pollute further, but is produced in a very sustainable way, very encouraging,” he said.