5 Sustainable Online Fashion Brands to Check Out!

BY JENNY LI

Samsung KX commissioned a study to mark the Slow Catwalk Finale in 2021 and found that 60% of students are ready to ditch fast fashion, however 30% also answered that they didn’t know where to start with eco-friendly fashion and “almost 40% agreed that more education would help tackle this”. With this in mind, here are just five brands to get you started in eco-friendly fashion:

UNLESS Collective

A streetwear brand based in Portland, Oregon, that has built itself on the knowledge that only 15% of textiles are recycled while the rest are in landfills, therefore, they say their clothes are created with a “zero plastic waste end in mind”. Since 60% of clothes are made from plastic which affects their recyclability and are not biodegradable. UNLESS makes the point that all their clothes are entirely plant-based from buttons to labels, so that at the end-of-life of a garment it can harmlessly decompose. In addition, they have a ‘takeback’ scheme in which you can send back worn UNLESS pieces for them to repair, recycle or compost. Definitely a brand to look at if you’re looking to add conscious trendy unisex streetwear to your closet.

Unlesscollective.com

With Nothing Underneath

A London-based womenswear brand for those looking to update their smart casual wear with pieces that have sustainability in mind. “Inspired by men’s tailoring”, they have an array of shirt styles from the oversized fit of the ‘boyfriend’ to the elegant ‘cocktail’. Furthermore, they have a range of materials to choose from, many of which are Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified such as their cotton and poplin. There is also the choice of more versatile and renewable fabrics like hemp and Tencel, which are both biodegradable. Tencel being the most interesting if you want a shirt that doesn’t easily crease or crinkle.

Withnothingunderneath.com

Ana Luisa

“A jewelry brand with a simple, but clear cut idea. That high quality jewelry shouldn’t cost the planet”. Accessories are another statement piece in fashion but, the waste produced by jewellery manufacturing and especially mining for metals and gemstones, often gets overlooked. New York-based Ana Luisa has made a conscious effort to offset the waste in all areas of this process and therefore, are “100% carbon and water neutral”. They are also on a mission to become more circular by “increasing the percentage of recycled raw materials in our designs” and it “will remain an everlasting goal of ours to reduce emissions from our upstream operations.” A great option if you’re looking to elevate your jewellery collection but want to go about it in an ecofriendly manner.

Analuisa.com

Virón

A footwear brand based in one of the major fashion capitals of the world, Paris, has stepped up in an industry that seemingly has no sustainable options. They use “recycled, upcycled and bio-based earth-friendly materials”. With some shoe models, the soles are made with 70% recycled rubber and the insoles use 40% recycled plastic bottles, other models are entirely made from recycled material. They also use a leather substitute, AppleSkin™, a material made from waste in the apple juice industry. A perfect brand for if you’re looking for en vogue unisex styles that are ethically made, by a vegan and PETA certified label.

Viron-world.com

Community Clothing

Community Clothing’s goal is to make affordable clothing from sustainable materials with 100% of their production being in the UK. Part of what makes their business model unique, is that they make seasonless staples all year round as their manufacturing is not structured around the fashion seasons. Though they use cotton in their products, it is GOTS certified and it’s farmed using “modern sustainable, organic and regenerative farming practices”. So if you’re looking for sustainable wardrobe must-haves that never go out of style for men and women, then this brand is for you.

Communityclothing.co.uk

If you do check out these brands, you’ll see that price is not a factor considered here for most of these brands (sorry students) as, unfortunately sustainability comes with a price though rest assured that these products are built to last without the excessive environmental impact .