The Long Journey of a Short-Sleeve Polo
It’s easy to forget how far a typical polyester golf polo travels before it lands neatly folded in your wardrobe.
Its journey often starts not in a design studio or textile mill, but deep underground — in perhaps a Russian oil well. Crude oil is extracted, often releasing methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases. This oil is then transported thousands of kilometres across Russia to China, where it’s subjected to high-pressure, high-temperature chemical processing in a facility along the Yangtze River. Here, the crude is “cracked” into petrochemical building blocks.
Next, these chemical fractions are shipped yet again — this time to another region in China such as Zhejiang — where they are transformed into polyester plastic. The same material used in single-use bottles and packaging is also extruded into synthetic fibres that form the backbone of most standard golf polos.
The polyester yarn is then knitted into fabric, often under factory conditions where transparency can be hard to guarantee. Then it moves to garment assembly lines in cities like Guangzhou, where the shirt is cut, sewn, packaged, and finally prepared for global distribution.
From there, your garment begins the final leg of its journey - 11,000-miles via sea freight to Europe, across land to a fulfilment warehouse, and finally to your door.
And while some garments made in China are exceptionally well constructed (a testament to skilled labour and modern infrastructure), the sheer length and complexity of these supply chains make quality assurance, ethical auditing, and environmental oversight increasingly difficult to manage — especially when every step involves different middlemen, different standards, and different incentives.
How Swingmor Does It Differently
At Swingmor, we believe in mastering the short game — not just on the golf course, but in how we design, manufacture, and deliver our products. That’s why we’ve built a supply chain 10x shorter than the average. We’ve done this not just to reduce emissions, but to increase transparency, accountability, and quality.
Here’s how our supply chain plays out:
🌲 Raw Material – Austria
We start with sustainably grown Eucalyptus wood, harvested from certified Austrian forests. The wood is processed in a closed-loop system using zero toxic chemicals to create TENCEL™ lyocell fibres — some of the softest, most breathable, and environmentally friendly textiles in existence.
🧪 Fibre Engineering – Austria
The TENCEL™ process uses 10x less water than cotton and emits far fewer greenhouse gases than polyester. It's science-backed, and it’s what allows us to offer high-performance golf trousers and polos that feel good — for you and the planet.
🇩🇰 Fabric Design – Denmark
Our fibres are then blended, designed, and engineered into fabric compositions in Denmark — tailored specifically to suit our unique needs: stretch, breathability, drape, and durability that perform on and off the course.
🇹🇷 Knitting & Weaving – Turkey
The fabrics are knitted and woven in Turkey, at mills with over 35 years of ethical operation. These partners comply with the highest labour standards:
- Good working hours and fair overtime
- Employee insurance and healthcare
- Access to on-site doctors and transport
- Full compliance with international textile safety and environmental certifications
🇬🇧 Design & Development – UK
Every Swingmor garment is designed by golfers and fashion professionals in the UK, combining body-aware tailoring with functional performance. This isn’t blank product with a logo slapped on. It’s bespoke design, formulated from scratch for real players.
🇬🇧 Ethical Manufacturing – UK
Finally, the garments are cut and sewn in vetted small batch production houses in the UK, where every factory must meet or exceed the Fair Trade principles:
- Above-living wage pay
- No child labour
- Safe, clean working conditions
- Equal opportunity hiring
- Capacity-building for employees
- Environmental best practice
- Transparency and traceability
- Long-term supplier relationships
- Active participation in ethical labour initiatives
- Anonymous whistleblower systems in place
Why It Matters
This approach means we can say with confidence that when you buy a short-sleeve polo shirt from Swingmor, you’re not just buying performance clothing — you’re buying into a system that values people, precision, and purpose.
And for those buying golf gifts in the UK — whether you’re a partner, friend, or family member — you’re not just gifting clothing. You’re giving golf presents with purpose: stylish, high-quality gear made responsibly from start to finish.
We Believe in Doing Better
At Swingmor, we don’t do fast fashion. We don’t offshore values. And we certainly don’t compromise on purpose.
We do business with intention — keeping our processes close, our standards high, and our impact positive.
Because True Athleisure isn’t just about comfort and style. It’s about creating more time, more freedom, and more meaning — for our community, for our partners, and for the world we share.
Want to know more about how our materials perform?
Explore: Tencel – King of Athleisure
See how we fight greenwashing: Green in Regulation, Not Greenwashing
Swingmor.
🟢 Built for golf. Designed for life.
Dr. Mathew Hampshire-Waugh created Swingmor to reflect the values behind his work in climate and net-zero —clean design, responsible innovation, and lasting value for people and planet.
FAQs
Q: Why does supply chain location matter when buying golf clothing?
A: Long supply chains — especially those stretching across continents — make it harder to monitor working conditions, environmental impact, and quality control. By nearshoring and onshoring our production within Europe, we reduce transit emissions, improve traceability, and ensure each step of the process meets our strict ethical and performance standards.
Q: How is Swingmor’s supply chain different from other golf apparel brands?
A: Most brands use synthetic fabrics like polyester made from oil-derived plastic, produced and assembled in countries thousands of miles away. At Swingmor, we use natural, renewable fibres like TENCEL™ lyocell and manufacture within a 10x shorter supply chain, all based in Europe. This ensures greater transparency, faster innovation, and more consistent quality — while also being better for the planet.
Q: Do shorter supply chains really reduce environmental impact?
A: Yes. Shorter supply chains mean significantly fewer transportation emissions, particularly when avoiding sea freight and air shipping. Additionally, all our mills and production partners are selected based on energy-efficient operations, waste management, and non-toxic processes — helping reduce both carbon and chemical footprints.
Q: Where are Swingmor garments actually made?
A: Our materials start in Austria, are designed in Denmark, woven and knitted in Turkey, and cut and sewn in the UK — all at carefully vetted ethical production sites. This supply chain is entirely traceable and follows international labour and environmental best practices.
Q: Are Swingmor products made from plastic-based materials like polyester?
A: No. We use TENCEL™, a high-performance, sustainable fibre made from renewable Eucalyptus wood. It’s softer than cotton, more breathable than polyester, and far better for your skin and the environment. We do add ~5% synthetic elastane for durability and stretch.
Q: How do you ensure factories treat workers fairly?
A: We work exclusively with partners who demonstrate long-term ethical practices, including paying above-living wages, offering healthcare, transport, and insurance, and supporting skill development. All partners are assessed on the 10 Fair Trade principles, and we provide access to an anonymous whistleblower platform across the supply chain.
Q: I want to buy men’s polo shirts or golf trousers as a gift — how do I know they’re responsibly made?
A: Every Swingmor product is built with full transparency from fibre to finish. If you're shopping for golf gifts in the UK, our garments are a safe and meaningful choice — stylish, high-quality, and crafted with purpose at every step.
Q: Is ethical fashion more expensive?
A: While the upfront cost may be slightly higher than mass-market fast fashion, the true cost of unethical clothing is far greater — to the environment, workers, and product quality. Our garments are made to last longer, feel better, and deliver more value over time, both practically and ethically.
Q: How can I be sure Swingmor isn’t greenwashing?
A: We don’t make vague claims or rely on marketing fluff. Every material, mill, and manufacturing partner is selected with traceable, documented evidence of ethical and sustainable practice. We also share detailed stories, not slogans — and we back our impact with accountability.
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