The fashion industry has a significant impact on climate change. Therefore, it must play a part in addressing this over the coming years. However, we all need to do our part to support this change to sustainable shopping!

I’ve tried to cut back on impulse shopping in recent years. Not only due to climate change, but I’ve also lived in tiny apartments with little closet space! However, even with the recent growth in sustainable fashion, I still find it hard to maintain a sustainable shopping regime. This is due to both budget and the choice of clothing on offer from sustainable brands. The majority of sustainable clothing I find is pricey. Also, I find that it tends to focus on active and casual wear. It can be hard to find dressy/sophisticated eco-friendly brands.

I find that influencers are still pushing fast fashion a LOT. Moreover, I don’t think they even keep these clothes. Indeed, this is something that frustrates me a lot. I see a lot of influencers still doing clothes “hauls” full of fast fashion. Don’t get me wrong – I have no problem with this once in a while. However, the issue I have is (with some of these influencers) simply buying cheap items for “content” and then never wearing the clothes again! I wish more people and brands would pull them up on this! In fairness, many brands are trying to move with the times. I even see Primark starting to sell environmentally conscious clothes in recent times! Central Banks are incorporating climate regulations on businesses over the coming years; I wish we could incorporate this more into the fashion world too!

Below is a list of the brands that I review in this post (click to navigate directly to the section):

  1. Lucy & Yak
  2. Girlfriend Collective
  3. Boden
  4. Levi’s
  5. Other Brands on my List!

Cost of Sustainable Brands

Unfortunately, sustainable brands tend to be more expensive. They require more time and love creating and sourcing suitable materials. I feel everyone’s pain with the extra cost! However, we need to concentrate on the fact that instead of investing in throwaway clothes, we are investing in the environment. Thus, this is what should make us happy! Instead of buying several fast fashion items, I now prefer to invest in one well-made and sustainable item. We need to purchase from these brands, enabling environmentally-friendly fashion companies to grow, evolve, and expand in the variety of clothes they offer. I am hopeful, with the support, that pricing will start to decrease too!

While it may not be possible for me to go all the way to sustainable shopping only for the time being, I endeavour to first search for a sustainable brand whenever I need to buy something. However, if I am unable to source something ethically, I will revert to another brand.

1. LUCY & YAK

The Brand

Lucy and Yak have a great start-up story! From selling vintage clothes in the back of a van (called ‘Yak’), working out of their parent’s basements…to where they are now with their warehouse and manufacturer! Lucy and Yak started with a single pair of dungarees. Their dungarees are still a staple of the company! Not only very comfortable, but I also love how colourful, playful, and energetic their clothes are! Lucy and Yak continue to grow, offering more and more products, and they recently opened a walk-in store. It is exciting times for this growing brand, and I can’t wait to see what they do next! The Guardian included Lucy and Yak as one of the ten coolest ethical brands! Check out their Instagram page for more information.

Genre / Diversity

I love how diverse their Instagram page is with models of different shapes, sizes, and racial groups. Even though they create fun and colourful clothing (that appears to be aimed at youthful buyers), they don’t ignore the fact that older people can love to experiment in this way too. I have spotted some very colourful older ladies pop up on their pages!

Pricing

I bought the ‘Addison’ High Waisted Organic Cotton Twill Jeans in Jade. Not only do I love the colour, but I also love the fit and how comfortable they are too! They are probably the most comfortable jeans that I have ever owned! I am usually a size 8, and I bought the W28 L30. They cost €62.95. However, the postage was €9.21 on top of this. I thought this was a little pricey for postage. Their range of jeans is quite expensive. However, bear in mind that most non-fast-fashion jeans tend to be a similar cost to this too. Their website offers a variety of pricing with, for example, many of their t-shirts selling at circa €20.

Ethical

Lucy and Yak’s website outlines the sustainability factors involved in creating their clothing and details how they source their products. Check out the Lucy and Yak website to read more about this. Also, see below for factors I found good:

  • All cotton, hemp and linen we use must be certified organic to ensure that we maintain a transparent supply chain
  • Elastane should only be added if necessary for garment performance
  • Any polyester and other human-made fibres used must be recycled with a valid GRS (global recycled standard) certificate
  • No rayon or viscose is to be used, only branded Tencel or equivalent for cellulose”

2. GIRLFRIEND COLLECTIVE

The Brand

I love Girlfriend Collective! These guys take ethical activewear to the next level. They have a great selection of colours ranging from dark and rich tones to pretty pastels and bright pops of colour. Moreover, they are also comfortable to wear! I found them to fit like a second skin! Thus, they are very flexible for workouts. I must admit that the orange colour was my least favourite in their range. However, the size and colour that I wanted were out of stock.

They tend to limit their stock availability quantity for a good reason. This reason is to enforce the health of the planet. Thus, only stocking items as they require them. Their website does have the option to go on an online waitlist and receive an email when the desired item is available. Unfortunately, their website does not ship to Ireland (and many other countries too)! Thus, I couldn’t avail of this. Their website provides a list of retailers who stock their clothing line; check out their stocklist here. It is worth noting that The Guardian also included Girlfriend as one of the ten coolest ethical brands! Also, check out their Instagram page for more information.

Genre / Diversity

Girlfriend Collective is an activewear line (including underwear and socks). They have a beautiful variety of colours. Also, I love that the brand is so inclusive and celebrates all body shapes, sizes, and racial groups. I feel their Instagram page feels like a community and a movement.

Pricing / Discount

I found them to be quite pricey when compared to fast fashion activewear. However, they are not throw-away items; the clothes are made to last! Girlfriend is in a similarly priced bracket to established sports brands. I would purchase from them again due to the fantastic quality of the shorts I received. They offer payment options too! I bought the High Waisted Bike Short – Daybreak – XS. With a shipping cost of £5.09, they came to a total of £43.08 / €49.71. I bought them through Sports Edit. Use the discount codeAnita Kenna, at the online checkout to receive 15% off your first order with Sports Edit!

Ethical

Girlfriend Collective impressed me with its dedication to ethical and sustainable clothing. They turn old water bottles into clothes! Furthermore, each of their clothing descriptions provides sustainability reports on the recycling details of the product. The report lists how many water bottles are diverted from landfills, the CO2 amount prevented, and the number of gallons of water saved. So cool! See below for some more facts from their website around their sustainability factors (check out their website to read more):

  • Our packaging is 100% recycled and recyclable, so don’t throw it away!
  • Compressive Leggings + Bras: Made from 79% recycled polyester (or RPET) and 21% spandex, our leggings are made from 25 recycled post-consumer bottles and our bras are made from 11.
  • LITE Leggings: Made from recycled fishing nets and other waste using ECONYL® yarn, our LITE fabric is made up of 83% recycled nylon and 17% spandex.
  • Cupro: Our tees and tanks are 100% cupro, a delicate fiber made from waste the cotton industry leaves behind. Our yarn is made in a zero-waste, zero-emission facility in Japan, then constructed at our SA8000-certified factory in Hanoi.”

3. BODEN

The Brand

If Boden is good enough for Kate Middleton, they are good enough for me! Indeed, Kate Middleton has been spotted in several outfits from Boden! Including a shirt dress, a wrap dress, and one of their coats. Boden stock a range of clothing for women, men, children, and babies. Not only do they stock clothing, but they also stock bags, accessories, and shoes. Check out their Instagram page for more information.

Genre / Diversity

I would say that the genre of women who would love Boden is more in the over 30’s age range. I found that they stock elegant clothing that would be great for work, afternoon tea, and dinner parties. However, don’t get me wrong – I think that many younger women would love some of these clothes too. It is more a case that the brand doesn’t stock clothes that make a brave fashion statement that younger age groups may prefer. I like that they use a diverse range of models, including older models and models of different racial groups. However, I would say that Lucy and Yak and Girlfriend Collective have more of an impressive diversity of shapes and sizes of models on their Instagram pages.

Pricing / Discount

Compared to fast fashion, Boden can be pricey. However, it is not out of reach! Remember that you are paying for a product that is made to last! Moreover, it also supports the environment. Boden pride themselves on their dedication to being “obsessed with making things exceptionally well” and making “designs to live on in your wardrobe and stay out of landfill”. Also, you can get some fantastic deals on their sale items (which often offer up to 60% off!). I bought the Pevensie Pencil Wrap Skirt-Forest. It had 40% off when I purchased it! Thus, I paid £30 (with £6 shipping).

I love the colour of this skirt! Also, I found it made to a high standard. Thus, it should last a lot longer than fast fashion brands. One thing that may be worth noting is that the dress has a bit of a silky look in some of the photos. However, the skirt is not composed of silk material. I knew this from reading the description but thought it was worth highlighting to you too! Use the discount codeAnita Kenna, at the online checkout to receive £20 off your first order with Boden!!

Ethical

Boden makes a promise on its website about the quality of its products. Their website provides much detail on who makes their clothes, how their workers are protected, the charities they support, and information on ‘HERproject’. The HERproject “empowers, educates and supports women working in supply chains”. Furthermore, their website lists several measurements and ways of how they are dedicated to reducing their environmental impact. These include but are not limited to;

  • 100% sustainable viscose by 2025
  • 100% of their cotton from more sustainable sources by 2025
  • their swimwear to be 100% regenerated or recylced by 2025
  • 100% Lenzing verified Tencel(TM) Model by 2025
  • their denim to be 100% of material sourced sustainably by mid 2020

4. LEVI’S

The Brand

I think anyone reading this is familiar with Levis Strauss & Co.! Founded in 1853, they have become quite a symbol of American culture. However, they are well-known throughout the world! Levi’s is renowned for its denim wear – especially its jeans. They also create t-shirts, jackets, shorts, skirts, dresses, and jumpsuits, to name a few. Nevertheless, many may not realize Levi’s made a strong commitment to sustainable denim production. 

Genre / Diversity

Unfortunately, diversity is not their strongest point. I didn’t see much variety in the age group, shapes, and sizes of the models on their website/Instagram page. While I found their official website shows some different-sized models, their Instagram page appears to lack this too. Concerning the representation of black people in their company, Levi’s recently released a statement saying that: 

“At first glance, Levi Strauss & Co. is a very diverse company. Women make up 57% of the workforce and are well-represented at every level, and fewer than 40% of our employees are white. But the vast majority of our Black employees work in our retail stores, distribution centers, or non-management positions. Only 5% of corporate employees are Black. Racial diversity declines as the corporate ladder ascends”.

The statement continues with a list of ways they are committed to changing this. Although this is disappointing, I am happy that they released a statement addressing it. However, we need to keep an eye on them and hold them responsible for actioning these promises!

Pricing

The last pair of Levi’s I bought was in Woodbury Common Shopping Outlet (an outlet just outside NYC). Thus, I got them at a discounted rate. I think I paid circa $60 at the time. Over the last few years, I only bought cheap/fast fashion jeans. Therefore, the fit and quality of Levi’s stood out so much for me! I find them very comfortable and they have not faded in the wash (like some cheap brands I have bought). You can buy directly from their online website. Or you can also find many discount outlets for Levi’s in many major cities around the USA and throughout the world. Here in Ireland, you can find their discount store at Kildare Village. Their website currently lists women’s jeans for between €70 – €140.

Ethical

As mentioned, Levi’s has made commitments to becoming an even more sustainable brand. Some ways they planned to achieve this have already come to fruition. Their website lists how they use a new innovative hemp yarn instead of cotton. Also, how they teamed up with Re:newcell (who developed a recycling technology that would help them make new jeans from old denim), and how they came up with their WELLTHREAD™ range. The WellThread range is their most sustainable pair of jeans to date. Levi’s prides itself on how its jeans are made to last. Check out their website to read more about their sustainability. Also, read below for methods Levi’s uses to achieve more environmentally products:

“As part of our mission to minimize our environmental impact, we want to make it easy for you to do the same. Visit Levi’s® Tailor Shop and talk to an expert who can help extend the life of your clothes, customize them or upcycle them into something new and recycle it all when the time finally comes.”

“We rolled out Levi’s® Water<Less® innovations in 2011. Since then, we’ve saved more than 3.5 billion liters of water from the finishing process (that’s enough to fill 12 Olympic-size pools!) and recycled over 5 billion more (you do the math). And by 2021, at least 80% of Levi’s® jeans will be finished with Water<Less® techniques.”

5. OTHER

I hope to continue with this blog series on sustainable fashion over the next few months. Some more sustainable brands that I plan to try out include:

  • KOTN Casual wear. I have my eye on their Mock Neck Tank in white! They offer a 10% discount on your first purchase when you sign up for their newsletter. I also found a 10% discount code for Kotn through a web search. These discount codes frequently change. Therefore, I suggest that you do a web search to see if you can find a current one!
  • Olly Olly & Co I want to try these guys out to support an Irish brand! They are another activewear brand, just launched in March 2020. Their products are from Regenerated Ocean Plastic.
  • H&M: Conscious Collection Yes, fast fashion is trying to become more sustainable too! It’s nice to see that H&M launched a Conscious Collection line in Spring 2019.
  • Pangaia Very casual wear with pops of bright colours (hoody, track pants, sweatshirts, etc.).
  • Nu-in Fashion Casual wear.
  • Pact Casual wear.
  • Columbia Outerwear, sportswear, sports/outdoor gear, and footwear.
  • Monsoon Sustainable collection Dressy and casual wear.
  • Manduka Yoga clothing, mats, towels, and gear.
  • People Tree Variety in their range of clothing. For example, dresses, underwear, nightwear, activewear, jewellery, and accessories.

TIPS PLEASE!

One thing you will notice throughout my post is a lack of dressy/formal wear. I find the majority of brands championing sustainable clothing are active and casual wear brands (or any that I could find anyways!). Therefore, I would love it if you could drop comments for some dressier brands for me to try out too! I would love to hear about some more vintage places to shop too!

Also, please let me know if you agree/disagree with my list and if you have tried out any of them and how you found them!

Thanks for reading,

Anita

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Categories: Fashion

anita.kenna

I am a Risk Analyst by training but have been studying everything from art, graphic design, and photography to digital marketing and programming on the side. I run a graphic design store and a blog through my website. You can also follow my personal Instagram page (@anitakenna) or design Instagram page (@_anitakenna_).

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