On your zero waste journey, there will probably come a time when you’re in desperate need of new clothing. Especially if your previous wardrobe came from fast fashion brands, it’s only a matter of time before you’ll need a closet refresh. When you’re trying to shop with the planet in mind, it’s not always the most budget-friendly experience, especially when it comes to sustainable clothing.
Unfortunately, slow fashion prices are what deters many people from going green in the first place. While the cost is reflective of ethical production and sustainable materials, it’s not easy to hop on board with higher prices when your budget just won’t allow it. To keep you from falling into the trap of greenwashing and to save your bank account, here are our top eco-friendly clothing brands that are kind to the planet and offer reasonable prices!
1. Everlane
Image Source: @everlane
If you love online shops that have everything you need, from shoes to sweaters to bags, then you’ll love Everlane. And not just for the selection of items, but also because they’re a leading sustainable clothing brand that encourages complete transparency within the fashion industry. Since the brand focuses on high-quality materials, every item is designed to last years, which is a sustainable attribute in itself. Beyond that, Everlane often uses recycled materials in efforts to keep the costs as low as possible, without compromising human or environmental ethics.
2. ABLE
Image Source: @able
ABLE is another brand that focuses on complete transparency, sharing all the details from their employees’ wages, factory conditions, and sustainability efforts. Their sole mission is to uplift women in poverty, providing them with jobs, education, and security.
The brand repurposes discarded materials to create leather goods, which, as it turns out, has less of an impact on the planet than 100% vegan materials. To reduce their footprint even more, their factories and the brand themself ship using recycled mailers. Since they utilize recycled materials, it allows them to keep their costs low and affordable for consumers looking to make conscious purchases on a budget.
3. Boden
Image Source: @boden_clothing
A brand that offers sustainable clothing for the entire family to shop, Boden meets some of the highest standards for eco-friendly materials, ethical production, and sustainability actions! Going green not only means being mindful of the planet but also fighting for the wellbeing of people. The fashion industry has a long history of unethical practices, but you can feel good about shopping with this brand.
Their main focuses are reducing their environmental impact, funding programs for women in impoverished countries, and supporting charities to build up different communities! The best part is, they stand by the durability of their clothing so much that they have a 365-day quality guarantee to ensure that their products are designed to last.
4. THOUGHT
Image Source: @thoughtclothing
This brand’s values are embedded into their name, to remind them of their core missions, which include thoughtful sourcing, responsible production, and fostering change within the industry. The brand puts thought into every piece of clothing they release to keep everything unique and shift the fashion industry from following trends. Instead of buying into cheap trends and throwing them out a month later, Thought stresses the importance of finding your own style with natural fiber clothing that’s safe for your skin and the planet.
Image Source: @vivobarefoot
The great thing about starting from scratch or improving your green closet in 2021 is that there are sustainable options for everything, including shoes! VIVO Barefoot shares every policy they have as a company with consumers, including their employee policy, environmental policy, and ethical marketing policy. Their transparency and proof give you the peace of mind that the company doesn’t participate in greenwashing tactics and that your purchase is genuinely a sustainable one!
