About Albero Natur: Organic Cotton Since 1994

Two men posing together in a clothing store, with one wearing a green zip-up jacket and gray jeans, and the other wearing a blue zip-up jacket, dark jeans, and brown sneakers. Clothing racks and large wall posters are visible in the background.

Our roots

Albero Natur began with a family and a simple question: what's actually in the clothes we put on our skin?

In the early '90s, Susanne and Kemal Bektaş, two lifelong environmentalists, went looking for clothing for their firstborn that was organic, free of harmful chemicals, and gentle on a baby's skin. They couldn't find it, so in 1994 they started making it themselves. That company became Leela Cotton, a family-run maker of organic clothing for babies and kids based in Bremen, Germany.

As the family grew, so did the business. The second generation joined and brought two decades of organic textile experience to adult essentials. In 2013, Albero Natur was born: organic cotton underwear and socks, the pieces you wear closest to your skin every day.

After more than ten years in Europe, the Bektaş family is bringing Albero Natur to the United States. It's the same family, the same factories, and the same standards, now closer to home for American customers.

1994

Susanne and Kemal Bektaş found Leela Cotton in Bremen, Germany.

2013

The second generation launches Albero Natur: organic underwear and socks.

2026

Albero Natur arrives in the United States.

What touches your skin matters

Your skin is your body's largest organ, and your underwear and socks are against it all day.

Conventional textile production relies on chemicals at almost every stage, from pesticides and synthetic fertilizers in the cotton field to the chemicals used in dyeing and finishing. Some of them can stay in the fabric even after washing. The same chemicals also end up in rivers and soil, and they affect the health of the people who grow and sew our clothes.

We think essentials should be better than that. Here's how we make ours.

How we make our essentials

A wide view of a cotton field with long rows of white cotton bolls stretching toward distant hills under a warm golden sky, with trees lining the right side.

Certified organic cotton, from farm to finished garment

All the cotton we use is organic cotton grown in the Aegean region of Turkey, one of the world's historic cotton-growing regions. Every step, from the field to the finished product, is certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).

Made without harsh chemicals

GOTS certification prohibits chlorine bleach and optical brighteners and strictly limits heavy metals. We also keep our own list of restricted substances that goes beyond what's required. Where our garments have buttons, they're made of wood, and any metal parts are nickel-free.

Ethical production

We work only with factories we know well and have worked with for years. GOTS covers every stage of processing, manufacturing, packaging, and labeling, with strict environmental and social criteria for the people doing the work.

Made to last, not to follow trends

We don't do fast fashion. We design for comfort, fit, and durability, using quality fabric and careful workmanship. Our colors and silhouettes are seasonless, so what you buy this year still works years from now.

A close-up action shot of a person operating an industrial sewing machine, guiding a dark green piece of fabric under the needle. The person is seen from behind, wearing glasses and a light gray shirt, with the sewing machine head and metallic presser visible.

A short supply chain

Our entire production takes place within a small region of Turkey. From raw cotton to finished garment, our products travel only about 60 to 125 miles.

A kraft paper package labeled ALBERO NATUR stands on a light beige surface with olive branches, small stones, and a ceramic vase in the background. The package contains a pale sage green fabric item visible through a clear window, and small certification logos appear below the box.

Less packaging

Most of the fashion industry wraps every single garment in its own plastic bag. We don't. We keep packaging to the minimum needed to protect your order, and all our paper, from hangtags to boxes, is FSC-certified from responsibly managed sources.