It is undeniable that we are more aware of our impact on the environment and our social responsibility to buy from ethical organizations than ever. The fashion industry specifically is not only one of the most significant polluters of our planet next to oil, but is also a known source of corrupt labour practices, encouraging employment in poor conditions and exploiting women and children for a cheap workforce.
However, while many high street retailers have consistently been called out for unethical practice, we continue to buy from them. Fast-fashion is at the helm of these issues-fresh trends are constantly coming and going and we just can’t stop buying new and trying to be as on point with our style as possible for as cheap as possible! All we really want is stylish clothing that’s good value for money, produced through socially responsible methods and is made from materials that don’t add too much to the already horrifying levels of water pollution and toxic waste. Yet, this can seem like an impossible task when retailers are lacking transparency over their production lines-and who has time to tirelessly research a fashion retailer every time you want to buy something!?
While we’re all for staying in fashion, we think it would be great to add some new brands to your list of favourite fashion retailers! So we’ve done a bit of the research for you and here our some of our current favourite ethical fashion retailers:
Never Fully Dressed
Never Fully Dressed is all about small businesses power, ensuring their brand is growing in accordance with their ethical principles. On their website, they detail how they have three factories producing their items (one in the UK and two in China), and how they are run by families with which they maintain close relationships with and have visited regularly. They also dedicate a lot of their business to multiple charities, regularly designing t-shirts that specifically promote and raise money for different charities. You may have even seen their famous ‘boob tee’ on Kendall Jenner! This t-shirt alone allowed them to donate over £20,000 for the charity, Mind-and they’re only £29.00 each!
What we love most about NFD is their ability to create ethical fashion that is full of character and fresh colours. With bold patterns and prints, you can support a good cause and dress unique and chic with just one of their statement skirts or “ChariTees”.
https://www.neverfullydressed.co.uk/
Birdsong
Birdsong is another ethical brand with a range of principles behind its brand philosophy. Direct quotes from their website include: “we connect women, form worker to wearer” and “no sweatshops, no photoshops”, directly tackling some of the most significant issues in the fashion industry-body shaming, and exploitative labour. Instead of using the shortcuts abused by many in the fashion industry, Birdsong works with talented women’s groups and charities to produce their items using local, often unrecognized skills. This allows these women, who otherwise may have struggled, gain a sustainable income. What we also love about Birdsong is their philosophy that fashion should celebrate women’s bodies, not shame them! After all, we buy clothes to fit our bodies, we don’t change our bodies to fit our clothes. This is an invaluable message to spread, which is probably why Birdsong has featured and been promoted in Vogue, The Guardian, Harper’s Bazar and now Her Campus, of course!
Sanchos
Last, but not least, is a brand close to our hearts here at HCX. Sanchos is an ethical fashion retailer, local to Exeter. Significantly, they sell men’s and women’s clothing, contrasting with the two businesses above. Committed to sustainable fashion, Sanchos was founded just 4 years ago after its founders witnessed the horrifying social and environmental effects of the fast fashion industry first hand in Ethiopia. One of their main priorities as a business is sourcing the items they sell straight from the local maker to the buyer, bringing handmade, sustainable and ethical items of clothing to Exeter. They also stock a range of well known ethical brands such as People Tree and are starting to produce their own items by sourcing materials from fair trade suppliers and hiring a small number of people to weave their designs.
They recently hosted The Slow Fashion Show at Exeter Cathedral, celebrating designers who are attempting to provide an alternative, more transparent and sustainable method of production, compared to the fast pace fashion process the world has become accustomed to. What we love most about Sanchos is the passion behind their philosophy-they are promoting themselves not just for self-marketing, but to promote a larger cause and show people how accessible a more sustainable and ethical lifestyle is.
We hope you’ve found some inspiration and love these brands as much as we do! While typically, ethical brands charge more, we believe they provide timeless items that don’t conform to the same fast-fashion principles as most high street shops; after all, sustainable fashion means loving our clothes and continuing to wear them for as long as possible, before disposing of them responsibly. So, there’s no harm in taking those first steps towards building your sustainable wardrobe and exploring some more ethical brands for yourself!