Specialists: 70 people

Average wage: 300 EUR per month, plus overtime pay

Work hours: 9 hours/day

Breaks: 2 x 15 min. tea breaks and 1 x 60 min. lunch break

Last visit: March 2023

"Usually, every new garment we make is an entirely new journey. With you, it's different. Being a specialist, only designing trousers, you know what you want every time—and so do we. That lets us create high-quality trousers that become a bit better every time. Our patterns, fabric quality and sewing techniques have greatly improved. Today, our skills as trouser makers are well-known and one our cornerstones." – Mert.

Total is a family-founded, family-owned and family-driven textile business. Founded by Sami, back then a young father to Mert, and his partner, Orhan, in 1987. Today, Mert runs the business alongside his two elderly advisors.

As a young apprentice in the family textile business, Mert joined at 29 years old, a bit before our partnership with Total had begun. After working hard to learn the business's ins and outs, from production to fabrics, Mert had a hunch and suggested a few critical changes to the setup and the materials—which later proved essential to the final product's success. The rest is history.

Today, Mert and the crew at Total remain our long-standing partners and friends. Most of the trouser makers have been there for over 10 years, some more than 20 years—a testament to the company's culture and craft. Total's compassionate family business and ongoing focus on moving towards better still inspire us to this day.