The leaves have finally started falling and the weather is cooling down. We all know what that means… sweater weather! During the fall season, everyone is guilty of putting quite the dent in their bank accounts to invest in some new, fun sweaters. It’s only human nature. However, in this day and age, eco-friendly and ethical clothing choices are really the only way to go. More often than not, those choices tend to be on the pricier end. Though they’re hard to find, affordable and eco-friendly brands really do exist!
- Pact
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For starters, one of the best brands is Pact. According to their website, they are ecologically friendly, using only organic cotton for all of their products. They are also certified by the Fair Trade Factory, ensuring that all of their clothes are made completely ethically. One of their main goals is to create sustainable clothing options. This is a must when buying clothes to kick off your college years! One option on their website is the French Terry Slouchy Sweatshirt starting at just $33. This brand has many cute and affordable options like this to choose from!
- Alternative Apparel
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Another great option is Alternative Apparel. All of their clothes are also made of one hundred percent organic cotton. They believe in making ethical and eco-friendly options to help our planet. According to their website, their motto is, “Lightweight, airy, ridiculously soft & easy on our planet.” One of my favorite and practical sweaters that you can find on their website is the Rib Sleeve Eco-Jersey Wrap starting at only $24. This would be perfect for a simple sweater on a cool fall day or even as a light layer during winter.
- Klow
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One of my absolute favorite ecologically friendly clothing brands is Klow. Although they are more on the pricy end, you really get what you’re paying for. They are a European company that believes in ecological and ethical fashion. According to their website, they donate one percent of all their proceeds to children’s education and strive to promote sustainability as a standard. Their prices on sweaters on their website start at $35 and are worth the cost with more color and pattern options than other companies.
- Kotn
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Another great option is Kotn clothing. They have many different types of fall sweaters and shirts to layer with it on thier website starting at $30. “Kotn was founded to prove it’s possible to create products that combine beautiful design, premium quality, and ethical manufacturing without costing a fortune”, it says on their website. On top of this, all of the proceeds made from the clothing go to fund the school of their workers’ children. This is such a comforting thought when buying clothes for the new season!
- Krochet Kids
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Lastly, is Krochet Kids. According to their website, they are completely non-profit brand that supports artisans in Uganda and Peru. This is also a brand of known supply. This means each article of clothing is hand made with your maker’s name stitched into it. You can look up your maker’s story online and even have the chance to meet them to feel the love that was put into your clothing! This is a really incredible company with many cute optinons to choose from. Prices on their website starting at $25 for cute fall sweaters warm your heart when knowing you are getting ecologically positive clothing that benefits people and workers in need!
Fall is the time to splurge on those sweaters you dream about all year! Just remember that there are eco-friendly options to help sustain and improve our planet. While you may be tempted to shovel out that hundred bucks on your fall shopping cart, there are other options to consider as a college student. Take a look at Pact, Alternative Apparel, Klow, Kotn, and Krochet Kids before you head straight to the most popular, most advertised brand out there
*Photo courtesy of Kira auf der Heide on Unsplash