Ditching The PFAS—Why We’re Switching To Pact Leggings For Athleisure

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As a long-term yoga practitioner, runner, and resident of Colorado (where a hoodie, hiking boots, and leggings are a perfectly acceptable daily outfit), I’ve always bought leggings based on fit. I asked essential questions like, “Will they stay on my hips?” “Will I get saggy crotch?” “Will I get camel toe?” “Will they make my butt look good?”

I wear my leggings without underwear because I hate underwear lines or digging out a thong while in downward dog. Since this means whatever is in my leggings sinks straight into my unprotected skin, I should have been asking a more essential question: “What are these leggings made of?”

Many leggings contain PFAS, artificial chemicals used in consumer products like cosmetics, water-resistant clothing, and nonstick cookware since the 1940s. PFAS are forever chemicals that leach into soil, water, and air, never break down, and can lead to health problems like thyroid disease, liver damage, fertility issues, and cancer.

This is where Pact comes in.

Pact is a Boulder, Colorado-based company founded in 2009 by Brendan Synnott, the great mind behind Bear Naked Granola, EVOL, and Little Secrets candy. His mission is a big one: convert the world from fast fashion to ethical fashion.

Pact does this by partnering with SimpliZero—a Green Story initiative that supports carbon offsetting—to measure the impact of every single Pact’s product and neutralize carbon emissions through renewable energy, reforestation, and community projects.

The brand also adheres to the Global Organic Textile Standard, to date saving over 360 million gallons of water through organic farming practices (which also use 62% less energy than nonorganic farming methods).

Pact employs Fair Trade Certified Factories too, paying over $1 million in Fair Trade premiums to ensure safe working conditions and additional development funds to on-site workers. Here’s proof: most Pact’s products are manufactured in the world’s first Fair Trade-certified factory in Kolkata, India, following GOTS and Fair Trade standards. (By the way, 74% of all organic cotton is from India, so producing close to the source is yet another environmentally sound practice.)

Pact’s commitment to sustainable practices means everything you put on your body is PFAS-free and made from organic cotton, including their bestselling legging collections. Plus, the packaging is carbon-neutral, FSC-certified, and 100% recyclable.

Let’s talk leggings, though.

I tried their PureFit Leggings, PureFit Pocket Leggings, and PureFit Bootcut Leggings, and here’s what I can say.

“Pact’s leggings are tight, the way the best kind of hug makes you feel safe and calm.”

Pact’s leggings are tight, the way the best kind of hug makes you feel safe and calm instead of squeezed and breathless. They are super soft, like baby skin soft, which means I want to wear them for my morning run, the walk to the dog park, the carpool, the grocery store, sitting at my desk, making dinner, and lounging on the sofa. I’m hard-pressed to find a reason why I should ever take them off. The colors don’t fade with washing and don’t lose elasticity. They don’t sag or bag or clench or smoosh; they hold and shape without being see-through or overly revealing, and yes, I think they even make my butt look good.

The PureFit cropped bootcut legging is just so FUN. I like wearing these with sandals or thick-soled sneakers. And guess what? They have a double-layer gusset, which means the crotch has enough room for all your bits to breathe.

“We believe the best ingredients make the best clothes,” says Pact Founder and CEO Brendan Synnott, calling it “conscious comfort.” And I can attest—Pact’s organic cotton feels like the already worn-in t-shirt you dream of finding at Goodwill, without the pit stains.

Plus, Pact sources the finest long-staple organic cotton, resulting in luxury softness and the peace of mind that comes with knowing you aren’t putting chlorine bleach, formaldehyde, toxic heavy metals, and carcinogenic compounds into your body. As for color options, sizing, and pricing, Pact’s leggings come in neutral and earth-inspired colors and some fun prints like Cheetah Spots! All leggings range from XS–XXL.

Because Pact has been selling organic cotton products directly to the consumer and at Whole Foods retail stores for more than 10 years, they have cultivated long-standing relationships with organic cotton co-ops, guaranteeing the lowest possible prices. So while other famous legging brands sell at upwards of $100 a pair, Pact’s leggings range from $28 to $48.

Whether you wear undies with your leggings or not, you can rest assured that, with Pact, you are putting the cleanest, coziest cotton on your skin. You can even make it a set with the PureFit Bra Top or layer on the Slim Zip Up for cooler temps. What’s not to love?

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Pact is a Boulder, Colorado-based clothing company committed to making organic cotton clothing and supporting an ethical, sustainable global trade model that benefits workers, consumers, and the Earth.
Pact uses the strictest certification processes in the industry, partnering with Fair Trade, GOTS, and SimpliZero to promote an ethical and sustainable fashion.
These leggings are PFAS-free, made from organic cotton, and priced between $28-48, one of the market’s most inexpensive organic cotton price points.
Pact sells directly to consumers online—and at Whole Foods retail stores nationwide!

Trinity Wilbourn is a Denver-based freelance writer, mind/body coach and intuitive guide. As an educational consultant, she works at the intersection of Social Emotional Learning, Mindfulness, and the science of nervous system regulation. In her free time, she can be found hanging with her four kids, spooning her Bernedoodle, singing opera, and dancing in the kitchen. Learn more and explore her offerings at www.trinitywilbourn.com or follow her on Instagram.