This article is sponsored by Four Objects
Best friends Ku and Mae have a lot in common: After meeting over 20 years ago as teens during a summer program at the Parsons School of Design, they both spent time traveling the globe; they’re both mothers; and they both have a passion for driving forward sustainable, ethical practices in the fashion industry.
They were also both born in April, the fourth month of the year. That number has always been particularly meaningful to them — so much so that when the pair decided to create their own apparel brand, they drew inspiration from the digit.
“This whole concept started with a strong impulse toward simplicity,” Ku told Nice News of Four Objects, a capsule collection of beautiful, meticulously tailored closet staples. “So we just started organizing around this number and we asked ourselves, ‘What if we just made four things a year for four years and that was what you wore for the rest of your life? What would those 16 things be?’”
That idea, that every year, a person can invest in a few well-made articles of clothing they adore and can keep for decades, is just one aspect of what makes the brand unique (another is its six-month, no-questions-asked return policy). The certified B Corp sells timeless garments that withstand not just long-term wear and tear, but also the ever-changing world of sartorial trends.
Each of Four Objects’ pieces — from the hand-dyed Best Friend Tee, a re-creation of a T-shirt Ku and Mae once shared, to the bestselling Work Shirt, available for a limited time in rare, deadstock indigo dobby — is jointly designed by the pair. “We started with the favorite things in our closets, ” Ku shared, adding: “And then we’d put each other’s stamp on [the designs]. If we make it, we both have to love it.”
Given the women’s extensive backgrounds in fashion, that stamp of approval holds a great deal of weight. And key to Four Objects’ primary values is that its pieces are ones that customers emotionally resonate with — items they absolutely love the look, fit, and feel of, and thus want to keep for (potentially) decades.
But equally important to Four Objects’ aesthetics and tailoring is how the clothing is produced: using responsibly sourced biodegradable materials and recycled fibers.
For example, the brand only uses organic or recycled cotton, Ku explained, because growing non-organic cotton can create fallow fields. “Whereas when you invest in organic, you have a really healthy soil flow, so that they can keep building those crops.” Any animal fibers must be traceable to ensure humane treatment, and attention is also paid to minimizing waste in the garment production process.
Additionally, 4% of the proceeds from every sale go toward the communities that produce the items. Donations have benefited organizations like the Fundación Art Atlas in Peru and the Chinese-American Planning Council in New York City.
Another unique aspect to Four Objects is the brand’s Collectors’ program, a subscription service in which customers receive four carefully selected pieces each year (that they can return if they’re not in love with). Items are sent based on factors like what the receiver already owns and the region they’re in.
“The Collectorship is amazing,” customer Eliza Williams said. “New pieces arrive every few months; it’s been simple to change sizes or return pieces. Gorgeous clothes that have become everyday staples.”
Four Objects’ price tags are higher than those of fast fashion outlets — some of the primary contributors to the estimated 92 million tons of textile waste produced globally every year — but the savings that come from not having to frequently replace a poorly constructed or out-of-style article of clothing add up.
That’s the logic of “price per wear,” a concept that involves calculating the true cost of something by dividing the dollar amount by the number of times it’s worn. It’s actually more expensive in the long run to purchase a cheaply made item, an expert in the field recently told The Washington Post.
Ku understands shopping with this sort of intentionality might require a mindset shift for many, but one of Four Objects’ goals is to help with that process. “We’re giving you a way to take that decision-making out of your life, but still be really happy with the result.”
Check out the brand’s newest product, the Work Shirt in vestige Japanese indigo chambray with an accompanying scarf — it’s machine washable, 100% cotton, and guaranteed to sell out fast.
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