While the fashion industry is notorious for its environmental wastefulness and often poor treatment of its workers, buyers often wish to make a difference, but are lost when it comes to navigating such a complex industry. However, there are many options when it comes to making sure your clothes come from moral and sustainable platforms. Here are 3 ethical fashion companies you should buy from.
1. thredUP
Image Credit: thredup.com
Given the second hand nature of all their listed products, this online thrift-store’s values revolve around sustainability. ThredUP wishes to challenge the fashion industry’s unnecessary obsession with “newness”, lessening the amount of discarded clothing in landfills. They use innovative technology to process thousands of garments a a day, while spreading education of the environmental benefits of buying used fashion. They even collaborated with Olivia Wilde to create a second hand t-shirt collection, promoting the significance of second hand fashion to mainstream audiences. With a wide arrange of options of 35k brands, ThredUP is suitable for any shopper. Take their original fashion footprint calculator quiz if you want to make a positive impact!
2. American Apparel
Image Credit: americanapparel.com
At its height of popularity, American Apparel dominated internet platforms such as Tumblr with their sexualized, high flash photography advertising and straightforward designs. It originally went bankrupt in 2017, shutting down 110 stores. However, the brand was revived by Canadian manufacturer Gildan Activewear, the second most sustainability managed apparel company, who revamped its image to highlight female empowerment. Currently, American Apparel operates as an online only platform. Currently, the brand emphasizes its “ethically made and sweatshop free culture. According to their website: “All production employees at our owned facilities earn significantly more than the legally-mandated minimum industry wages in all the countries where we operate. Moreover, in the majority of our locations, our employees receive valuable competitive benefits such as 24-hour access to medical clinics, free transportation to and from work, subsidized meals, and access to financial aid programs.” They also value the LGBTQ+ community, donating to the Trevor Project and the Montreal Pride Parade.
3. Reformation
Image Credit: thereformation.com
Reformation is a vintage inspired clothing website known for its elegant and feminine silhouettes. Founded in California, Reformation opened downtown Los Angeles’ first sustainable factory in 2013. Their sustainable practices include being 100% carbon neutral (meaning no carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere), and tracking its environmental impact through a tool called RefScale. They are also dedicated to creating safe, healthy environments for their workers. According to their website: We do so through partnerships with industry groups like the Fair Labor Association, conducting on-site social responsibility audits, and a commitment to ensuring workers have a voice in our organization. Although their styles may be on the pricier side for many, the high quality of the clothing proves to be a worthwhile investment that will last you years. With their classy and flattering options, Reformation offers the perfect combination of ethical and stylish.
