Brands that are devoted to the environment & foster our lives and individuality with style, comfort and durability.
WHY ETHICAL & SUSTAINABLE BRANDS
It’s an indisputable fact, we should reduce the amount we consume if we want to protect our planet. Fashion is the second largest industrial cause of pollution (after oil) in the world. Buying sustainably is still, undoubtedly consuming.
However, we bundled a batch of brands that make quality, long-lasting products with a consciousness for the environment we can back. For example, some brands may incorporate, or use, only recycled fabric and biodegradable or compostable packaging. Others may partner with environmental organizations, both donating a portion of their sales and using their voice to mobilize communities, or use locally sourced, Fair Trade materials and labor. Did you know that there are over 8,000 synthetic chemicals used in clothing manufacturing? Many of these chemicals are known to be carcinogenic, endocrine disrupting and hazardous to our health. That is why non-toxic, natural and certified Organic materials that you wear against your skin matter.
If you’re going to buy that new jacket, bikini, or pair of shoes that will fit and wear beautifully for years to come- feel good knowing you’re using your dollar to vote for a more conscious and sustainable industry overall.
ACCOUNTABILITY RATING
To determine the brand’s accountability rating, we used Lex Weinstein’s Conscious Collab checklist of 15 major factors including sustainability, ethics and transparency attributes among others. For every 3 boxes checked, a star is given to the brand, creating the potential to earn a maximum of 5 stars of sustainability.
Click here to see the checklist in it’s entirety.
“The economy is dictated by trends, and we decide the trends. It is our responsibility to make sustainability a permanent trend that drives those industry standards forward.”— L. Weinstein
MATE THE LABEL
Accountability Rating | ★★★★
Ethics | Transparency, ethically & sustainably sourced materials, small batch, Organic Cotton, sustainable supply chain, recycled packaging & shipping materials, non-toxic materials
Product Range | Women’s bottoms, tops, dresses, & sweats
Based In | California, USA
Mate the Label’s goal is to offer women everywhere a clean product that is just as beautiful as it is sustainable. They are a female founded company predominately operated by women. Mate is a collection of elevated essentials and vintage inspired graphics that embody the California-cool lifestyle.
Mate’s supply chain is very localized, within a ten mile radius their clothes are being cut, sewn, dyed, packaged and shipped from Los Angeles. They use non-toxic, natural and certified Organic materials like GOTS Certified Organic Cotton, which stands for the Global Organic Textile Standard. It is globally recognized to be the highest standard, including environmental and social criteria.
Their shipping mailers and boxes are 100% recycled material and they don’t send any extra branded materials along with your order to help eliminate single-use waste.
REFORMATION
Accountability Rating | ★★★
Ethics | Transparency, compostable packaging, carbon offsets, sustainable manufacturing, community economic empowerment, uses sustainable & deadstock fabrics, environmentally sustainable facility, give backs, ethical & sustainable labor, recycled packaging and shipping materials, non-toxic materials
Product Range | Women’s apparel, shoes, swim, & accessories
Based In | California, USA
Reformation’s design mission is to make effortless silhouettes that celebrate the feminine figure by sourcing beautiful and sustainable fabrics. They put sustainability at the core of everything they do. From investing in green building infrastructure to minimizing waste, water, and energy footprints. They provide on-the-job training and opportunities for growth to their employees.
Reformation reduces waste by using recycled paper hangers, reusable totes, plastic-free packaging made from 100% recycled paper products and compostable bio-based films. Clothes come in a 100% compostable & non-toxic vegetable bag.
Reformation’s certified dyeing facilities only use safe input chemicals, monitor their air and water emissions and ensure worker safety so that the dyed fabric is safe for the end user, workers and the environment.
They source electricity offsets from 100% wind power suppliers and use LED lighting and Energy Star-rated appliances in our offices. Over 65% of their cutting and sewing is done in Los Angeles and they manufacture the majority of products in their own factory.
Outerknown Women’s
Accountability Rating | ★★
Ethics | Transparency, responsibly sourced & traceable materials, non-toxic & recycled materials, community educational empowerment, clothing repair program
Product Range | Women’s bottoms, tops, outerwear, & shoes
Based In | California, USA
Outerknown Women’s builds products by “making every decision with regard for the environment and the people they work with”. They manufacture globally with makers who share values and abide by the strict guidelines of the Fair Labor Association & Bluesign.
Outerknown has a jean-repair program. If they bust, break, rip or shred, they’ll fix them on their dime. If your S.E.A. JEANS are beyond repair, they’ll replace them for the lifetime of the product, 100%.
Boyish Jeans
Accountability Rating | ★★★
Ethics | Give backs, planting trees, transparency, compostable packaging, carbon offsets, sustainable manufacturing, economic empowerment, uses sustainable & deadstock fabrics, organic & recycled cotton, fair & ethical labor
Product Range | Women’s bottoms, outerwear, dresses, t-shirts
Based In | California, USA
Boyish is a sustainable women’s denim line focused on quality, fit, and authentic washes. Think “Eco-Conscious Vintage Inspired”.
Boyish jeans are made with 80% less indigo than a standard pair, and around 20% of the textiles are vintage or deadstock fabrics. To conserve as many natural resources as possible, their factories use less water during the manufacturing process and recycle all the water used. They strategically placed all factories within thirty miles of each other to further reduce their carbon footprint.
Boyish uses Polybags- 100% compostable bags that will decompose in landfills within one year versus traditional bags that will not decompose for 20 to 200 years. They use hangtags made from recycled paper and they plant one tree for every purchase made.
Belle the Label
Accountability Rating | ★★★
Ethics | Transparency, small batch, zero-waste factories, give backs, eco-friendly fabrics & manufacturing process, female empowerment, non-toxic materials, organic cotton, fair & ethical labor, ethically & sustainably sourced materials
Product Range | Women’s apparel, swim, & accessories
Based In | California and Bali
Belle The Label is a line carefully crafted with raw and organic materials with “gentle intentions for the earth”. Created by a female business owner, Belle The Label pulls inspiration from vintage surf and swimwear, female form, and timeless minimalism.
Their goal is to create “Farm to Fashion” by making small, circular batches of clothing that will last. They have a zero-waste factory in Bali, use all organic raw materials (like cotton, linen atta grass, and palm leaves) that are sourced and grown locally. Their clothing dyes are non-toxic and wastewater from their factory does not release toxic chemicals back into the environment.
Their zero-waste policy also implements a program where they use fabric scraps to make pillows for a Balinese non-profit
They have a program to train women who are sex workers to become seamstresses to provide a safe and stable employment space.
PRANA
Accountability Rating | ★★
Ethics | Fair Trade Certified collections, organic cotton, hemp, recycled wool, responsible down, environmental sustainability, give backs, cruelty-free, BlueSign approved, non-toxic materials
Product Range | Women’s & Men’s bottoms, tops, outerwear, sweaters, swim, & activewear
Based In | California, USA
Prana uses organic cotton, hemp, & recycled wool among other Bluesign approved materials.
Bluesign regulates chemicals used in textile processing and their release into the environment. From emissions, to dyes, to all-weather treatments, harmful chemical inputs are eliminated before the manufacturing process begins. That helps keep our oceans and skies free from harmful chemicals.
Prana values the safety and well-being of the people assembling their clothing. Choosing organic cotton ensures that you, farmers and their families are no longer exposed to harmful chemicals. Organic cotton farming regenerates life and biodiversity in the soil to improve the health of our planet and by switching one t-shirt to organic cotton, it saves 115 gallons of water.
There is not information provided by their website on sustainable shipping & packaging efforts.
Vege Threads
Accountability Rating | ★★★★
Ethics | Give backs, ethical manufacturing, organic cotton, hemp, transparency, ethical supply chain, fair labor, eco-friendly materials
Product Range | Women’s basics, denim, swimwear & yogawear
Based In | Australia
Vege Threads makes practical and beautifully designed garments for everyday wear that are long lasting. Made locally, their collections are manufactured 100% in Australia using certified organic and eco-friendly materials and dyes in limited numbers. They use 100 % hemp or organic blendspurchased from a local supplier.
They work with local knitting mills and dye houses (and do some small batch dying at a separate local mill for limited collections, using non toxic dyes). Their yoga wear features a range of 100% plant dyed items, hand dyed by a family run facility in Bali, all chemical free.
Transparency and an ethical supply chain gained Vege Threads accreditation from Ethical Clothing Australia .
Two Thirds
Accountability Rating | ★★★
Ethics | Organic cotton, recycled materials, hemp, cruelty-free, environmental sustainability
Product Range | Women, men & kids’ bottoms, outerwear, sweaters, & tops
Based In | Spain
Two Thirds evaluates materials for their designs concerning the materials’ emission of CO2 during production, their toxicity, their water use and their spatial requirements. They incorporate many recycled and alternative, eco-friendly materials. They source wool locally and in the case of Merino use only certified mulesing-free wool.
The company chose their name because two-thirds of the planet is covered by ocean. “It is what makes us who we are and what gives us so much joy. We aim to address like-minded people, who are awake and aware of the immense value of our oceans and are deeply connected to surfing, but also have a thirst for style and substance”.
Afends
Accountability Rating | ★★★
Ethics | Organic cotton, hemp, and recycled fabrics, sustainable & traceable manufacturing, fair & ethical labor, transparency, compostable & biodegradable packaging
Product Range | Women’s & Men’s outerwear, tops, bottoms, dresses, swim & accessories
Based In | Australia
Afends commits to “being environmentally responsible in everything they do”. They use fibers like hemp, organic cotton, tencel, and recycled polyester. They use solar power, recycling programs, and the aim to achieve zero waste at their headquarters.
Their leather is tanned via Vegetable Tanning, one of the oldest methods of tanning that’s been around for centuries and doesn’t use any harmful chemicals. Vegetable tanned leather is highly durable and strong, ensuring the product will last a lifetime, gets better with age, and is biodegradable.
Afends’ hemp factory runs 100% on solar power and hold certifications with the Organic Content Standards and the Global Organic Textile Standard, their fibers and processes are sustainable.
Their products come in biodegradable corn starch bags with seeded thank you cards.
Toad & co
Accountability Rating | ★★★
Ethics | Organic cotton, hemp, and recycled fabrics, responsible manufacturing, sustainable & reusable packaging & shipping, vegan collections, give backs, transparency, innovative circular solutions for apparel
Product Range | Women’s & Men’s outerwear, bottoms, sweaters, & tops
Based In | California, USA
Toad & Co aims to clean up a dirty apparel industry, educate people on sustainable practices, and inspire people. They have Bluesign, vegan, organic cotton, and recycled materials collections.
They’ve partnered with a company called Limeloop, that’s created a revolutionary wast-free sustainable and reusable shipping packaging. After receiving clothing in a fully-waterproof packaging designed to last at least 10 years, simply put the return label provided and send it back.
Toad & Co began The Renewal Workshop which is the leading provider of circular solutions for apparel and textile brands. The Renewal System takes discarded apparel and textiles and turns them into Renewed Apparel, upcycled materials or recycling feedstock.
Cotopaxi
Accountability Rating | ★★★
Ethics | B-corp, ethical & traceable manufacturing, give backs, community empowerment, product repair program, collections made from upcycled materials, transparency
Product Range | Women’s & Men’s performance outdoor apparel, outerwear, sweaters, dresses, bottoms, tops, activewear, travel bags, camp gear & accessories
Based In | Utah, USA
Cotopaxi is a certified B Corporation that puts 1% of their profits toward addressing poverty and supporting community development. “ ‘Do Good’ touches every aspect of our company. From our giving model to our company culture and sustainable product design, we see our business as a vehicle to make an impact”.
They make durable products, with some collections made from 100% repurposed materials. They create designs that seek to minimize waste and increase yields of materials.
Cotopaxi works with factories that improve the well-being of employees, ensuring fair and sustainable working conditions for everyone.
Because their products are built to last, Cotopaxi will work with you to repair the item, exchange it, or get you a replacement if it gets damaged.
SugarHigh LoveStoned
Accountability Rating | ★★
Ethics | Traceable materials, sustainable fabrics, female empowerment, small batch
Product Range | Women’s jumpsuits, t-shirts, sweaters, denim & home decor
Based In | Hawai’i, USA
Sugarhigh Lovestoned has taken the basic fundamentals of vintage silhouettes and made them with head-turning graphic content, modern washes and worthwhile, sustainable fabrics. “We know our makers, we know our shippers, and we feel like we are a part of our own technicolored slow-fashion food chain”.
There is not much transparent information provided by their website on materials, manufacturing practices, sustainability, shipping & packaging, sourcing materials, or labor.
Mara Hoffman
Accountability Rating | ★★★
Ethics | Organic cotton, hemp & recycled fabrics, transparency, vegan & cruelty-free, some compostable & recycled packaging, non-toxic dyes, partners with sustainability organizations to reduce waste, ethical & sustainable labor, traceable materials
Product Range | Women’s apparel & swim
Based In | New York, USA
Mara Hoffman designs and manufactures garments with care to reduce their impact, generate awareness, and asks their customers to join in taking action and holding their company accountable.
Mara Hoffman offers its community educational resources on how to extend the life of a garment and recycle it when it no longer serves or gets damaged.
They use responsibly sourced organic, recycled and regenerated materials whenever possible (no fur, leather, or feathers). They partner with multiple organizations that help Mara Hoffman get closer to achieving sustainability goals (like reducing waste that goes into landfills).
For example, Fabscrap is a nonprofit in New York working to help divert textile waste from landfills. The organization picks up fabric scraps directly from Mara Hoffman so that they may be sorted and reused or recycled appropriately. Since 2017, they have sent 3552 pounds of textile waste to Fabscrap.
Outland Denim
Accountability Rating | ★★★
Ethics | Organic cotton, employee & female empowerment, ethical & transparent labor, transparency, non-toxic dyes, carbon offsets, environmentally sustainable facility, traceable materials, recycled and compostable shipping materials
Product Range | Women’s & Men’s denim bottoms & outerwear
Based In | Australia
Outland Denim focuses on making long-lasting, classic cut denim. They source environmentally sound raw materials, like Organic cotton, from around the world.
Outland Denim prioritizes the use of natural indigo dyes for its denim derived from a plant species called Indigofera because the use of toxic synthetic indigo dye poses a major threat to environmental and human health in and near manufacturing facilities.
“In using sustainable chemical alternatives, the integrity of the product is not decreased, but the impact on the environment is. By eliminating hazardous chemicals such as heavy metals, alkylphenols and volatile organic compounds, the effect on the environment is significantly reduced”.
Outland’s chosen power supplier for their Australian headquarters is a certified carbon neutral supplier with Australia’s largest 100% renewable generator.
They offer training and employment opportunities to women rescued from human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and other human rights abuses.
Lukka the Label
Accountability Rating | ★★★
Ethics | Upcycled & deadstock fabric, small batches, locally made, ethical & sustainable labor, no hangtags & no plastic bags
Product Range | Women’s jumpsuits, bottoms, tops, & dresses
Based In | California, USA
Lukka the Label makes every single one of their versatile pieces entirely of high quality up-cycled & deadstock fabric. They don’t order our fabric in bulk from mass textile factories around the world, rather they dig, find and collect textiles that are normally forgotten about in warehouses in Los Angeles. This saves water, minimizes pollution and waste.
They work closely with their production team to minimize fabric waste during cutting, sewing and finishing. Every extra piece of fabric is used to create reusable Lukka drawstring bags. Lukka does not use hangtags or plastic bags.
Lukka includes the weight of each product listed on the website to quantify the reduction of their carbon footprint by keeping textiles out of the landfill.
KEPOLA DESIGN HOUSE
Accountability Rating | ★★
Ethics | Organic & recycled fibers, locally made, small batch
Product Range | Women’s basics bottoms, tops, & undergarments
Based In | Hawaii, USA
Kepola Design House strives to return to a more thoughtful and handcrafted approach to fashion. Designed and stitched in Hawaii, they use natural, organic, and recycled fibers whenever possible. They believe in an environmentally, socially, and culturally responsible production of goods by taking a stand against cheap labor, eliminating excess waste, and focusing on quality.
They aim to create timeless and season-less pieces that are the antithesis of fast fashion and disposable clothing.
There is not much transparent information provided by their website on materials, manufacturing practices, sustainability, shipping & packaging, sourcing materials, or labor.
UNITED BY BLUE
Accountability Rating | ★★★
Ethics | Environmental preservation, B Corp, uses organic cotton, hemp, recycled fibers, responsibly sourced & traceable materials, carbon offsets, transparency, ethical & sustainable labor, community empowerment
Product Range | Women’s & Men’s performance outdoor apparel, bottoms, tops, dresses, shoes, accessories, outdoor & camping gear
Based In | Pennsylvania, USA
United By Blue is an outdoor and everyday apparel brand made with sustainable materials and for each product sold, they remove one pound of trash from oceans and waterways through their clean up initiatives. To date, they’ve removed over two million pounds of trash.
UBB has pledged to significantly reduce their single-use plastic consumption by 2020.
Patagonia
Accountability Rating | ★★★★
Ethics | Transparency, environmental preservation, B Corp, organic cotton, hemp, upcycled & recycled materials, Fair Trade Certified collections, Bluesign approved, community education & empowerment, give backs, responsibly sourced & traceable materials, trade-in & repair programs, Recrafted line
Product Range | Women, men & kids’ performance outdoor apparel, bottoms, tops, sweaters, dresses, outerwear, swimwear, & activewear
Based In | California, USA
Patagonia was one of the earliest defenders of environmental ethics in the activewear fashion industry, and one of the first adopters of using recycled materials and switching to organic cotton.
They’ve invented a “Recrafted” line within their “Wornwear” program that extends the life of gear by repairing or upcycling products their customers have worn and loved. They do it because they truly believe the best thing we can do for the planet is cut down on consumption and get more use out of stuff we already own. They state that by keeping clothing in use just nine extra months can reduce the related carbon, water and waste footprints by 20-30%.
For almost 40 years, Patagonia has supported grassroots activists working to find solutions to the environmental crisis. They connect individuals with grantees in order to take action on the most pressing issues facing the world today.
Patagonia pledges at least one percent of sales or 10 percent of pre-tax profits—whichever is more—to environmental groups. They give at the grassroots level to innovative groups overlooked or rejected by other corporate donors and fund activists who take radical and strategic steps to protect habitat, wilderness and biodiversity.
