Fill your wardrobe with affordable and stylish clothes AND have a positive impact on the planet at the same time!
The fashion industry has attracted a lot of media attention over recent years due to its damaging effect on the environment, not to mention its track record with extensive human rights abuses.
Fortunately, humanity has responded positively and new clothing brands are emerging across the globe to fight the chemical pollution, plastic waste, greenhouse gas emissions, and social inequalities stemming from the traditional industry.
“The fashion industry is responsible for 20% of all industrial water pollution worldwide” World Economic Forum, 2020.
This article hopes to equip you with an awareness of some of the world’s best sustainable fashion brands based on their commitment to various environmental and ethical developments including textiles, chemicals, social responsibility, and supply chain transparency.
Without further ado, here’s a list of some of the best sustainable fashion brands in 2020:
Nudie Jeans
Nudie Jeans have been making all of their jeans out of organic cotton since 2012. As opposed to conventional cotton, this organic crop uses methods and materials that have a significantly better impact on the environment.
“20,000 liters of water. The amount of water needed to produce one kilogram of cotton; equivalent to a single t-shirt and pair of jeans” World Wildlife Fund, 2020.
In recent years, Nudie Jeans has introduced other sustainable fibres to their collection including TENCEL™ Lyocell, which is made from sustainably-sourced wood pulp. Nevertheless, cotton remains as the prominent fabric due to the fashion brand’s emphasis on long-life jeans.
One of the best reasons to buy Nudie Jeans is the promise of Repairs for Life, where customers are allowed to return their jeans to the nearest repair shop to be patched up and sewn. What’s more, the stores also sell second-hand jeans and offer a recycling service for clothes beyond repair. Because of this service, Nudie Jeans was able to recycle 10,557 pairs of jeans in 2018, saving 8,445 kilos of textiles!
HURR
Whether it’s the speed of production, seasonal trends, or the rate at which we make our way through clothes at an individual level, everything about fast fashion is just that: fast. Any industry that moves that quickly can’t be sustainable but we’re all guilty of wanting to look stylish and on-trend.
Luckily, HURR has designed an innovative service to address the issues behind fast fashion whilst providing us with a brand new wardrobe as often as we’d like! Whilst not technically a fashion brand, HURR is one of the leading companies pushing for sustainable change within the industry.
As a wardrobe rental platform, HURR allows women to monetise their own wardrobes and access affordable and sustainable fashion at the same time. By renting, reusing, and repurposing your clothes instead of buying, you are avoiding mass-consumerism and helping to create a circular economy!
Check out these ethical and stylish vegan shoe brands.
People Tree
Since it was established in 1991, People Tree has always endeavoured to meet the highest environmental and ethical standards throughout its entire supply chain. In fact, it was the first fashion company to be awarded the World Fair Trade Organisation product label, demonstrating their commitment to fair trade, ethical wages, environmental responsibility, gender equality, and moral working conditions.
The brand uses sustainable fabrics such as TENCEL™ Lyocell and organic cotton to make their handmade products and they strive to create jobs for those in rural areas with high unemployment levels. In addition, People Tree uses only sustainable low-impact dyes whilst avoiding the use of plastic and toxic substances.
Thought
Thought is a sustainable fashion brand based in the UK and declares sustainability as one of its core values. Whenever possible, they use eco-friendly fabrics with low environmental impact, traceable origins, and long-lasting properties. Examples include hemp, bamboo, organic cotton, recycled polyester, and modal.
This stylish and eco-conscious brand focuses on slow fashion design and makes an array of fantastic womenswear, menswear, loungewear, and accessories.
Their conscience doesn’t stop at the clothes you buy because they also use zero-waste packaging; vegan glue; organic cotton labels; biodegradable garment bags; and sea freight instead of air transport during the manufacturing process.
Furthermore, Thought provides a Thoughtful Aftercare service, which includes advice and workshops on how to prolong the life of your garments as well as inspiration on how to reuse and repurpose them!
Looking for something a bit more sporty? Check out our favourite ethically-made and sourced sportswear brands.
