El Alto Outdoor Clothing Brochure

El Alto tough but fair

ethically sourced, fairly tradedoutdoor clothing made in Bolivia

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El Alto produces outdoor clothing andequipment which has been ethically sourced and manufactured in Bolivia.

As well as the emphasis on quality design and workmanship, the ethos behind ourproducts has been to ensure that materialsare ethically sourced, staff fairly treated and a fair price paid. El Alto has been formedas a partnership of Bolivian mountaineers,Bolivian tailors, British based designers and outdoor enthusiasts.

El Alto is the name of one of the poorest districts of SouthAmerica, on the outskirts of Bolivia’s capital, La Paz. This iswhere most of the local staff live. The company’s founder,Jonathan Cassidy, has been working and travelling in SouthAmerica since the early 1990’s, running expeditions, NGO and charity funded projects and, of course, enjoying thespectacular landscapes and cultures this beautiful countryhas to offer.

There is a great deal of need in many Latin Americancountries however there is also a wealth of talent and ability.Through building a sustainable business in Bolivia, Jonathanfelt that he could best help the less advantaged communitieswhich have made him feel welcome for so many years.

It was this that inspired the formation of El Alto.

El Alto – Tough but fair – call +44 (0) 1273 746 545 or visit www.elalto.co.uk

3El Alto – Tough but fair – call +44 (0) 1273 746 545 or visit www.elalto.co.uk

“Sweat shop” is such a well known term now and sadly is where much of the clothing on Britain’s shelves comes from. As long asthere is a demand for rock bottom price clothing, there will always be someone who will choose to meet that demand. What we aim to do is to show that it doesn’t need to be like that, that people canmake a choice which is an ethical one but at the same time doesn’tbreak the bank or compromise on quality.

Any company can claim they are socially responsible, but what does that mean?

This is what it means for us:

We ensure that all our staff receive a fair wage. In real terms thisequates to almost double a typical wage for similar work, and fourtimes the national minimum wage over there. It may still be a lowwage by western standards but it certainly goes a long way toimproving the livelihoods of our staff.

Working conditions are good. Staff work reasonable hours in comfortable surroundings.

The factories in Bolivia are wholly owned by Bolivians. This means that, as the company grows, the benefits will be spread evenly across the board, not just here in the UK.

1% of all El Alto’s sales go towards Bolivian social and environmental projects. See our website to learn more about the projects we support.

A further 1% of sales go towards the international network “One Percent for the Planet” (www.onepercentfortheplanet.org).

This is just for starters. We do not believe that there is an“acceptable” level of social responsibility, all companies can (and should) do better than they already do. We also recognise that there is a lot more that we should be doing. We are a youngcompany though and will work continually to improve on the above list, making every item you buy a greater help for the less advantaged areas of our planet.

Does having an ethically sound policy mean that we compromise on quality. Not at all! We ensure allour products meet the highest standards in quality,performance and style.

Material: Our fleece and windproof fabrics are not the name brandsyou find in top price mountain clothing, it is for this reason that we can pay a fair wage AND sell for a reasonable price. We do notcompromise on the quality of our material which has been thoroughlytested in the heart of the Andean mountains – it can’t get much betterthan that!

Style: It’s all well and good to offer a product which has an ethicalsource but if no one wants to buy it, there’s no point. Our products aredesigned by a combination of British designers and Bolivian trekkingand mountaineering guides, helping to ensure that they are bothpractical and stylish.

4 El Alto – Tough but fair – call +44 (0) 1273 746 545 or visit www.elalto.co.uk

Greg Coe - International Expedition Leader


Windproof “Condor” Jacket

Windproof fleece material

Two large ventilation pockets and one smaller chest pocket

Drawcord at the waist

Zip protector at the neck

Solid high collar for warmth

Sizes: S, M, L, XL – Colours: Black

Windproof “Condor” Vest

Lightweight windproof fleece with regular fleece under the arms

Snug fitted design




Our range of windproof jackets and vests are made with high quality, durable, windproof fleece material.

Windproof Clothing - M

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Fleece “Eagle” Jacket

Mid-weight quality fleece material

Smooth fleece under arms, giving a stylish finish

Two large ventilation pockets on the outside, one internal chest pocket

Walkman / MP3 player headphone cable slot from chest pocket





Fleece “Eagle” Vest




Smooth fleece under the arms, giving a stylish finish

Fitted design



From our hats to our jis quality, durable, w


Fleece “Eagle” long sleeved top

Quality lightweight fleece material

Can be used as a base layer or over a thermal top or t-shirt

Sleeve extension with thumb hole



Solid collar for shape and warmth

Sizes: S, M, L, XL – Colours: Black, Grey

Fleece “Puma” trousers

Warm, lightweight bottoms



r jackets, our fleece material , warm fabric made to last.

Fleece Clothing - Mens


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Windproof “Condor” Vest

Lightweight windproof fleece with regular fleece under the arms

Snug fitted design



Sizes: S, M, L, XL (10, 12, 14, 16) – Colours: Black

Our fitted range of women’s clothing has been designed with style, practicality and comfort in mind.

Windproof Clothing - W

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Windproof “Condor” Jacket

Windproof fleece material







Flee

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loth

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- W

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s

Fleece “Eagle” Jacket


Smooth fleece under arms, giving a stylish finish







Fleece “Eagle” Vest





Fitted design



From our hats to our jis durable, warm f


Fleece “Eagle” long sleeved top

Quality lightweight fleece material

Can be used as a base layer or over a thermal top or t-shirt

Sleeve extension with thumb hole



Solid collar for shape and warmth

Sizes: S, M, L, XL (10, 12, 14, 16) – Colours: Black, Grey

Fleece “Puma” trousers

Warm, lightweight bottoms



r jackets, our fleece material m fabric made to last.

Fleece Clothing - Wom

ens


Jessica Blom - El Alto style consultant


Fleece Hat

Snug, fitted design

Sizes: S/M, L/XL – Colours: Black, Grey

Fleece Scarf / Short Snood

Stylish and warm neckwear

Sizes: One Size – Colours: Black, Grey

Our range of fleece accessories will keep you warm and stylish.

Accessories

Fleece Hat-Scarf / Long Snood

Drawcord at the top, allowing it to function as a hat, scarf or balaclava

Sizes: One Size – Colours: Black, Grey

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ABOUT THE STAFF

In Bolivia

Our factory in La Paz is wholly owned and run by Bolivians,from La Paz and El Alto. They are a combination of localbusinessmen and mountaineers who are delighted they nowhave a means to exist outside of the relatively short trekkingand climbing season (May – September). The production staffare a small, very talented team which work perfectly togetherwith our British designers to consistently make top qualityproducts. We have endeavoured to make the workingenvironment a fun one as well as a productive one, with allstaff enjoying the chance to ‘test’ the products out on thebeautiful mountains surrounding the city at every opportunity.It is a family unit and we look forward to seeing it grow.

In the UK

Based in Brighton, our aim is to maintain the sociallyresponsible ethos on both sides of the globe and to try to redress the work / life balance this country seems to have lost. We run a professional, slick outfit which puts its customers first at all times, we are happy to talk to or meet with customers interested in doing so. However, if you call us and you reach the answer phone, it is probablybecause the sun is out and so are we, but if you leave amessage we’ll get back to you straight away.

El Alto – Tough but fair – call +44 (0) 1273 746 545 or visit www.elalto.co.uk

Rene Castro - Bolivian tailor


ORDER INFORMATION

Making an order

You can make an order in a number of ways:

By Phone: Call us on 01273 746 545 from Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 6.00pm. We accept most major credit and debit cards.

By Fax: Fax us on 01273 746 545 (24 hours) with your order and yourcontact details (email or phone) and we will contact you.

By Post: Orders can be sent by post to:

El Alto Ltd, 1 Palmeira Mansions, 13 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2FA

Cheques should be made payable to “El Alto” and should have yourcheque guarantee card number, guarantee amount and expiry datewritten on the back of the cheque. Please also supply us with somecontact details (phone or email) so we can get in touch with you in case we have a problem with your order.

Online: You can make a secure order via our website onwww.elalto.co.uk

Stores: El Alto products can be found in a number of stores acrossthe UK, check out our website to see where they are stocked.

Larger/Corporate Orders: We have special rates for larger orders(in excess of 10 items). We are also able to produce personalisedbranded products for companies or specific expeditions, pleasecontact us directly for further details on either of these points.

Delivery

Orders over £100 are postage free.Delivery charge for smaller orders - £4.00

If your item is in stock, we will do our best to despatch your order the day you place it. In busy times we usually tell you how long it will take us to process it. Your order will be sent first class recorded delivery. This service should take between 2-5 working days.

Returns

We have high standards with the quality of our products, so if for any reason you are not happy with what you have received, we will exchange them or give you a complete refund with noquestions asked (within 14 days of your order). You will receive a postage paid return address label with your package which you can stick on and take to your nearest post office.

If you wish to speak to someone about a return or refund, please just call us on 01273 746 545 or email [email protected]

Credits:

Brochure and Website Design: Active Parity, (www.activeparity.co.uk)Clothing design consultancy - Jessica Blom (www.jessiandamy.com)Product images courtesy of BCUC

Printed on recycled paper

El Alto, 1 Palmeira Mansions, 13 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2FA

T/F: 01273 746 545

W: www.elalto.co.uk

Documents

El Alto Outdoor Clothing Brochure