For those that know me, no I’m not giving fashion advice – that would obviously be ridiculous. And also to fashion brands out there, none of you are ever going to get rich by selling me clothes. I still have a pair of Levi’s that I bought in 2003. Granted they are only now used for painting or outside work, having been relegated after about 15 years, but they still remain in my possession.
So basically I buy very little clothes for myself, chosing to get the most out of what I have bought. But every so often, some members of my family actually have to buy clothing of some sort. For each item, the research is very intensive, trying to find the right brand that ticks as many of the boxes a sustainable manufacturer should.
Buying sustainably, ethically made clothes is going to be a little more expensive than average, but the advantages are huge. How often do people spend an absolute forture on a t-Shirt, or pair of runners, purely because of a logo, for these sweatshop made items to disentegrate in a few months? At least when you know the sweatshirt you’re wearing hasn’t come from a sweashopWe don’t always get it right, but are trying to improve on each purchase. Here are some of the sustainable brands we buy, or eco friendly businesses we like to support:
Armed Angels
Armed Angels are a German Fashion retailer who live and breathe sustainability in fashion and clothing. Every part of their process, from materials, to labour, to packaging is done to the highest ethical standards. Their cotton is GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) Certified Organic since 2011, ensuring no pesticides are used in the growing of the raw cotton. All other materials they use are also sustainable, such as organic linen or wool. Their raw materials are also Fair Trade, to ensure the fair treatment of the producers and their work practices meet the Fair Wear Foundation requirements, to improve working conditions in all the textile factories they use.
One drawback is the fact they use recycled Polyester, which is something I’m not a massive fan of, due to microplastics. They have plenty of clothing options that don’t use this, so it’s really a customers choice if they really want the product or not.
Allbirds
Allbirds are one of the top sustainable shoe manufacturers out there. They focus on sustainable raw materials, developing natural alternatives to the synthetic materials previously used, such as New Zealand Merino Wool, FSC Certified Wood Fibre and Sugar Cane.
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