You may be well aware of sustainable living, and you aim to use products that are both ethical and good for the environment at large.
Buying ethical & sustainable clothing also ensures that you can contribute in a meaningful way towards enhancing the environment and society.
As an environmentally-conscious consumer, you know that there is a lot of work that’s needed to make a difference.
Yet, the brands that truly succeed in ethical clothing are those who try and have minimal impact on the environment in all sorts of ways.
In essence, they put their best foot forward and make the change.
Recently dozens of slow fashion brands have emerged that are committed to ethical and sustainable practices.
That’s all good and well, but which brands should you consider? That’s a good question in which you can expect an answer in this post.
First, let’s consider what it means to be an ethical clothing brand.
What is ethical clothing?
Ethical clothing is all about how the clothing gets produced and reaches you as the consumer. It looks at the workers involved who had to spend their time making your clothing. And these could be the people producing the raw materials or the actual creation of the garment.
Therefore ethical clothing wants to ensure that there is fair wage, right working conditions for people employed in the fashion industry.
It’s an important distinction as companies should treat their people with dignity in creating fashion trends that come and go. Yet, amidst this, we also have something called slow fashion. Let’s consider this below.
What is slow fashion?
You’ve probably seen and heard of fast fashion. Yet as you would guess, slow fashion is the complete opposite. If you think of fast fashion, you possibly imagine the current state of the fashion industry and the change of trends.
It feeds into the culture of throwing out the old and getting in the new. But, slow fashion is all about thinking about your clothing choices with diligence and thoughtfulness. It’s about thinking about the future of your clothing and environment. And it’s also considering how you can re-use your clothing to revamp your wardrobe.
Recycled clothing and vintage clothing are markers of slow fashion. So, slow fashion is the answer to the fast-moving fashion industry, but what are the brands that are playing pivotal roles in supporting sustainable and ethical clothing production.
So – how can you stick to ethical clothing and make the world a better place?
By following sustainable clothing brands. We’re listing some below, take a look:
10 sustainable clothing brands to watch in 2020
You’ll find the top ethical and sustainable clothing brands indicated for you below.
Reformation
First up on our list is a uniquely stylish brand that offers a variety of sizes and clothing tastes.
Consider that this California based brand looks at ethical clothing creation in everything they do.
This process could be in the sourcing of fabrics, to the actual creation and manufacturing process. Most of the clothing is upcycled, and offers fair wages to their employees, always checking that their material is certified.
Kotn
As a sustainable brand that is renowned for organic clothing made via safe labor practices, they do offer a wide variety of apparel if your tastes are a little more luxurious. They create essential clothing, all made from authentic Egyptian cotton.
You can tell that their desire to provide good quality and simple essentials is key to the success of this sustainable brand. Interestingly enough, it will not cost you a fortune either.
Vetta
Vetta is always aiming to provide new and old buyers with a more thoughtful wardrobe.
And by thoughtful, it means they give a capsule wardroom with five essential items.
Usually, these can be mixed and matched to help you with 30 days of outfits:
And the best part is that you start small and build up your closet or buy the whole lot in one go. The good thing is that this brand gives you value for money, commits to sustainable and responsible fabrics, and commits to fair labor practices.
Most of their employees have worked at their company for over 30 years. This family-owned business is committed to the ethical supply of clothing, and you can see this in everything they do.
ABLE
ABLE is short for Live Fashionable, and they truly do live up to this brand in every way. Starting from grassroots, they build up a brand that hopes to end generational poverty and help people live a better life.
They do this by empowering women to help them make a living. Their leading items are bags and wardrobe staples, all created by fairly paid women who have overcome many challenging situations in their life. If you enjoy fashionable clothing sourced ethically, then this may just be the brand for you.
Girlfriend Collective
The best part of the Girlfriend collective is the inclusivity and their sustainable activewear. They’ve broken into the market, aiming to support sizes ranging from XXS through 6XL. Their main items include shorts, leggings, and T-shirts.
These are created from recycled materials such as water bottles and fishing nets. Remember that they also ensure safe conditions and fair wages for their employees. Bonus, most of their clothing, is well priced and affordable. Now you can shop for ethically sourced clothing without breaking the bank.
Thought
This sustainable clothing line primarily makes their clothing from organic cotton, hemp, and bamboo. Thought is a proud supporter of slow fashion. This support means they create clothing made to last for a long time.
It seems fitting that their motto is simply, “Wear me, love me, mend me, pass me on. If that’s exactly what you need, then you may have found a lifelong ethical clothing brand.
Ninety Percent
This brand is a marriage of two great minds whose friendship started 30 years ago. They wanted to see a change in the world of fashion and believed they could make it.
They are based in London and known for their sustainable womenswear, which donates 90% of all profits to their customer’s preferred charitable cause.
Ninety Percent boast of ethically sourced products, and they support slow fashion maintaining that all their clothing lasts a lifetime.
Tree Tribe
When it comes to eco-friendly, you can imagine that this brand is top of the line. It’s an outdoor lifestyle brand that actually will go ahead and plant a tree every time you buy something from them. Their main products include Women and Men’s essential clothing, accessories and bags, journals, or wallets.
If you’re wondering how they make these items, keep in mind that it’s actually created with leaf leather, and the leaves are sustainably collected and used.
Mostly no trees are harmed during production. And from a manufacturing standpoint, they are a small business made up of artisans in Thailand. They put the ‘earth’ back into earthy clothing.
Ecoalf
Ecoalf is a premium fashion brand that originated in Europe. They create new, stylish clothing, street gear, and accessories. And of course, most of their items are vegan friendly. And while they may be slightly more expensive, they do have some rather eye-catching pieces that may have you buying their entire range.
It’s all good and well as they have been saving the planet since 2009 one garment at a time. And the best part is they make each item from recycled material, yet it doesn’t look that way.
Synergy Organic Clothing
When Kate Fisher initially traveled to Nepal and India, she did not think that she would have a fantastic company that promotes sustainable clothing at every turn. It’s been close to 30 years, and they are still going strong.
They merge sustainable business with a clothing line mingling eastern and western influences. And yes, their clothing may be beautiful, but they are also fully committed to making clothing that minimally impacts the environment while also empowering their employees.
Shop at Synergy Organic Clothing
Final Thoughts on ethical clothing
The reality is that the earth does have limited resources that we should maintain now and in the future.
Fashion is the second-largest waste producer after oil and gas.
So fashion brands have a huge responsibility in shaping the narrative and employing better practices in their industry.
That might be true, but remember you can also make a surprising difference by choosing your clothing brands wisely. Always research new brands, and make sure you get a clear picture of their core purpose.
Feel free to take clothing matters into your own hands, one clothing piece at a time. Remember to think of slow fashion and follow only ethical clothing brands.
The brands we listed have a good reputation. Their mission is to provide ethically sourced clothing that considers both people and the planet.
Need more ethical clothing brands? Check out this video with the top-20 list:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hspIcaM7oI
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