27 Apr My Favorite Sustainable Clothing Brands of the Moment
This year, I vowed not to buy any new clothing and only buy vintage, secondhand, or repurposed clothing. Doing this reduces my carbon footprint and makes me a more conscious consumer, among other things. Plus I may have a very tiny obsession with vintage and preloved items. If doing this is a little too extreme, the next best thing is to purposely buy from sustainable companies.
Here are my favorite sustainable clothing brands of the moment:
1. Alternative Apparel-My favorite brand for basics and stylish casual wear for men, this brand boasts soft and comfy fabrics. They use organic & recycled materials, low-impact dyes, biodegradable fabric softeners and washes with reclaimed water. They are also part of Fashion Revolution, a movement that pushes for a more sustainable and ethical fashion industry. They ensure fair, safe & clean workplace conditions on a global scale.
2. Reformation-I cannot articulate enough how much of a fan girl I am of this brand. They create sexy, ultrafeminine clothing that makes everyone and anyone feel like they are in a Vogue fashion spread by Steven Meisel and Bruce Weber, no matter what their size. I am totally in love with the sustainable fabrics they use and their design aesthetic. They not only have their own factory in LA, where they make sure that their workers are treated well with fair wages, but they also offset their carbon footprint and encourage their consumers to recycle/donate their clothes to thredUP and get credit to use on their site. In fact, they are so transparent, they make it their sustainability report and manifesto available to everyone.
3. Everlane-maker of high-quality pieces that are designed to last, Everlane partners with the most ethical factories around the world and sources the best materials. They also offer “radical transparency” where they reveal the true cost of what it takes to make their products without the traditional retail markup. They are famous for “Choose What You Pay”, which applies to popular designs that they overproduce but want the inventory to move. Great spot for timeless and classic pieces that you can wear around the office and out.
4. Adidas by Stella McCartney-My go-to for athleisure (which is pretty much what I wear 90% of the time), this clothing line uses recyclable polyester, organic pieces and a lot of engineered pieces that create zero waste. They also eschew fur or animal products and use sustainable fabrics such as organic cotton, plastic from the ocean, repurposed nylon and Econyl yarn fabrics. Adidas, in itself, strives to be a sustainable company. More than half of their apparel and a third of their super comfortable footwear in 2018 were made with eco-innovative and recycled materials, such as parley’s Ocean Plastic.
5. Amour Vert-French for “Green Love”, Amour Vert plants a tree with the purchase of a tee. They have planted over 220,000 trees to date. To avoid waste, their pieces are made in limited quantities and 97% of their products are made in California. They are also known for making their own sustainable fabrics made from sustainably-harvested beechwood fibers, organic cotton, non-toxic mulberry silk, Tencel from Eucalyptus trees, Cupro from waste cellulose, and 100% Merino wool from a sustainably-powered plant in Italy.
6. tentree-I love this company because for every item purchased, they plant 10 trees. Their goal is to plant 1 billion trees by 2030. They have over 20 planting projects in over 10 countries and have since planted almost 29 million trees. They also espouse ethical manufacturing practices and only partners with ethical factories. They source the most eco friendly materials such as Tencel, hemp, and organic cotton, resulting in soft, breathable clothing that won’t break the bank.
7. Patagonia-One of the more environmentally and socially responsible companies out there, they specialize in high quality outdoor and sport clothing. They have been one of the more vocal and active proponents for the environment since its inception almost 50 years ago. Patagonia is part of the 1% for the Planet, an organization of business that pledge to give 1% of their profits toward protecting the environment. They advocate mending and reusing clothing and they aim to reduce adverse social and environmental impact throughout their supply chain. They even have an interactive map that shows you their suppliers, factories, mills, and farms are located.
8. Ninety Percent-recently launched in 2018, this London-based company features low maintenance yet ultra-feminine silhouettes made mostly from sustainable fabrics such as organic cotton and Tencel. They also open the conversation as to who gets to keep the majority of their profits and letting the consumers decide. They distribute 90% of their profits between charitable causes and those who make their collection happen. This is the breakdown: 80% will be shared with causes, 5% with those who make the clothes, 5% with those who run the brand.
9. The Kit.-created by Project Runway alum Daniel Vosovic, this sustainable clothing company creates looks that are unexpected yet wearable and effortless. Their fabrics are digitally designed from white fabric and the printing does not start until after you place your order. Printing on demand cuts down on fabric waste and warehouse space. They also have everything under one roof, which reduces their carbon footprint.
Honorable Mentions:
Matter
Whimsy & Row
Armed Angels
Tamga Designs
People Tree
Yala
Thought Clothing
Raeburn
Eileen Fisher
Able
Indigenous
Cuyana
Encircled
Vetta
Kestan
What about you? What are your favorite brands? HMU and let me know.
Lots of love,
Paula