We’ve all heard of fast fashion, and we know that it’s bad. We also know we should buy more sustainable fashion, but finding eco-friendly clothes shops on the high street isn’t that easy. Sadly the well known high street clothes shops really don’t seem very focussed on being sustainable. Fortunately there are quite a few companies that sell eco-friendly clothes in the UK. That’s who we’ll be focussing on today.
If you want to read about fast fashion, check out ‘Can Fashion Ever Be Sustainable?’.
There are so many different types of fabrics available. Natural materials are, in my opinion, better than synthetic materials. However we do have to take into account that the production of cotton does use a fair amount of water. Organic cotton (free of chemicals) and GOTS certified cotton are better options. I’ve already written about bamboo fabric, which is one of the most sustainable options available, but has its drawbacks. I’m not going to go into a huge amount of detail of each fabric available here, just that it’s important to look into the materials of each product you buy and into the ethics of the company you’re buying from.
Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. If you buy something I might make a small amount of money, at no extra cost to you, which just helps to pay towards the running costs of the website.
Eco-Friendly Clothes Shops Online
As more and more people become aware of the environmental impact of their fashion choices, more eco-friendly clothes shops appear. Very few items that are produced can be completely environmentally friendly, because everything has some sort of an impact. What we have to do is minimise our impact wherever possible.
One thing I always advise people to do when wanting to find out if any company is working towards being more environmentally friendly is to look for a sustainability page on their website. Failing that, read their about page to see if they mention how they are reducing their environmental impact.
Bamboo Clothing
Bamboo Clothing sells a variety of items, including shirts, skirts, dresses, trousers, hoodies, tops, activewear and underwear. As the name suggests, the main fabric used is bamboo. Many of their items are a blend of materials, for example this skirt which is 55% linen and 45% bamboo. Bamboo Clothing is not completely vegan as they sell some items with merino wool, which is at least a natural material, if not completely animal friendly.
This is a company that takes their environmental responsibility seriously. Have a read of how they want to be ‘Impact Positive‘ and what steps they’re taking to offset their negative impact.
Veo
Although Wearth London is not just an eco-friendly clothes shop (they sell household goods as well) they’re worth a mention as they have some really beautiful items for sale. They even sell eco-friendly swimwear. A lot of their clothes are made from recycled materials, although some are ethically made from natural materials as well.
As well as swimwear, Wearth sell dresses, shirts, t-shirts, bottoms; for both men and women. There are plenty of accessories as well, including bags, wallets, watches, jewellery and even shoes.
Existential Thread
Kind focusses on tops; t-shirts, vest tops and sweatshirts, all made of GOTS certified organic cotton. This is a company which is cruelty free, plant-based and Peta approved. Their clothing is also ethically made in GOTS-certified and Fair Wear Foundation approved facilities. I love their mission statement “Our mission is to make clothing that makes you happy and the planet happy!”.
Read more about Existential Thread and their company mission. Not only do they sell beautiful sustainable fashion, every purchase plants a tree. For some items they also donate to wildlife charities! Perfect for the eco-conscious vegan in your life (and everyone else to be fair).
Lucy & Yak
I had to include Lucy & Yak because I love dungarees and I love corduroy! For a few years it was almost impossible to find corduroy clothes so when I discovered Lucy & Yak I was thrilled. Originally they sold just corduroy dungarees, they now sell much more than that with tops, dresses, jeans, underwear and much more added to their collection.
Ethically and sustainability-wise they are certainly going in the right direction. The clothes they produce are almost 100% certified organic cotton. They’re a living wage employer. They were shortlisted for the Sustainable Fashion Awards 2020. And they have a ‘climate positive workforce’.
Vegan Outfitters
I wanted to include Vegan Outfitters because although not all of their clothing is made from natural materials, the majority are. Some of their slogans make me giggle, another good reason to include them!
If you’re trying to live a plastic free life, it’s best to avoid their women’s clothes. Most appear to include polyester or poly fleece. However their men’s (unisex) and kids clothes seem to be made from 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton or just cotton. I’m not sure why, but I will look into this further. Every purchase you make helps towards rescuing farm animals, their packaging is plastic free and they use a ‘W.R.A.P Gold certified facility‘.
You can find more examples of the clothes most of these shops sell by checking out the shop link ‘clothes‘.
The eco-friendly online clothes shops mentioned above are good options for those of us wanting to buy more sustainable fashion. Over time more options will become available.
Some high street clothes shops do sell organic or eco-friendly ranges, I’m in two minds about this. It’s great that they’re offering eco-friendly clothes; but if I support them I’m supporting a company which mainly focusses on fast fashion. Do I really want my money to go to them when I know their company ethics don’t align with my own ethics?
To be really sustainable have a look at these online secondhand clothes shops! Make sure you also check out some vegan and eco-friendly footwear and a variety of eco-friendly bags (including vegan handbags) to go with your lovely natural clothes!
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