Ministry Of Supply Review: Scientifically Better Clothing?

If you’ve been looking for some seriously comfortable clothes with an environmental mission to do better, then look no further than the Ministry of Supply

Price: $55

The Ministry of Supply was founded in 2010 by Aman Advani and Gihan Amarasiriwardena. The two met at MIT and found they had a passion for hacking their dress attire to be more comfortable and still look good.

They came up with the name for their company as an homage to a WWII gadget and clothing inventor, Charles Fraser-Smith. “Ministry of Supply” was his cover agency during the war, so they thought it a fitting use of the name for their line.

From day one they wanted to ensure their product line was as carbon neutral as possible. They realized that the textile industry is one of the largest contributors to environmental damage, so they are doing their part to stop it. And they have the certifications and information for each garment produced listed directly on their website for added transparency.

I was really excited to try products from the Ministry of Supply once I heard of them. For a company that’s been around more than 10 years, I was surprised I didn’t know of their existence before now. 

The Tank Top

The first product I tried was the Women’s Composite Merino Tank in a size small. The fit was absolutely perfect on me. I could wear it tucked or untucked, depending upon the look I was going for. I have worn this tank out in a professional setting, seeing clients, and doing yoga and was impressed with its performance every time.

The tank is really versatile and has great moisture-wicking capabilities. My only complaint with this tank is that it doesn’t come in more color options. I would really love to have one in black. So hopefully they’ll increase their color selections for this tank in the future. This has become my new go-to favorite tank to wear on all occasions.

The Pants

The second product I tried was their Women’s Kinetic Pants in a “Skinny” size 2. This product comes in only 1 color option, but 2 different versions to choose from. I chose the “Skinny” over the “Slim” because I wanted the side zipper and a higher rise.

I’m really happy I chose the skinny option because they fit beautifully above my hips. And they made my butt look better than any other pant ever has. They were light, breathable, and felt extremely durable. The option I chose also included real back pockets, but they are really short so I’m not sure how much good they would be.

My only complaints were the side zipper and the length. The hook above the side zipper kept digging into my skin. So it would be nice if they could add some sort of buffer to prevent that from occurring.

The length was a bit long for my 5’4” frame. Due to the slightly longer length, they fell below my ankle and bunched up a little bit. It would be nice if they could have 3 different length options to appeal to a wider audience from this standpoint. Other than those two minor complaints though, I really enjoyed wearing these pants and liked how they enhanced my figure in all the right places.

The Face Mask

The last product I tried was the 3D Print-Knit Mask 2.0. I went with the standard black color option. It comes with a pocket to add disposable filters, which I thought was a nice touch. 

The fabric was some of the softest I’ve ever had on a face mask, which made it nice to wear for long periods of time. There is an adjustable metal nose piece for added comfort and diversity with regard to fit. This mask had good coverage and was comfortable around the ears. Overall, I really liked wearing this mask, but I wish it came with some disposable filters to try.

I did have a slight issue with the mask moving with my breathing though. So, I’m wondering if adding a disposable filter would make the fabric heavy enough to stop that problem.

I do believe it is made to last quite some time though, based on my shorter testing methods. I’ve left it in direct sunlight on my car dashboard a few times and in my bag and have had no issues with the quality. 

Overall

While the tank was my favorite find, I have to say that I greatly enjoyed the added bonus of their “How we style it” drop down. 

This is a great feature by Ministry of Supply that makes shopping for my personal style easier than other apparel sites. This drop down will give you a few choices that would pair well with the clothing item you’re looking at to make a complete outfit. 

This was a surprise to find, but I actually enjoyed the suggestions and might actually take them up on one or two of them. I wish more companies would have a feature like this for added usability.

When it comes to creating a quality product, transparency about every aspect of the supply chain is key. This past year the Ministry of Supply was using 43% recycled materials in their products. They make their products using as much efficiency, and quality materials as possible. Some of these things include:

• Computerized knitting
• Garment and Scrap Recycling
• Bio-based Materials
• Viscose fiber made from wood pulp
• S.Cafe yarn created out of recycled water bottles and coffee grounds from Starbucks in Taiwan

Yes, the last one really surprised me too. Apparently, they have found a way to turn both of those items into pellets and then extrude them into pellets which are then used to create yarn. 

A lot of companies (most in my experience) aren’t very open about where their products are manufactured or by who. The Ministry of Supply sets themselves apart from their competition here by giving consumers unique information about each factory they use.

They tell you which products are manufactured in each facility and why they chose that specific facility to produce those items. They even put pictures on each manufacturing facility page from the facilities.

The only thing lacking on these manufacturing facilities pages are the certifications they each have. I would like to have access to that information, as a consumer, on the same pages. This would make it easier to see just how clean and ethical the company is, as well as how good their quality controls are.

However, they are actually Carbon Neutral Certified, which is not as common to see.. This means the company has implemented effective ways to reduce their carbon footprint along the entire supply chain and is offsetting their carbon footprint with carbon credits.

Overall, the quality of the products this company is producing are pretty top notch. The transparency listed for each product regarding the materials used and where it was produced just add to the higher quality of this company.

While their prices may seem a bit steep for apparel, there are many reasons this company can justify this. The Ministry of Supply has shown that it takes more time to develop and create their more sustainable product line. And with that comes an increased cost. But, the quality speaks for itself with these products.

The first time you visit the Ministry of Supply website, you’ll immediately see a popup to join their email list. If you do, you’ll get $15 off your first order. They also give discounts on bundle ordering and sometimes have special sale discounts.

Ultimately, if you’re in the market for high-quality, comfortable clothing then the Ministry of Supply might be just what you’re looking for. Plus, you’ll be helping to make a positive social impact at the same time when you purchase from them.

This company comes with a great mission to make stylish clothes more comfortable and durable. And they do it without completely breaking the bank, which is a huge bonus. So, the next time you are seriously contemplating new attire in your wardrobe, you should check them out.