Sustainable and ethical fashion is becoming an increasingly important issue in the fashion industry. It is a movement towards creating clothing, shoes, and accessories that have a positive impact on both the environment and the people involved in the production process.
Sustainable fashion refers to clothing that is made from eco-friendly and non-toxic materials, using methods that have a minimal impact on the environment. For example, using organic cotton or recycled polyester instead of conventional cotton, which requires large amounts of water and pesticides. Sustainable fashion also aims to reduce waste by designing clothing that lasts longer, can be repaired, or can be recycled.
Ethical fashion, on the other hand, is about creating clothing that is made in a way that respects the people involved in the production process. This includes ensuring that workers are paid fairly, have safe working conditions, and are not exploited. Ethical fashion also focuses on animal welfare, avoiding the use of materials that come from animals that have been treated cruelly.
Why is sustainable and ethical fashion so important? For one, the fashion industry is one of the largest polluters in the world, producing massive amounts of waste and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. By supporting sustainable and ethical fashion, we can reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry and help protect the planet.
This is why it’s so important to try and shop ethically and sustainably. Thankfully, we’ve found the best retailers available in the UK that are both these things and are even more affordable than you think!
Nobody’s Child
This brand is a responsible fashion company that is on a mission to bring beautiful products to every woman without costing the earth. Over 90% of their collection is crafted from responsible fabrics and you’ll find everything from midi dresses to soft jumpers.
The company has even worked with multiple celebrities including Fearne Cotton with the Nobody’s Child x Happy Place collaboration. Nobody’s Child is not only sustainable and ethical but the prices are quite affordable with prices starting from £25!
Nu-In
According to the brand, Nu-In was created with a focus on delivering must-have staples for the everyday wardrobe influenced by a blend of Scandinavian chic minimalism and Berlin’s edgy street style. There are both women and men’s clothing as well as state-of-art sustainable technologies to reduce the companies’ carbon footprint.
Nu-In also shared a commitment to use recycled fabrics (to save textiles from landfill), a pledge to design for circularity and come PETA Vegan approved. There is even a Second Hand Market to buy and sell pre-loved Nu-In items!
OMNES
The focus at OMNES is to change the way that people shop, wear and think about fashion. To do this, the company creates fashion that is good quality, affordable and sustainable in order to prompt discussion and broader change across the industry. They have even partnered with the climate organisation Earthly to measure our carbon emissions per head, and have invested to offset them.
The company only uses quality fabrics that are grown, sourced and manufactured responsibly, prioritising natural, recycled and deadstock materials. In addition to this, they pay all staff the living wage rate for their region and are committed to supporting animal welfare as they are committed to never using materials that cause their suffering or killing.
Eleven Loves
From heavyweight trees to dresses, Eleven Loves has every piece of clothing that you’ll need. Amazingly, everything is traceable from the yarn to the garment as this fashion label has a long list of sustainable attributes as their goal is to provide clothes with love and respect for the environment.
As well as making their customers feel special every single day, the company has recycled yarn, jersey from GOTS organic cotton, carbon is offset, only creates small runs to reduce waste and it’s even PETA approved.
Baukjen
Baukjen is actually the highest scoring Fashion B Corp in the UK. What is a B Corp you may ask? Companies certified by B Corp meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. This means that all of their sustainable credentials have been verified.
Every item has a list of sustainable attributes with filters from vegan, low water use, low impact, made in Europe and recycled fibres. Amazingly, the company also sells pre-loved items on their site and even offers rentals for those who may need it.
Summary
By investing in high-quality, sustainable and ethical clothing, we can reduce our overall consumption of fast fashion, which is designed to be worn for a short period of time and then discarded. This can save us money in the long run, and reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.
Sustainable and ethical fashion is an important movement towards creating a more just and sustainable fashion industry. By supporting this movement, we can help protect the planet, support fair labour practices, and reduce our overall consumption of clothing.
Words by Charlie Vogelsang
GIRLS IRL 