FAQ

Lasclay is an invented name derived from the French word Asclepiade, which literally means Milkweed. Since our company is entirely dedicated to the preservation of monarch butterflies and their host plants (milkweeds), it was a simple and clean fit.

We wanted our brand name to be about "L'Asclepiade" without sounding corny or simply too obvious. So, we decided to take the first two syllables "L'AS-CLÉ" and make sure everybody could pronounce it right by calling ourselves "LAS-CLAY".

We love our French-Canadian culture and heritage, and so we thought Lasclay was the perfect bridge between our origins and our passion for milkweed.

No, it's actually the opposite!

The white silky fibers that are harvested from the mature plant are of no interest to monarch butterflies and are only available long after the monarchs have left Canada towards Mexico. As the days get shorter and colder in the fall, milkweed plants start shedding all the leaves that monarchs used to feed on and concentrate their remaining energy to produce seed pods. Monarch caterpillars feed on young milkweed leaves and the adult butterflies feed on flower nectar from spring to late summer. When these resources are no longer available, monarchs are triggered to migrate back to Mexico, leaving behind them seed pods full of the silky fibers we use as insulation in our products.

There is reason to believe that large-scale milkweed farming saved monarchs from near extinction in 2013 and helped them bounce back to population levels unseen since the late 1980s.

To learn more, click here.

Everything happens in Quebec, whether we're talking about milkweed harvesting, product design, manufacturing and distribution. Our philosophy is to produce as locally as possible to reduce the environmental impact of the clothing industry. This project is our humble contribution towards this goal.

For winter clothing and accessories, two types of insulators are mainly used:

• Plastic fibers/membranes, such as Thinsulate, are made from petroleum exploitation (polyethylene and polypropylene).
• Animal fibers, such as fur or goose down.

Each of these options has many environmental, social, and ethical disadvantages. There is no need to go into detail about the harmful impacts of oil exploitation and the moral stakes posed by animal exploitation for fur and down.

Milkweed, on the other hand, provides a natural fiber derived from the indigenous plant itself. Milkweed is perfectly adapted to the climate of North America and generally does not require pesticides or chemical fertilizers. While the production of the main popular insulators harms the environment, the exploitation of milkweed provides benefits to its ecosystem, including providing food and nesting grounds for the precious monarch butterfly, an endangered species. It is also worth noting that it's very rare to find a win-win situation where the production and exploitation of raw material also benefits the environment

To learn more, check out our information page on milkweed.

Yes, we do! You can find our sizing chart here.

If you need a full invoice with our tax numbers and the rest of our business information for your accounting, simply write to us at hey@lasclay.com with your order number and we'll provide you with a PDF version of your full invoice.

In Canada, if you are registered as an Indian under the Indian Act, you are allowed to be exempted from paying taxes on your orders on Lasclay.com if they are shipped to a First Nation address.

We can easily create you an account so that all your present and future orders are tax-exempt. For more information, please contact us at hey@lasclay.com and we'll walk you through the easy-to-follow procedure.

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This article from our help centre was written by non-Indigenous persons. If you find that some information is inaccurate and/or should be said differently, please reach out via email to let us know how we can improve this article.

Before relying on our shipping times, make sure to check the product listing to see if it is a pre-order. A pre-order item will only be shipped after the estimated delivery date indicated on the product page.

Once an order is processed, a tracking number is then sent via email to keep the customer informed of the delivery date. However, orders with standard postage as the chosen delivery method will not have a tracking number.

Once processed, the standard delivery time is 4 to 8 business days throughout USA and Canada.

If you reside outside the US or Canada, the shipping time may vary from 8 to 18 days.

We offer free shipping in the continental USA for orders over $99US (USPS) and anywhere in Canada for orders over $119CAD (Canada Post Expedited Parcel).

In Canada, for orders under $119CAD, shipping fees are $9.50CAD, except when we can ship your order in an envelope with a stamp, in which case shipping is $2.99CAD.

Lasclay offers delivery anywhere in the continental US and Canada at the moment.

If you entered the wrong shipping address when you ordered, please contact us as soon as possible at hey@lasclay.com with your order number and/or invoice.

If the package has already been shipped when the error is reported to us, you may be charged additional fees to receive your order.

If you wish to return your Lasclay order, please respect the following rules:

Return your items as soon as possible

You have 15 days following the delivery of your order to request a return to our customer service. You can contact us via Messenger or at hey@lasclay.com. Following receipt of your return slip, you will have 10 days to hand in your return at the post office. It's a question of mutual trust; even if we're convinced of our customers' honesty, we still need to make sure that our products aren't worn during a lengthy returns process.

Inadequate Size

If the product you ordered is too big or too small, you will be able to exchange it. In these situations, we will ask you to confirm your measurements according to the size guide of the specific product. In cases where the customer is responsible for the size selection error (missing or incorrect measurements), a fee of $9.99 CAD will be charged to the customer. This fee corresponds to 40% of the average price we pay for a round trip with Canada Post (return of the incorrect item and sending a replacement item, approximately 2x $12.50 = $25).

Items must be in their original condition (new)

The items must not have been worn, washed, and must have no scratches, marks, stains, tears, hair, perfumes/odors.

Some items cannot be returned

All items marked as final sale cannot be returned or exchanged.

Important Note

Please note that only purchases made on lasclay.com can be accepted.

Depending on the customer's choice and the situation, we can offer an exchange, store credit, or a refund. All refunds are processed back to the original payment method within 5-10 business days after the refund confirmation.

Before making a return, please ensure that your request complies with our return policy, located in the tab above. Then, get in touch with us via Messenger or hey@lasclay.com, mentioning your order number and your request.

We strive to make the return process simple, fast, and efficient for our customers. We advise you to keep the shipping packaging you received from us for easy return of your order.

Here is a summary of the return process steps:

1. When a customer notifies us of their intention to return a product, we send a prepaid return label within 1-2 business days.
2. For an exchange or refund, a generic handling fee of $9.99 CAD will be charged to cover a portion of our costs and prevent abuse.
3. The customer prints the return label and attaches it to a package (ideally reusing Lasclay's packaging).
4. The customer places the product in the package, including any accompanying items (contact us if you have any questions).
5. The customer drops off the package in a mailbox or at the nearest Canada Post counter. No need to wait in line, as it is prepaid.
6. If the package is received and the inspection is approved, we proceed immediately to the next step based on the customer's choice (exchange, store credit, or refund).

If you believe that any of your products appear to have a manufacturing defect and your return period has expired, please contact us by email at hey@lasclay.com.