The fashion industry has more than one dirty secret.
Introduction
According to a United Nations report, producing one pair of jeans requires 2,000 gallons of water, and large amounts of textile waste accumulate in landfills every second. Fast fashion – trendy clothing produced at affordable prices – is the main culprit, causing environmental damage and practicing terrible labor practices.
As consumers awaken to these shocking statistics, many are now demanding that brands do better – and they are doing so with their wallets. Consumers are now looking for brands that embrace sustainable visions and making purchasing decisions accordingly. For clothing brands, sustainable practices have become more than just a nice-to-have.
What Does It Mean to Be a Sustainable Clothing Brand?
Generally, to be considered a sustainable business means that people, animals, and the environment are taken into account at every stage of the supply chain, from how materials are sourced to what happens at the end of a product’s life cycle. This includes practices like ethical sourcing, providing safe working conditions, water-saving efforts, offsetting impact, and giving back.
The best sustainable brands are those that are transparent about their business practices. Consumers are now looking for a sustainable statement that includes where and how the clothes are made. Certifications like B Corporation (or B Corp), Fair Trade Certified, and Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) are sources of trust for consumers who can be confident that claims have been audited by a reliable third party. 26 sustainable clothing brands are making an impact
1. Beaumont Organic
Products: Women’s, children’s, pet clothing
Sustainable fashion category: Ethical production
Size range: XS to L
Beaumont Organic partners with trusted factories in Portugal and the UK that share Beaumont’s belief that workers should receive fair wages and work reasonable hours. Most of the brand’s pieces are made from GOTS-certified organic cotton.
2. Thesus
Products: Gender-neutral shoes
Sustainable fashion category: Sustainable materials, fair wages, carbon neutral
Size range: Up to size 46 in EU
Thesus is a sustainable shoe brand that uses recycled materials to produce non-leather, cruelty-free footwear. The brand currently offers carbon-neutral shipping and is working towards becoming Climate Neutral certified. All employees at Thesus and its partner facilities receive fair pay.
3. Narah Soleil
Products: Swimwear
Sustainable fashion category: Eco-friendly materials
Size range: XS to XL
Narah Soleigh’s swimwear is made from textile scraps and industrial plastic, as well as abandoned fishing nets woven into recycled nylon and sewn in solar-powered factories. The company also produces other clothing made from organic cotton. Narah Soliel is an official member of Rainforest Trust, a global environmental conservation organization. Partial profits support the organization’s conservation operations fund.
4. Pact
Products: Clothing for the whole family, including maternity wear
Sustainable fashion category: Organic materials, recycling program
Size range: XS to XXL (plus maternity sizes)
Pact’s organic cotton is GOTS certified (using 81% less water and 62% less energy compared to conventional cotton) and dyed with chemical-free dyes in its fair trade factories. The brand also offers a clothing donation program, allowing customers to use Pact’s shipping materials to gently return used clothing for distribution to nonprofit organizations.
5. Organic Basics
Products: Gender-neutral fashion essentials
Sustainable fashion category: Organic materials, ethical production, low-impact shipping
Size range:
Size: from XXS to XXL (for women)
Organic Basics not only uses organic cotton in its basics but also other sustainable fabrics like Lyocell and recycled wool. The brand tracks its impact at every stage of the supply chain and publishes data on its website for transparency. In terms of manufacturing and shipping, Organic Basics continually seeks ways to reduce its footprint, from safe dyes to biodegradable and recyclable packaging.
6. MoEa
Products: Sneakers
Sustainable Fashion Category: Vegan, Cruelty-free
Size Range: Up to EU size 46
MoEa produces sneakers with “leather” made from corn, pineapple, cactus, and more. For each type of leather alternative, MoEa collaborates with producers like Piñatex, a B Corp certified company recommended by PETA. The pineapple leather provides the company with a saving of 264 tons of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere by turning leaves, which would typically be burned, into a new product.
7. Vege Threads
Products: Women’s clothing and swimwear
Sustainable Fashion Category: Fair working conditions, Social responsibility
Size Range: Some styles go up to 3XL
Vege Threads is an Ethical Clothing Australia certified brand. To gain certification, companies must meet ECA standards for fashion treatment and pay fair wages to garment workers. The brand also acts as a member of 1% for the Planet, donating a portion of profits to nonprofit organizations. Vege Threads clothing is made from GOTS certified organic cotton and other sustainable materials.
8. Good Guys Don’t Wear Leather
Products: Shoes
Sustainable Fashion Category: Vegan, Cruelty-free
Size Range: Up to EU size 47
Good Guys Don’t Wear Leather is an Italian shoe brand that uses an alternative leather derived from apple waste from the fruit juice industry. The brand produces classic styles like Chelsea boots, cowboy boots, and Birkenstock sandals, all made with plant-based ingredients.
9. Duffle&Co
Products: Bags and Accessories
Sustainable Fashion Category: Plant-based materials
Size Range: One size
Duffle&Co uses a blend of pineapple leather and organic cotton to create a line of leather bags. These bags, pouches, and high-quality bags are also made to last. The company’s Repair Rewear program will repair any damage to its products within the first year to extend their lifespan.
10. Public Myth
Products: Activewear for men and women
Sustainable Fashion Category: Locally made, Fair wages
Size Range: Some styles go up to XL (for women)
Public Myth produces its activewear in a local factory in Vancouver, Canada. This ensures the company can monitor working conditions and guarantee fair wages and treatment for employees. Public Myth also uses eco-friendly fabrics and natural materials with a commitment to low waste production.
11. Psychic Outlaw
Products: Gender-neutral clothing and accessories
Sustainable Fashion Category: Upcycling
Size Range: Ready-to-wear up to 3XL, can create custom sizes of any size
Psychic Outlaw creates handmade pieces like bomber jackets and midi skirts using vintage linings, upholstery fabrics, and old shawls. By repurposing materials, the brand transforms unusable pieces into something new, reducing the need for virgin materials and giving old pieces a second life.
12. Pantee
Products: Underwear and basics
Sustainable Fashion Category: Recycled fabrics
Size Range: From XS to 3XL
Pantee is another sustainable brand that uses recycled fabrics. The brand produces its collections using leftover fabrics (excess production waste from the fashion industry). It began by making products from leftover T-shirts before expanding to use rolls of remaining fabrics, saving them from potential incineration.
13.Gandy’s International
Products: Men’s and women’s clothing, bags
Sustainable fashion category: Social impact
Size range: Some styles go up to XXL
Founders of Gandy’s International, Rob and Paul Forkan, transformed their personal grief into a mission to help others. Their sustainable brand was established in parallel with a foundation that provides meals and school buildings for children in needy communities.
14. Alivia
Products: Sleepwear and women’s clothing
Sustainable fashion category: Social change, local production
Size range: Some styles go up to XXL
Alivia is committed to ethical production, with many of its collection made locally. It also benefits the communities that inspired the brand, collaborating with organizations that provide meaningful job opportunities for those dealing with autism. Each unique print of Alivia is designed by someone with a developmental disability.
15. Londre Bodywear
Products: Swimwear and resort wear
Sustainable fashion category: Recycling program
Size range: Up to 4XL
Londre Bodywear offers a recycling program that accepts old swimwear (shipping paid by the brand) to be recycled into new goods. The items are also made in small batches using recycled water bottles. This approach reduces water usage compared to traditional swimwear production methods.
16. Seek Collective
Products: Men’s and women’s clothing, home goods
Sustainable fashion category: Ethical production, fair practices, safe dyes
Size range: Some styles go up to 4XL
Seek Collective recognizes that dyeing clothing can be a harmful process, both for workers and the environment. For this reason, the brand only works with safe, natural dyes sourced from vegetables, minerals, and flowers. Seek also believes in providing fair wages and creating a good working environment. The brand’s tags are biodegradable and embedded with basil seeds, ready to be planted in the garden.
17. TOBEFRANK
Products: Gender-neutral essentials
Sustainable fashion category: Water conservation, social impact
Size range: From XS to XL
TOBEFRANK is committed to transparency in water consumption, taking action to minimize it while supporting projects and charities that provide clean drinking water to needy communities. The brand constantly seeks new ways to produce clothing sustainably, including using food waste dyes and low-energy cold dyeing techniques. TOBEFRANK collaborates with organizations to support better conditions for fashion industry workers.
18. No Nasties
Products: Women’s and men’s clothing
Sustainable fashion category: Organic materials, environmental impact
Size range: Some styles go up to XXL
No Nasties is a sustainable brand that invests in carbon offset projects such as solar and wind energy to help offset the brand’s impact. The For the Planet page transparently shares the company’s impact, including statistics on water conservation and tree planting. No Nasties produces clothing made from certified organic materials like organic cotton.
19. Adored Vintage
Products: Women’s clothing and accessories
Sustainable fashion category: Vintage clothing, social impact
Size range: Some styles go up to 3XL
Adored Vintage focuses on romantic beauty, featuring a creamy color palette with plenty of flowers and lace. Vintage pieces are blended with new ones, and flawed or damaged items are sold at a discount, with profits directed to charities.
20. Swedish Stockings
Products: Women’s stockings
Sustainable fashion category: Recycled materials, recycling program
Size range: Some styles go up to XL
Swedish Stockings produces its stockings from post-consumer nylon. The brand also offers a recycling program, collaborating with other companies to turn customers’ old stockings into industrial containers and fiberglass furniture.
21. The Fitzroy
Products: Special occasion dresses
Sustainable fashion category: Rental model
Size range:
Size: up to size 20
The Fitzroy is a store in Toronto that offers short-term rentals of designer dresses for much less than the purchase price. This business model eliminates the number of new garments purchased for a single wear and addresses the issue of overconsumption.
22. Darn Tough
Products: Socks
Sustainable Fashion Category: Designed for Durability
Size Range: up to size 17 for men, size 19 for women
Darn Tough’s promise is embedded in the brand name. The company focuses on controlling the amount of fabric that goes to landfills by producing high-quality socks and guaranteeing them for life.
23. Outerknown
Products: Men’s and women’s clothing
Sustainable Fashion Category: Ethical production, fair trade, recycling program
Size Range: Some styles up to XXL (for women)
Outerknown has been committed to fair labor practices and the well-being of its workers since day one, under the oversight of Fair Trade USA. The company uses materials like organic cotton and recycled or regenerated materials. Outerknown also offers a marketplace for secondhand products called Outerworn, allowing customers to buy and sell gently used clothing, preventing it from entering landfills.
24. Encircled
Products: Women’s clothing
Sustainable Fashion Category: Reducing consumption, local manufacturing
Size Range: Some styles up to XXL
Encircled is a certified B Corp focusing on “capsule wardrobes” and versatile pieces—meaning you need fewer items in your closet. All factory scraps are recycled into smaller accessories to minimize waste, and the brand is committed to providing safe working conditions and fair wages for its workers.
25. Wuxly
Products: Outerwear (including adaptable parkas)
Sustainable Fashion Category: Vegan, cruelty-free, social impact
Size Range: Some women’s styles up to XXL, men’s styles up to 3XL
Wuxly is an animal-free outerwear brand founded by a professional football player and made for the Canadian winter. The company is certified by B Corp, an organization that measures the social and environmental impact of businesses. Wuxly also runs an exchange program, offering customers a $100 credit for donating their old parkas. Donated clothing is redistributed to those in need through charity partners.
26. Jackalo
Products: Children’s clothing
Sustainable Fashion Category: Recycling program
Size Range: up to size 14 for children
Jackalo is a children’s clothing brand committed to creating long-lasting pieces. Previously worn items that children no longer wear are gently accepted through an exchange program that resells them and grants the original customer a discount on future purchases.
Types of Sustainable Fashion Brands
Sustainability can be achieved in many business areas, affecting everything from environmental impact to working conditions in factories.
Low-impact production
Sustainable clothing brands that achieve carbon balance or are climate-neutral. To become climate-neutral, a company must remove enough carbon from the atmosphere as it produces. To do this, it must have a detailed accounting of its carbon footprint and take appropriate actions to offset it.
Sustainable certified clothing brands. Sustainable certifications signal to customers that they are not being misled by greenwashing. Most trusted certifications are managed by third-party organizations that oversee the brands bearing them. Some, like B Corp, Fair Trade, and 1% for the Planet, are widely recognized by the public as symbols of authenticity.
Fashion brands committed to safe production processes. There is a human cost to dirty and unethical production processes. Some companies have exploited loopholes to bypass environmental laws and dispose of waste to manufacture at lower costs. This has led to many instances of water supply contamination for entire communities or harm to wildlife habitats.
Reduction
Reuse and Recycling
Clothing exchange and recycling programs. Sustainable fashion brands that are truly sustainable from the start think about the wearability of their products. Some brands offer items that can biodegrade while others encourage reuse or recycling to create new products.
Clothing rental brands. Another sustainable practice helping to eliminate overproduction. Buying a dress for a single occasion is a waste of money, and high-end pieces are often out of reach due to price. Clothing rental brands emerged following Rent The Runway, where the same dress is rented to multiple consumers.
Sustainable fashion brands using recycled materials. A lot of innovation has gone into solving the waste problem. With the plastic island in the Pacific growing, we can no longer ignore the impacts of making more. Now, recycled plastic water bottles and used fishing nets are being converted into new fabrics, turning the original product from landfills into something usable again.
Fashion brands built for a lifetime of use. Fast fashion’s failure is likely most significant in how its disposable nature behaves. These pieces are made cheaply, and they deteriorate quickly and call for more purchases. One solution to this is producing (and buying) clothing that lasts longer – the upfront cost is higher, but it is a bargain compared to buying many fast copies over time.
Second-hand and vintage clothing brands. Similar to recycled clothing brands, vintage companies take old items and make them new again. Vintage clothing is inherently sustainable because it requires no new resources and does not contribute to waste or the impact of new clothing factories.
Sustainable Materials
Sustainable clothing brands that use recycled clothing. What could be better than creating sustainable fabrics? Using materials that already exist which may have ended up in landfills. These savvy brands have redesigned pieces that others deem trash into something new.
Alternative leather and cruelty-free clothing brands. Animal agriculture is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and the process of tanning and dyeing leather, saturated with chemicals, uses vast amounts of energy, water, and resources. Confusing information has been presented to consumers, as leather proponents argue that plastic-based alternatives have similar harms. However, much research and development have been revealed in the past few years: “leather” made from plants. Bolt Threads has been an innovative product in mushroom leather, collaborating with brands like Stella McCartney.
Clothing brands that use organic materials. Along with a commitment to ethical labor, these brands make a positive impact by using cotton produced without pesticides and synthetic fertilizers – both of which can pollute water sources and harm the people and wildlife that depend on them.
Social Responsibility
Brands that give back. Despite the best efforts, most companies will contribute to some degree of negative impact on the planet, whether directly through material consumption or indirectly through shipping emissions. Offsetting is a way for brands to take responsibility for their impact. Many do this by contributing to carbon offset projects or philanthropy.
Ethical clothing brands. These sustainable brands have a commitment to ethics throughout their entire supply chain. They care about fair wages, local production, ethically sourced raw materials, and providing safe working conditions.
Sustainability at Every Stage of the Supply Chain
When building a clothing brand, sustainable and ethical practices must be part of your mission and business practices from the outset. It is no longer an option – it is what customers demand.
Can
For accredited companies, this list can provide inspiration to make impactful changes, whether it’s by sourcing better materials, donating, or improving working conditions. Even small steps in the direction
Source: https://www.shopify.com/ca/blog/sustainable-clothing-brands
Leave a Reply