Do you ever feel like your relationship with fashion is unhealthy? Shopping for clothes can often feel like a mindless hobby or a task of dread these days. Right when we invest in some pieces for one season, the stores are onto the next. No wonder we always feel like we’re back at square one on trends so often.
Shopping is such an uphill battle because most stores belong to the “fast-fashion industry” – clothes are cheaper for consumers and are quick to become yesterday’s news. Fast fashion is not only frustrating for our wallets, but also comes at a staggering cost to our environment. Not to mention, they are often produced by workers in developing countries who are being exploited to work for low wages.
The alternative is switching to ethical fashion brands which get a bit of a bad rep of being luxury items that are way over our budget. However, there are actually quite a few brands committed to considering the environment with their practices. Supporting these brands can contribute to ending the harm of the fast-fashion industry… oh and without breaking the bank!
Aimlessly shopping for trends can easily be out of style this season! It’s time to make mindful clothing purchases that can become longtime staples in your closet, and that are each made with our planet in mind.
You can start here by browsing through these amazing and affordable ethical fashion brands,
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1. ABLE
This brand’s clothing is completely produced by women, who are paid well over the minimum wage (as published on their website), as they are focused on ending generational poverty that has long kept women trapped in countries such as Ethiopia.
Utility Dress: $88
Skinny Jean: $128
2. ALTERNATIVE APPAREL
For all your wardrobe must-haves, forgo your local clearance section, and try Alternative Apparel for size. This ethical brand is loaded with effortless essentials often made from organic or recycled materials and with eco-friendly practices.
Eco-Fleece Sweatshirt: $50, Mock Neck Dress: $68, Joggers: $38
3. CUYANA
With a name that means “to love”, Cuyana is a global fashion brand made with high-quality materials and quite the powerful purpose. Their “Lean Closet” movement allows customers to send back things they don’t need for a $10 discount on their next purchase, to be benefitted by abuse victims.
Tee: $45, Wool Cashmere Sweater: $145, French Terry Dress: $125
4. DSTLD
This brand may have a small collection but it’s jam-packed with understated and modern styles that are simple, good quality and will last you much longer than your typical shopping picks, along with its eco-friendly practices.
Silk Blouse: $55, Blazer Dress: $95, Skinny Jean: $95
5. EVERLANE
Everlane is as transparent of a brand as it comes as they provide cost breakdowns of what their pieces cost to be made, along with labor, transportation and their price mark-ups are much lower than usual. They’re also made to last long and well-known for their cozy cashmere sweaters.
Box-Cut Pocket Tee: $16, Soft Cotton Sweatshirt: $68, Black Dress: $100
6. FAIR INDIGO
This fair trade brand utilizes fabrics produces their clothing primarily with organic Peruvian Pima Cotton and baby Alpaca and sustainable materials whenever available. Their styles are meant to be timeless pieces that last so it’s easier to say goodbye to fast fashion brands.
Alpaca Boyfriend Sweater: $110, Mock Neck Dress: $70, Organic Midi: $66
7. KOTN
Kotn works directly with cotton farming families in Egypt in an effort to rebuild a struggling industry that has fallen victim to the fast fashion. That means that Kotn products are made from authentic Egyptian cotton ethically – so your essentials can feel like luxuries.
90’s Sweatshirt: $58
Deep V Dress: $75
Cropped Pant: $55
8. KROCHET KIDS INTL.
This ethical brand helps provide women who live in poverty-stricken regions of the world with fair wages as producers of their clothing. They add a personal touch to their vision by introducing their customers to the woman who made their order & each product is hand-signed by her.
T-Shirt Dress: $58, Jumpsuit: $65, Wide Leg Pant: $65
9. LEVI’S
That’s right, Levi’s is one of the few popular brands focusing on sustainable fashion and doing so in some really cool ways. For example, their “Better Cotton Initiative” trains cotton farmers to use water more efficiently and care for the soil toxic-free & the brand has an authorized vintage collection that utilizes recycled Levi’s denim.
Logo Tee: $25, Denim Dress: $65, Skinny Jeans: $60
10. MATTER
This ethical fashion brand is unique because its styles are much bolder and vibrant than other companies of its kind. MATTER’s designs are inspired by enduring source heritage prints and produced by sustainable rural artisan production in Asia.
The All-Day Romper: $139 Pyramid Top: $79
Modern Monpe: $99
11. PACT
This 100% organic, GOTS certified, fair trade factory certified, eco-friendly, you name it brand has a super-soft collection of must-have basics you’ll want to live in. Pact has everything from tees, leggings, underwear, hoodies – aka all the comforting pieces we cherish, but with a longer shelf-life and one of the cheapest brands on this list.
Scoop Neck Tee: $16, Striped Sweatshirt: $40, Black Leggings: $20
12. REFORMATION
Reformation makes their clothing with rescued deadstock fabrics, repurposed vintage pieces and a revolutionary fabric fiber they call TENCEL Lyocell which has cotton-like qualities but is manufactured from Eucalyptus trees. The brand makes their products within the month based on current styles and sends customers their quarterly earnings report for some refreshing transparency.
Basic Sweatshirt: $58, Little Black Dress: $98, Skinny Jean: $98
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13. TRADLANDS
This brand is tailor-made for the woman who often finds herself wandering to the men’s section for fashion
Girlfriend T-Shirt: $49
Red Flannel: $167
The Sheep Pant: $69
14. VETTA
VETTA a sustainable fashion brand made from a family factories based in New York City and Los Angeles, that primarily runs on solar power. The company also has created a set of “mini capsule wardrobes” for different styles such as “edgy” and “minimal” made up of five essential pieces (some of which that can be converted in different ways) that can mixed and matched all month!
Everyday Pant: $129, Convertible Shirt Dress: $119, Boyfriend Shirt: $89
15. WHIMSY + ROW
This last ethical fashion brand is based on Los Angeles where they make limited run batches the right way and with locally sourced deadstock materials. Whimsy + Row’s fashion sense feels fresh, up-to-date but also repeatedly wearable and they always have something new.
Grey Bodysuit: $72, Cheetah Dress: $96, Tan Tee: $48
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