We’ve all heard about the horrendous effects that the mass production of clothes has on the environment: It produces 1.2 tonnes greenhouse gas emissions a year, cotton farming is responsible for 24% of the world’s synthetic pesticides and that’s not even mentioning all the waste that gets dumped into our rivers and oceans.
Luckily, the apparel industry (at least part of it) it’s starting to make some changes. International brands like H&M produce some garments with organic cotton but because it’s such a small sample that when compared to their full catalogue, it feels more like a marketing gimmick rather than an actual change.
On the higher end, designers such as Stella McCartney have also made an effort to put sustainable clothing brands out there. In her case, she recently released a pair of glueless shoes which are made with hooks and thread instead. Who knew glue could be so toxic? Unfortunately, not all of us can afford couture pieces.
If you’re anything like me then you’d love to invest in companies that have a green business model but don’t know where to start. Or maybe, you’re a little hesitant because clothes made sustainably are famous for being expensive. We really want to make a change but because we get caught up in our day-to-day worries, we end up on the High Street again. It’s just easy. In the long run, comfort trumps idealism.
Because it can be complicated, we decided to put a list together of sustainable fashion brands* based in the UK and Europe. You’d be surprised by how inexpensive some of these are. Also, with the option of having the clothes delivered to your door, there really is no excuse not to go green.
* Brands are presented in alphabetical order.
allSisters
allSisters is a green swimwear brand that uses the highest quality of recycled fabrics to create high-end swimsuits. Their philosophy is to create comfortable and fashionable swimsuits that respect the female body as well as the environment and its natural resources.
Line: Women’s swimwear.
Price: ££
Almasanta
Carefully selected by their stylists, Almasanta is a collection of ethical clothing brands from all over the world. Through product, packaging, transparency, communication and their co-operation, they try to be 100% eco-friendly.
Line: Women’s clothes, gym wear, Lingerie and accessories.
Price: ££
Antiform
A forward-thinking fashion company with a twist. They push the boundaries of ethical, sustainable design by using recycled materials and mixing fashion-forward silhouettes with classic tailoring. That’s Antiform. All of the materials and workmanship involved in the production of Antiform clothing is sourced within the UK.
Line: Women’s clothes and accessories.
Price: ££
Armed Angels
Organic is not just a trend for Armed Angels, it’s their belief and taking responsibility and protecting the environment is not an option but a must. Their mission is to oppose fast fashion and aim for timeless design.
Line: Men’s, women’s and kids’ clothing.
Price: ££
Beaumont Organic
As the name suggests, Beaumont Organic is all about organic clothing. Their mission is, ‘To design and create ‘Contemporary Conscious Clothing’ responsibly using luxury fabrics for the modern woman.’
Line: Women’s clothes and accessories.
Price: ££
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Bibico
The people who make the clothes are in the centre of attention at Bibico. They make sure not only that their employees get a fair salary for the work they do but also that they work in a safe and healthy environment.
Line: Women’s clothes and shoes.
Price: ££
Eileen Fisher
Another example of a sustainable brand doing things right. Eileen Fisher’s vision is for an industry where human rights and sustainability are not the effects of a particular initiative but the result of a business well run.
Line: Women’s clothes, shoes and accessories.
Price: £££
Finisterre
A love of the sea and a respect for the environment is central to Finisterre. It is their inspiration and playground. They are aware of what they do and that all of their decisions will inevitably have an impact on the ecosystem.
Line: Men’s and Women’s clothes.
Price: ££
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Gudrun Sjoden
They believe the most important contribution to a greener, more wonderful world is designing garments with a long lifespan. But that’s not all, Gudrun Sjoden has a list of 12 examples of how to work with, not against, the environment.
Line: Women’s clothes, shoes and accessories.
Price: ££
Here Today Here Tomorrow
Here Today Here Tomorrow takes a holistic approach to sustainability that celebrates diversity and recognizes that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. Understanding the importance of knowing how products are made and who made them is central to their brand.
Line: Handmade knitwear for men and women.
Price: ££
Kitty Ferreira
Kitty Ferreira is an award-winning label made that’s produced entirely in the UK. Combining city chic with the natural world, they succeed in creating elegant and sexy clothing.
Line: Women’s clothes.
Price: £££
Komodo
As Joe Komodo says it: ‘It’s a privilege of our civilisation to dress up in comfort and style, but it’s also the responsibility of today’s fashion designers to make that style fairly and sustainable for those who work on it – otherwise, you can only pretend it’s cool!’ We couldn’t have said it any better.
Line: Menswear, womenswear, shoes and accessories.
Price: ££
Lowie
What started once as a knitted accessories brand, is now a fully-fledged women’s wear label. It not only looks after its own ecological footprint but that of the entire chain, as well. Lowie vets its suppliers and advises them on how they can be more green and ethical.
Line: Women’s clothes and accessories.
Price: £££
Madia & Mathilda
Madia & Mathilda pay attention to four main sustainable pillars: over-consumption, waste, friendly fibres and the future of fashion. To make sure this is being followed up, they produce their clothing locally in the UK. Any leftover fabric is used for trims and the following season’s samples or re-used for new designs.
Line: Women’s clothes, shoes and accessories.
Price: £
Mud Jeans
For those who don’t know, cotton accounts for almost a fourth of the world’s insecticide market which is why Mud Jeans has made it their mission to produce good-looking jeans in a sustainable way. The company has won several awards, such as the Sustainability Leadership Award and the Peta Vegan Awards.
Line: Men’s and women’s jeans.
Price: ££
Nancy Dee
At Nancy Dee, they aim to be the best ethical clothing brand they can be. Fabrics are mostly made from renewable natural sources such as bamboo and organic cotton. They also use Modal, an eco-friendly man-made material originated from beech wood.
Line: Women’s clothes.
Price: ££
[content_band bg_color=”#E8F6D2″ border=”all”] [container]Would you like to add organic T-shirts ♻︎ ? to your line of products? Here at Printsome, we’re proud to work with some of the most ethical clothing brands out there. Visit our website for more information.[/container] [/content_band]
Nomads
Nomads’ organic clothing helps promote sustainable fashion as well as to protect the health and well-being of those who work in cotton farms. They’ve also had a Fair Trade policy for over 20 years making them pioneers in the industry.
Line: Men’s and women’s clothes and accessories.
Price: ££
OrganicBasics
“Sustainable fashion is not just a trend, it’s how we’re going to build our future.” If everyone could just listen to this, please. Not only do OrganicBasics focus on the big things like our packaging, the management of wastewater, and keeping our transportation grounded, they also focus on the little things like the LED lights used in their local European factories.
They just launched their SilverTech 2.0 campaign on Kickstarter. They’re going to produce the most functional, comfortable, and sustainable basics (underwear and T-shirts) for men made from mechanically recycled nylon, seamlessly knitted and treated with Polygiene for odour control.
Line: Men’s and women’s clothes and accessories.
Price: ££
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Sunday chillin’ in Paris w/ @a.kblr ⠀ #organicbasics #basicallybettermade
Outsider
Outsider’s collection of fabrics are produced ethically and are sold by the metre. You can choose from a variety of natural sustainable fabrics such as organic cotton, organic wool, Peace silk, and bamboo. But wait, there’s more. They also offer innovative sustainable materials such as recycled polyester and milk fibre viscose.
Line: Womenswear and accessories.
Price: £££
P.i.C Style
P.i.C Style was born out of an obsession with doing fashion the right way. They understand that nowadays people want to know where their clothes come from and who makes them. “We all need to care for this planet, but now it’s possible to care and look chic.”
Line: Women’s clothes, shoes and accessories.
Price: £££
People Tree
As an active member of many Fair Trade, social justice and environmental networks, People Tree is a pioneer among ethical clothing brands. Their mission is threefold: To be 100% Fair Trade throughout their supply chain, to support producers in the developing world and to protect the environment.
Line: Women’s clothes.
Price: ££
Rêve en Vert
Their definition of sustainable luxury is quality style made from a place of consciousness, and they hold their designers to four tenants: organic, re-made, local and fair. At Rêve En Vert they don’t sacrifice style for ethics.
Line: Women’s (designer) clothes and accessories.
Price: ££
Solosocks
Every step of the Solosocks’ process has been carefully designed to create the least amount of waste possible. Their socks are sold in bundles of seven instead of pairs (so if you lose one you don’t have to throw away the other one) and the packages they come in (made of recycled cardboard) also work as a box where you can store your new accessories.
They recently launched their third Kickstarter campaign and were funded 200% in just two days.
Line: Socks.
Price: ££
Stella McCartney
After Gucci announced that they wouldn’t be using any more fur back in 2017, other brands such as Burberry followed suit. Everyone is going sustainable nowadays but McCartney has been doing it since way before it was cool. Ever since she launched her first collection back in 2001, Stella has been entirely, not only fur, but also leather-free.
As an avid vegetarian, sustainability has always been a top priority for the Beatle’s daughter. Not only does she make sure that her products are green but she also spreads the message to her celebrity friends such as when she told Madonna to stop wearing that chinchilla coat.
Line: Women’s, Men’s and Kids’ wear, shoes and accessories
Price: ££££
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Thought
Thought is all about lowering its impact on the planet and they do so by using natural, organic and recycled fabrics. Hemp used to be their go-to choice but nowadays they use innovative materials like tencel and modal.
Line: Men’s and women’s clothes, socks and accessories.
Price: ££
Research and Text: Dennis Van Steenwinkel
Edit: Harald Meyer-Delius
Organic T-shirt Printing
Thanks to our five years of experience in the apparel-printing industry, we are able to offer a service catered towards those who want sustainably made T-shirts. Printsome works with brands that not only use organic materials but also guarantee an ethical treatment of their employees.
From the moment you get in touch, one of our ‘printing experts’ will answer all of your questions and find efficient solutions to your needs. It is our mission to help you and the environment. Thanks to high-quality garments and cutting-edge printing techniques, we can produce almost any design. Printing organic T-shirts has never been this easy.
Why worry about inventory or logistics when we can take care of that? We deal with the boring stuff so you have more time to do what you love. To find out more, simply visit our website.
