At BREETH, we design from the inside out. Every garment begins with the body; its lines, its rhythm, and its systems of regulation. We see comfort as our leading principle of design, engineered through structure, fit, and fibre choice. Using premium natural cotton, we develop garments that support the skin’s ability to breathe and the body’s capacity to move freely. Breathability, structure, and softness are treated as one equation; calibrated through pattern and testing. Each piece is built to hold its shape, maintain balance, and deliver a consistent experience of ease.
The Beginning
BREETH was founded by Marc Barnfather in 2020, during a moment when the world was forced to reconsider its relationship with air, comfort, and the things closest to our skin. Living with an immunocompromising condition, Marc and his family had long been familiar with protective gear; wearing masks on planes, in hospitals, and during travel. When masks became a global norm, Marc noticed that even the simplest functional object could fail in comfort, fit, and design integrity. That frustration sparked a question that would define the brand: What if everyday clothing was treated with the same level of engineering precision as performance wear?
“I knew little about fabrics or sewing, but design was my language,” Marc shares. “Good design is the experience of something working perfectly, without you noticing it.”
What began as a personal exploration soon became a family collaboration. Together, the Barnfathers studied fabric behaviour, pattern engineering, and garment ergonomics, building from curiosity into mastery. Over two years, they developed a line of natural-fibre garments that blend structure and softness; essentials designed to move with the body, support the skin, and restore ease to daily wear.
Design and Construction
At BREETH, we treat patternmaking as an engineering discipline. Every seam, curve, and panel is mapped to the body’s lines of movement, designed to prevent friction, drag, or unnecessary compression. Through repeated prototyping, we test how garments behave — how they hold, stretch, recover, and breathe — refining each iteration until the result feels both stable and natural. Comfort is not assumed in our process; it is designed into the garment through structure and testing.
All production takes place in Cape Town, where we partner with a dedicated CMT team composed almost entirely of women. Their technical expertise represents generations of skill passed down through South Africa’s textile industry. Together, we translate technical blueprints into tangible form, balancing engineering precision with human touch, as each garment that leaves our studio is the product of collaboration, consistency, and care.
Materials and Responsibility
We work exclusively with OEKO-TEX® certified natural cotton, woven and finished locally to maintain full visibility of our supply chain. Cotton is our fibre of choice for its natural intelligence, as its breathable, hypoallergenic, and biodegradable. It regulates heat and moisture naturally, allowing the skin to maintain equilibrium across changing conditions. Unlike synthetic fibres that trap heat or release microplastics, cotton works in harmony with your body’s natural balance and the planet’s best interest. There are instances in which a small addition of another fibre is included — such as in our socks or underwear — for the structural integrity of the garment, and we will always indicate this within the material description of each product.
This commitment extends beyond materials to production. By manufacturing locally, we reduce transport emissions and reinvest in the city’s garment economy. Every piece represents a partnership between design, ecology, and community, and our commitment to a sustainable fashion ecosystem that values both people and process.
Our Cotton, Transparently Sourced
Our cotton is OEKO-TEX® certified, which means it has been independently tested to ensure it is free from harmful substances and safe for prolonged contact with the skin. This certification goes beyond basic industry requirements, assessing every component of a textile — from fibres and dyes to threads and finishing processes — so you can trust that our garments meet globally recognised standards for human and environmental health.
While South Africa has pockets of cotton agriculture, local production is still limited and cannot yet meet the full demand for long-staple, premium-grade fibres at our required scale. For this reason, we source cotton fibres from trusted growers around the world, selected for their quality, growing practices, and traceability. Once imported, these fibres are then milled and spun locally, supporting South African manufacturing and ensuring visibility over the next stages of our supply chain.
We choose to share this openly because transparency is part of our responsibility. Ethical production is a system of decision more than a single point of decisions; we must consider: where fibres are grown, how they are processed, and who is supported along the way with a holistic view. Our aim is to continue deepening local partnerships as South Africa’s cotton industry strengthens, while maintaining materials that align with our standard of comfort, health, longevity, and care for people and planet.
BREETH exists to redefine what everyday clothing can be: engineered comfort built from natural intelligence. We design essentials that combine technical rigour with human warmth; pieces that move with your body, support your skin, and hold their form through life’s rhythm.
Our goal is simple: to create the garments you reach for first — the ones that fit instinctively, feel right immediately, and prove that real comfort is intelligent design.