How We Choose Our Brands

Lemonberry has changed a lot since we opened in Aurora in 2004. Over the years, we’ve become more thoughtful about what we bring into the store — who is behind a brand, where it comes from, what it’s made from, how well it’s made, and whether it makes sense for our customers.

We don’t claim that every product we sell is sustainable, and we don’t think a single fabric or label tells the whole story. We simply try to make better-informed buying decisions where we can.

Canadian Brands Matter to Us

Canadian brands make up a large part of what we carry. You’ll find names such as Gentle Fawn, Pink Martini, Melissa Nepton, Jenny Bird, Foxy Originals, Pixie Mood, Lovefresh and other Canadian designers and makers throughout the store.

Being a Canadian brand does not necessarily mean every product is made in Canada, so we try to be clear about that distinction. When manufacturing information is available and relevant, we use it rather than making assumptions based on where a company is based.

We Buy Small

Lemonberry is a small independent boutique, and we buy like one. Clothing often arrives in very small quantities rather than large runs. That lets us choose pieces individually, respond to what our customers actually want, and avoid bringing in piles of inventory simply to fill racks.

Materials We Pay Attention To

When brands provide material and production information, we pay attention to it. Depending on the product, that might include TENCEL™, LENZING™ ECOVERO™, recycled materials, organic cotton, OEKO-TEX® certification or vegan materials.

Those terms don’t automatically make an entire product or brand “sustainable.” They tell us something specific about a material, process or standard, and we think that’s the useful part.

A few terms you may see at Lemonberry

TENCEL™ — a Lenzing trademark used for certain fibres made from wood-based sources under defined production standards.

LENZING™ ECOVERO™ — branded viscose fibres made by Lenzing using certified or controlled wood sources and processes designed to reduce environmental impact compared with conventional viscose production.

Recycled materials — materials containing content recovered and reused rather than made entirely from new raw material. The amount and source can vary by product.

Organic cotton — cotton grown according to organic agricultural standards. Certification and fibre content can vary, so we rely on the information supplied for the individual product.

OEKO-TEX® — a family of testing and certification standards. When you see it on a product, the exact certification matters; it should not be treated as a blanket sustainability claim.

Vegan materials — materials made without animal-derived components. Vegan describes that particular characteristic; it doesn’t automatically mean a material has a lower environmental impact.

Still Learning

Brands change materials, factories and production methods, and new information becomes available all the time. We’d rather update what we say than make sweeping promises we can’t verify.

For us, choosing brands is a mix of quality, design, materials, the people and companies behind them, and what we believe belongs at Lemonberry.