FAQ

Who is behind Elementum?

Portuguese Designer Daniela Pais founded Elementum in 2007 as a part of her MA studies in Humanitarian Design and Sustainable Living at Design Academy Eindhoven. A year later she established her independent sustainable design studio in the Netherlands and founded the brand Elementum. Since 2017 is based in Portugal where she continues to develop Elementum, teaches in design schools, and consults companies about future trends and sustainability.

Daniela Pais' designs are based on diversity & inclusion and promote exploration and active participation for all kinds of body and mind expression. She created Elementum so that you could buy less clothes but have more opportunities to explore your dressing rituals and to express yourself through time. Daniela still enjoys exploring how these opportunities happen and how to develop them further with her designs. So, we hope to continue doing what we love and hopefully make you also fall in love with Elementum clothes.

If you want to know more about the founder and our path, take a look here.

 

Is Elementum a Sustainable or Ethical, fashion brand?

In Elementum we apply the principles of sustainability in Fashion and we do so Ethically. So, Elementum is both Sustainable and Ethical clothing brand. We believe that sustainability is not about making products, but is about building relationships. With Elementum we design relationships that care for the impact of the materials we use, for the people who make our clothes, for those that will wear, care and enjoy the clothes we make.

Ultimately, our pieces are designed to stay with you for a long stretch of life. That is because of the quality of the fibers and the making process that we choose. More importantly it is also because of our pieces' multi-functionality and timeless, convertible and/or reversible design. This means that with time you will discover a “new” piece hiding in your Elementum piece. So, with Elementum you will have less clothes but more opportunities to dress differently. See more about the different ways of wearing/ multi-functionality here.

 

Is Elementum a ZERO Waste fashion brand?

All Elementum knitwear is designed to be and produced with ZERO waste methods. In Elementum for every knitwear we make, we use the total piece of jersey fabric/raw material. There are no cutoffs from our cutting process. In addition, our all knits are tubular and seamless.

Our latest line of woven garments is still not totally ZERO waste. That is because of the difference of flexibility in relation to the knitwear production. But we are working on converting all our designs into Zero waste patterns. In the meanwhile we reuse the little cutoffs into new products in our studio.

 

Are Elementum clothes made with sustainable fabrics?

Our fabrics are made from sustainable fibers and sourced as locally as possible. We use natural fibers, such as organic cotton, linen, hemp and other low impact manufactured fibers plant-based fibers like TENCEL™ and cupro. These require fewer resources to be produced, create less pollution, and decompose back into the earth far more quickly than synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon. Most of our fabrics are GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified. We work with high-quality materials that offer a lasting good fit and beautiful appearance.

In addition, we follow strict rules about not mixing natural and synthetic fibers so that our pieces could be fully recyclable or composted, and; with our Close the Loop project, we encourage other brands and consumers to be more aware of what to do with their clothes at the end of their product cycle of life.

See more about our fabrics/fibers here.

 

Where are Elementum clothes produced?

Half of our production is made in our studio and the other half we produce in and supports small family businesses in Portugal and in The Netherlands. We know all our suppliers and work with them in person, visiting them regularly. We establish long term relationships so that we can ensure product quality and good labour conditions. You can meet some of our partners here.

 

Are Elementum clothes Vegan?

We do not use fur or animal skins in our Elementum clothes, in fact our jersey line has PETA approval. A small part of our collection has Alpaca and Merino wool, which we use for making warmer knitwear items. We choose these fibers very carefully and we selected these for very special long lifetime clothing. We work with undyed wool yarns from the same supplier who guaranties a sustainable fiber production. See more here.

 

What else do you do about sustainability?

We reuse packaging cardboard boxes and use only recycled paper and recycled paper tape. When strictly necessary we use bio plastic bags.

 

ORDERING

How do I place an order?

As you select each item to purchase, click the “Add to Cart” button. When you have finished selecting and adding all your items, click the “View Cart” icon at the top bar of the screen. You can then view all the items you have selected, along with their price, quantities and the total amount of your order. Before continuing with your order, you can, if you wish, add more items, withdraw items, or change quantities.

To finalize your order, simply click the “Check out” button. You will then go through a simple 3 step checkout process.

Step 1: Enter your e-mail and billing/shipping address. Click “Continue to shipping”.

Step 2: Select your shipping method. Click the “Continue to Payment” button.

Step 3: Select your payment method (PayPal, Credit cards or Bank Transfer). Click the “Complete your order ” button.

You should now receive an order confirmation via e-mail.

 

Some items are available for pre-order. What does it mean? 

On the description of some products, you will see that the piece is available for pre-order. These products we will have zero stock off.

They are made especially for you after ordering. The production of these pieces can take between 1 to 3 weeks, depending on the product. When pre-ordering, you will know exactly the excepted time for each product. Also, you will receive updates to follow the making of your piece. 

 

I am experiencing difficulties placing an order, what can I do?

Mail us at contact@elementum.store or call/whatsapp us at + 351 919079915

 

I am in love with one item but is sold out. What can I do?

Mail us at contact@elementum.store. Maybe we can find/make one more piece just for you.

 

I am not sure about my size. What Can I do?

You can see our size guide here.

We can also help you if you contact us and send us your measurements and usual size. Please also mention which Elementum pieces you are interested in fitting.

 

How do I know If an Elementum piece will look good on me?

Like any clothing item you buy, you won’t know until you try it on. Despite all our effort on designing pieces that will fit most body types, and we hope that will includes you, Sometimes is hard to get it right. So, feel free to email us at contact@elementum.store for any specific questions on measurements. Also, all products pages have detailed measures for each piece.

 

PRODUCTION

Where are Elementum products made?

Half of our production is made in our studio and with the other half we produce in and supports small family businesses in Portugal and in The Netherlands. We know all our suppliers and work with them in person, visiting them regularly. We establish long term relationships so that we can ensure product quality and good labour conditions. You can meet our partners here.

Elementum production is fair and close to home. We are based in Portugal, where we also do most of our production and manufacturing. Our production chain is highly simplified. We focus on positive collaborations with our suppliers and keep the process close to us. We produce our jersey pieces directly in our studio, our shirts are produced in a small atelier near to our workspace, and our 3D knitwear is made in a family factory in The Netherlands, where we started out in 2008.

Meet our partners and know more about our production here. 

 

Are you certified (as a producer)? Do you products hold any certification?

Most of our fabrics are certified by the supplier. We, as a small independent company, do not hold any certification. We have a highly simplified supply/value chain and choose to work closely with small family businesses. Unfortunately, like us, they too can not afford yet the price of certifications. Know more about our production here.

 

PAYMENTS & TAXES

What type of payments do you accept?

We accept debit/credit card payments (American Express, Maestro, MasterCard, Visa, Paypal, Apple Pay) via Shopify Payments and PayPal.( You do not need to have a PayPal account to process your debit/credit card payments to us. You can continue as a one-time guest user.) We also work with Bank Transfer (SEPA – Europe).

 

I am paying by Bank Transfer. What do I have to do?

If you choose to pay by bank transfer to our Bank Account, then the eventual cost of the transaction charged by the bank must be at your expense.

Bank transfers have to be made within 72 hours. Any order where payment has not been received within 72 hours will be automatically canceled. If you are paying by bank transfer, please send us an email with payment confirmation from your bank to contact@elementum.store

Your order will only be shipped once the funds have been cleared by our bank.

Once you checkout you will see our bank details:

IBAN PT50 003300004561272031105

BIC/SWIFT BCOMPTPL0000

BANK NAME Millennium BCP

NAME Pais Luxembourg Unipessoal Lda

 

Do I have to pay Taxes or Duties ?

Elementum.store is not responsible for any customs and taxes applied to your order in your country. All fees imposed during or after shipping are the responsibility of the customer. More about taxes policy here.

 

SHIPPING

 Where does Elementum.store delivers to?

Currently we only deliver to Europe. For other delivery request please mail us at contact@elementum.store or call/ whatsup us at + 351 919079915

You can find our shipping policy here.

 

Where does Elementum.store ships from?

All Elementum order are shipped from Portugal.

 

How do I track my order?

You will receive a Shipment Confirmation via email once your order has shipped. This confirmation will also contain your tracking number. The tracking number will be active within 24 hrs. from shipping moment.

 

My tracking says I received the order but I did not. What Can I do?

Please mail us to contact@elementum.store reporting the situation.

 

What are you shipping methods?

In Europe we use FEDEX, DHL and DPD delivery services.

In Portugal we use CTT.

For other delivery methods please contact us.

 

How long can I estimate the delivery will take?

In Europe delivery time, depending on country, can take 3-7 working days.
In Portugal, depending on your location, shipping can take 1-4 working days.

Please note, all orders are processed within 2-3 business days. Orders are not shipped or delivered on weekends or holidays. If we are experiencing a high volume of orders, shipments may be delayed by a few days. Please allow additional days in transit for delivery. If there will be a significant delay in shipment of your order, we will contact you via email or telephone.

 

What are the shipping costs?

In Europe for purchases under 200 Euros Shipping costs are 16 Euros. For purchases over 200 Euros Shipping is FREE.

In Portugal (Mainland) for purchases under 150 Euros Shipping costs are 5 Euros. For purchases over 150 Euros Shipping is FREE.

In Madeira & S. Miguel for purchases under 150 Euros Shipping costs are 14 Euros. For purchases over 150 Euros Shipping is FREE.

In other Portuguese & Spanish Islands for purchases under 150 Euros Shipping costs are 30 Euros. For purchases over 150 Euros Shipping is FREE.

In UK for purchases under 250 Euros Shipping costs are 18 Euros. For purchases over 250 Euros Shipping is FREE.

 

Do you ship to P.O.Boxes?

No we dont shipment to P.O. Boxes.

You can find our shipping policy here.

 

RETURNS & EXCHANGES

Can I return or exchange a piece?

Yes you can exchange or return a piece but please see here our full policy regarding returns & exchanges. 

 

CARE

How can I care for my Elementum piece(s)?

Each product comes with care instructions which are also displayed at the same product page on our website. We are also currently working on an additional page about Care and Mending with sustainable and creative ideas and support.

For any questions, you can always reach us at contact@elementum.store or call/ whatsup us at + 351 919079915

 

GIFT CARDS

I am shopping for someone else but not sure what to give them? What can I do?

You can offer them a Elementumstore gift card. Gift cards are delivered by email and contain instructions to redeem them at checkout. See gift cards  here.

 

Can I find Elementum collection in a physical shop?

Yes you can find Elementum collection in selected stores in Europe and Canada. Please see here the list of stores. 

 

WHOLESALER

I am a shop and would like to sell Elementum to my clients. What can I do?

We will be happy to know your store and provide you all the necessary information. Please mail us at info@danielapais.com

 

MY PRIVACY

What do you do with my personal information?

Elementum believes in protecting your privacy and the security of your personal information. We will never rent, sell or distribute our customer base or newsletter subscribers to anyone. We also do not store your credit card details on our server, all credit card purchases are processed through a PayPal in a secure payment gateway.

We do however use your email with targeted online advertising to send you product and services updates, promotional offers and other marketing communications. The later actions are based on the information we collect about you, such as your email address, general location, purchase and website browsing history.

We process your personal data. As stated in our Privacy Policy. You may withdraw your consent or manage your preferences at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any of our marketing emails, or by emailing us at contact@elementum.store . Please see our privacy policy here. 

 

WANT MORE

I did not find what I was looking for and I want to know more. What can I do?

You can mail us your questions or suggestions at contact@elementum.store or call/ whatsup us at + 351 919079915

You can also subscribe our monthly newsletter and receive a discount on your purchase . 

 

We look forward to connect with you.
Elementum.store team.