A photo of Jennifer in her living room. A middle aged woman with blond hair and glasses, wearing a black linen top, sitting in her living room.

Timeless shapes. Sustainable fabrics. Logical sizing. Made to last in Schenectady.

Every plus-sized person has visited a store to find only one or two items in stock that fit their body. Finding clothes that fit, are your style, and are ethically made from sustainable fabric can feel impossible. At Brosgé (pronounced bro-jay) we understand, and we want to help you find clothing that fits you, feels good, suits your personal style, AND is eco friendly.

Brosgé sizes start where fast fashion ends. (Learn more about our sizes.)

Brosgé clothes are made from linen and hemp fabrics that are organic or manufactured to the OEKO-TEX 100 Standard. (That means they have been tested for over 100 harmful substances and have been declared safe.) Special pieces are made from vintage and deadstock fabrics—fabrics left over from manufacturing runs, saving that fabric from the landfill.

While you might think of these fabrics as luxuries we hope you will think of them as high-quality, well-made basics. Pieces worth caring for carefully, washing appropriately, and repairing as needed.

We look forward to helping you find a great basic piece that works for you. We are currently scheduling pop up shops and markets. Follow us on social media to learn more.

Linen and Hemp—Sustainable Choices

Linen and hemp are among the oldest cultivated crops in the world. They are hygroscopic fibers—meaning they absorb water quickly, wicking it away from the skin, where it dries rapidly. So linen garments are comfortable and cool to wear. They are long staple fibers making them appropriate for anyone with sensitive skin. and they naturally resist bacteria!

Linen is best grown in northern Europe. It needs little or no fertilizers and due to the local climate, little to no extra water. It doesn’t require many pesticides and it can grow in poor quality soil. The European Parliament stated that flax cultivation has positive effects on eco-system diversity as it allows for an “environmental pause”. One hectare of flax can retain 3.7 tonnes of CO2. Every part of the plant is used, what isn’t used to produce linen can be used to make linseed oil, paper, cattle feed or even soap. Linen is therefore almost naturally organic. It is completely biodegradable, recyclable and due to its natural absorbency, it requires less dye than cotton. Linen therefore scores high on the ecological chart.

Additionally every garment is cut to minimize waste. And waste fabric is re-used whenever possible.

These fabrics will get softer with wear and washing. Removing clothing from the dryer quickly will minimize creases. And if it a piece does crease, you can lightly mist it with water and pull it gently into shape.

Deadstock and Mill Ends

Deadstock fabrics are the leftover fabrics of other fashion houses who overestimated their needs. Traditionally, brands would hold on to their excess fabrics for a few seasons and then send them to the landfills. We purchase these deadstock fabrics from a warehouser who travels the country saving these beautiful fabrics from landfills.

Because we use deadstock and other vintage materials, we rarely find large quantities of any one fabric. Small rolls mean small production runs. Often times, we make only a handful of pieces in a specific fabric or print.That means you get beautiful pieces without polluting the planet.

The Woman Behind Brosgé

Hello! My name is Jennifer. For 35+ years I was a practicing graphic designer (NYC, Albany, Saratoga Springs, and Schenectady). I specialized in corporate design, branding, and editorial design. But before that, as a wee preschooler, I was a sewist. The summer before Kindergarten I learned to sew on my mother’s ancient black Singer. And as they say, the die was cast. Over the years I’ve dabbled in knitting, crochet, cooking, gardening, embroidery, quilting, doll making, drawing, painting, ceramics, batik, basket making, weaving, spinning, dying, photography, collage, macramé—and so much more! I’ve made my life and a living as an artist.

Fast-forward to the pandemic and the move away from “corporate, never-wear-the-same-thing-twice” mentality. Like many of you I started wearing what made me happy. And I returned to making the clothes I couldn’t find. Clothes that are: comfortable, stylish, durable, handmade from natural fibers, cool to wear, and layer-able.

Brosgé is my chance to share what I’ve learned. I hope you will join me on this journey. Feel free to reach out to me—we are in this slow fashion journey together!