By Tess DiNapoli
Your style is important– after all, it’s a direct reflection of you. But with the damaging environmental consequences of the fast fashion industry, that reflection often gets distorted. While you might enjoy the idea of trendy, affordable clothes, it often comes with a hefty price tag of environmental consequences that doesn’t sound so sweet. Today, the clothing industry is responsible for 10% of the planet’s carbon emissions—more than both airline and shipping industries.
Luckily, sustainable, ethical fashion brands are working to change the industry, one wardrobe staple at a time. By making moves to implement greener manufacturing practices, treating their workers ethically, and educating consumers on why conscious consumerism matters, sustainable fashion brands are rewriting this narrative. By shopping eco-friendly brands, you’re able to invest in the future of our planet and feel good about your fashion choices, too.
We’ve rounded up 5 of our favorite sustainable fashion brands to consider investing in. From high-quality, sustainable jewelry to ethically-made basics, we’ve got your style sorted while still doing good for the planet.
Shop Sustainable Basics with Usolo Outfitters
If you’re looking for eco-friendly, timeless styles with modern cuts, Usolo Outfitters is a great place to start. With a long-standing commitment to reducing their ecological footprint, Usolo Outfitters is constantly looking for ways to make modern women’s fashion more sustainable. Currently, they aim to use only recycled cotton for a closed-loop production cycle that generates less waste for our landfills. Usolo Outfitters also ships all of their orders in compostable shipping mailers, so their sustainability efforts don’t just stop when your order leaves the factory.
They’re even conscious of textile waste, too. According to the Council for Textile Recycling, annual textile waste is estimated to send 25 billion pounds of clothing and fabric to the landfill. That’s a lot of jeans! By using recycled fabrics, Usolo Outfitters works to reduce the amount of energy, water, and dye needed to create a completely new product, even though these processes are much more labor intensive.
If you’d like to shop timeless styles in beautiful earth tones, you’ll love their collection of contemporary women’s blouses. They’re perfect for professional wear or everyday activities where you want to look a little more put-together, like going to a morning market or attending a rooftop happy hour. They also offer high-quality trouser options made from eco-friendly, organic cotton and twill for an effortless style that will quickly become your new favorite sustainable staple.
Think Outside the Shoebox with Earth Friendly Shoes
You can also practice sustainability when shopping for shoes. The shoe industry is notorious for its environmental impact and animal cruelty, accounting for nearly 1.4% of global carbon emissions. This number is staggering when you consider that the airline industry only accounts for 2.5% of worldwide emissions. Luckily, increasing demand from customers and green initiatives from caring companies are working to change that. Brands like Earth Friendly Shoes recognize that doing good things for yourself and the planet don’t have to be mutually exclusive, and they offer a wide variety of stylish footwear that’s good for the planet, too.
With kicks that look that good, there’s no excuse not to stock your closet with their sustainable vegan shoes. They have a variety of stylish vegan and cruelty free shoe brands that are committed to sustainability with every step. Get to know the top vegan boots with Stride Wise.
Do Right by the Earth with Frank and Oak
One of the biggest problems with fast fashion is that things just don’t last, meaning more of your clothing will end up in the landfill. At Frank and Oak, designers are working to inspire a better earth by creating conscious products that will stand the test of time. Their collection of beautiful, timeless denim features a closed-loop production process and is made out of recycled fibers to give old jeans a new life. This allows them to save up to 95% more water than standard production methods and recycle textile waste that would otherwise end up in landfills.
But their commitment to sustainability doesn’t just stop there. By using conscious materials and mindful production methods, they’re working to create a fashion line with the planet’s well-being at the forefront of their manufacturing process. We love their 100% organic cotton blouses and sustainably-sourced outerwear, too.
Wear What You Believe in with ALEX AND ANI
Add a bit of sparkle with ethically-sourced jewelry brand ALEX AND ANI. Their beautiful jewelry is carefully crafted with nickel-free materials and eco-friendly fabrication for a bit of shimmer you can feel good about. Their unique charm bracelets are trendy and minimalist with a variety of options for personalization, so your commitment to sustainability can be as unique as you are. We love their mom charm bracelets, a collection of colorful charm bracelets that reflects the vibrancy of motherhood itself.
But their commitment isn’t just limited to using eco-friendly materials. To date, ALEX AND ANI has partnered with over 50 non-profit charities and donated over $50 million to environmental non-profits around the globe. Conscious consumers can feel good about their purchases while still being adorned in unique jewelry whose impact is as meaningful to them as it is to the planet.
Move Towards Sustainability with Girlfriend Collective
With the work from home lifestyle still going strong, durable activewear is here to stay as a stylish staple for both the gym and daily wear. Girlfriend Collective’s line of sustainable activewear is leading the industry, with the majority of their products being made from recycled water bottles. The rest of their fabrics are all made from recycled materials or OEKO-TEX standard cotton, meaning that they’re free of harmful chemicals that could potentially pollute our water supplies.
Whether you’re looking to get back into the gym or you just want a stylish new set for spin class, Girlfriend Collective’s brightly colored activewear sets are both trendy and sustainable. We love their sustainable leggings, made from an impressive 25 recycled post-consumer bottles. Their functional sports bras are also designed with sustainability in mind, and are made from 11 recycled bottles each!
Say Yes to Sustainable Fashion
In 2022, plenty of companies are answering the call for more environmentally-friendly and socially conscious options. Say yes to sustainable fashion with our list of environmentally-conscious fashion brands and reduce your carbon footprint, one stylish piece at a time.
Tess DiNapoli is an artist, freelance writer, and content strategist. She has a passion for yoga and often writes about health and wellness, but also enjoys covering the fashion industry and world of fitness.
