In an era of fast fashion, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the industry is beyond hope. But that's far from true. From hats made from recycled materials to vegan soles, you can dress top to toe in sustainable fashion if you just know where to look.
What is sustainable fashion?
Before we dig into our recommendations, it's important to explain what we mean by sustainable fashion. More than just slapping a slogan on a sweatshirt, being a truly ethical company involves interrogating the supply chain as well as how you go to market. Sustainable fashion means:
Sustainability for workers
Sustainability for the environment
Memorable, quality products for you, the customer
Sustainable supply chains
Looking at each step of the sourcing and manufacturing process is a great place to start when considering the brands you buy from. Companies who have investigated and are proud of their supply chains will reflect this fact on their website. This means they've audited their supply chain to ensure Fairtrade practices, remove harmful environments and protect workers. If in doubt, why not ask the question?
Fairtrade practices
Trading fairly means ensuring decent working conditions for workers and paying sustainable market prices to ensure improving working conditions for the poorest in society. There are more than 1.66 million farmers and workers in 1,411 fairtrade certified producer organizations worldwide. Buying fairtrade products wherever you can is a simple and easy way to buy sustainably. The good news is it also applies to chocolate!
Quality and longevity
Sustainable fashion buying also means maximizing the value obtained from raw materials, which in turn minimizes the fashion churn towards the landfill. Buying quality, long-lasting, well-made goods means a little more leeway for companies looking to honor sustainable practices. Fast fashion, with lower quality goods and correspondingly low margins, in contrast, encourages wasteful and harmful trading practices. Buying heirloom quality pieces will reduce the amount of shopping you do, but allow you to concentrate your spending power on those manufacturing for good.
Our favourite places to shop sustainably
We could speak for hours about our favourite ethical brands, so we've narrowed it down to our top three, across three different strands of fashion.
Clothing
Know the Origin markets fairtrade and organic fashion, and we love their simple wardrobe staples. Buying with Know the Origin gives assurance to your conscience. Whether you opt for reusable face wipes or a shampoo bar (great for the environment) or for a fairtrade slubby tee (great for traders) you're sure to find something to delight your wardrobe or improve your Christmas gifting haul. Know the Origin, run by Charlotte Instone, are proud to have investigated every step in their supply chain, which is 100% traceable.
Sportswear
The brainchild of ultra-talented YouTube sensation Grace Beverley, Tala prides itself on working with recycled materials, such as plastic bottles, without compromising on style. Tala's recent pop-up demonstrated that sustainable, environmentally friendly trading flows through the heart of the brand, which sells washing bags to stop microfibers from entering into the water system. Tala launches capsule collections to make the most of available materials, remaining agile to maximize the value they create.
Jewelry
The diamond industry has a difficult history when it comes to sustainable trading. In the past, mining diamonds has led to the loss of life, not to mention hardship and poor trading practices. 77 Diamonds are trying to change that, and buck the trend. Whether you're looking for a special Christmas gift or buying the ring of a lifetime, you can rest easy knowing you're buying from a brand with a conscience.
