Future:Standard started with the idea that we shouldn’t have to compromise our values to look great. And it could not be truer! In the last decade, ethical fashion has come so far. At the time, I had a hard time finding brands that weren’t graphic tees and yoga pants. But now, I have been able to put together an ever-evolving big list of ethical fashion!
Here are over 50 100 ethical fashion brands to help you build your ethical wardrobe.
Obviously, no brand is perfect, but some are pretty close and getting closer by the day. Everything on the big list of ethical fashion meets my standards of eco-friendly production and health and safety of their workers. They have a high level of transparency, and their values are (for the most part) aligned with my own.
I value brands that are working to get closer and closer to a goal. Brands like Everlane that are working to eliminate new plastic from their entire supply chain. **
If you are just starting out, take a look at my ultimate guide to building an ethical wardrobe (because it isn’t about buying ethical fashion and moving on!).
I have put together this list over the course of several years, and will continue to add to it. There are literally thousands of ethical brands out there, so not every one is included. But, I have done research on all of these brands and admire what they are doing. I have done my best to note why I think they are ethical and what they make.
I have also
You will note that some brands, like *Amour Vert* and *Rothy’s* are listed with *asterisks*. These are brands that I have purchased and love. Obviously, I can’t try out every brand (completely unethical!) but I can do a little research!
I hope this helps on your ethical style journey!
The Big List of Ethical Fashion Brands:
Note: This is a list of ethical fashion brands. If you are looking for great places to shop, take a look at my Big List of Ethical Shops.
Categories:
- Clothing
- Basics
- Shoes
- Underwear
- Loungewear
- Athletic wear
- Swimwear
- Designer
- Accessories
- Jewelry
- Bags & Luggage
- Workwear
- Special Occasion
Clothing:
*Amour Vert*
Amour Vert is all about sustainability (and a personal favorite). They use non-toxic dyes, sustainable fabrics, a zero-waste philosophy and American manufacturing (97% of their clothing is made in California). They build relationships with every sewer and maker in their supply chain, ensuring that each piece is created with care and in a safe, healthy, and fair environment. They plant a tree for every tee purchased.
And (even though the label says otherwise), I was told and then tested it, that the silks can be machine washed instead of dry cleaned! These are the type of dresses that you buy now and wear for years (or decades), that transition from brunch to a wedding.
Christy Dawn
Christy Dawn is a gorgeous woman-designed, vintage inspired dress line. They use all deadstock fabric (not sure what that is? See my ethical fashion dictionary), and everything is made in Los Angeles. They treat their sewers and dressmakers like family, and everything is made with love. It shows.
Cuyana
Cuyana’s philosophy is “Fewer, Better Things.” We can certainly get behind that. And their things are definitely better. Cuyana is a brand that is a perfect go to for any capsule or minimalist wardrobe (or really any wardrobe, but if that is what you are going for, Cuyana is a great place to start). They are also completely transparent in their manufacturing and choose only fair factories with skilled craftsmen, making pieces that are designed to last.
Doen
DOEN is a collective of creative women, all dedicated to decreasing the gender pay gap in the garment industry. They manufacture as much as possible in the USA, and have ensured that every outsourced item is created in a completely ethical factory. They evaluate gender and social equality indicators, existing unions, and benefits. Their sourcing philosophy is about doing things mindfully.
*Eileen Fisher*
I consider Eileen Fisher an ethical fashion pioneer.
Eileen Fisher is quite possibly one of the most ethical companies in the fashion industry. They make ethical, timeless, well-made pieces that are made to last season after season. Each piece is designed to work with seasons past and be part of a responsible life cycle.
Their Vision2020 outlines their ethics, including all organic cotton and linens by 2020, being more responsible and working with other designers to be more responsible energy, water, and chemical use, and working to reduce the amount of clothing that enters landfills.
*Everlane*
Everlane is perfect for classic basics at a reasonable price. Their motto is transparency, so are straightforward with their sourcing, their materials, and their pricing. Their factories reduce water and provide safe and healthy working conditions.
They have committed to eliminating the use of all new plastic by 2021 and have started by creating a called ReNew, made of recycled plastics.
For Days
For Days is my newest ethical fashion obsession. They send out organic cotton and recycled tees, and then when they get a little too worn out, you send them back. They recycle old shirts and close the loop on the clothing cycle. Nothing ends up in the landfill. Also, you get a pretty good discount for the tees you swap out.
They are founded by two women with an interest in helping meet Sustainable Development goals and a closed loop fashion industry.
Mara Hoffman
In 2015 Mara Hoffman set out to become more sustainable. They use responsibly sourced organic, recycled and regenerated materials whenever possible and work to ensure all that work on their clothing are treated fairly. They also ask us, the consumer, to help hold them accountable. We would love to, Mara Hoffman!
*Reformation*
Spell and The Gypsy
Spell and Gypsy. This is a company that is ethical to the core. They believe in sustainability, transparency, and people and planet above all. From their headquarters and retail stores to the factories they work with to the fabrics they chose, ethical fashion and transparency are woven into (literally) every piece of this business.
Basics:
Alternative Apparel
Alternative’s balance between simplicity and style makes for a perfect basic, and with design rooted in sustainable and eco-friendly practices, they are a great basic to add to any ethical wardrobe. From start to finish, Alternative values ethical and sustainably sourced materials that are designed to last. They have a promise to only use recycled plastic by 2021.
*Groceries Apparel*
When F:S was a little online shop, Groceries was one of the first brands I carried and one of the first ethical brands that I truly fell in love with. I love the basics almost as much as I love their ethics. Everything is made in LA, with sustainable fabric like recycled plastic, organic cotton, and eucalyptus fiber. They work to support family farms, pay fair wages, and will not compromise their values, no matter what. They are so transparent that they accepted my request to visit their factory.
In the years since I first met Groceries, they have only gotten better! More transparent, more ethical, and many more styles and colors.
Krochet Kids
Using Organic cotton and a transparent supply chain, Krochet Kids is able to provide life-changing job opportunities to women in need. Every item is signed by the woman who made it, and improves her life by giving her a fair wage. Krochet Kids also does a great job of reminding us that there are people behind our clothes and that their wages, health care, safety, and well being is just as important as ours.
Wear Pact
If you’ve been here long, you know that I love Pact. They were one of the first lines we carried when we were exclusively a shop, and I have filled my underwear drawer with them ever since. They use almost exclusively organic cotton and are fair trade. Everything is dreamily comfortable and soft. In the years since F:S first started carrying Pact, they have increased their product line extensively, and now have the best dresses, loungewear, socks, and everything in between.
Athletic Wear:
*Girlfriend Collective*
I am wearing my favorite Girlfriend yoga pants as I type this. I love this company. They are a low-waste company that. Turns old water bottles and fishing nets into a limited collection of really awesome leggings, sports bras, unitards, and a few other items. Eco-friendliness is a top priority and every aspect of their supply chain reflects that. They are SA8000 and Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified. They have one of the most complete About Us pages that addresses almost everything you can think of. Plus, they are just damn good leggings that look great and are made to last!
Shoes:
Coclico
At Coclico, they believe that luxury isn’t the ability to purchase endlessly, but the privilege of choosing wisely. I just LOVE this! And upon reading this, realized that they may have created my new shopping motto! Clean lines and neutral palettes are at the heart of their designs, making styles that last. They partner with Native Energy to track their environmental impact, source responsible leather and recycled materials, and work with an ethical factory in Mallorca, Spain and are known for setting the bar for best practices.
*Fortress of Inca*
I get more compliments on these shoes than any other I have ever owned.
Fortress of Inca believes that the people who make their shoes are just as important as the people who buy them. While so obvious, this statement alone is what prompted me to order my first pair.
Nisolo
Nisolo is committed to pushing the fashion industry in a more sustainable and ethical direction, one that values the end product but also the environment and the producers.
They are committed to paying above fair trade wages, providing healthcare, and ensuring safe working conditions. They also partner with Soles4Souls to divert shoes from landfills and Ecosphere to plant trees in the Amazon Basin and are working to offset their carbon emissions. Nisolo is a certified B. Corp.
Rafa – Vegan
With only a few simple styles, but LOTS of great color options, Rafa sandals are beautiful and minimalist. They use vegan recycled textiles for the uppers and recycled metal for their buckles. Everything is handmade using sustainable processes, in LA. They are made to order, so they produce significantly less waste than many other shoe lines, and are timeless and built to last.
*Rothy’s* – Vegan
The People’s Movement
The People’s Movement is an eco-hip shoe and accessories company that stands for reduction of single-use plastic.
They pair up-cycled plastic bags cleaned from Bali with natural and eco-conscious materials to create casual shoes and joggers. At extremely affordable prices, their clean, simplistic look is perfect for everyday wear. With over 268,000 tons of plastic debris floating around in the ocean, purchasing MOVMT shoes can help stop waste and start a movement.
Underwear:
Anekdot
“Lingerie and swimwear that don’t cost the earth.” Anekdot is an upcycle line. They source everything from deadstock, vintage, production leftovers, and end of the line fabrics. What can’t be made from upcycled products is locally sourced. This is a company that has sustainability at its core. They also develop relationships with their nearby manufacturers to ensure healthy, safe, and fair working conditions.
CP Shades
CP Shades make sustainable, garment dyed, handmade, easy to wear pieces out of their 100% solar powered factory in Sausalito, California. They call it “uncomplicated natural fiber clothing, with soul, often becoming old favorites.” Basically, the definition of ethical fashion.
NAJA
Naja uses recycled plastic bottles, is constantly striving to find more sustainable fabrics, and uses digital and sublimation printing to reduce their water consumption. They employ mostly single and head-of-household women to produce their swimwear, paying them above market wages and providing healthcare and flexible work hours. Their focus is on female empowerment from the models and poses, to their styles and company ethics.
They even have a zero-waste collection.
Loungewear:
Swimwear:
Galamaar
Everything is designed and made in LA. Galamaar is constantly trying to be more transparent, do better, and become more sustainable. I love this constant effort to improve – that’s what F:S is all about!
They use recycled hang tags and packaging materials, try to maintain a sustainable office setting, and use discarded fishing nets in their production, keeping them out of the ocean and offering a better fit and a long lasting suit (keeping you from replacing it every year!)
Koru Swimwear
Koru Swimwear, inspired by the New Zealand love of the environment and a relaxed attitude, is a swimwear brand made from 100% ECONYL, or regenerated polyaminde (or discarded fishing nets). They extend their environmental approach into everything they do, from their hangtags to their packaging.
They have also introduced their Up Collection, a line of accessories made out of the scraps from their swimwear.
Mara Hoffman
Naja
Naja uses recycled plastic bottles, is constantly striving to find more sustainable fabrics, and uses digital and sublimation printing to reduce their water consumption. They employ mostly single and head-of-household women to produce their swimwear, paying them above market wages and providing healthcare and flexible work hours. Their focus is on female empowerment from the models and poses, to their styles and company ethics.
Reformation
I just love Reformation. Made ethically in LA using deadstock fabrics. Their tagline is, “Being naked is the number one sustainable choice, We are number 2.” And when you are almost naked, why not be in Reformation.
Underprotection
Their goal is to make swimwear that makes you dream about vacation and summer. Done! They try to show that fair and sustainable fashion and fabrics are not boring or less fashionable and have succeeded. Everything is made in a certified factory using sustainable fabrics.
*Vitamin A*
Vitamin A made my favorite bikini of all time. Not only are these suits super sexy, but they are made using EcoLux, a fabric made from recycled nylon fibers and other sustainable (and high performing – my original Vitamin A bikini lasted YEARS!). Vitamin A swimwear is designed and made almost exclusively in Southern California. They are making sustainability sexy.
Designer
Jewelry
Workwear
Special Occasion
Accessories:
The People’s Movement
The People’s Movement is an eco-hip shoe and accessories company that stands for reduction of single-use plastic.
They pair up-cycled plastic bags cleaned from Bali with natural and eco-conscious materials to create wallets and small pocketbooks. At extremely affordable prices, their clean, simplistic look is perfect for everyday wear. With over 268,000 tons of plastic debris floating around in the ocean, purchasing MOVMT shoes can help stop waste and start a movement.
Bags & Luggage:
Matt & Nat
Matt & Nat comes from Materia and Nature. From the start, they have been animal-material free, and each season continue to innovate ways to remain sustainable and eco-friendly.
They use only recycled plastic bottle based material for their linings and experiment with other recycled materials in other fabrics. They also use other sustainable materials like cork and rubber. They have developed relationships with their manufacturers and are completely transparent in all aspects of their production.
If you’re overwhelmed, I understand. It takes time to find your way with ethical fashion. There is a lot of greenwashing, endless brands, and many different ways to have an ethical wardrobe. Just get started!
And, if you are a brand (or love a brand) that deserves to be on this list, let me know. I’d love to take a look and add you. Just comment below or send me a note.