By Lizzy Case
I’m excited to share a little of the story of how I launched my Christian apparel brand, Arrayed.
In the summer of 2013, I learned to sew. I had just gotten out of a 6-year relationship that left me reeling and in need of stability. I had inherited my grandmother’s sewing machine and after diving into a few blog tutorials, I quickly became obsessed. Sewing gave me a creative outlet for prayer, restoration, and self-discovery and has been a channel for God’s healing in my journey.
At the same time, I learned about the harsh realities of garment workers around the world, the majority of whom are women of color. Right as I started sewing, the fashion industry experienced the largest industrial disaster in its history when an 8-story garment manufacturing building collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing over 1,100 people with nearly 2,600 injured. This entirely preventable tragedy known as the Rana Plaza disaster launched a global movement for transparency and reform, and I found myself wanting to be part of the fight for basic human rights and environmental justice.
I began to wonder: How is it that I’m so disconnected from how my clothing is made and from the people making it? How do their experiences connect to my faith? What’s the real cost of my clothing, and who’s paying it? How could I, as a Christian, be truly clothed in the righteousness of Christ if my actual clothing consumption and care contributes to the degradation of the earth and the oppression of marginalized communities?
I brought these questions into my seminary journey at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. My senior thesis explored righteousness as right-relationship and clothing as an expression of that right-relationship to God, our neighbors, and the earth through an ecofeminist theological lens.
I worked and volunteered in ethical fashion circles for several years before founding Arrayed in 2021. My business is the culmination of my studies, passion, and vocation, and is the closest material embodiment of my vocational call.
Arrayed is your new favorite Christian T-shirt. We feature progressive, inclusive, and poignant theological messaging with a commitment to ethical and sustainable manufacturing so you can truly wear your faith from the inside out.
Our shirts are made from 100% combed organic cotton, are Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified, Soil Association certified, Climate Neutral certified through Earth Positive, and Fair Wear certified. The designs are created using water-based screen printing and never use plastisols. Our production partner is a women-owned, worker-led collective in the Philippines dedicated to paying their workers a true living wage. We do small batch fulfillment so that there is never unnecessary overproduction, and we have prioritized size inclusivity from the beginning.
We’re committed to investing in our supply chains to build strong, sustainable partnerships and empowering organizations dedicated to the liberation of women and marginalized communities.
I’m passionate about aligning my morals with my material practices and ensuring that garment making can be a path towards personal and communal flourishing rather than a dangerous and hazardous profession. My hope is that Arrayed can offer a path for you to do that too. Together, we can restore and renew this industry and wear our faith from the inside out, one T-shirt at a time.
