With warm weather just around the corner, stores are already stocking up on spring and summer clothing, and with changing seasons come changing styles. That being said, updating your closet to adhere to the latest fashion trends can not only be physically exhausting, but it can have severe environmental impacts as well. According to an article by Insider, clothing production is steadily increasing, as is the amount of clothing in landfills. In fact, 85 percent of textiles end up in the landfill each year. Moreover, fashion contributes to 10 percent of all human carbon emissions each year. It is more important now than ever before to reduce your carbon footprint, and your wardrobe is the perfect place to start. Here are five sustainable, ethical brands to check out when shopping for your spring and summer clothing.
- Tradlands
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Although it is a relatively small company, Tradlands has a wide variety of women’s clothes, including items like summer dresses, cardigans, dress shirts, totes and hair accessories. Tradlands is adamant about fair working conditions for their employees as well as ethical production practices. Tradlands makes its products with natural materials, which makes the resulting clothing heavy-duty and long-lasting. The brand’s goal is to see consumers wear their clothes for an extended period of time, reducing the need for buying more and more.
- Threads 4 Thought
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If you’re looking for ethical workout gear that you can wear outside this spring, Threads 4 Thoughts has a great selection of leggings, sports bras, hats and jackets for all sizes. Threads 4 Thought is committed to using sustainable materials, including biodegradable fabrics, organic cotton and polyester made from recycled bottles. Threads 4 Thought also recycles wastewater, saving nearly half a billion gallons of water each year.
- Pact
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Pact carries many products that will come in handy in warm weather, including skirts, shorts, blouses, light jackets, dresses and more. Pact’s mission is to “build Earth’s favorite clothing company,” and the brand certainly does just that. Pact practices organic resource production, ethical working conditions, sustainable packaging and eco-friendly shipping all while providing customers with cute, trendy clothing!
- Able
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If you’re looking for more than just clothing, Able is the perfect place to fill your closet at an affordable price. Able carries summer clothing, but the brand is widely known for its accessories. From jewelry to shoes to bags, Able practices sustainability with all of its products. All jewelry is handmade in Nashville, and the scrap metal is then recycled. In addition, the brand’s leather accessories and shoes are made from natural materials that require less energy than vegan leather does, and Able uses leftover leather for smaller products.
- Outerknown
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Outerknown, an ethical brand based in California, carries nearly everything you may need for your spring wardrobe. From dresses to rompers to swimsuits, the shop has a variety of options that are perfect for warm weather. Outerknown uses sustainable resources and practices, and 90 percent of the fibers in the brand’s products are recycled or renewed. On top of that, in order to keep its jeans out of the landfill, Outerknown vows to fix, replace or reuse materials from customers’ damaged jeans from their S.E.A. collection.
While it is tempting to shop at fast fashion companies, it’s so important to remind ourselves of the importance of shopping sustainably; it is easy to find cute, ethical clothes at good prices! It doesn’t take a huge gesture to make the world a better place. You can make an impact by choosing one of these environmentally friendly brands when you’re looking to update your closet this spring.