Our Purpose

Midwest At Heart

We’ve all been there: You turn a corner too fast and run into someone in the next aisle over, mumbling an easy “Ope, ‘scuse me,” that seems to fall out of your mouth thoughtlessly. The calling card of a true Midwesterner and a symbol of our “midwest nice”, Ope is the encapsulation of everything it means to be from the middle of America. Rich in farmland, sweeping dunes, and lush forest preserves, there is plenty to discover in America’s heartland, and Ope hopes to show you the best of the best – after all, an adventure doesn’t have to be far from home.

Sustainable Clothing

The fashion industry is the fourth largest producer of waste in the world. The processes that most contribute to the problem begin with production (in processing fibers), the consumption (driven by fast-fashion), and the disposal (what ends up in landfills). The current model of the fashion industry has been coined by the term “fast fashion”. “Fast” refers to the incentive that companies have to produce low-quality clothing: If the cost is cheap and the quality is low, consumers will wear out their clothes faster and will have to buy new ones more frequently. As a result, in America alone the average person will throw away nearly 80 pounds of clothing per year. That amounts to over 26 billion pounds of textiles in landfills nationally – and this staggering amount only continues to grow.

What we're doing about it:

We can help slow this down by purchasing high-quality clothing built to last the long haul. With the research in premium materials and high-quality sourcing, our hope is that each shirt you purchase from us will last you a lifetime. 

Getting Outside

So you’ve found a clothing company that’s trying to be sustainable – that’s great, but how else can you help the environment? Ope is dedicated to being a community – not just a brand. We believe parks and public spaces are great places for us to escape and enjoy. Our goal is to bring outdoor enthusiasts together to clean up, explore, and create within our favorite Midwestern parks. Join us every month for park clean ups, hikes, and workshops at selected parks in the St. Louis area. For more information, check out our “Events” page or follow us on Instagram for more. 

If you’d like to host a cleanup or community hike in your area, please send us a message at opeoutdoors@gmail.com. We’d love to help you get started.