#WISDOMWEDNESDAY WITH LOOP - DECEMBER '25

The Pessimism of Intelligence and the Optimism of Will

Why We Keep Going & So Should You

As 2025 closes, I’m holding two truths close. The first, a quote by Antonio Gramsci: “I'm a pessimist because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will.” The second, the raw, 150-page Patagonia Progress Report.

The report is a stunning act of corporate transparency and a devastating read. It admits the quiet part out loud: even the most mission-driven fashion brand cannot be sustainable. It reveals that textile recycling is stuck at lab scale, living wages are a distant goal, and that each new product inherently adds to the planet’s burden. Their final line: “Earth is no easy boss.”

The intelligence sees this. The intelligence asks: If the goal is to protect the planet, why make anything at all?

But the will - the will - is what we are built on. The will to look at that brutal truth and say: We choose to be part of the solution anyway. Not by ignoring reality, but by working within it, with clear eyes and relentless intention.

This means staring down the industry's hardest questions, even when we don’t have the answers:

• How do we build repair and resale for items like swimwear and intimates, where hygiene, specialised construction, and low resale value create real barriers?
• If we shift to natural fibers like bamboo, how do we ensure they last more than a season? The story of the ‘sustainable’ white tee that fell apart in two years haunts us, because new production, even from natural materials, always carries a cost.
• Can we truly claim integrity when our own certified factory likely also produces for fast-fashion brands? How do we navigate a shared supply chain without sharing the same values?

We don’t have all the answers. But we commit to the questions.

Our path isn't perfect, but it is purposeful. And if a consciously made piece - designed for longevity, made from recycled materials, and part of a system we are striving to improve - is something you need and will cherish, we are here to support that intentional choice.

For the remainder of the year, take 20% off with the code HAPPYHOLIDAYS.

Thank you for walking this imperfect, purposeful path with us. Here’s to choosing will over despair, and to building - thoughtfully, stubbornly - a better future, one conscious stitch at a time.

With will, and with hope for 2026,

Itee 🩵
Loop Co-founder