Have you ever heard of sustainable fashion brands? If you are on any sort of social media, you probably have! I have been doing a lot of research lately about sustainable fashion brands, and why they are “sustainable.” In about 2019, I discovered Shein and Romwe, and I was amazed by how cheap everything was! I was shocked that a nice dress could be $8, because I usually pay at least $30 for a dress. But, when you get it in the mail, you discover it looks a little different than the picture, and was poorly made.
Skip a few months later I find out about why everything is dirt cheap there, and why I can afford it. Turns out, it’s so cheap because of fast fashion. Fast fashion is fashion made in other countries for barely any money, and they don’t pay their workers well. It is bad for the environment because it pollutes tons and tons of dye into water sources.
So what makes sustainable fashion brands “sustainable?” Keep reading to find out!
Patagonia is a super popular brand that you have probably heard of. Honestly, I had no clue Patagonia was a sustainable brand! Patagonia has donated 1% of sales to the environment since 1985. Also, they make sure that all of their factory workers are paid and treated fairly. They only use certain materials to make their clothes that are suited for the environment, and won’t pollute.
Girlfriend is a women’s clothing brand that mainly sells activewear. Their packaging is 100% recyclable! They are mainly a sustainable fashion brand because they turn water bottles into clothing. I know that sounds weird, but most activewear is actually made from plastic. Instead of making more plastic (which is not eco-friendly) they collect plastic from the world’s oceans, rivers, and lakes and turn the trash into sustainable fashion. Girlfriend also uses eco-friendly dyes, and cleans leftover dyed water before realizing. Instead of dumping the left over dye mud into landfills, Girlfriend donates the dye mud to make sidewalks and roads. Now that’s sustainable!
KOTN is a great place to buy the basics because of their many neutral colors. They have affordable clothing for women and men, in a range of sizes. One reason I really like KOTN is because it is very natural, and they go in-depth explaining where their materials are from. KOTN capitalizes on creating careers for their workers, not jobs. Both women and men are paid the same amount at the factories, and are treated fairly. They get their materials straight from the farmers, without a middleman. The cotton made in our clothes is 100% organic at KOTN, which is very high quality!
Madewell is known for its jeans, but they also sell a variety of clothing and accessories for women. Out of all the sustainable fashion brands listed on this blog post, Madewell is definitely my favorite because of their style! Some of Madewell’s dresses are a little pricey, so I recommend shopping in the sale section. Just like many of the brands listed above, Madewell is a transparent company that knows where their clothes they sell are coming from, and informs the public on their eco-friendly products. They use recycled cashmere, and the cashmere is woven to last long.
Levi’s is a SUPER popular brand! Levi’s pledged to cut out 40% of their carbon emissions by 2025! One of the coolest things about Levi’s is it’s history. Levi’s has been around since the California Goldrush, in 1852. Their jeans have been worn by lots and lots of people because of their high quality jeans. They also has a mission to use less water, and to reuse recycled items (such as water bottles) to make some of their clothing products.
It is hard to believe Gap is a sustainable brand because it is such a huge company, but it is! Gap plans to have 100% of their materials and resources responsibly sourced by the end of 2021. They also want their cotton grown 100% in the USA, which is a big step because most cotton is grown overseas.
Aylas Swim is a swimwear company! They make their swimsuits out of recycled fishing nets, carpets, and plastics from across the world. Aylas Swim recovers the pollution mentioned above from the ocean, and they turn it into nylon which is made to make swimsuits. Their products are a little pricey, but they are expensive because they are very high quality and difficult to make.
Comment below which sustainable fashion brand is your fav!
Let’s Be Friends!
Follow along on social media to keep up with more Only Anna Bray content!